Panel Rejects Abortion Bill Requiring Parent Consent

In a sharp setback for abortion foes, the Assembly Judiciary Committee rejected on Tuesday a bill aimed at preventing pregnant minors from obtaining abortions without parental consent.

The committee refused on a 4-4 vote to consider the measure by Sen. Joseph B. Montoya (D-Whittier), which had been rejected by a Judiciary subcommittee Monday night after an exchange of angry testimony between anti-abortion and pro-choice advocates.

Dissatisfied with the subcommittee’s decision, Assemblyman Phillip D. Wyman (R-Tehachapi) said the measure was so important that it should be dealt with by the full committee. But Chairman Elihu M. Harris (D-Oakland) said the full committee would not be able to devote adequate time to the proposal.

The Senate-passed legislation, similar to earlier measures that have failed to receive legislative approval at least three times in recent years, would have required pregnant minors either to obtain parental consent before getting an abortion or to convince a judge that they were mature enough to make the decision themselves.

Opponents of the bill expressed relief at the full committee’s action, while proponents reacted with “shock and dismay.”

“I am furious. Our kids are at stake and the Legislature doesn’t care,” said Barbara Alby, president of Women’s Lobby, the anti-abortion group that sponsored the bill.

As for an attempt to revive the bill, Alby said the most probable next course of action for proponents would be to extract the measure from the committee and put it before the full Assembly for a vote, an exceedingly difficult task to accomplish.

David Alois, director of public information for Planned Parenthood, a foe of the bill, classified the Montoya proposal as a “harassment-type bill.” He and other opponents expressed relief that it failed.