Opposition to the initiative designed to constitutionally declare even an embryo legally "a person" came from an unexpected source Tuesday - a group of Nevada's long-standing pro-life organizations.
The group consisting of Janine Hansen, president of Nevada Eagle Forum, Nevada Life President Don Nelson, Nevada Families' Lynn Chapman and Independent American Party Chairman John Wagner charged that the proposed amendment would further compromise the rights of the unborn rather than protect them.
"This amendment will harm the pro-life movement by giving pro-abortion courts more power to decide all matters relating to abortion such as parental notification, informed consent and taxpayer funding of abortion," they charged in a statement issued Tuesday. "These matters should be decided by the elected representatives of the people - state legislatures and Congress, not the unelected courts."
The proposed constitutional amendment was filed by Richard Ziser, former U.S. Senate candidate and the organizer of the Nevada campaign to declare marriage as between only a man and a woman.
He said it would protect every human being from conception until death.
The coalition of pro-life groups said they disagree because the proposed petition is "so vague and general that it may not even apply to abortion at all."