Abortion

Alaska Parental Notification Lawsuit To Be Heard In February

The state law requiring a parent to be notified before a minor can receive an abortion will be heard on February 13th, 2012.

It’s still a long ways away, but a new law requiring that all Alaskan minors seeking abortions must notify their parents first will be getting a court hearing next February.

Anchorage Superior Court Judge John Suddock has ruled that both parties will be heard on February 13th, 2012.  Planned Parenthood is challenging the state law, saying that the 48 hour mandatory wait after notifying a parent, as well as a “notarized” statement of sexual abuse complete with third party verification for a girl who is seeking judicial bypass, represents the toughest parental notification law in the country.

Supporters, meanwhile, call the measure necessary, saying otherwise teens might fake a sexual assault to get out of telling their parents that they are getting an abortion.