The California legislature voted in June to add an initiative to the upcoming November ballot that would amend the California Constitution to ensure all abortions WITHOUT limitation be protected right up to the moment of birth. Proposition 1, if approved by the voters, will put California in the same category as a small number of nations, like North Korea and China, that permit late-term abortion, even when the mother’s life is not in danger and even when the healthy baby could survive outside the womb.

If approved, here is what the State Constitutional Amendment will say:

The state shall not deny or interfere with an individual’s reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives. This section is intended to further the constitutional right to privacy guaranteed by Section 1, and the constitutional right to not be denied equal protection guaranteed by Section 7. Nothing herein narrows or limits the right to privacy or equal protection.

Existing California law restricts abortion after the age of viability, usually about 24 weeks, unless a doctor determines the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the mother. Prop 1 would eliminate the viability restriction, as the “right” to abortion could not be interfered with based on viability or any other standard.

As Christians, we know that all human life is valuable and worthy of protection by our laws from conception through natural death. While many in our culture reject this biblical standard, polls indicate that most Californians want abortion limited at some point before birth.

The Legislature has already committed over $200 million this year to expand abortion and reproductive services, including tens of millions to pay the expenses for abortion seekers from other states. With an estimated 3,000% increase in the number of people from other states coming to California for abortions, millions of dollars more will be required to meet soaring demand.

Proposition 1 is an extreme and costly proposal that does nothing to advance women’s health. Instead, it destroys precious human lives and wreaks havoc on families. It also punishes taxpayers and eliminates all limits on late-term abortions in defiance of what most voters want.