California Special Election Watch: Proposition 73 Galvanizing the Christian Base

The Sacramento Bee has Abortion measure could be pivotal.

Forces for and against are using Prop. 73 to galvanize their base on the governor’s initiatives.

The California Catholic Conference prepared a series of homilies for priests to mark October as “Respect Life” month and to use as a countdown to the Nov. 8 special election.

The sermons make references to Proposition 73, an initiative that would require parental notification before doctors can perform abortions on girls under 18.

“Proposition 73 is family-oriented, pro-life and promotes the culture of life,” wrote Father Richard Benson, academic dean and moral theology chairman for St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, in his suggested “homily notes” for priests delivering Mass. “It closes the secret access to abortion.”

The talking point homilies are among numerous get-out-the-vote efforts in support of or against the parental notification initiative.

Proposition 73 was in the planning long before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his special election agenda. But as churches, women’s groups and others rally forces to vote on the initiative, the turnout for Proposition 73 is viewed as a factor in how other special election measures may fare.

On one side, the Traditional Values Coalition is printing 100,000 slate mailers for evangelical churches, declaring: “We must not let Planned Parenthood and their baby-killing allies dominate at the polls.”

And Benjamin Lopez, a coalition lobbyist, said the slate mailers will also urge Christian conservatives to vote “yes” on the governor’s special election agenda, comprising Propositions 74, 75, 76 and 77. The measures would extend the time it takes teachers to earn tenure, require public employee labor unions to get members’ permission before spending dues on political campaigns, give the governor broad powers to make budget cuts and change how legislative districts are drawn.

“We need to get our base motivated about 73 and that, hopefully, will have a coattail effect with the other measures,” Lopez said

With a week to go before the California Special Election it is ALL about turning out your voter BASE.

Will Pro-Life voters deliver proposition victories for Governor Schwarzenegger?

Stay tuned…….

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Special Election, Capitol Research Institute, Proposition 73

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page