links for 2009-05-05

Gov. Sarah Palin is backing a ballot measure to bypass the Legislature and make it illegal for teenagers to get an abortion without telling their parents.
The initiative would require parental "notice or consent" before a woman under 18 could have an abortion, unless the teen convinced a court otherwise or there was a medical emergency. There would have to be a 48-hour waiting period after the parent is notified — but that could be waived if the parent gave consent for the abortion.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin plans to work with a new Republican group, the National Council for a New America, a spokeswoman said.

Palin "looks forward to doing all she can to bring about positive change many desire and deserve, across Alaska and our great nation, through this National Council for a New America and others," Meghan Stapleton, a spokeswoman for SarahPAC, said in an e-mail.

Stapleton said Palin plans to be involved with the group "as long as everyone knows that Alaska always comes first."

Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Hesperia, today officially became the second Republican targeted in a party backlash against six Republicans who voted for the state budget deal.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen today certified a recall petition drive against Adams. The effort is headed by 10 proponents, including former Assemblyman and unsuccessful U.S. Senate Candidate Richard L. Mountjoy.

Mountjoy has already told the conservative Flash Report that he intends to run in the recall against Adams if the measure qualifies. Recall petitioners must collect collect 35,825 valid signatures of registered voters by Oct. 13 for the measure to qualify for the ballot.

Another recall effort was recently launched against state Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield. Recall backers in Ashburn's district have until Sept. 30 to collect 42,376 valid signatures.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) will take over the ranking member position on the Senate Judiciary Committee after striking a deal with his more senior colleagues over the weekend, sources confirm to The Hill.

Sessions and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reached the deal that will allow the Alabama Republican to take over for Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), whose departure from the GOP last week left the committee without a ranking member.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, amid delivering a keynote address today at AltaMed's National Public Policy Forum in Beverly Hills, went on a bit of a tangent to discuss Sen. Arlen Specter's recent flip to the Democratic Party.