News

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A new analysis of abortion data across all 50 U.S. states has found solid evidence that legislation intended to reduce abortion, such as parental involvement laws, is effective.

Michael New, Ph.D., an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama, recently published the survey entitled “Analyzing the Effect of Anti-Abortion U.S. State Legislation in the Post-Casey Era” in State Politics and Policy Quarterly, the top state politics journal in the country. The study evaluated abortion data from nearly every state over a span of 21 years, from 1985 to 2005, a longer period than nearly any other peer-reviewed study. 

New drew from both the Centers for Disease Control and the Alan Guttmacher Institute, whose data on abortion rates provided what New found was a clear indication that Medicaid abortion funding restrictions, parental involvement laws and informed consent laws effectively lower abortion rates.

Parental involvement laws specifically were found to reduce in-state abortion rates for minors by approximately 15 percent.

The professor notes that his study is part of a substantial body of academic literature showing that such laws are effective, although his latest work aimed to overcome shortcomings of previous studies by analyzing many types of abortion restrictions, as well as examining a broader range of years and states.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said the study by New, a former adjunct fellow with the Family Research Council, confirms the conservative group’s support for laws that strengthen families against the tragedy of abortion.

“Almost invariably it is a parent, not a government employee or business entity, who cares most about a daughter’s well-being. This is why we strongly support commonsense laws that reaffirm parents’ unique role as the decision-makers in the life of their child,” said Perkins.

“Politicians can talk about ‘reducing abortion rates,’ but if they truly want to do so they will support parental-involvement legislation and defund such organizations as Planned Parenthood that perform or promotion abortions,” he added.

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