Well, well, well what do we have here? The “Nevada Prolife Coalition,” backed by Personhood USA, is organizing to collect signatures for a personhood initiative in Nevada. Hmm… this sounds familiar. Oh right, I was the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit against the last attempt at a personhood initiative! Hi, Personhood USA! Remember me?

This time, the anti-choice terrorists have narrowed their target by seeking to prohibit “the intentional taking of a prenatal person’s life.” The petition also defines a person as “every human being at all stages of biological development before birth.”

Luckily, my peeps at the Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood, the ACLU of Nevada (both of which fought the 2009 lawsuit — which we won!), the Nevada Coalition Against Sexual Violence, the Nevada Women’s Lobby, ProgressNow Nevada  have organized a Pro-choice Coalition to stand up for the reproductive rights of all Nevadans including access to abortion, which has been protected under state law for twenty years. It’s like the Prochoice Justice League!

Here’s what NAPP had to say in the coalition press release:

“Two of these so-called ‘personhood’ initiative petitions appeared on the ballot in Colorado in 2008 and in 2010.  In both cases, voters defeated these measures by an almost 3 to 1 margin.  And there’s a good reason for that,” said Elisa Cafferata, President & CEO of Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood Affiliates.  “This initiative is an attempt to prevent a woman from making her own personal, private decisions about her health with her family and doctor.  It would bring government, lawyers and the courts into our personal lives.  It would affect literally thousands of laws, costing our state a fortune to litigate.”

This will be an important issue to watch. I know I will be!

Update: There are TWO personhood petitions filed!