A proposal requiring parental consent for abortions for girls ages 17 and under was certified last week by the state of Alaska. Guess who thinks this is a good idea?

Yes, Sarah Palin.

She may be leaving office with tremendous debt accrued from combating a bevy of ethics complaints, as she told ABC news while coated in fish guts, but a lucrative book deal and other Palin brand-furthering opportunities could pay for that — and then some. So she’s angling to become a full-time professional celebrity rather than a politician, but not without first attempting to rewrite Alaska’s abortion policy.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The day before announcing that she would leave the Governor’s office, Sarah Palin terminated state public health director, Beverly Wooley, who said she planned to draw on research, not ideology, in answering questions posed by state representatives about the legislation.

Wooley was the second state health official to be ousted in as many months. State chief medical officer, Jay Butler, was terminated in June for the same reason, according to Mother Jones Magazine.

If passed (the proposal needs nearly 33,000 signatures to appear on a ballot next year), the law would require permission from a parent in all 17-and-under abortion cases — except in the following circumstances, as outlined by the Anchorage Daily News:

The teen submits a notarized statement that she is a victim of abuse by a parent or guardian.

The teen persuades a court to let her bypass notification.

A doctor declares a medical emergency.

A similar parental consent bill was ruled unconstitutional by the Alaska Supreme Court two years ago.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount