Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour spent yesterday nudging around the idea that he might, maybe, kinda, sorta object to a blanket ban on abortion in his state. Governor Barbour told msnbc:
I am concerned about some of the ramifications on in vitro fertilization and [ectopic] pregnancies where pregnancies [occur] outside the uterus and [in] the fallopian tubes. That concerns me, I have to just say it.
He also told Fox that the Personhood campaign was hoping to get a challenge to Roe v. Wade before the Supreme Court, but that he didn't think theirs would be the best case.
So much for that. Today Governor Barbour voted yes. From the AP:
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour says he voted for a state ballot initiative that would declare life begins at fertilization.The Republican says he voted by absentee ballot Thursday because he won't be in his hometown for Tuesday's election.
Mr. Barbour told reporters he still has reservations about the amendment, but he believes life begins at conception. Corollary: The state should control every pregnancy in Mississippi.
This is the challenge for the side trying to stop the Personhood Amendment -- people having reservations but voting for it anyway. The amendment would also outlaw common forms of birth control like the IUD and the pill, since the IUD is designed to prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, and a secondary function of the pill has the same effect.
Like Governor Barbour, the Democratic candidate for governor, Johnny DuPree, looked at the amendment, expressed his reservations, and announced his support for it anyway:
"Johnny DuPree supports the Personhood Amendment. While he has concerns about some of the ramifications, such as on in-vitro fertilization and birth control, he ultimately supports the amendment because he believes life begins at conception."