Controversial new abortion law and dodgy tax returns may harm Palin

Friday, February 27. Alaskan governor Sarah Palin has come out in support of a proposed new law that would mean Alaskan girls who want an abortion under the age of 17 will have to obtain parental consent.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Palin said the bill was designed to support the rights of parents. "Wherever you fall on the abortion issue, right or left, this legislation is about family, and it's about parents' rights and protecting our children, and it's supported by legislators on both sides of the aisle," she declared.

The bill may face stiff opposition in the state Senate though and in 2007 a similar proposal was ruled unconstitutional in the Supreme Court. Palin has said that she hopes this time politicians and lawmakers will see the issue differently. The 44-year old mother of five, who found strong support from anti-abortionists on the campaign trail last year, said yesterday: "It's not right, it's not fair to Alaskans to have a wedge driven between children and parents."

Meanwhile the tax saga that has dogged Palin for the past two weeks looks unlikely to end any time soon despite the fact that the Alaskan Governor is currently redrafting her 2007 and 2008 tax returns. The former vice presidential candidate's tax issues first came to light when observers pointed out that Palin owed the Alaskan tax payer around $18,000 in per diem payments she had accepted for days spent in her Wasilla home during the first 19 months of her governorship.

She has since come under fire for using state money to pay for trips her children have made around the US while she was on the campaign trail last year. Though there is no suggestion of deliberate wrongdoing on Palin's part, tax experts say she will now need to cough up around $10,000 for her children’s travel.

Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, has said the governor's willingness to pay back her per diem payments shows that demands high standards of herself. "The governor has shown by her actions here today that she adheres to the highest level of ethics," said the lawyer.

FIRST POSTED FEBRUARY 27, 2009