If there's one issue that politicians typically are unambiguous about, it's abortion.
But, in this year's NARAL Pro Choice California scorecard, three legislators actually scored in the middle.
Sens. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, and Dean Florez, D-Bakersfield, and Assemblywoman Shirley Horton, R-Lemon Grove, were all rated as "mixed-choice" legislators. All the other Democrats scored 100 percent and all but two of the other Republicans scored 0.
The ratings were based on votes on four bills - none of which had to do specifically with abortion.
The four bills were SB 22, which expands breast-feeing programs at Women, Infants and Children sites; AB 629, which established standards for sex-education programs; AB 1511, which would promote campaigns to equip parents to talk to their children about their sexual health; and AB 43, the same-sex marriage bill.
NARAL (formerly known as the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights League) said it chose those bills because the group believes being pro-choice these days has as much to do with a woman's access to birth control and sex education - and even sexual orientation - as having the choice to have an abortion.
"Maybe it used to be more of a defining-line issue," said Whitney Hoyt, the political director for NARAL. "But what's starting to happen in the state is we're trying to find common ground on the issue."
Horton got a 40 rating - the minimum to be in the "mixed-choice" club - based on her yes vote on AB 1511, which the group gave more weight to. She was the only Republican to vote for it.
"Shirley Horton went out on a limb," Hoyt said, "and we absolutely applaud her for it."
Florez got a 67 score because he voted against the gay-marriage bill.
Correa received a 50 percent score because he voted against the gay-marriage bill and also did not vote on AB 629.
NARAL did not score Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, but for the record, he, too, would carry the "mixed choice" label. The governor vetoed the same-sex marriage bill but he signed into law SB 22 and AB 629. AB 1511 passed in the Assembly but never made it to a vote in the Senate.
