Weld said his legislation would repeal several now-unenforceable laws that could jeopardize abortion rights if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Roe v. Wade decision.

Roe v. Wade guaranteed abortion rights, but abortion rights supporters are worried that a now more conservative Supreme Court may overturn it or, at the very least, restrict its guarantees of abortion access.

Weld said lowering the age of consent and reducing the requirement to one parent recognizes the number of single-parent families and differing family relationships.

"Massachusetts shares with North Dakota the dubious distinction of having the most restrictive parental involvement laws in the nation," Weld said. "The reality is that the number of teen pregnancies has skyrocketed in Massachusetts. We can either ignore this reality by sticking our heads in the sand or we can take responsible action to protect the lives of these young women."

But Hanley said the move would remove from teenagers a protection against being rushed through an abortion clinic.

"Reducing the age of consent to 16, which makes the girl only a sophomore in high school, strips a parent of their rights as parents," she said.

House Minority Leader Peter Forman (R-Plymouth), who joined Weld at the news conference on the abortion rights legislation, later, through an aide, said he was opposed to the sections dealing with parental consent.

Lewis Howe, an aide to Senate Minority Leader David Locke (R-Wellesley), said Locke also would oppose those changes.

In addition to lowering the age of consent, the Weld bill would:

*Repeal a law, already struck down by state courts, that prohibits the use of Medicaid money to pay for abortions.

*Allow public employee health insurance to cover abortions. State law now prohibits that.

*Prohibit blocking of access to abortion clinics, a move aimed at the anti-abortion efforts of groups such as Operation Rescue.

*Repeal the designation of October as "Pro-Life Month."

The Legislature has historically been reluctant to ease abortion restrictions, but Weld said he felt there was a reasonable chance of the bill being passed.

Law, however, said he would urge every legislator to vote against the bill.

This was the second time the archdiocese and the Weld administration have clashed over abortion.

While Weld is an Episcopalian, Cellucci is a Catholic. Last spring, the Catholic Church prohibited Cellucci's Roman Catholic high school in Hudson from having him as its graduation speaker because of Cellucci's pro-choice stance.