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News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
You are currently browsing the Pro-Life Hotline blog archives for the year 2009.
The Republican Party Platform is proudly pro-life, declaring elective abortion “a fundamental assault on innocent human life. Strangely enough, though, since 1991 the Republican National Committee’s insurance plan has provided coverage for elective abortions. Michael Steele, current RNC Chair has cut this out, saying, “I don’t know why this policy existed in the past, but it will not exist under my administration. Consider this issue settled.”
Though many pro-lifers are delighted at the adoption of the Stupak Amendment, Judie Brown of the American Life League has detailed just how far we have to go to make this healthcare plan one that pro-lifers can truly rally around.
Aurora, Ill.—Last night the Aurora City council agreed to a long-awaited settlement between the city and the Pro-Life Action League that lays out provisions protecting the rights of pro-life protesters at the Planned Parenthood facility in the city. A win for pro-lifers, the agreement recognizes the rights of protesters and secures comprehensive protection for citizens who wish to speak out in front of one of the nation’s largest abortion facilities.
Pro-lifers outside the Capitol at the March for Life [Photo by Eric Scheidler]
The US House of Representatives passed the Stupak Amendment to the healthcare reform bill Saturday, November 7—a great victory for the pro-life movement. The amendment, proposed by Rep. Bart Stupak, a Democrat from Michigan, explicitly forbids federal funding for abortion. It passed with 240 votes, a clear majority of 46 votes.
Pro-choice Democrats fought tooth and nail to resist all attempts to put specific language in the healthcare bill that would forbid abortion funding, insisting that funding abortion was already forbidden by the Hyde Amendment and that the word abortion was not even in the bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi planned not to let the Stupak Amendment even come up for a vote before the house.
Well, the Democrats got the Affordable Health Care for American Act through the House on a squeaker, but not without an amendment banning use of tax money for abortion.
The bill passed 220-215. Many pro-lifers are predicting that this ‘no-money for abortions’ amendment will be dropped in the Senate version, or somewhere along the line, that it won’t be adhered to, and that was just a ploy to get the pro-life vote and keep pro-lifers happy.
Just six hours after the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation had declined to extend the grace period on Illinois’ Parental Notice law, The ACLU went into Cook County Circuit Court, representing the infamous Hope Clinic of Granite City, IL and abortionist Allison Cowett, to request a Temporary Restraining Order against the law.
Lorie Chaiten, attorney for the ACLU Reproductive Rights Division argued that under the Illinois State Constitution the right to privacy guarantees the right to abortion regardless of a woman’s age. She also claimed that gender equality dictates that the state cannot prefer childbirth over abortion and that the notion that childbirth would be preferable is based on outdated stereotypes that women should be mothers.
Joe Scheidler and Fr. Paul Kalchik lead pro-lifers in a Rosary at Albany abortion clinic in Chicago [Photo by Ann Scheidler]
The 40 Days for Life campaigns in Aurora and Chicago closed on Sunday, November 1 with great pro-life events.
In Chicago, pro-lifers gathered at the Albany Surgical Medical Center for a candlelight recitation of the Rosary at 6:30 p.m. led by Fr. Paul Kalchik of Resurrection Parish in Chicago. League national director Joe Scheidler, a Knight of Columbus, was in attendance in full Knight regailia.
A lone protester came to cause trouble at the ceremony, but stalwart activist Mike Busse engaged him in conversation. He even persuaded the young man to accompany him to the visit the chapel at the nearby Women’s Center pregnancy resource center where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.
League staff at the Capital building in Springfield, IL
After a fourteen year struggle, Illinois’s embattled Parental Notice Act went into effect on Wednesday, November 4,2009.
The law, which passed the Illinois State Legislature with bi-partisan majorities in both houses, requires physicians to contact one parent, step-parent or other legal guardian at least 48 hours before performing an abortion on a girl under 18 years old. The law has a judicial bypass option whereby a minor girl could appear before a judge to receive permission to get the abortion without notifying her parents in certain cases.
When first it passed, the law was immediately enjoined by the ACLU for not having clear enough rules for how a judicial bypass could be obtained, and it stayed that way for the next 14 years. In 2009, that process was finally finished and the Illinois Supreme Court declared that the law should be enforced.
Human Life International president Fr. Tom Eutenuer
The Pro-Life Action League is pleased to announce a weekend full of pro-life events coming up November 13 and 14.
First, Father Thomas Euteneuer, pro-life activist and president of Human Life International will give a talk enitled “The Fight for Life Around the World” at Holy Angels Church located at Hardin Avenue and Lancaster Avenue in Aurora (Map).
The talk will be in Connor Hall in the Church basement. A light meal will be served at 5:15 p.m. followed by the talk from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. There is no cost for the talk and dinner, but organizers request that you RSVP by Friday, November 6 by calling 630-897-1194, ext. 26, or via e-mail at releducation@holyangels.org.
Today a terrible bill, which will potentially shut down—or at the very least substantially prevent Pregnancy Resource Centers from operating—passed out of committee in Baltimore. This bill would require PRCs to post signs saying they do not provide abortions or dispense contraceptives. If they do not post this sign, they have ten days to comply, or they will face a fine of $150 per day and civil charges. Generously, this was decreased from the original $500 per day and criminal charges that was proposed in the original bill.
According to One News Now, pregnancy centers in Baltimore are already required to put this information on their client intake sheet. This new law is just another push by Planned Parenthood and NARAL to increase their profits by weaning away some of the thousands of clients who go to PRCs each year.
Ada Scheidler holds a protest sign at a rally outside Planned Parenthood Aurora [Photo by Sam Scheidler]
On October 29, a piece ran on Moody Radio’s national program Prime Time America highlighting the libel suit Pro-Life Action League executive director Eric Scheidler is fighting against Planned Parenthood of Illinois and their CEO Steve Trombley, and how the Illinois Citizens Participation Act has been turned inside-out by Planned Parenthood’s lawyers.