Poll shows majority of women are Pro-Life (06/27/03)
A recent poll conducted by the pro-abortion Center for the Advancement of Women found
something the authors didn't expect: a majority of American women take a Pro-Life position
on abortion. Only 30% say abortion should be
generally available. 51% say abortion should
be either illegal (17%) or restricted only to the rare cases of rape, incest or to prevent
the death of the mother (34%). Faye
Wattleton, president of the group, bemoaned the results of her own poll. "There is significant and growing support for
severe restrictions on abortion rights," Wattleton said.
Norma McCorvey's motion to overturn Roe v. Wade
rejected in federal district court (06/21/03)
On June 19, a federal district court judge rejected the motion Norma McCorvey, the
former “Roe” of Roe v. Wade, had filed on June 17 to re-open her case, the U.S.
Supreme Court case that legalized abortion, requesting that it be overturned. The
filing was based on changes in law and factual conditions since the high court handed down
its decision 30 years ago. As a party to the
original litigation, Norma McCorvey has the right to petition the court to re-open the
original case based on changes in factual conditions and/or changes in law that make the
prior decision “no longer just,” said Allan E. Parker, Jr., lead attorney for
the Texas-based Justice Foundation. The June
19th decision will be appealed.
AMA endorses
human cloning for research (06/18/03)
Regretfully, the American Medical Association (AMA) endorsed cloning human
embryos for medical research on June 17th at their annual House of Delegates meeting.
Those who were once called to "do no harm" are putting their stamp of
approval on a process that destroys the smallest and most defenseless among us--human
embryos. The policy is notable for several reasons, but primarily for being adopted
without debate. How can America trust an organization that manages to declare a
controversial issue like cloning "ethical" without any deliberation?
Partial birth
abortion ban passes U.S. House (06/4/03)
The House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing a ban on partial
birth abortion. The vote on H.R. 760 was 282-139. The bill now moves to a
conference committee to resolve differences. It will then go to President Bush who
is ready to sign it.
New study links
teen sex with depression and suicide attempts (06/03/03)
Family Research Council reported June 3rd on a new study showing that
sexual activity among high school age children often has harmful emotional and
psychological consequences. Sexually active teens are less likely to be happy, more
likely to be depressed, and more likely to attempt suicide.
Bad bills stopped
in Illinois Senate so far (06/02/03)
Completion of the Illinois legislature spring session found a number of
anti-life and anti-family bills stopped in the Senate. These bills include: HB 2486 to
restrict the right to pray and counsel in front of abortion clinics, HB 3589 to encourage
human cloning for research, SB 101 to give special rights based on sexual orientation, SB
99 to promote “safe sex” in school sex education, and the Equal Rights
Amendment. These bills could still be voted on during the fall veto session.
Illinois Senate
committee approves ERA (05/29/03)
On a party-line vote of 8-5, the Illinois Senate Executive Committee
approved advancing the Federal ERA amendment to the Senate floor. Senate President
Emil Jones indicated that hearings will be held so the ERA will not be voted on this
session, a recognition the votes to approve are not there now.
Congress rejects military abortions
(05/22/03)
Two efforts to turn U.S. military hospitals into abortion clinics were defeated.
In the Senate, an amendment to the Defense spending bill sponsored by Patty Murray of
Washington was rejected 51 to 48. In the House, a similar amendment offered by Rep.
Loretta Sanchez of California was soundly defeated 227-201.
The Illinois House approved the Federal ERA amendment by 76-41.
State representatives who voted for the ERA ignored the fact that the time allowed
for approval by 38 states expired in 1982. The Illinois Senate will now consider ERA
approval.
IL Senate passes contraception
mandate (05/16/03)
The Illinois Senate passed HB 211 to require insurance companies to cover
contraceptives in their health insurance policies. In a 34 to 23 vote, four
Republicans who are normally considered to be prolife -- Rauschenberger, Dillard, Syverson
and Risinger, and one pro-choice Republican, newly-appointed Pam Althoff, rejected heavy
Catholic and pro-life lobbying efforts and voted for HB 211. Six Democrats
voted against HB 211 -- Woolard, Walsh, DeMuzio, Maloney, John Sullivan and Haine.
Global AIDS bill passed by U.S.
Senate (05/16/03)
After defeating various amendments offered by Democratic Senators,
including Richard Durbin of Illinois, the U.S. Senate passed the global AIDS bill (H.R.
1298) intended to fund HIV prevention efforts in Africa. Since the U.S. House of
Representatives passed the bill earlier, it will now go to President Bush for his
signature with the provisions to fund abstinence and protect fatith-based groups included.
Efforts to end Democratic
obstruction of judicial nominee
confirmation process in U.S. Senate (05/09/03)
President Bush held a Rose Garden ceremony to highlight the delay in
Senate votes on his judicial nominees -- some have now been held up for two years.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has offered a rule change that would end the ongoing
filibusters of Bush judicial nominees.
U.S. House committee passes
amendment to allow funds
for agencies involved in forced abortions (05/07/03)
The U.S. House International Relations Committee passed 23-22 an amendment
to strike the Kemp-Kasten provision that currently prohibits funding of any agency
"supporting or participating in the management of a program of coercive abortion or
involuntary sterilization." Take
Action
Abstinence education not in
Rod's budget (05/06/03)
Project Reality is an Illinois-based abstinence education organization.
Project Reality's allocation has been reduced from $1 million (last year's budget)
to $0 in Governor Blagojevich's current budget! Action is needed to support Project
Reality's continuing efforts to impact adolescent health in Illinois. Take Action
Anti-life bills pass IL Senate
Committee (05/01/03)
The Illinois Senate Health & Human Services Committee approved
HB 2486 (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act) and HB 3589 (Stem Cell Research
Act). Both of these anti-life bills now go to the full Illinois Senate to be voted
on. HB 2486 restricts the right to pray and counsel in front of abortion
clinics. HB 3589 permits and encourages human cloning for medical research.
Abstinence amendments
added to AIDS bill (05/01/03)
Pro-family groups are hailing the passage on May 1st of two key
amendments to the global AIDS bill (H.R. 1298) that would prioritize abstinence and
protect faith-based groups who participate in HIV prevention efforts in Africa.
After the amendments were added, the global AIDS bill was passed 375-41 by the U.S. House
of Representatives and now goes to the Senate.
Bush judicial nominee
confirmed (04/29/03)
The U.S. Senate confirmed Jeffrey Sutton of Ohio to the 6th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals on a 52-41 vote. Democrats continued their filibuster of
the Miguel Estrada nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals and began a filibuster of
Priscilla Owen's nomination to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Oddly, Estrada
enjoys more support in the Senate than Sutton did. Five of 11 Bush nominees from May
2001 have still not been allowed full Senate votes on confirmation.
Fr. Frank Pavone attends
Chicago events (04/26/03)
Over 100 people participated in a prayer vigil at Christ Hospital, seeking
an end to live birth abortion there. Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life led the
vigil. Later in a talk at the Concerned Women for America (CWA) banquet, Fr. Frank
noted that Roe vs. Wade has no legitimate force of law because it violates God's
law. He announced projects to organize each church nationwide to pray for the
closing of the nearest abortion clinic and to hold voter registration drives in
churches.
When does a baby become a
baby? (04/21/03)
The California deaths of Laci Peterson and her unborn son have again
raised the issue of when human life begins. If
the baby is a person, then Scott Peterson can be charged with double homicide. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
California has a fetal homicide law that should establish the second murder.
About 25 states have such laws, but all of them make exceptions for abortion. Already,
some abortion-rights groups are voicing their opposition to the double-homicide charge. Clearly, they see the implications if the baby is
recognized as a homicide victim -- it implicates abortion as legalized homicide, which it
is.
New study shows that
abstinence works (04/15/03)
More teens are saying no to sex outside of marriage, and that fact
is the primary reason for the drop in teen birth and pregnancy rates in recent years, new
scientific research shows. The new study,
published in the journal Adolescent and Family Health this month, flies in the face of
previous reports attributing the decline to increased use of contraception. The report cited abstinence as the No. 1 factor in
recent drops in the teen pregnancy rate.
Senator Peter Fitzgerald will not
run again (04/15/03)
U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald announced that he will not seek a second
term, leaving the Illinois Republican Party scrambling for a candidate in a crucial state
for the 2004 elections. The senator said he was concerned about the time he would
have to spend away from his wife, his 10-year-old son and his job as Senator to campaign.
Child Custody Protection Act
re-introduced (04/14/03)
The Child Custody Protection Act to prevent the transportation of a minor
across state lines to obtain an abortion without parental consent has been re-introduced
in the U.S. Congress. The Senate bill is S. 851 and the House bill is H.R.
1755. Passage is expected in both chambers and President Bush will sign this
act to preserve parental rights. The decision to abort a pregnancy is a
life-changing event. It is unconscionable that minors should be allowed to take
such a step - and evade state parental notification laws - without the knowledge or
consent of parents.
April 12th Prayer Vigil at Planned
Parenthood clinic
is denounced as "an act of intimidation" (04/12/03)
An estimated 1,400 people participated in a prayer vigil to defend
life that took place at Planned Parenthood, 1200 N. LaSalle St., in Chicago. Priests
led prayers for the babies, their mothers, clinic employees, and other abortion
supporters. At least two mothers chose not to have their scheduled abortions.
This largest ever Chicago prayer vigil was denounced by a group of self-proclaimed
"pro-choice" ministers as "an act of intimidation."