(Capitol Report below...)
Leaders Trained.... Again! |
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Ultrasound Bill Clears Major Hurdle at Capitol! Unfriendly amendments weaken bill in 3-hour hearing, but victory none the less
April 29, 2010 Greetings! In what was the most critical day of the 2010 legislative session for pro-lifers, SB 528, the Ultrasound Before Abortion act, cleared the notoriously difficult Senate Health & Welfare Committee and is headed to the floor. If SB 528 finishes the legislative process successfully, an ultrasound will be performed on all women seeking abortion in Louisiana, and they must be given the option to view the ultrasound, hear an explanation of the child's body, and receive a print-out image of her unborn child (in a sealed envelope). Without question, this is a great development from Louisiana current law which only requires ultrasound after the 20th week of pregnancy!We hope that, if enacted, many women will choose to view the ultrasound, receive the print, and be convinced, as many others have through ultrasound, that abortion will not only damage their health, but the life of their unborn child. While this is certainly a great advancement for the cause of life in Louisiana, the success could have been greater. In an intense three-hour hearing, Senators Joe McPherson, Butch Gautreaux, and David Heitmeier, along with Planned Parenthood allies Karen Carter Peterson and Yvonne Dorsey, tacked on unfriendly amendments to the legislation.
Through Senator McPherson's amendment, instead of requiring the ultrasound screen be in view and leaving the woman with the option to avert her eyes or not, the abortionist, who does not want to lose business, will be responsible with "offering" the ultrasound screen and the print-out to the woman. We believe McPherson's amendments leave too much discretion in the hands of an industry seeking after profit and not the woman's well-being.
We applaud Senators Willie Mount, Sherri Cheek, Dale Erdey, Ben Nevers, and of course, pro-life hero Sharon Weston Broome, for remaining strong against the amendments.
We also thank all the pro-lifers who testified yesterday. The witness of women hurt by abortion and the testimony of pregnancy center directors left a palpable impact on the committee. We will continue to work at the Capitol to make sure this legislation finishes the race!For a Pro-Life Louisiana, Benjamin Clapper Executive Director Louisiana Right to Life P.S. Please contact the Senators above who endorsed the bad amendments and ask them to reconsider. Also, contact the Senators who resisted the amendments and thank them! |
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Louisiana Right to Life (LARTL), established in 1970, works
through education, legislation, activism, and service to restore the right to life in
Louisiana by opposing abortion, euthanasia, and other life destroying
actions.
Support our efforts by becoming an "Every Life, Every Month" Partner.
Visit us at www.ProLifeLouisiana.org. |
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