LifeWorks: December 2011

December 2011 |  eVolume 1, Issue 2

Your monthly news update from New York State Right to Life

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The legislative battle of the new year

FDA and pro-abortion groups at odds with HHS decision to maintain limit on Plan B self-administration by minors

How is your congregation commemorating Sanctity of Life month?

Your year-end giving can make an eternal difference

The legislative battle of the new year

The 2012 legislative session will begin on January 4th, with Governor Cuomo’s State of the State Address.
 

In 2011, Governor Cuomo outlined his agenda in a plan called New York at a Crossroads: A Transformation Plan for a New New York.  In this comprehensive plan for our state, Cuomo said that he “…will fight for passage of the Reproductive Rights Act, which will protect the fundamental right of reproductive freedom and a woman’s right to make private health care decisions.” As we have observed over this past year, Governor Cuomo is a formidable opponent who has managed to bring the legislature in line with his agenda.
 

The legislation that Cuomo is referring to is the Reproductive Health Act.  Introduced by Governor Spitzer in 2007, the bill showed some movement toward the end of the 2011 session, easily passing in the Assembly Health Committee. 

The Reproductive Health Act seeks to have abortion declared a "fundamental right" in New York State, prohibiting even basic and widely supported protections, such as parental consent and limits on government funding of abortion. The law would allow any "health care practitioner" to perform an abortion, jeopardize any agency that does not refer for abortion and seriously threaten conscience protections for hospitals and medical professionals.

We are preparing for a concentrated effort to get this bill passed in the 2012 session.  NYSRTL has been busy gathering petition signatures and encouraging everyone to host a petition drives in their churches, bible studies, fairs, festivals, concerts or other events. The more signatures we have, the stronger our position with the legislators will be. 

Call your state senator and tell him/her to oppose the Reproductive Health Act and any attempt to move the bill in the senate.  Be sure to ask for a written response and send us a copy.  (or call NYSRTL at 518-434-1293.)
 

If you can help by hosting a petition drive, or even just passing petitions around among your friends and families, please  or call us at 518-434-1293 and we will send you petitions, instructions, and suggestions for your efforts. 

You can check our RHA page for updated information on the bill and how you can help.

FDA and pro-abortion groups at odds with HHS decision to maintain limit on Plan B self-administration by minors

Last week, the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled a decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow minors of any age over-the-counter access to Plan B, a “morning-after pill.”  According to the FDA’s own labeling of the drug, Plan B can act to end a new human embryo’s life by preventing implantation in the mother’s uterus and increases the risk for a potentially deadly ectopic pregnancy 500%.
 

Dr. Gerard Nadal, in a December 9 LifeNews.com article, pointed out that the danger of mortality for women taking Plan B could be exacerbated by young girls who may not recognize symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy and could be reluctant to involve parents after secretly obtaining the drug.  He warns that this “do-it-yourself gynecology” has the potential for fatal mistakes by teens and pre-teens attempting to assess any signs of possibly lethal complications on their own.
 

The HHS decision is a surprising one coming from an administration that is otherwise pro-abortion at all costs, even consistently opposing any parental involvement for minors seeking abortions.  Some have suggested that the move was primarily a political one, with the looming 2012 elections and an electorate that is increasingly at odds with the policies of the Obama Administration.
 

Pro-abortion groups are furious about the decision, with NOW-NYS calling it the “greatest betrayal.”  In a December 8 press release, NOW-NYS President Marcia Pappas threatened that, “Unless he [President Obama] reverses this position, NOW-NYS will urge women and men not to go to the polls on election day.”  Abortion advocates prioritizing killing babies over the well-being of young girls is nothing new, as groups like NOW-NYS and Planned Parenthood consistently oppose any parental involvement for minors seeking abortions and potentially abortifacient drugs. 

       How is your congregation commemorating Sanctity of Life month?

January 22, 2012 will mark the 39th anniversary of the fatal Supreme Court decisions, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which nullified virtually all laws protecting unborn babies from abortion.  The pro-life community recognizes the entire month of January as Sanctity of Life month. 

As we approach an important year for the pro-life movement, we remember the more than 50 million unborn babies killed by legal abortion since 1973 and work to stop the killing with a special sense of urgency.  In 2012, pro-lifers will have the opportunity to elect representatives who will enact protective legislation, we will battle to stop the pro-abortion "Reproductive Health Act" in the New York State Legislature, and NYS Right to Life will continue our other vital educational and outreach efforts.

This is why it is more important than ever that your church get involved to protect innocent human life.

What can you do during Sanctity of Life month and throughout the year to save lives?

• Speak to your pastor to discuss how your congregation will commemorate Sanctity of Life month
• Host a petition drive at your church after a service
• Take a special collection to support NYS Right to Life's efforts
• Offer NYSRTL's "celebrate LIFE" balloons as a life-affirming event (see both sides)
• Host a bake sale to raise funds for and bring awareness to the cause
• Include an educational insert in your bulletin or have educational materials available after services

Call NYSRTL to learn more about these and other ways your congregation can get involved.  Call 518-434-1293 or email us at admin@nysrighttolife.org.

Your year-end giving can make an eternal difference

NYS Right to Life relies on your generosity to carry out our life-saving work.  Your support is more important than ever as we head into a critical year for the pro-life movement and those we seek to protect. 

This January, Sanctity of Life month, we will have seen 39 years and over 50 million unborn children killed since Roe v. Wade.  Pro-lifers will have the opportunity to elect representatives who will enact protective legislation. 

With your help,

• NYS Right to Life shepherded passage of protective amendments to the Family Health Care Decisions Act through the Senate, Assembly, and onto the Governor's desk resulting in some of the most protective language against involuntary denial of life-saving medical treatment in the country.
• Our Political Committee and lobbying efforts resulted in fourteen more Assembly votes to stop Medicaid funding of abortion.  We need nineteen more pro-life members to replace pro-abortion members, or current members to switch their votes, to pass this life-saving measure.
• Our pro-life teen leadership weekend trained 35 teens this year, resulting in two new teen groups, 35 well-educated and well-spoken individuals bringing the message back to their hometowns, their colleges, and our world. 

This is just a small part of what we have been doing.  There is so much more that we could do.  There is so much more that we must do.

Our top legislative priority this year is to stop the radically pro-abortion "Reproductive Health Act" from coming to the floor for a vote where passage is altogether possible. 

We must be prepared for the 2012 elections.

We must continue to educate.

This is why your support is more vital than ever this Christmas season.

Ways to give:

• Online donations through PayPal.
• Donate by check.
• Participate in NYSRTL Educational Trust's car donation program. (Call NYSRTL at 518-434-1293 for more information.)
• Support a specific project.  (Give us a call at 518-434-1293 and we will be happy to tell you more about our life-saving projects in need of your support.)
• Make a gift in the name of a loved one, who will receive an acknowledgement and a free Precious Feet pin from NYSRTL.
• Become a monthly donor.  This program is vital to our ability to work with the lowest possible fundraising overhead.  (Minimum monthly donation by credit card is $10 and by checking account $4.) 

Give here today.