CURRENT LIFE ISSUES:
u Current
federal law allocates federal dollars to fund various pre-natal
health care needs of low-income expectant mothers. The
federal guidelines define the recipient child as individuals
under the age of 19 years, including the period from
conception to birth. Pro-abortion lawmakers have passed
Assembly Bill 794, which authorizes the use of federal funds in
California, as long the money is no longer directed to the
unborn child. This bill also declares that California protects a
mother’s “right to choose”---unlimited abortion.
u A
Senate committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would
promote the use of adult stem cells obtained from umbilical cord
blood. The bill is the pro-life alternative to a measure seeking
to use taxpayer funds to pay for embryonic stem cell research.
The
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP)
committee backed S. 1317 on a voice vote. The
measure encourages the collection of umbilical cord blood and
establishes a national database to help doctors and scientists
access the stem cells in it for research. The
committee combined the original Senate bill (S. 681) dealing
with cord blood research with a more expansive House bill that
also promotes adult stem cells from bone marrow. The House
approved its measure, HR 2520, on a 434-1 vote in May.
u Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for a special election in November on other political issues, giving pro-life voters the opportunity to pass a measure allowing parental notification on abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that parental notification is constitutional as long as teens don't have to tell their parents in abuse situations. Supporters of the initiative believe that such an amendment could mean 20,000 fewer abortions in the state each year. While only 600,00 signatures were needed to qualify the initiative for the ballot, pro-life advocates turned in more than one million. CPLC will have more information on the initiative as it becomes available!
u CA can proceed with a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a federal budget amendment denying money to states and cities that require health facilities to provide emergency abortion care. The amendment prohibits giving any of this federal money to any state or local government that "subjects any institutional or individual health care (provider) to discrimination on the basis that the health care (provider) does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions."
The CPLC website
has all the breaking news!
www.californiaprolife.org
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT CPLC:
u Need an ultrasound machine for your pro-life clinic? A fellow pro-lifer has received two machines in excellent working condition from Kaiser Hospital and would love to donate them! She even has a doctor willing to instruct you on how to use them! If you or someone you know in the Southern CA area could use these machines, contact the CPLC office!
u CPLC staff traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the annual National Right to Life Convention. The convention was a great chance to meet and share with pro-life groups from all over. There were informational seminars, banquets, a prayer breakfast, and a memorial service for Terri Schindler- Schiavo, given by her siblings Bobby and Suzanne. Notable speakers included Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, Mark Pickup, and Father Frank Pavone. We are already anticipating next year's convention in Nashville, Tennessee!
u Look for CPLC booths at the Christian Home Educators Convention, July 15-17 in Ontario, and the National Catholic Family Conference, July 22-24, in Anaheim!
u ACSI, the Association of Christian Schools International, is preparing for the 2005 series of conferences and conventions. There will be events in Sacramento, in October and in Anaheim, in November. If you'd like to go for free, contact us! We are looking for volunteers to help host our booths and we would love to have you on our team. Call 916.442.8315 for more information!
J
O I N T H E A D V E N T U R
E !
We are able to accomplish a great deal with the help of local
chapters and church contacts throughout California. If you
are interested in organizing a chapter in your area or would
like to be a pro-life representative within your church, we
would love to have you join us!
Check out www.californiaprolife.org/volunteers
g
CPLC wishes you all a safe
and happy 4th of July as we continue to fight for the Right to
Life.
"We hold these truths to self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights, that among these are LIFE,
liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness."
—The
Declaration of Independence—
California ProLife Council (CPLC) www.californiaprolife.org is the largest statewide organization in California solely dedicated to pro-life issues. CPLC is a non-sectarian, non-partisan, non-profit grassroots organization of pro-life groups and individuals in California dedicated to protecting and fostering the most basic value of our society-respect for LIFE itself. We seek to educate our community in regard to abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide, to identify and organize the pro-life population of the state into an effective team, and to restore respect for human life to public policy. California ProLife Council is the California affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee, Inc. www.nrlc.org
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