California ProLife Council News 

ARIZONA PRO-LIFE ADVOCATES FILE PAPERS IN CHOOSE LIFE PLATE APPEAL
Phoenix, AZ -- A coalition of pro-life groups in Arizona want a federal appeals court to determine if a special state commission acted illegally by denying its application for a Choose Life license plate. The Arizona Life Coalition says its right to free speech was abrogated by the Arizona License Plate Commission. The coalition of pro-life groups, which includes Arizona Right to Life, the Center for Arizona Policy several crisis pregnancy centers, submitted the plate application in January 2002 and sued the state in September 2003 after the commission denied the plate. In September 2005, U.S. District Judge Paul G. Rosenblatt upheld the commission's decision and said the Arizona Life Coalition failed to show that its right to free speech was denied. Source: Life News, September 14, 2007


CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE OVER SCHIP BILL AND TAX-FUNDED ABORTIONS RETURNS
Washington, DC -- Members of Congress will likely be embroiled in a debate again soon over the bill to fund the SCHIP program. Last month, Congress voted against a Bush administration policy that allows states to provide funding for poor pregnant women that could help them avoid abortions. In 2002, President Bush authorized a change in the SCHIP program that allowed states to cover poor pregnant women and their unborn babies under the medical insurance program. Several states such as California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Texas, Wisconsin and Michigan have done so. Pro-life groups were thankful for the "unborn child rule" because the program provides help to vulnerable pregnant women who might have an abortion because of financial pressures. Source: Life News, September 14, 2007

GEORGE TILLER FAILS TO BLOCK PRO-LIFE PETITION EFFORT ON LATE-TERM ABORTIONS
Wichita, KS -- Lawyers for late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller failed to block the seating of a grand jury that a pro-life group hopes will investigate whether more illegal abortions were done at his abortion center. Kansans for Life submitted petitions last week to invoke a law allowing citizens to petition for a grand jury probe. Tiller's attorneys attempted yesterday to persuade Federal Court Judge J. Thomas Marten to block the process. Marten denied Tiller's request saying, "Frankly, I'm reluctant to jump into the middle of something that is essentially a state matter. The odds that any appellate court would uphold any injunction in this case would be pretty remote." Yesterday, Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Bill Gale certified that 6,963 valid signatures were submitted, nearly three times the 2,449 signatures required under the statute. The petition has been forwarded to the Sedgwick County Court's presiding judge for assignment. Source: Life News, September 14, 2007

WOMAN WHO STOLE MOTHER'S UNBORN BABY CAN'T USE ABORTION AS DEFENSE
Kansas City, MO -- A woman who cut open a pregnant mother's stomach and stole her unborn child can't use the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion case as a defense, a judge has ruled. Lawyers for Lisa Montgomery argued the baby was not a person under law and, therefore, she can't be charged with kidnapping. Montgomery made national headlines in December 2004 when she strangled Bobbie Jo Stinnett to death and cut open her stomach to steal her unborn child. Stinnett apparently met and befriended Montgomery through dog shows and Montgomery told her she wanted to buy a dog. But when Montgomery was at Stinnett's home she strangled the woman with a rope and used a knife to perform a crude Caesarian section. Source: Life News, September 14, 2007  

PRO-LIFE DEMOCRAT BOB CASEY CASTS STRANGE VOTES FOR ABORTION FUNDING
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Democrats who take a strong stand against abortion are few and far between -- especially in the United States Senate. When Bob Casey defeated Rick Santorum for a Pennsylvania seat in the Senate pro-life advocates hoped Casey would vote the same as his predecessor; but, Casey cast his first pro-abortion vote last week. Last Thursday, the Senate debate an amendment to a bill sponsored by pro-abortion Sen. Barbara Boxer of California regarding the Mexico City Policy. Boxer's amendment overturns the policy that President Reagan first instituted and President Bush revived in 2001 that protects taxpayers from funding groups that perform or promote abortions overseas. Source: Life News, September 14, 2007

POLL SHOWS REPUBLICANS NOT UNITED ON BEST CANDIDATE  AGAINST ABORTION
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll of Republican voters finds them not united on the best choice to handle key social issues like abortion. In each of the three first primary battleground states, GOP voters see a different candidate as the best one on the issue. The Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg News conducted a joint poll of Republican voters in the states and asked them, "Regardless of your choice for president, who do you think would be best on social issues, such as abortion." Among Iowa voters, the poll found 20 percent thought Mitt Romney was the best to address the abortion issue and Rudy Giuliani came in second at 14 percent. Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson tied with 10 percent each and others received only single digit support. In New Hampshire, Giuliani received the support of 25 percent on the abortion question and Romney had 23 percent. No other candidate there received more than 10 percent. And in South Carolina, Fred Thompson leads on the abortion issue among Republicans with the support of 17 percent to 15 percent for Giuliani and 11 percent for Romney. Source: Life News, September 14, 2007