Tuesday, June 28, 2011

LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report 6/28/11

LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

For pro-life news updated throughout the day, visit LifeNews.com.

Current Headlines

Top Stories
• Abortion Business Closes in Kansas, Another May Join It

• Indiana Appeals Decision Against Planned Parenthood De-Funding Law

New Hampshire Scraps $1.8M in Planned Parenthood Tax Funding
• United Way in Wisconsin Refers Raped Teens to Planned Parenthood

More Pro-Life News
• Pro-Lifers Want Cigarette-Style Warning Labels for Abortions
• Bachmann Hits Romney Again for Not Signing Pro-Life Pledge
• Huntsman Confirms Opposition to Embryonic Stem Cell Research
• Teen From Virginia Wins National Right to Life Oratory Contest
• Ohio House Passes Ban on Abortions, Late-Term Abortions
• Court Affirms Human Life Begins at Conception in Indiana Case
• Judge: Man Must Remove Billboard on Ex-Girlfriend s Abortion
• The Human Face of One Woman Deceived by the Abortion Industry
• NCouncil of Europe Addressing Sex-Selection Abortion Problem

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Abortion Business Closes in Kansas, Another May Join It
Now that the state of Kansas is beginning to enforce new abortion laws that were vetoed under pro-abortion Democratic governors, one of the three abortion centers in the state has closed.

The Aid for Women abortion facility in Kansas City has lost its license to do abortions in Kansas as it was one of the three states that did not meet the regulations put in place by the state legislature this session. The new law pro-life Gov. Sam Brownback signed requires abortion centers to meet the same basic health and safety standards as legitimate outpatient surgical centers such as, according to the bill, having an emergency door that can accommodate a gurney maintaining proper emergency equipment, drugs and protocols, having proper lighting and ventilation, lavatory areas, and spaces for the sterilization of surgical equipment. Clinics must also have a licensed nurse in the clinic when abortions are done.

The Aid for Women abortion facility lost the license and an attorney for the abortion center received a notice that its application for a license had been denied by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Cheryl Pilate indicated Aid for Women would have to close at least temporarily while it pursues its legal options.

A second abortion center, run by Planned Parenthood in Overland Park, faced two days of inspections by state health officials who found it to be in compliance with the new state regulations.

But a third, the Women s Health Center, also in Overland Park, also appears as if it will close down because it can t ensure it will adequately protect women s health.

We re doomed, said its abortion practitioner Herbert Hodes, according to a Fox News report. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/abortion-business-closes-in-kansas-another-may-join-it/

Indiana Appeals Decision Against Planned Parenthood De-Funding Law
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller today filed notice that the Hoosier State is appealing a preliminary injunction issued Friday by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood against a law revoking its taxpayer funding.

The injunction blocked enforcement of Indiana s new law disqualifying abortion businesses from state grants and contracts, including Medicaid. Zoeller is appealing to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In his legal papers, Zoeller noted that Indiana is appealing the federal government s decision not to approve amendments to Indiana s Medicaid plan that include the new provider qualifications. As with the Planned Parenthood lawsuit, it is likely that this separate administrative proceeding will be appealed later to the U.S. 7th Circuit in Chicago.

Both the legal challenge and the administrative appeal are headed to the same court the U.S. 7th Circuit which is where this dispute between the State and the federal government over what procedures we will allow our tax dollars to indirectly support should be heard, Zoeller said.

By appealing Judge Pratt s injunction, Indiana officials seek to have the federal appellate court review the trial court s decision before any further action is taken on the underlying lawsuit. The injunction Judge Walton Pratt issued Friday would remain in effect in the meantime while the federal appeals court considers the appeal.

The legal papers today only outline the intention of Indiana to appeal and do not set forth legal arguments supporting the appeal. However, Indiana has maintained that Planned Parenthood of Indiana doesn t satisfy the requirement that the taxpayer funds not fund abortions or abortion services because the taxpayer funds go into a single account Planned Parenthood uses for both family planning and abortions.

While it remains to be seen who will ultimately prevail on the merits, the court is persuaded that Planned Parenthood demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of success in challenging the law, Pratt wrote in her decision. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/indiana-appeals-decision-against-planned-parenthood-de-funding-law/

New Hampshire Scraps $1.8M in Planned Parenthood Tax Funding
In a move that generated little media attention or focus, New Hampshire became the latest state to scrap taxpayer funding of the Planned Parenthood abortion business when members of a panel voted to void a $1.8 million contract.

Last Wednesday, on a 3-2 vote, members of the Executive Council rejected a taxpayer funded contract with the abortion business and told a newspaper that it was because Planned Parenthood does abortions and spends large amounts of money paying its administrators huge salaries and lobbying the state government.

The Executive Council voided the contract with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) with Councilor Dan St. Hilaire of Concord casting a vote against the contract along with David Wheeler of Nashua and Raymond J. Wieczorek of Manchester. The Union Leader indicates Raymond S. Burton of Bath and Chris Sununu of Newfields supported funding the abortion business.

While the council approved contracts for legitimate medical centers and organizations, St. Hilaire told the newspaper that Planned Parenthood does abortions and its CEO earns in excess of $250,000 a year. St. Hilaire also cited the fact that most of the services and administration are located outside New Hampshire, in Vermont.

Nick Toumpas, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, reacted to the move and told the newspaper he s not sure if the de-funding will have any affect on the medical services women in New Hampshire receive. Like other states, women have many other options to find medical care from non-abortion agencies. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/new-hampshire-scraps-1-8m-in-planned-parenthood-tax-funding/

United Way in Wisconsin Refers Raped Teens to Planned Parenthood
The United Way in Wisconsin is coming under fire from pro-life advocates for launching a new campaign to raise awareness about statutory rape that refers teens and young women to the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

The otherwise much-needed campaign relies on a slick cartoonish poster to convey the important anti-rape message, but the United Way web site refers to the abortion business that has ben repeatedly exposed in multiple states doing abortions on raped teenagers and failing to report such sexual abuse to authorities. After the abortion, Planned Parenthood does nothing to protect the teenagers for which it is paid to abort their unborn children.

The Fairytale statutory rape ad campaign launched at bus stops throughout the city of Milwaukee and the poster refers people to babycanwait.com where, a page on Teen Sexual Rights includes a section on Seeing A Doctor Confidentially." http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/united-way-in-wisconsin-refers-raped-teens-to-planned-parenthood/

"This book is an amazing story about life, family, and the evil of abortion," - Abby Johnson http://www.theintrusionbook.com

Pro-Lifers Want Cigarette-Style Warning Labels for Abortions
A coalition of pro-life groups, including LifeNews.com, is calling on the FDA to include warning labels telling women how abortion destroys the lives of their unborn children and informing them of the dangers and risks associated with abortion.

The FDA recently announced new restrictions on cigarette packages, forcing manufacturers to feature prominent graphic images on the front of every cigarette package to warn smokers of harmful effects that smoking can have on their health and those around them. When picking up their cigarette packages, smokers will see pictures of a man blowing smoke out of a hole in his neck, a smoker s mouth riddled with cancer, a baby under a cloud of smoke, and a deceased man, among other colored graphics.

This marks the biggest change in cigarette package warnings in over a quarter of a century and notes the shift in American public opinion about smoking. Smoking has become passe, says Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins. Yet, what about abortion? Where are the warning labels on abortion? Where are the warnings to tell women that abortion will kill their child and scar them for life?

Students for Life is leading a campaign, along with pro-life groups like the International Right to Life Federation, Life Issues Institute, Life Legal Defense Foundation, Operation Rescue, Survivors and others about the campaign to contact the FDA to get the agency to inform women about what abortion does and how it kills children and hurts women. The petition asks people to tell the FDA that all abortion facilities and abortion-causing drugs should come with graphic warning labels showing women what an abortion really does. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/pro-lifers-want-cigarette-style-warning-labels-for-abortions/

Bachmann Hits Romney Again for Not Signing Pro-Life Pledge
Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman who announced her presidential bid on Monday, is hitting Mitt Romney again on his decision to not sign the pro-life pledge the Susan B. Anthony List put forward.

As LifeNews.com reported, the Susan B. Anthony List unveiled the pledge recently and indicated Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul signed it. The pledge has the candidates promising to support only judicial nominees who won t interpret the Constitution in a way that supports Roe v. Wade, select pro-life Cabinet members on positions affecting abortion policy, supporting legislation to stop taxpayer funding of abortions and Planned Parenthood, and to support a fetal pain bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Bachmann previously criticized the former Massachusetts governor for not signing a pro-life presidential pledge in comments following his decision. Her latest remarks on Romney s decision come in an interview with David Brody of CBN News.

This last weekend there was a National Right to Life Committee Convention and I had signed, happily, the Susan B. Anthony List pledge regarding being pro-life as president of the United States, she told Brody. I had issued a statement saying that I believed that all Republican candidates should sign that statement. Our party platform is pro-life, and I believe that our president also needs to be pro-life.

Asked about her response to Romney, Bachmann said, Well, I think particularly now, Governor Romney has stated that he is pro-life, I take him at his word but, he s had some issues with that in his past, where he has taken various positions. This was a wonderful opportunity to sign the pledge and demonstrate that he s pro-life. He chose not to. I think that s troubling and I think that he should have signed the pledge. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/bachmann-hits-romney-again-for-not-signing-pro-life-pledge/

Huntsman Confirms Opposition to Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, a former Utah governor, has confirmed his opposition to embryonic stem cell research. Huntsman takes a pro-life position on abortion but had been questioned about the controversial science.

Huntsman has come under question from blogs recently about comments he made in the October 21, 2004 edition of the Salt Lake City Weekly that appeared to put him at odds with pro-life groups on embryonic stem cell research, which has yet to cure any patients and requires the destruction of human life.

Then, Huntsman told the newspaper he disagreed with the pro-life group Eagle Forum on the issue, saying, Stem cell research would be another issue on which we part company. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/huntsman-confirms-opposition-to-embryonic-stem-cell-research/

Teen From Virginia Wins National Right to Life Oratory Contest
A teenager from Virginia wowed the audience at the closing banquet of the National Right to Life convention, where she won first place in a national oratory contest featuring contestants from two dozen states. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/teen-from-virginia-wins-national-right-to-life-oratory-contest/

Ohio House Passes Ban on Abortions, Late-Term Abortions
The Ohio state House today passed three pro-life bills including a measure that would ban most all abortions, one that bans late-term abortions and a third that stops taxpayer funding of abortions in Ohio under Obamacare. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/ohio-house-passes-ban-on-abortions-late-term-abortions/

Court Affirms Human Life Begins at Conception in Indiana Case
The state of Indiana may have lost the most recent battle in what will be a lengthy lawsuit concerning its ability to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business, but two pro-life legal groups say there is a silver lining. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/court-affirms-human-life-begins-at-conception-in-indiana-case/

Judge: Man Must Remove Billboard on Ex-Girlfriend s Abortion
A judge has ordered a New Mexico man to take down the billboard he put up about his former girlfriend s alleged abortion. The billboard has made national headlines as the man says he is in grief concerning the life of his child. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/judge-man-must-remove-billboard-on-ex-girlfriends-abortion/

The Human Face of One Woman Deceived by the Abortion Industry
The problem that I have with statistics when describing the numbers of human victims of tragedy is that they don t show us the faces of those who suffer. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/the-human-face-of-one-woman-deceived-by-the-abortion-industry/

Council of Europe Addressing Sex-Selection Abortion Problem
It took time for Europe to start addressing one of the saddest aspects of abortion: abortion for sexual selection. Finally, as a result of a motion for a resolution introduced May 11, 2010 by Mr Volontè and 21 other parliamentarians, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) decided to issue a report addressing this sensitive issue. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/28/council-of-europe-addressing-sex-slection-abortion-problem/


 

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