Just a few observations about yesterday's Pro-Life Legislative Day organized by Nebraska Right to Life at the State Capitol and the afternoon's session of hearings before the Judiciary Committee concerning LB 675 (A Mother's Right to See Her Unborn Child Act, an ultrasound bill) and LB 594 (Women's Health Protection Act).Copies of my testimony on those bills, by the way, were posted yesterday on Vital Signs blog and I'm going to try and get copies of a few others for posting next week. Anyhow, on to a few highlights of the day.
* Julie Schmit-Albin and the NRL team did a terrific job in setting up the day, giving attendees detailed information packets, sharing tips on how to best engage their respective State Senators, and introducing us to the pro-life bills under consideration that day. The latter was done with a session featuring Julie, Nebraska Catholic Conference's Greg Schleppenbach, State Senators Cap Dierks and Tony Fulton, and National Right to Life's Mary Spaulding Balch.
* Next on the schedule was an opportunity to meet our various Senators. Tanya Cook, representing District 13 where I live, wasn't around yesterday so I talked instead with a young aide in her office.
* The hearings later on that day were also full of interest. Testifying for LB 675 were Senator Fulton, Greg Schleppenbach, Mary Spaulding Balch, nurses from the Lincoln CPC and A Women's Touch CPC, a Lincoln CPC client, Al Riskowski from Nebraska Family Council, Dave Bydalek from Family First, John Lillis from Nebraskans for Life PAC, and myself. Opponents included reps from Planned Parenthood, Methodist Hospital, the ACLU, et al.
* Particularly interesting among the opponent testimonies was Planned Parenthood's patently absurd claim that not a single mother to which they had shown an ultrasound had ever decided against an abortion; Methodist Hospital's admission that "emergency contraception" (which they are into big time) does cause abortions; and a pitiful performance from the ALCU which included the remarkable assertion (when a senator pointed out that the assembly-line approach of abortionists certainly did not represent a doctor/patient relationship) that Americans are well satisfied with "drive-through doctoring!"
* The media reports, sparse as they were, tended to paint the hearings in a typically pro-abortion hue. What else is new? But judging from the questions of the senators, I think there's a chance these bills might at least make it out of committee and onto the floor.
Again, my deepest appreciation to Senator Cap Dierks, Senator Tony Fulton, all of the bills' co-sponsors, Nebraska Right to Life, National Right to Life and the Nebraska Catholic Conference for the superb efforts expended to draft and pass these bills.
But now for your part -- please e-mail, write or call soon your State Senator and ask them to get behind LB 675 and LB 594. In particular, the Senators on the Judiciary Committee need to hear from their constituents (and others) about the importance of voting to put LB 675 and LB 594 onto the Unicameral floor for a vote. Those Senators are: Ashford, Lathrop, Christensen, Coash, Council, Lautenbaugh, McGill, and Rogert.
