Legislation Update

It is important to stay on top of pro-life news and educate yourself about the current news dealing with life issues.  To find out about local pro-life news please go to Kentucky Right to Life's Web site, and to read about national and international pro-life news please view LifeNews.com.

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  Planned Parenthood Update

April, 2010

Planned Parenthood declared Victory on their website with the recent passage of health care reform legislation. Laurie Rubiner, Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy of PPFA, said, "Essentially the Stupak amendment violates the underlying principle of health care reform, as articulated by President Obama, that no one will lose benefits they currently have." And "Politically, it's unfortunate that the president was put in a position to sign this executive order. But the important thing is that substantively, it has no impact on the force of the underlying law."

You can go to Planned Parenthood Action Fund web site to read what they state is in the reform bill. Two items listed here are that it protects women against discrimination by private insurers and it significantly increases insurance coverage of reproductive (code language for abortion procedures) health care, including family planning. PP is actively working with Congressional representatives to fix the language in the Nelson amendment. PP states if the current language is left intact, the Nelson amendment would be the most severe restriction on private health insurance coverage for abortion in 35 years. However, it is interesting to note that PP representatives have had unprecedented access to the President, according to White House visitor logs, before the bill was passed and since the health care bill and the Executive Order were both signed by the president.

In the area of youth indoctrination, an alarming event came to light last month. In case you didn't know, it's not your mother's Girl Scouts any more. While the Boy Scouts of America has remained true to its traditional ideals (and have borne scorn and ridicule and lawsuits for doing so), the Girl Scouts have gone full tilt into feminism/sexual revolution/GLBT politics. And they are doing their best to export it internationally.

The World Association of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides hosted a no-adults-welcome panel at the United Nations March 8-12, 2010, where Planned Parenthood was allowed to distribute a brochure entitled, "Healthy, Happy and Hot."

Aimed at young people living with HIV, the brochure contains explicit and graphic details on sex, as well as the promotion of casual sex in many forms. We encourage you to take the time to go online and read it.

The leader of Family Watch International, which works at the United Nations and around the globe with policymakers on the central role of the family, is challenging the Girl Scouts to issue a nationwide policy instructing their councils to cut all ties with Planned Parenthood and to disassociate themselves from the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Sharon Slater of FWI said she was at the New York City event when organizers ushered all adults-except for one from each of seven sponsoring organizations - out of the room for a "girls only workshop" that the Girl Scouts of the USA reports 35 teenage girls attended. Slater said when the doors opened at the conclusion of the workshop, she went back in and found the "Hot" brochure among various materials made available on the back table. The event was on the first day of the conference, she said. Slater said the guide itself, produced by the International Planned Parenthood Federation for young people with HIV, depicts both same-sex and opposite sex couples, contains graphic details on "exploring" sexuality and encourages casual sex in many forms.

On the Good News front - what a difference a pro-life governor can make! Pro-life governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie recently defunded Planned Parenthood to the tune of $7 million in his state budget. It has also been reported that another lucrative source of government money for Planned Parenthood has been cut off. Marie Tasy of New Jersey Right to Life says, "The state has rescinded an application to apply for a federal waiver to reimburse Planned Parenthood 90% for Medicaid services. "This was (former Governor) Corzine's parting gift to Planned Parenthood," Tasy said.

Tasy alluded to a statement by a PP representative that the loss of that funding would result in the closure of five PP centers.

Update prepared by Right to Life of Central Kentucky 1600 Harrodsburg Road Lexington, KY 40504 859-272-3920