Legislative Hot Line: 800-562-6000
Governor's Office: 360-753-6780 Find Your Legislator
1/24/2012
Support Respect for Rights of Conscience Act
On
January 20, the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) reaffirmed a rule that virtually all
private health care plans must cover sterilization,
abortifacients, and contraception. The rule is set
to take effect August 1, 2012. Non-profit religious
employers that do not now provide such coverage, and
are not exempt under the rule’s extremely narrow
definition of religious employer, will be given one
year—until August 1, 2013—to comply. More
...
According to sources in the state
legislature, the majority party in the State House of
Representatives made redefining marriage their top
legislative priority for the 2011 session in a time of
sustained unemployment and multi-billion dollar budget
deficits.
Things you can do practically to prepare
for the upcoming legislative debate on marriage:
Put the legislative hotline number(1-800-562-6000)in
your cell phone, tell your family to do the same, and
plan to use it...a lot. It allows you to reach your
legislators even if you don't know who they are by
giving your address to the hotline operator and leaving
a message. So easy and so powerful. Call the
Governor's office (360-753-6780)
between 8am and 5 pm to express opposition to the
legislative effort to redefine marriage.
Schedule a meeting with your
legislators today.Call
their office,
make an appointment, go to Olympia, and let them know
how you feel.
Write a letter today to your
legislators letting them know how you feel about this
issue. You can find your legislators and their contact
informationhere.
Sign up for our legislative
updates atwww.fpiw.org or
"like" our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/familypolicy.
The developments in this debate will change quickly and
there will be many opportunities to become personally
involved. The more you are aware of what's happening in
Olympia, the greater your influence will be.
Fantastic Abortion Challenge Video by Ray Comfort September 2011
I am writing today to ask in the strongest way
possible that you rescind the unjust and coercive
mandate that all "contraceptives" and sterilization
procedures be covered by private health insurance
with no co-pay to patients. If you do not reverse
course I ask you to expand conscience protections
for any organizations that provide individual and
group insurance and have moral or religious
objections.I
strongly oppose the government forcing free
insurance coverage on Americans especially for drugs
and devices that I oppose becausesome
of these can cause an abortion (such as ella and
Plan B).
I also ask you to reconsider your definition of
religious employer and offer an authentic conscience
protection for any organization and business that
has moral or religious objection to providing such
insurance to their employees. This legal mandate
clearly violates the spirit of conscience laws which
prohibit government discrimination against those who
object to various health services on moral or
religious grounds. The definition of "religious
employer" in the regulation is so narrow as to only
include churches, but will still mean that a host of
businesses and organizations that have conscience
objections will be required to choose between either
violating their conscience or not being able to
offer employees health insurance.
Please protect the conscience rights of insurers,
providers and people like me who object to being
forced by the federal government to offer or
subsidize contraceptives and sterilization services,
especially when some of these drugs can take the
life of early unborn children. No Americans should
be forced by the federal government to essentially
subsidize services they object to. I again urge you
in the strongest way possible to reverse course and
remove contraceptives and sterilizations from the
list of mandatory preventive services.
April 7, 2011 Columbian Article Promotes Planned Parenthood
Write the
Columbian in response to their promotion of Planned Parenthood
on the front page. Tell the Columbian that abortion providers
shouldn't get funding for any services they provide. Others who
do not perform abortions can provide Title X services.
Guest Commentary:
Please call your Representatives and ask them to vote no on this
bill. It gives the CPS Caseworkers immunity, meaning that
they will have free reign and cannot be held accountable or
sued for their, as they put it on the Bill, errors of judgment.
Well their errors in judgment are not small, they tear families
apart, ruin children's lives, and make it feel like you are
living some nightmare and they do not want people to be able to
sue them. Well if they would not lie and perjure
themselves in court and went by the rules and laws then perhaps
they would not be getting sued and this would save the state
millions of dollars and the tax payers. They must be held
accountable. Please help us and other families lives and most of
all the precious children's lives that they have already wrecked
by calling your committee members and your legislatures on this
so we can have a better system.
March 7, 2011 HB 1366 Dies In House
HB 1366 was not brought to he floor of the
Washington House of Representatives and is now dead for this
year! The numbers that showed up to oppose the bill and
the calls, prayers and emails absolutely overwhelmed them.
Thank You so much for your prayers and action to kill this
unconstitutional bill! Praise God from whom all good things
flow!!! Ed
Expands the rights and obligations of
state registered domestic partners and other couples related to
parentage. Information from a Washington State Senator: House Bill 1267has
53 members from the House who signed on as supporters: 52
Democrats and 1 Republican. HB1267 will (among other provisions)
allow couples in a same sex relationship to hire a woman to
carry a child to term and immediately upon the birth of the
child, the same-sex couples will become the child's legal
parents. More information and action directions at the Protect Marriage Blog
**************************************
Benton says supporters of paid surrogacy are
pushing a bill that does not protect children or women
OLYMPIA…
State
Sen. Don Benton,
R-Vancouver, called the paid surrogacy bill fatally flawed and
said supporters are putting both women and children at risk.
“I do not support the idea of selling babies,” Benton said.
“However, if there are enough votes in the Legislature to make
it legal, it should at least be done right. This bill ignores
the protections the state requires for children going into
foster care and being adopted, and puts the surrogate mother
into a completely unregulated service contract.”
was
voted out of the Senate Government Operations, Tribal Relations
and Elections Committee on a party line vote. All amendments
offered by Benton and other Republicans were rejected, including
a simple technical fix. Benton says needed improvements were
rejected just so the bill would not have to go back to the
House.
“The bill was railroaded through the committee without the
normal process of perfecting because the attitude is just to get
it done,” Benton said. “The advocates, including those who wish
to help gay couples adopt, are just turning a blind eye to the
problems in the bill. There is a reason why the state
constitution requires bills to be worked and approved by both
chambers.
“The most troubling part of the committee process was the
rejection of amendments that would require an evaluation of a
couple’s ability to be nurturing, loving parents and a woman’s
right to make decisions concerning her health and welfare during
the pregnancy.
“If paid surrogacy is going to be made legal in Washington, then
the Legislature needs to ensure it does not enact a law that
treats children as a commodity and women as a means to an end.
“In my mind, surrogacy should be an act of love for a family
member or friend unable to bear children. The will in the
Legislature to change surrogacy to a business transaction may be
there, but I doubt that anyone who desperately wants a child
thinks the process should be without protections for the baby
and the mother.”
February 10, 2011
HR 1366
and SB 5274 Passed Out of Committee
Beth Chase, spokesperson for Washington pregnancy
resource centers stated:
"We are disappointed that HB 1366 was passed out of the
House Health Care and Wellness Committee. It's shocking that
the committee would pass a bill that is unfair and
unconstitutional in that it requires one group within an
industry to do say things that others within that same
industry are not. Clearly, the real purpose of this bill is
to shut down pro-life pregnancy centers, the only
competition abortionists have in the State of Washington."
It passed out of committee on a straight party line vote
with minor amendments. Rep. Kelley (D) from the 28th
District was absent only for the vote.
February 10, 2011
Website opposing
HR 1366
and SB 5274
February 8,
2011 Committee Vote Planned on
HR 1366
and SB 5274
Health Care & Wellness* - 02/10/11 10:00 am
Full Committee House Hearing Rm B John L.
O'Brien Building Olympia, WA
REVISED on
2/8/2011 at 4:42 PM
Public Hearing:HB
1363 - Regulating tanning facilities.
(Below
is where HR 1366 will be voted on) Possible Executive Session: Bills previously
heard in committee.
Despite the fact that a Federal Judge declared
a remarkably similar bill unconstitutional in Baltimore, MD, the
Democrats in the House of Representatives in Olympia are
planning to force a vote on House Bill 1366 on Thursday February
10, 2011. We need you to contact your legislators from the
Washington State House of Representatives and instruct them to
vote NO on this unfair legislation. For
those of you that are not aware, this legislation is designed to
legislate the Pregnancy Resource Centers and others that help
women in crisis pregnancies out of business. We need help
from all of you and your friends as soon as possible.
January 29, 2011 Options 360 Press Release Regarding
HR 1366
and SB 5274
January 25, 2011
Subject: HR 1366
and SB 5274 attacking
pregnancy resource centers in WA state
We outnumbered the other side at the
hearing yesterday 10-1 re Crisis Pregnancy Centers.
Please remember we have to have just as
large of a turn out next Wednesday, Feb 2 at 8:00 AM as the
Senate companion bill SB 5274 will have a hearing in the
Health and Long Term Care committee at that time.
If you are a constituent of either of the
members of the Healthcare & Wellness Committee in the state
house listed below, we need you to call today and ask that
they do not let HB 1366 out of Committee. Eileen Cody is
contemplating voting this out of Committee on Friday.
Harris, Paul (R) 17th Dist (360) 786-7976
Moeller, Jim (D) 49th Dist (360) 786-7872
Hearing
Scheduled For Monday, January 24th, at 1:30 pm Proving once again that pro-abortion
forces don’t like choice as much as they say they do, the
Washington state legislature has renewed their effort to shut
down the pregnancy resource centers in Washington that offer
woman an alternative to abortion clinics. Here’s what you can
do:
1)
Attend a hearing on Monday, January
24th, at 1:30 pm in House Hearing
Room B (John L. O’Brien Building). If you want to attend the
hearing, please show up by 11 a.m. 2) Call your
legislators at 1-800-562-6000 and ask them to oppose HB1366 and
SB 5274 3)
Forward this information to your friends.
Last year at the
hearings, pro-life advocates outnumbered abortion industry
employees by a ratio of at least 10 to 1. That was one of
the primary reasons the bill was not passed. However, in order to prevent that from
happening again, Big Abortion is working overtime to make sure
that their representatives outnumber supporters of pregnancy
centers. The
bill (HB 1366) that is being heard on Monday would do the
following things:
1.
It creates two classes of medical/pregnancy centers based on
whether or not they provide abortion services. 2.
Requires centers that do not provide abortion services to
disclose that fact in five different languages (English,
Spanish, Chinese, Cambodian, and Laotian) in 30 point font on
the front door of the centers, and on any advertisement or
notice promoting the centers services. 3.
Creates regulations and liabilities associated with medical
records that do not apply to any other medical/pregnancy centers
in Washington State. 4.
Creates a private cause of action (lawsuit) against pregnancy
centers for violations of any of the above regulations. In
lawsuits against pregnancy centers: (1) anyone can be an
aggrieved party even if you have never been in or even seen a
pregnancy center; (2) there is no need to prove damages; (3)
those who sue a pregnancy center can collect legal fees from the
center if they win; (4) but pregnancy centers cannot collect
legal fees if they win.
In summary, this bill creates significant
liability for non-profit, faith-based, pregnancy centers that
receive no tax dollars and provide at least $16 million in free
services to communities in Washington simply because they do not
offer abortion services. The stated reason is that they
are afraid that women who are looking for an abortion will go to
one of these centers. Why the attention of the Washington
State legislature is required to prevent that from happening is
something each of us can ponder for ourselves.
For more information
contact: Deleana Dey Development Director Options360 Pregnancy Clinic 1400 NE 136th Ave. Vancouver, WA 98684 deleana@options360.org 360.334.6199
Pharmacy Conscience Issue Update
Forwarded from Gospel of Life Institute
Dear Right of Conscience Supporters,
The showing and testimonies at the last hearing
on September 29th, was a blessing!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to
comment, attend the Hearings and testify.
Please continue to pray for the issue and all
those involved.
On Thursday, November 4th
at 9am, the Board of Pharmacy will meet in Lacey to
discuss the comments they received regarding the
Pharmacist Right of Conscience Issue to identify
their next steps. This meeting is open to the
public. However, the Board will not take
public comments or answer questions from the
audience related to this topic. The agenda of
the meeting is attached.
Please submit your comments and/or the text of your
testimony by Monday, November 1st to
ensure that the Board will receive it. You may
submit them by:
Since 2006, the State of Washington has been working to
compel pharmacists in Washington to dispense Plan B,
also known as the "morning after pill". Some
pharmacists have objected because they believe the drug
causes an abortion and believe their conscience rights
protect them from participating in an act they believe
to be morally wrong. They have been fighting for
right to provide referrals to pharmacy’s that are
willing to provide Plan B rather than provide the drugs
themselves.
After several years arguing that pharmacists should not
have the right to refer for conscience reasons,
Washington’s Board of Pharmacy has recently reversed
their position. In doing so, it appears that they are
prepared to give pharmacists with moral or religious
objections to drugs that cause abortions the opportunity
to give referrals rather than provide the drugs
themselves.
If that is the final outcome, it would represent a
tremendous victory for conscience rights here in
Washington State. But the result is not final.
That is why we need your help.
The Board of Pharmacy wants to hear from the public on
this issue.
As you would expect, the abortion industry is rallying
its forces in an attempt to create the impression that
Washington does not value conscience rights and is more
concerned with making sure that those who want an
abortion can compel anyone to do anything in their
pursuit of one. That is why we need you to speak
up.
Comment Online:
You can give private comments to the Board of Pharmacy
through their mailbox.
Alternatively, you can post your comments for public
view to the Department of Health’s
rules comment page.
Look for "Chapter 246-863
WAC Pharmacists-Licensing"
Attend the Board hearings on September 17th in Renton and
September 29th in Kent.
Consider providing testimony at the hearings that
supports the right of pharmacists and Pharmacies to
conscientiously object to dispensing Plan B and Ella.
Friday, September
17, 2010
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Blackriver Training and Conference Center
800 Oakesdale Ave SW
Renton, WA 98057
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 1:00 p.m.
to 5:00 p.m.
Center Point Commons, Conference Center
Action Item:
Submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. • Abstinence
supporters are encouraged to request the full report
via a short Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request. The entire process takes about five
minutes. Ask for email delivery with
fee waiver. • Click
here to submit a FOIA request for public release of
these findings. Abstinence Educators and
supporters should visit the ACF link and click on-
Submit a FOIA request. • Request a copy
of the following report: The National Survey of
Adolescents and Their Parents, funded by the Family
and Youth Services Bureau, Administration for
Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Project #60005.
Washington, DC
(August 2, 2010)
— The key findings from a nationally representative
sample of 1,000 adolescents and their “most
knowledgeable parent” measured parent/adolescent
attitudes and communication for youth who received
classes or programs which delivered messages about
waiting until marriage to engage in sex. Key
findings included: • 70% of
parents agreed with the statement: “It is against
your values for your adolescents to have sexual
intercourse before marriage. • 70% of
parents agreed with the statement: “Having sexual
intercourse is something only married people should
do.” •
Adolescents had similar responses for the two
questions.
A researcher, Dr. Lisa Rue,
requested the full report, which was highlighted at
a previous HHS conference and at an American Public
Health Association conference. She was denied
access. This taxpayer-supported survey demonstrates
overwhelming support for abstinence-centered
education, which is not supported by the Obama
Administration.
Urgent: Public Hearings Regarding Taxpayer Funding of Abortion
Tuesday, July 27th 7 - 9 pm
Clark College at Gaiser Hall
1933 Fort Vancouver Way
Vancouver, Washington
If
you are near Everett, Vancouver, or Spokane, you
will soon have an opportunity to help stop
taxpayer funded abortion here in Washington
State.
Much attention has been paid to the fact that
the Obama administration is threatening to use
federal funds for abortions. However,
Washington State has been spending millions of
dollars on abortion for decades. Sadly, this
issue has not received the attention it
deserves. However, the current budget deficit
provides an opportunity to let state leadership
know that abortion funding should not be
preserved while funds for the disabled,
education, and other state services are being
cut.
A few years ago, the
state budget was looked at and the money for
abortion was threatened. Abortion
advocates responded by and so the funds were
"buried" deeper. Now that the Governor
is looking for budget cuts, there is a
possibility that the funding currently
appropriated for abortion services will be cut.
You can help make sure that happens.
Governor Gregoire has
convened an executive committee to talk about
transforming the state’s budget. The committee
is holding budget priority meetings around
Washington State to hear from the public about
their priorities of government. [Governor
Gregoire will be in attendance at this meeting].
This is a great opportunity for the pro-life
community to let the state know that abortion
should be cut first, not last. Find some
life-loving friends and spend a couple hours to
change the culture of Washington State.
Planned Parenthood is
concerned that some of the more than $20+
million dollars they receive each year from
Washington would be cut. They are organizing
their supporters to attend these meetings and
will be telling the state that abortion saves
the state money because children are less
expensive dead than alive. But we hope that your
presence will prove, once again, that the
supporters of life in Washington are far more
motivated than the supporters of abortion.
And remember, activism is cool now!!! So
forward this email, gather some friends, and do
your part to help change the culture here in
Washington.
As always, be respectful, but please be heard.
- Family Policy Institute of Washington
May 2010
Washington State Proposed Abortion Clinic Certification
Policy
All medical professionals and pro-lifers in general, please
comment as directed below on this proposed bad policy for
Planned Parenthood to certify its own and other's abortion
operations. Use the website link
http://www3.doh.wa.gov/policyreview/
and look for
WAC 246-919-601 to get the right
comment page. Good comments already up there but more
are needed.
You have until May 25th.
Suggested comment:
I don't concur with
this rule, it is inappropriate for Planned Parenthood
Foundation and National Abortion Federation to accredit
themselves. It is an obvious conflict of interest.
The proposed rule clearly illustrates that
abortion clinics are outside of the health care system (see
Section 5 below). Pay particular attention to subpart (e):
(5) Accreditation or certification. Within three hundred
sixty-five calendar days of the effective date of this
rule, a
physician who performs a procedure under this rule must
ensure that
the procedure is performed in a facility that is
appropriately
equipped and maintained to ensure patient safety through
accreditation or certification and in good standing from
one of the
following:
(a) The Joint Commission;
(b) The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health
Care;
(c) The American Association for Accreditation of
Ambulatory
Surgery Facilities;
(d) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; or
(e) In lieu of accreditation or certification by one of
the
above-listed entities, facilities limiting office-based
surgery to
abortions or abortion-related services may be accredited
or
certified by either the Planned Parenthood Federation of
America or
the National Abortion Federation.
Should abortion providers be in charge of certifying
abortion clinics? Sounds very much like a case of the fox
guarding the hen house. To read the complete text of the
proposed rule, please click on the following link:
Name: Beverly A. Teeter,
Deputy Executive Director
Address: PO Box 47866
Olympia WA 98504
Or
fax 360-236-2795
January 2010
Prolife Pregnancy Resource
Centers under attack in Olympia
The Abortion
Industry is trying to put prolife pregnancy resource centers out
of business.
The
Washington State Legislature lists
House Bill 2837 and
Senate Bill 6452
on this year’s agenda. These bills claim to be concerned that
“truthful” and “medically accurate” information be provided to
girls and women coming to a pregnancy service center. Does this
mean that abortion clinics will have to allow pregnant customers
to hear their baby’s heartbeat and see his/her movements inside
the womb with an ultrasound? Will Planned Parenthood in Orchards
have to tell their customers that the Options 360 Clinic next
door provides free obstetric ultrasounds?
NO. Because
the proposed laws specifically exclude abortion clinics and
instead focus on “limited service” pregnancy service centers
with several regulations.
1. Posting a
large sign in the window about what the prolife center does not
provide.
2. Controlling
the very first words used to greet a woman or girl entering the
prolife center.
3. Placing the
prolife centers under the state’s consumer protection law, thus
enabling malicious lawsuits, which could easily bankrupt a
non-profit center.
Call the
legislative hotline (1-800-562-6000), tell the operator who
answers that you have a message for the two representatives and
one senator who represent you in Olympia: Vote No on HB 2837 and
SB 6452. They unfairly target prolife pregnancy resource
centers.
Senator
Craig Pridemore, 49th district Vancouver, is co-sponsor of
Senate Bill 6452. Calling his district message line is a local
call at 571-2732. Or email him at
pridemore.craig@leg.wa.gov.
Senate
Bill 6452 is scheduled for a hearing in Olympia this Wednesday
Jan 27 at 8am. Many are planning to be there. For details about
the hearing and how to contact the senators involved send an
email to 4life@clarkrtl.org.
Judge David
Hamilton, currently a U.S. District Court Judge in Indiana,
has been nominated to serve on the U.S. Seventh Circuit
Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Indiana,
Illinois, and Wisconsin. In picking Judge Hamilton,
President Obama is keeping his nominations in the family.
Hamilton is the brother-in-law of Obama's nominee for
Assistant Attorney General, Dawn Johnsen. Johnsen is known
for her extreme pro-abortion advocacy and her outrageous
anti-motherhood statements. She once compared pregnancy to
slavery. Hamilton's views are not that different then his
sister-in-law's. In addition to working for the pro-abortion
ACLU, Hamilton struck down an Indiana informed consent law,
a law that is designed to protect women by ensuring that
they have accurate medical information, like information on
the risks of abortion and the right to view an ultrasound
before they have an abortion. The law is a simple and
commonsense restriction on the abortion industry that is
proven to save lives. Fortunately, sanity prevailed when the
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Hamilton’s
decision, calling it “an abuse of discretion.” Even the
liberal-leaning American Bar Association has determined that
Hamilton is "not qualified" for his position. We cannot
tolerate a judicial activism that places the narrow ideology
of abortion over commonsense legislation that protects the
rights of women and saves innocent unborn boys and girls.
Please write your Senators today and tell them to oppose
Judge David Hamilton’s nomination for the 7th Circuit Court
of Appeals!
Many of those who are pro-life are also pro-family.
CCRTL provides the following information for those who
may be interested:
Referendum 71 needs to gather
120,577 valid signatures by July 25th to
qualify for the November ballot. In November, vote
to REJECT R-71.
The Washington State Supreme Court, in Anderson, et. al.
v. State of Washington (2006) upheld the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA) by a 5-4 margin. Three
members of that majority are expected to defect after
final enactment of SB 5688. Under this widely expected
sequence of events, the State Supreme Court would soon
overturn DOMA, and would mandate the issuing of marriage
licenses to same-sex couples.
