An Important Call to Action: Current Pro-Life Legislative Initiatives

Joint Session of House and Senate, Harrisburg, PA

Pennsylvania Senate Bill 3
Dismemberment Ban 

This legislation bans dismemberment and post 20-week gestation abortions with the same exceptions as Pa.'s current Abortion Control Act. The Pa. Senate passed this legislation on February 8, 2017 by a 32-18 vote.

In our most recent conference call, on February 16, 2017, we agreed that our organization supported the Pa. House passing S.B.3 rather than passing its own version, H.B.77. The passage of H.B.77 in the Pa. House, instead of S.B.3, is likely to result in another "pride of authorship" stalemate in which no bill is sent to Gov. Tom Wolf.

Some progress has occurred toward this goal. Other statewide pro-life organizations have joined in our call for the Pa. House to run S.B.3.

The Chairman of the Pa. House Health Committee, Rep. Matt Baker (to which both S.B.3 and H.B.77 have been assigned) supports running S.B.3.

The lead sponsor of H.B.77, Rep. Kathy Rapp, has ceased insisting that the Pa. House run H.B.77 and now states that she will support "the decision of leadership" regarding whether to run S.B.3 or H.B.77.

An aide in Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai's office has privately indicated to Helen Cindrich that Speaker Turzai supports running S.B.3. However, no decision has yet been made about running S.B.3 and/or H.B.77 in the Pa. House.

So, please contact the following Pa. House members yourself and request others to contact them and urge them to run Senate Bill 3 as soon as reasonably possible.

Rep. Mike Turzai
Speaker of the House
mturzai@pahousegop.com  
717-772-9943

Rep. Dave Reed
Majority Leader
dreed@pahousegop.com
717-705-7173

Rep. Matt Baker
Health Committee Chairman
mbaker@pahousegop.com
717-772-5371

If passed, Gov. Wolf is certain to veto Senate Bill 3. The Pa. House is likely to be able to override Gov. Wolf's veto of Senate Bill 3 with 136 votes. Our challenge is to gain the two additional votes in the Pa. Senate to override Wolf's veto with 34 votes.

Ted Meehan and I have begun efforts to persuade three Senators who voted against S.B.3, but who have previously either voted pro-life (Sens. John Blake from the Scranton area and John Yudichak from the Wilkes-Barre area.) or taken a pro-life position (Sen. Dan Laughlin from the Erie area). We welcome assistance with these efforts.

For more information contact:
Mike McMonagle, 215-393-3610 or 484-680-8914

Blogger's Note:
Please pray that Gov. Wolf's vetoes will be overturned and these critical Pro-life bills will be passed into law. Thank you for defending the unborn and their mothers.