"More Dead Babies" Act Scheduled for Senate Committee Vote

With the Senate Health Committee's inaction on the bill to shut down pro-life pregnancy centers across the state for two weeks, some in the pro-life community had become hopeful that the bill might be dead. But we have just learned that Sen. Kaiser, the committee chair, has scheduled the bill (SB 5274) for an executive session in the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee on Monday, February 21, at 1:30 P.M.

The hearing, which will be open to the public but not open to public comment, will take place in the Senate Hearing Room #4, J.A. Cherberg Building, Olympia.

Despite the fact that the House version of the bill (HB 1366) got out of their Health Committee virtually unchanged, it's not at all clear that the Democrats -- also known as the political arm of Planned Parenthood -- can get this massively controversial and unconstitutional bill passed on the Senate floor.

The balance of power is 27-22 in the Democrats' favor. Assuming all Republicans hold the line, adding Senator Jim Hargrove, a staunchly pro-life Democrat, and Sen. McAuliffe, who has publicly withdrawn her support, and privately promised opposition, the vote count is a squeaker 25-24.

Theoretically, then, just one more Senator from the Democrats is needed to kill this bill.

Senator McAuliffe Rescinds Sponsorship of "Pregnancy Center Elimination" Bill

We recently told you about State Rep. Mary Helen Roberts rethinking her support for HB 1366, the House Bill in Olympia that would destroy the state's pregnancy centers. Now Senator Rosemary McAufille, whom we profiled here, has withdrawn her co-sponsorship of SB 5274. Her full letter to constituents is re-printed below. We've made several observations in brackets within the letter that highlight there is still much educating that needs to happen among our elected representatives.

Here's a brief run-down of the major sticking points we still see in conversations with representatives:

• Elected officials are still confused about what this bill will do and whether it will solve the "problems" the sponsors believe they have uncovered. These "problems" are nothing more than allegations by politically motivated ideologues from extremist organizations.
• Elected officials don't understand that the abortion industry wants to shut down the CPCs because they provide direct competition to their monopoly.
• Elected officials don't understand that Pregnancy Resource Centers have no medical personnel and therefore generate no medical information or documents. Pregnancy Medical Clinics do have medical personnel and must comply with all laws on reporting, confidentiality and medical records.
• Elected officials are still ignorant of what happens inside an abortion clinic.
• Elected officials are still ignorant of how women "choose" abortion.
• Elected officials have internalized the talking points of the abortion industry and disabled their critical thinking skills. Legal abortion is NOT safe.
• Elected officials seem to think women are idiots and incapable of uttering for themselves the words "What services do you provide?"
• Elected officials who are self-proclaimed Christians believe that they must cooperate and co-exist with state-sponsored evil.

Nevertheless, despite her continued confusions, we commend Sen. McAuliffe for admitting to her mistake, and we hope these defections pave the way for others to do likewise.

Letter to Constituents from Rosemary McAuliffe
Thank you for your email regarding Senate Bill 5274, “Concerning limited service pregnancy centers.” Initially I co-sponsored this piece of legislation after speaking with the prime sponsor. I was assured this legislation has no intention of closing down facilities that give medical care to women across this state however this legislation was drafted due to questionable practices of some. “Medical centers” regardless of their stance on pro-life or pro-choice do not need licensed health care staff members such as RNs or Doctors. Without having licensed professionals these facilities do not have to participate in patient confidentiality laws, proper release of medical records, or the standards of care. This legislation will ensure centers with un-licensed staff are held to the same standards as centers with licensed staff, while continuing to give needed patient care. I am not pro-abortion. [Sorry Senator McAuliffe but your past actions say otherwise.] As a Catholic I place a strong value on life. [McAuliffe's support for the abortion industry through her silence and refusal to fight evil is contrary to the Catholic faith. Her statement is nonsensical and contradicts her next sentence.] I believe under the constitution that this country was founded on, all women have the right to make an educated decision between themselves and a doctor. [McAuliffe is simply ignorant. The majority of women self-refer for abortion, never meeting or knowing the name of the "doctor" who performs the abortion. Women are routinely denied the medical information they need to make an "educated decision", and the abortion industry fights tooth and nail -- successfully in this state -- to preserve their "right" to deny women that information.]

[As Christina at Real Choice pointed out, it's too bad McAuliffe isn't more concerned about women being butchered by aspiring Kermit Gosnells than being annoyed by prolifers.]

After speaking with numerous constituents, for and against SB 5274, I have decided to remove my sponsorship and will remain neutral for the time being. [Bravo for removing your name from sponsorship but again, no one, especially a self-proclained Catholic can remain neutral in the face of evil, despite her misinterpretation of the US Constitution.] This particular bill is still in the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care for further review. As SB 5274 goes through our legislative process, many negotiations and amendments may take place. I will keep your thoughts in mind, wait for a completed bill and watch for the debate if it arrives on the Senate floor.
...
Thank you for your support.
Rosemary McAuliffe

Rep. Tami Green Lies To Constituents on Pregnancy Center Bill, Evades Others

While some Democrats are responding to educational efforts and democratic pressure from constituents on HB1366, the bill that would essentially destroy the state's network of 56 "crisis pregnancy centers", others are resorting to desperate measures to justify their support for the unconstitutional legislation.

One such example is State Rep. Tami Green, who represents the Lakewood area of Pierce County, and sits on the House Health Care Committee.

We have made repeated efforts to contact her for answers to some simple questions. She is a co-sponsor of the bill, so one might expect her to have read it, and to be willing to answer questions from the public regarding her support for it.

We have asked her at least three times by phone, by voicemail, and by email how she planned to vote on the bill in committee.

No answer.

We asked if she would acknowledge that the bill was entirely the initiative of, and being pushed on behalf of, the unregulated abortion industry.

No answer.

We asked if she could cite any other examples in Washington State law of devastating civil penalties like the kinds in this bill.

No answer.

We asked if she would admit that this bill would destroy the state's 57 pregnancy centers, both medical and counseling.

More Republicans Speak out Against HB1366 and SB5274

UPDATE Feb. 8, 11:31 am
30th District: State Representative Katrina Asay (R) says that "she opposes HB1366"
State Representative Mark Miloscia (D): No response.

In this post we featured Rep. Paul Harris (R) of Vancouver and his opposition to HB 1366.

We've identified more public statements from other Republicans.

Randi Becker says "I Oppose Pregnancy Resource Center Bill".
Val Stevens, on video, "My opinion on Senate Bill 5274, Crisis Pregnancy Centers".

Where do your senator and representatives, Democrat or Republican, stand on HB1366 and SB 5274? Contact them and let us know so we can post their position.

Update 11:24 am: Linda Evans Parlette mentions the many people who came out to the hearing on SB 5274 but doesn't mention where she stands on it.

Some Evergreen Republican Pols Start to Speak Out Against Democrats' Abortion Radicalism

While grassroots Washingtonians have been attacking the bill to destroy pregnancy centers, we haven't heard too much from political leaders. A few Republicans are now adding their voice and providing political leadership.

One of those is freshman Republican Paul Harris (Vancouver), who sits on the House Health Committee where the bill is now.

Rep. Harris doesn't mince words. “HB 1366 is a bad bill," he told us.

He emphasized the absurdity of going after sacrificial non-profits at a time of massive budget cuts to social services.

"These private pregnancy centers provide $19 million of services to over 60,000 women across the State of Washington," he explained.

"These are often lower-income women who would otherwise be relying on welfare. Like the Governor said, we’ve got to stop kidding ourselves and thinking that government can or should do everything for everyone."

"Pregnancy Resource Centers are exactly the facilities we should be thanking, not punishing.”

Planned Parenthood Partners with Nation's Illegal Sex Trade

We received this news item last week that Planned Parenthood was running scared after learning they were part of another sting operation by Lila Rose's Live Action.

Today, Live Action released a transcript and video from the first abortion clinic in the series, this one in New Jersey. The details are sickening.

As reported in the CBS News article, "In each case, according to Planned Parenthood, the man sought to speak confidentially with a clinic employee and then requested information regarding health services for sex workers, including some who he said were minors and in the U.S. illegally."

As Jill Stanek reports:

The sting:

“Joe” is the sex trafficking pimp and “Gia” is his bottom girl. They manage several very young girls, ages 14 and 15, in their prostitution ring, some of whom are Asian illegals who don’t speak English.

In the video the clinic manager of PP Central New Jersey’s Perth Amboy mill, LPN Amy Woodruff, tells “Joe” and “Gia” how to get abortions, STD treatment, and contraceptives for their brothel of adolescents as young as 14, some here illegally.

Woodruff coaches the pair on how to have the younger girls lie about their age. She gives them the name of a mill that is apparently schlockier than hers, Metropolitan Medical Associates, that will do abortions with fewer questions asked.

The most awful part of the video, IMO, is Woodruff’s cavalier business advice when asked what can the girls do during the 2 weeks after their abortion when they can’t have sex?

Woodruff: Yeah, um, waist up.

Pimp: Waist up?

Woodruff: Waist up, or just be that extra action walking by. Because then they’re at more risk for infection, and you don’t want to do that….

“Waist up”? That line will live in infamy.

Go watch the whole thing here.

AIW readers will be interested to know that that at least one of Planned Parenthood's Washington facilities was apparently caught up in the sting. (Calls to Live Action to confirm this were not returned at press time.) And we know that Seattle is a hub for sex trafficing of minors and adults. Has anyone bothered to ask where the victims are being taken for abortions? We may have the answer.

It appears that Planned Parenthood can't stand to lose a single dollar, so they don't turn away anyone, despite the sickening canard that they're interested in women's rights. But it's worse than that, as you can see in the video. The clinic manager glibly jokes with the erstwhile pimp and conspires with him on how to best exploit his girls.

Now you would expect Washington state legislators, law enforcement agencies, and health regulators to jump up and take notice, and to open investigations into Planned Parenthood affiliates in our state, where it has one of its strongest state presences.

Actually, not so much.

If you want to know the kind of video that gets the Washington State Democratic Party seriously geared up for action, drafting legislation, you'd have to watch this video of testimony before the Health and Wellness Committee.

Women testifying complained that the a crisis pregnancy center volunteer "asked many of same questions that were on the form she had already completed" instead of telling her the results of her pregnancy test! She was asked what she "did for a living" and what the father did for a living! She was also asked how she felt about abortion!

She also complained that they wouldn't give her a written copy of her test results so she could sign up for state benefits.

The volunteer counselors showed an active, concerned interest in the woman's life, her circumstances, and wanted to help her make a decision she would not regret, and maybe to help her turn her life around.

This is how you make a Washington State Democrat angry.

Rather than investigate Planned Parenthood, rather than inspect their facilities, rather than suspend millions in Medicaid payments to them, rather than stopping meeting with them regularly to set state health policy, rather than reconsider contracts that put Planned Parenthood staff in state health offices, our state legislators let the abortionists write legislation designed to shut down their pro-life competition (House Bill 1366)!

Let's just review this so we're completely clear. Planned Parenthood gladly partners with pimps engaged in illegal, underage sex trafficking to cover up the abuse of minors and immigrants. Pro-life pregnancy centers are spending 'too much time' showing genuine interest in poor and potentially exploited women and girls. And the Democrat legislature is trying to shut the pregnancy centers down on behalf of Planned Parenthood.

AIW, along with Lila Rose, calls on AG Rob McKenna and the state legislature to immediately suspend all payments to Planned Parentood and to begin an immediate investigation into the state's abortion facilities to determine how deeply involved our state is aiding the exploitation of women and children.

State Rep Van De Wege Shows Stunning Ignorance in Meetings with Constituents on 'More Dead Babies' Act

We recently caught up with River Sussman, who runs two pregnancy medical clinics on the Olympic Peninsula. Mrs. Sussman has been working desperately to try to convince her state representative Kevin Van De Wege to end his co-sponsorship of House Bill 1366, the bill being pushed by the abortion industry to destroy crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs).

Rep. Van De Wege is new to state politics, having been a fireman before. But he seems quickly to have gone from saving babies from burning buildings to delivering them up to be killed by the abortion industry that helped land him his new job.

Mrs. Sussman met with him recently in his office in Olympia, along with 35 other CPC supporters from his district who crossed the Puget Sound for the occasion. Not only had he not read the 5-page bill before he signed on as a co-sponsor; he hadn't even read it before their meeting.

One of the points Mrs. Sussman raised was the fact that not only were the penalties described in the bill without any sort of precedent for the infractions outlined, but the abortion industry itself was not subject to anywhere close to this kind of oversight. In fact, the abortion industry is either unregulated or "self-regulated".

Van De Wege's response: "That's not true."

Mrs. Sussman repeatedly tried to educate the legislator on this point, but he kept repeating his false "facts" back to her.

It seems that Rep. Van De Wege's enablers in the abortion lobby who sold him on this bill set him up for humiliation. They've been going around to legislators asking them: "Did you know that these clinics aren't licensed?" The fact is that their own clinics, which murder unborn babies, are also not licensed. In fact, in Washington State, we don't license buildings. We license individuals. Only doctors need licenses. This is deliberate sleight-of-hand by the abortion lobby.

Call these Legislators TODAY

The "More Dead Babies Act" introduced last week in the Washington State Legislature can be stopped, but you need to speak up. It is currently before the Health Committees in both the House and the Senate. The best way to stop it is to kill kill it in either committee.

The Democrats -- also known as the political arm of the abortion industry -- control both branches, and so have majorities on both committees. In the House, the breakdown is 7-4; in the Senate, 5-4. Assuming we have all the Republican onside, that means we need 1 Democrat on the Senate committee and 2 on the House to see the light.

House
Starting with the House, 6 of the 7 Democrats are co-sponsors. The non co-sponsor is Troy Kelley. Rep. Kelley is from Pierce County and beat pro-life attorney Steve O'Ban with under 53% of the vote, so there's a good chance we can get a no vote out of him. Call him at (360) 786-7890.

Of the remaining co-sponsors, there are two worth focusing on. The first is Kevin Van De Wege. Rep. Van De Wege is from Jefferson County, is a liberal Democrat, and has reportedly been hostile to pregnancy center staff who have tried to educate. He also co-sponsored the bill last year. All that bodes ill, but he is the only other Dem on the committee besides Kelley who wasn't endorsed by NARAL/Planned Parenthood. Call him at 360.786.7916.

The other one to try to talk sense to is Tami Green. While she received $2,800 from NARAL last election, was endorsed by the abortion lobby, and is a co-chair of the Health Committee, on the other hand she only won re-election by 1,200 odd votes (51.5%), also in the same district as Kelly, not-too-liberal Pierce County. There's a chance she might be able to understand the political calculus if you call her at 360.786.7958.

Senate
On the Senate side, unfortunately all of the Democrats on the Health & Long-Term Care are co-sponsors. The best two to contact may be Ed Murray and Craig Pridemore. Murray's a surprising one: he's a radical homosexual activist, but last time around he voted the right way and even indicated to pregnancy center advocates that he would be a hypocrite if supported "minority rights" for homosexuals, and then turned around and persecuted Christians.

He needs to be reminded of his own words. Call him at 360.786.7628.

Finally, Pridemore represents an urban Vancouver district. While he won re-election quite comfortably, it's possible that he's sufficiently far from the Seattle sanity vacuum that he could be capable of seeing sense and doing the right thing. Call Pridemore at 360.786.7696.

It's best if you're from their district, but since these folks are on the all-important Health Committees, they represent everyone in the state in a sense. Imagine what kind of impact 10,000 calls on this bill would have?

If you've never called your legislator before, now is a great time to start. Do not be afraid. They work for you. If you don't like confrontation, just tell them you are deeply troubled by the bill to shut down crisis pregnancy centers ("HB 1366" in the House) and you want them to vote it down.