Arizona Politics for Conservatives: Sonoran Alliance
Arizona Politics, News, Commentary and Information with a Blatantly Conservative Worldview Presented by an Alliance of Writers, Activists, Consultants and Government Insiders.
The Mother’s Health and Safety Act, HB 2838, was heard in the House Health and Human Services Committee last week.
One of the most powerful moments came when Representative Justin Pierce shared the story of his brother’s family, and how despite pressure from doctors, they chose life and now have a beautiful 3 year old son.
This is a must-see video for anyone in the life debate…
 I’ve never witnessed a hearing like the House Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday.
The 9-member committee was considering the CAP-supported Mother’s Health and Safety Act, HB 2838. This legislation would ban abortions after 20 weeks of a pregnancy. Without a doubt this bill would save the lives of preborn children because there were 210 abortions at 20 weeks or later in 2011 in Arizona. Planned Parenthood pulled out all the stops to block this bill from passing. After attacking me in an email to supporters, they brought a dozen or more pro-abortion doctors and activists to this hearing to distort the facts of the bill, and tell members to vote against it. Unfortunately, our medical expert who was scheduled to testify was unable to attend the hearing because he was doing what great pro-life OB/GYN doctors do – deliver babies! Because our doctor was not able to testify, and because of the outrageous claims made by Planned Parenthood’s “experts,” the committee’s chairman decided to hold the bill until next week. Yet, as of today, he has not put the bill on the agenda. While I am confident the bill will get a hearing and the committee will ultimately pass the legislation, the pro-life community has to make their voice heard now. Going to vote on Election Day is not enough to ensure that pro-life bills pass. Your legislators need to hear from you and be supported to stand for life. You better believe that Planned Parenthood’s backers are making their opinions known. It is all of our responsibility to counter their attacks with truth and encouragement. Please, click here to respond to our Action Alert to support HB 2838. |
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Never Giving Up on Life
The most moving part of our hearing on Wednesday came from Rep. Justin Pierce. Following Planned Parenthood testimony about the importance for parents to be able to abort their children who have “little chance of surviving after birth,” Representative Justin Pierce shared a personal story about his nephew, who was given little to no chance of surviving outside of the womb. Click here to see the rest of the story. This is a must-see video for everyone involved in the abortion debate.
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Women Speak Out: Defund Planned Parenthood
The House Health Committee did pass HB 2800 to end backdoor funding of abortion. On Thursday, I joined our friends from Susan B. Anthony List at a press conference outside the Glendale Planned Parenthood. Visit our Facebook page to view some of the photos from the event.
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School Choice Victory!
The Arizona House gave final passage to SB 1047 to expand Arizona’s scholarship tax credit program so children on waiting lists have a chance to attend the private schools chosen by their parents. This critical CAP-supported and negotiated bill should reach Gov. Brewer’s desk next week. There was so much more that happened at the Legislature this week. We’re posting regular updates to our Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as keeping our Bill Tracker up-to-date so you can follow all the action.
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| The drama surrounding the Komen Foundation’s announcement they would cut off funding to Planned Parenthood continues to develop, even as I write this.
On Tuesday, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which works to cure breast cancer, announced a change in their policies that would exclude any organization under congressional investigation from receiving funding. This decision meant that Planned Parenthood, which is currently under investigation by the House Oversight and Investigation Committee, would no longer receive hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from Komen. While pro-life advocates praised Komen, and showed their support by increasing donations to the organization by 100% over two days, Planned Parenthood lashed out against them. The reaction from the pro-abortion crowd has been outrageous. It can only be defined as bullying at its worst. Komen’s website was hacked and Planned Parenthood led the attacks. Then this morning Komen released this statement, creating confusion regarding the exact position Komen is taking. While some on the pro-abortion side have hailed this as a victory claiming they have forced Komen to reverse their position, others are saying not-so-fast. Komen’s statement is not necessarily changing any of their original positions. Supposedly, if Planned Parenthood is found guilty of any of the charges in the Congressional investigation, they will not fund the abortion giant. My message to Komen is “fish or cut bait.” Komen has a clear right course of action – deny Planned Parenthood funding because they are not in the business of saving lives, but destroying them. Planned Parenthood has activated their base and is in full attack mode. We need to send a positive message to the Komen Foundation and pray they have courage and boldness during this time. |
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Not Standing Idly By
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| The Obama administration’s announcement that all employers must cover birth control in company health insurance plans, regardless of any religious beliefs underscores the very real threat in our nation today to the First Amendment’s free exercise of religion guarantee. It’s simply outrageous and very wrong to put a woman’s so-called right or even need for an employer to pay for and provide birth control pills above a religious group’s or individual’s religious beliefs. Thankfully, religious leaders and elected officials are speaking out.
Phoenix Diocese Bishop Thomas Olmstead sent a letter to be read at all Masses in the Diocese of Phoenix saying the diocese would not “comply with this unjust law” and that “people of faith cannot be made second class citizens.” In D.C., Florida Senator Marco Rubio introduced the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to stop the Obama administration from forcing a number of organizations to make the false choice to either compromise their religious beliefs or face persecution from the government. |
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Wait No More Just a Week Away
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| Over 350 children in Arizona today need a forever home. Perhaps you or a friend is interested in adopting a child in need. I urge you today to plan to join CAP on February 11 at Scottsdale Bible Church for the Wait No More Conference. This conference is a great first step for anyone thinking about blessing a child with a permanent home. Click here for more details! |
| In the three states with primary elections so far, three different candidates for the Republican nomination have been declared winners. Next up is Florida. Many already are looking toward the next major state primary – Arizona.
Arizona Republic columnist, Bob Robb, said the Arizona Primary Election “is likely to be the most consequential shootout leading up to Super Tuesday.” But Arizona isn’t only a key state for the Republicans. As evidenced by the President’s visit to Chandler this week, Arizona is seen by some as a toss-up state in November. Every vote will count on February 28 and November 6! Each one of us needs to make sure our families and friends at church registered to vote. The deadline to register to vote in the Primary Election is Monday, January 30. If you are not registered, or you know someone who is not registered, check out ServiceArizona.com today. It only takes five minutes to register online! |
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Opening Doors & Getting off the Waiting List
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| This week’s celebration of National School Choice week was especially timely as two school choice victories have occurred in the last week.
Yesterday, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge upheld the constitutionality of the CAP-supported Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program. ESAs provide parents of children with special needs the opportunity to redirect state funds for the education and educational services that best meet their children’s needs. Approximately 75 families have received empowerment scholarship this year. On Monday, a House committee will consider expanding this vital program. Last week, the Arizona Senate voted to expand the Scholarship Tax Credit program. This new credit is intended to address the critical need to provide scholarships for children on waiting lists. The measure awaits House consideration. Keep up-to-date on legislation at our bill tracker. |
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Opposition Intensifies
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| Unfortunately, opponents of school choice continue to distort and attack the programs.
Check out CAP Legal Counsel Deborah Sheasby’s rebuttal to the critics of school choice on the Foundations Blog. |
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Three Reasons for Banning Abortion at 20 Weeks
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On Wednesday, CAP brought Americans United for Life Senior Counsel, Clarke Forsythe, to the Senate Health Committee to testify in support of a ban on abortions after 20 weeks. Today, all but three or four out of the 195 nations in the world prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. And you guessed it – you can count the United States as one of the few countries that allow abortion at such a late stage.
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So Much Coming Up
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| The CAP Calendar is full of events coming up! The next big event is this Sunday at Catalina Foothills Church in Tucson. I’ll be speaking with Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin and Kenyn Cureton of Family Research Council at the Recapturing Our American Heritage event.
Find more details about this and other upcoming events here. |
| This Sunday marks the 39th anniversary of the most tragic U.S. Supreme Court decision in our nation’s history, Roe v. Wade.
Since 1973, more than 50 million abortions have been performed in America – roughly one-sixth of our population has been lost. While there is much work to be done until we see the day when every life is cherished and protected from its very beginning to its natural end, the pro-life movement is stronger than ever. |
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The Pro-Life Shift
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| At the time of Roe v. Wade, a majority of Americans were asleep and not aware of the implications of legalized abortion for any reason, at any stage of pregnancy, at any age of the mother. Thankfully, our nation has experienced, and continues to experience, a dramatic shift in Americans’ attitudes about abortion. Americans have woken up to the fact that abortion stops a beating heart, breaks a woman’s heart, harms a woman physically and emotionally, and does not provide solutions to any problems.
Ultrasound technology has proven the humanity of the preborn child. Everyone knows a woman who was harmed by abortion and regrets her so-called “choice.” The dangerous practices of abortion providers like Planned Parenthood and Gosnell in Pennsylvania have been exposed in shocking detail. In July 2011, Gallup found the following:
That means almost 60 percent of Americans believe abortions should be illegal in either all or most circumstances. Even though Planned Parenthood still receives more than 300 million tax dollars annually, there has been a shift in public perception about the abortion giant, in part thanks to Americans United for Life and their recent report The Case for Investigating Planned Parenthood. |
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Arizona: One of the Most Improved Pro-Life States
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| In Arizona, thanks to Arizonans voting their pro-life values to elect a pro-life legislature and Governor, we have made significant progress to protect preborn children and women – so much so that Americans United for Life named our state one of the “most-improved” states in the country for pro-life legislation.
In the last year alone, CAP-supported laws have taken effect that:
You can read more about Arizona’s abortion laws on AZPolicyPages.com |
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The Ongoing Fight
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| This session, CAP will once again be supporting legislation to promote the health and safety of women considering an abortion, and to protect them against the predatory practices of the abortion industry. Stay tuned over the next two weeks as key pro-life legislation is introduced.
We will also continue our work to defend CAP-supported legislation in court, like the law that would disqualify donations to any organization that provides, promotes, pays for, or provides referrals for abortion from being eligible for the working poor tax credit. This law is currently blocked from taking effect because of a lawsuit the ACLU brought on behalf of the Arizona Domestic Violence Coalition. |
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Join the Cause
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Take time to consider these four ways you can make a difference for life in Arizona:
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7/10, 419, 4, 101, 1,500 – The 2011 highlights for Arizona families can be painted by the numbers. Here are five victories I’m most grateful for: |
| 1) 7 Out of 10 | ||
Following our victory in the State Court of Appeals upholding the Abortion Consent Act, Planned Parenthood announced they would end abortion services at 7 of their 10 Arizona locations. This led to our next unexpected success…
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2) 419 Lives
 The combination of Planned Parenthood ending abortion services at 7 of their 10 clinics with the new informed consent provisions in the Abortion Consent Act led to 419 fewer abortions performed from August to October of 2011, compared to the same time in 2010. This work is saving lives!
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3) Winning in Court – 4 MAJOR Cases
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4) 101 Bills
Sixteen CAP-supported bills were signed into law in 2011, bringing the total number of CAP-supported bills enacted into law to 101. Thirty-eight of these bills were signed into law in the last three years alone. In 2011, a CAP-supported resolution honoring pregnancy care centers and a CAP-supported judicial reform ballot measure also passed.
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5) 1,500+ Come to Put Their Faith in Action
More than 1,500 people attended our Faith in Action Tour at Bethany Bible Church to discover how to be a part of the movement to transform our state through service.
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These are just a few of the highlights of 2011 – I could go on and on about how God equipped our work this year, enabling us to meet many challenges and opportunities. But we still have one major challenge to overcome this year and we need your help.
With less than two weeks remaining in this year, we still have not met our 2011 budget needs. Our team has been meeting this week to prepare to take on the many challenges and opportunities that await us in 2012. To forge ahead in a strong position, it’s essential that we finish this year in a strong financial position.
(Or you can send us a gift in the mail: PO Box 97250, Phoenix, AZ 85060)
| Marriage: It’s What’s Good for Children |
| Many today have forgotten the common good marriage between one man and one woman provides for our culture. A challenge we all face is how to restore marriage to its valued place of honor and importance. Marriage is a positive good for our country – it’s life-giving.Over the last few decades, marriage has been devalued through no-fault divorce, cohabitation, and even those that want to redefine marriage altogether.Perhaps no one has suffered more from the decline in the value of marriage than children. Yet many deny and fail to understand the negative impact divorce and court decisions redefining marriage have on children.Thankfully, as more research becomes available on the harms of cohabitation and divorce on children, policy makers are stepping up to address these problems. Last session, the Arizona Legislature passed a CAP-supported divorce reform bill, which adds information about the effects of divorce on adults and children to the mandatory parenting education classes for divorcing parents of minor children and allows couples to ask for additional time to reconcile before a divorce is finalized.On the Witherspoon Institute’s Public Discourse blog, Professor Helen Alvaré writes about how across the country more officials are beginningto recognize the impact bad policy on marriage has on children.Another excellent resource is Why Marriage Matters by the Institute for American Values, which documents thirty conclusions from the social sciences on why marriage is good for our country. |
| Alan Chambers in the Lion’s Den |
| World magazine has named Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, as their 2011 Daniel. Exodus ministers to those struggling with homosexuality. I applaud World for their selection. Take time to read the article. Most importantly, take time to pray for Alan and the Exodus team who daily come under constant assault and attack from the media and opponents. You can send your encouragements to him on Twitter, @alanmchambers. |
| Frontline Public Policy Experience |
| CAP is now accepting intern applications for policy and communication interns to serve during the upcoming legislative session. Interning with CAP during session provides college students with real-life experience down at the state Capitol working in public policy. Click here for details of both positions. Please forward this opportunity to those who might be interested and qualified. |
| Exploiting the Poor |
| On the Foundations blog this week, CAP Legislative Coordinator Dave Ernest explores how gambling – either at a casino or through the lottery – exploits the poor. He presents yet another case why the expansion of gambling is never right for our state. |
| Good, But Unexpected, News |
| The abortion industry has a long history of putting their agenda ahead of the health and safety of women – and especially of minor girls. Pushing for over-the-counter availability of the “morning-after” pill is just one of the many ways their lobbying puts women at risk. In a surprising turn of events this week, Kathleen Sebelius, the head of the federal Health and Human Services Department and an outspoken abortion advocate, overruled an FDA decision that would have made the morning-after pill, which can act as an abortifacient, available over the counter to girls younger than 17 without a prescription. Read more about this decision from Family Research Council. |
| CA Marriage Amendment Back in Court |
| Yesterday, our friends at ProtectMarriage.com and Alliance Defense Fund were back in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to defend the majority of Californians who voted to protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Read more about this hearing, and why a lower court’s ruling, which overturned the marriage amendment, had some serious problems. |
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Not the Way Out |
| The budget crisis across the country is on everyone’s mind. Just this week, our national debt topped $15 trillion. In Arizona, our leaders are seeking ways to responsibly meet our own state budget needs.
As the Legislature searches for ways to balance our state budget, with some wanting to increase state revenues, I am becoming increasingly concerned that the expansion of gambling is being considered. Changing our state laws to allow casinos at racetracks – “racinos” – would dramatically change the character of our state and impact families. Legislators shouldn’t balance the budget on the backs of Arizona’s families. The harms of gambling, while not often discussed, are very real. You can read more of on this on the Foundations blog. Thankfully, more than half of the members of the House and of the Senate indicated in CAP’s 2010 Voter Guide that they would oppose “Allowing slot machines and table games off Indian reservations.” I remain confident that they will stay true to their word and not allow gambling to expand. |
| Still a Long Way to Go |
| A few weeks ago, I told you that abortions in Arizona had dropped by 30% in September, according to newly released Department of Health Services data. This week, DHS released updated numbers showing that the decrease in numbers continues but not at the 30% pace originally reported. The good news is that abortions still dropped by 417 over the last three months compared to the same time period in 2010. No doubt the drop in abortions directly resulted from the court decision upholding the Abortion Consent Act, the enactment of Arizona’s ultrasound requirement, and Planned Parenthood’s ending abortion services at seven of their ten clinics.
The new data, however, deeply troubles me because 179 preborn children have been aborted at 20 and 21 weeks from January-October 2011, and children can survive outside of the womb at 20 weeks. It’s a sign of how much work remains when babies who could clearly survive outside their mother’s wombs are not surviving inside their mother’s womb. |
| Key Victory for Marriage Proponents in California |
| Finally, good news from California’s Prop 8 litigation! The California Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the ProtectMarriage.com legal team can defend the state marriage amendment in court. You may recall that the state governor and attorney general both refused to defend the marriage amendment on behalf of the voters. Yesterday’s decision puts in place the strongest legal team to represent the right of voters to define marriage.
All eyes are on the Prop 8 case, Perry v Brown, as it likely will determine whether individual states have the right to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman or whether the federal courts will take away that right. |
| Weak Arguments |
| Also this week, a federal court judge heard arguments from the state and the ACLU about a CAP-supported bill that disqualifies donations to organizations that provide, promote, pay for, or provide referrals for abortion from being eligible for the working poor tax credit. The ACLU, representing the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence, is arguing that Arizona should be forced to provide the benefit of the working poor tax credit to organizations that refer women for abortion.
CAP is supporting the state’s defense. On the Foundations blog this week, our Legal Counsel Deborah Sheasby explains why the ACLU’s case is based on weak arguments. |
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Tuesday’s Election Results |
| For some conservatives, Tuesday’s elections across the country were a disappointment. I caution you to not read too much into these election results. No doubt, though, our work is cut out for us in the 2012 elections to register voters, educate voters, and turn out values voters.
I’ve been asked about the defeat of the “Personhood Amendment” in Mississippi. The intent of this amendment was to define life as beginning at conception and stop legalized abortion. Previously, Colorado had defeated a similar amendment twice. Nevada proponents are working to put the amendment on their next ballot. While I support the goal behind “Personhood,” I join with many other national pro-life leaders and strategists in favoring a different approach in our efforts to protect preborn life and mothers. I do not consider the Mississippi results to be a setback for the pro-life movement. Rather, the pro-life movement continues to move forward with 86 new pro-life laws passing this year alone in states. Those laws are resulting in fewer abortions. Our U.S. House has a pro-life majority. Further, in recent years, more and more people continue to identify themselves as “pro-life” instead of “pro-choice.” The dream of living in a country that respects the sanctity of human life from its very beginning to its natural end is not far-fetched. To get there though, it will take wise leadership, patience, and most importantly prayer. Regarding the recall of Senate President Russell Pearce in Legislative District 18, I thank Sen. Pearce for his unwavering stands through the years in defense of preborn life, school choice, religious liberty, and marriage. Sen. Pearce never hesitated to support CAP’s legislative agenda. He always was available to help us move bills through the process and speak out in support of life, marriage and family, and religious liberty. |
| Marriage Opponents in Corporate America |
| You may be surprised to learn that 70 corporations – including some of our country’s most recognizable brands – filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of overturning the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in a federal lawsuit.
Microsoft, Starbucks, Google, NIKE, Levi Strauss and Co., CBS, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mass., Time Warner Cable, and Xerox all signed onto the brief filed in the case of Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, urging the court to deem DOMA unconstitutional. |
| William Wilberforce Award |
| I was honored to receive the news that I will be awarded the William Wilberforce Award at the First Annual Students for Life West Coast Gala tomorrow for my efforts to promote and defend life in public policy. Defending the sanctity of human life has been one of God’s great callings in my life, and I am truly blessed to be receiving this award named for one of my heroes, the great abolitionist William Wilberforce. I am grateful to Students for Life for the recognition, and I share this award with our amazing team at Center for Arizona Policy – both past and present – and with all of our ministry friends. |
| Forced to Perform Abortions |
| Read the story of the 12 nurses whose employer is trying to force them to participate in abortions on the Foundations blog, and how, thanks to the Abortion Consent Act, Arizona’s healthcare professionals are free from this type of persecution.
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Dear Friends,
I am thrilled to announce that this Saturday, SFLA will honor Cathi Herrod, President of the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), with our Wilberforce Leadership Award for her outstanding efforts within the pro-life movement in the state of Arizona!
Mrs. Herrod will be honored at the Students for Life of America Inaugural West Coast Gala in Phoenix, Arizona this Saturday, November 12th, at the Arizona Biltmore Resort. (For more information on the Gala or to purchase tickets, please visit www.sfla2011gala.com.)
The Wilberforce Leadership Award is named about the British social justice and human rights activist, William Wilberforce, who led the fight to abolish the slave trade and was successful in helping to end slavery in Great Britain. SFLA’s awards two pro-life leaders each year who, like Wilberforce, are working to create, enforce, and uphold laws that will eventually abolish the greatest human rights threat our nation faces in abortion.
As President of CAP, Cathi has spearheaded a number of pro-life initiatives that have gained national notoriety and have affected policies and regulations across the U.S. Most notably, in February of 2009, the Arizona Legislature, along with Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and under Mrs. Herrod’s influence, enacted into law HB2564, known as the Abortion Consent Act.
Key provisions of this important legislation included:
Under Cathi’s leadership, CAP has helped pass state legislation that has banned partial-birth abortion (1997), revised abortion clinic safety standards (2000), prohibited nurses from performing surgical abortions (2002), ended taxpayer-funded insurance coverage for government employees’ abortions (2010), required ultrasounds before abortions, banned telemedicine abortions, and improved safety standards for abortion facilities (2011), among many others. For a list of other CAP supported bills that have become Arizona Law, click here: http://www.azpolicy.org/center-supported-bills.
Because of her work in Arizona, Cathi has helped reduce abortions and save countless lives. She is an inspiration to all young pro-life leaders who seek a career like Cathi’s that will allow them to make a difference and end the horrific practice of abortion. Cathi could not be more deserving of this honor, and I look forward to presenting it to her this Saturday!
If you would like to send Cathi a note of thanks and encouragement, please e-mail her at cathi_herrod@azpolicy.org.
For Life,
Kristen Hawkins
Students
Aborting for a better life?
Abortion advocates promote many myths and falsehoods to sell abortions. One of the most offensive results of legalized abortions remains the fact that up to 80-90% of preborn children with Down syndrome are aborted. If a baby is diagnosed in utero with having or being at risk for having Down syndrome, the parents often are advised strongly that the “humane” thing to do is abort the child. The so-called medical professionals and pro-abortion advocates also will say an abortion will spare the parents a life full of hardships.
Yet like most things that come from the deceptive pro-abortion crowd, this is completely wrong – and the research proves it. A recent study published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics surveyed 2,044 parents of children with Down syndrome and found that 99% reported that they love their son or daughter; 97% were proud of them; and 79% felt their outlook on life was more positive because of them.
Somehow our opponents have lost sight of the value of all life. CAP Legal Counsel Deborah Sheasby writes more about these studies on the Foundations blog.
Summing Up the Values Voters Summit
Last weekend, I attended the Values Voters Summit. I listened closely to seven of the eight candidates for the Republican Presidential nomination. I also had the chance to meet with 21 of my Family Policy Council colleagues from across the country to discuss what’s happening in our states and look ahead toward 2012.
Each speaker voiced grave concerns about the future of our country and the critical importance of the 2012 elections. The number of opportunities we face is only matched by the number of challenges we face. My prayer is that the turnaround and victories we’ve experienced in Arizona will carry over to Washington, D.C., and the rest of the nation. Each of us must stay informed this election season, register voters, and be sure to turn out to vote when the time comes. Most importantly, we must all remember to pray daily for our state and nation.
The Best Interests of the Child
The U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to hear a case from a same-sex couple in Louisiana that was trying to force the state to list both adults on a child’s birth certificate as parents. Louisiana, like Arizona, only allows for two people to be listed as the parents of a child if they are a married man and a woman (both states allow for singles to adopt, too). The Court’s decision not to hear the case means that an earlier ruling upholding Louisiana’s adoption laws stands.
While the courts haven’t always been friendly to those of us that recognize the importance of marriage and family to our culture, this was a welcomed victory.
Recall Election Voter Guide Now Available
CAP has surveyed the two candidates in the upcoming Legislative District 18 Special Recall Election and posted the Voter Guide to azvoterguide.com. Click here to access it.
Will I see you on October 29?
The Faith in Action Tour is two weeks away on October 29. Dr. Del Tackett, along with more than 30 local community service organizations will be joining CAP at Bethany Bible Church from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. So far, we’ve already had more than 800 people register for this unique event. Space is limited and you won’t want to miss it! Click here to get yours!
Catch me on Radio Shine
Just reminder to tune-in to 90.9 FM every Friday morning or afternoon to catch me on the CAP Family Minute on Radio Shine.
Victory for Arizona’s Women: Planned Parenthood Ends Abortion Services at Seven Arizona Locations
Statement from Center for Arizona Policy President Cathi Herrod
PHOENIX – “Planned Parenthood has chosen to end their services rather than raise the standard of care they provide women to be at the same level as all other medical care in the state. For years, life advocates at the legislature have been saying that Arizona women deserve better than the substandard care Planned Parenthood provides.
The fact that Planned Parenthood can’t find doctors to work at their clinics is telling. Caring healthcare professionals, particularly doctors, don’t want to be a part of an industry that harms women and takes the lives of preborn children.
Thanks to the many pregnancy care centers throughout our state, women in rural Arizona will be able to find the support they need from loving individuals.”
For more information, visit www.azpolicy.org or contact Aaron Baer, 602.424.2525.
Center for Arizona Policy promotes and defends the foundational values of life,
marriage and family, and religious liberty.
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Victory!
Yesterday is a day I will never forget. The Abortion Consent Act, one of the most important pieces of pro-life legislation ever passed in our state’s 99 year history, was upheld as constitutional by a three judge panel on the Arizona Court of Appeals. The court’s opinion vacated Judge Daughton’s prior decision to enjoin four key provisions of the Abortion Consent Act.
The brilliant opinion demonstrated that the judges saw through the nonsensical Planned Parenthood allegations. The Court specifically ruled that our state constitution does not create a right to an abortion greater than the federal constitutional right to an abortion – a key and correct interpretation of our state constitution.
This victory embodies everything Center for Arizona Policy stands for in our battle to promote and defend life, marriage and family, and religious liberty:
Life
Women will now be provided with full and accurate information by a doctor in person at least 24 hours in advance, protecting their health and safety, and potentially saving the lives of the preborn. Planned Parenthood’s practice of using non-doctors to perform surgical abortions will no longer be permitted by law. Women deserve better medical care. Now they will get it.
Marriage and Family
Parents’ fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their children are protected because the state will require a notarized parental signature before an abortion can be performed on a minor child. The real life tragedy of a 16-year old girl who received an abortion on the basis of her boyfriend’s email forgery will not happen again in Arizona.
Religious Liberty – Rights of Conscience
Those individuals working in any facility providing any type of abortion and any of those facilities cannot be forced to perform or facilitate an abortion if it contradicts their religious or moral beliefs.
A Powerful Message Sent
Judge Peter Swann wrote the opinion which included some very impactful statements. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the 44 page decision:
On the notarization requirement:
“Because we find no legal merit to Planned Parenthood’s legal challenge, we vacate the injunction against the enforcement of the notarization requirement.”
On the 24-hour waiting period:
“The state could easily conclude that because ‘physicians are better qualified … to impart this information [on abortion] …’ such an important choice should be made in consultation with a physician.”
On the rights of conscience of medical professionals:
“… whatever right a woman may have to ‘chart her own medical course,’ it cannot compel a health-care provider to prefer her chosen care.”
What’s Next?
While yesterday’s victory was monumental, this battle is not over. Planned Parenthood undoubtedly will attempt an array of legal maneuvers to stop the law from going into effect. Keep praying for final victory!
Thank You!
Elections matter. Yesterday’s victory would not have happened without you – the values voters – supporting candidates who value life and support common-sense abortion regulations. It would not have happened without you standing with us in prayer, citizen activism, and financial support. For at least the last 15 years, many of the provisions upheld yesterday had been voted down or vetoed by previous legislators and Governor.
I especially thank Governor Jan Brewer, who signed the Abortion Consent Act in 2009. Senators Nancy Barto and Linda Gray sponsored the original legislation. The litigation team was led by Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne’s office, and former Arizona Speaker Kirk Adams and current Speaker Andy Tobin’s office as well as our friends at Alliance Defense Fund, Bioethics Defense Fund, and Life Legal. As always, our allied work with Arizona Catholic Conference was critical in seeing this historic piece of legislation passed into law.
CAP Legal Counsel Deborah Sheasby drafted the Abortion Consent Act and has poured countless hours into this important law. She is truly a blessing to have on the CAP team.
Ultimately, glory be to God for the victory. As my favorite Proverb says: The horse is prepared for the day of battle but victory belongs to the Lord.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 11, 2011
CONTACT: Matthew Benson
Injunction Lifted on Abortion Regulations
“This is a great day for Arizona women and parents.
“The 2009 Abortion Consent Act empowers women by giving them the objective information they need prior to deciding whether to have an abortion. Women deserve all the facts from their physician, in-person, before making such a critical decision. Today’s court decision will help guarantee that.
“The Act also empowers parents by strengthening Arizona’s parental consent laws. Now, in most cases, any minor seeking an abortion must first obtain a notarized statement of parental consent. Effective parental consent is a fundamental principle that Arizonans on both sides of the abortion debate can support. Today’s ruling will also protect women’s health and safety by requiring that surgical abortions be performed by a physician.
“These are common sense regulations that will help protect Arizona families, and I’m thrilled the Court has allowed the law to take effect as intended.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 11, 2011
CONTACT: Daniel Scarpinato
Arizona Court of Appeals upholds Abortion Consent Act
STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX (AUGUST 11, 2011) – House Speaker Andy Tobin released the following statement today in response to the Arizona Court of Appeals upholding the Abortion Consent Act.
“Today’s decision by the Arizona Court of Appeals is a tremendous victory for life in Arizona. The Abortion Consent Act protects the health and safety of Arizona women as well as the preborn. While I wish we had been able to implement this important legislation two years ago, this is a significant step forward in our efforts to protect and defend life at all stages. I want to congratulate my legislative colleagues on both sides of the aisle who supported this legislation and Governor Brewer for signing it. I’m also very grateful to Attorney General Horne and his legal team for providing a strong legal defense of this litigation as well as David Cantelme for legally representing my office in the case.”
Under the Abortion Consent Act, passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Brewer in 2009:
Here’s a link to the Court’s ruling: http://azcourts.gov/Portals/89/opinionfiles/CV/CV090748.pdf
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 11, 2011
CONTACT: info@kirkadams2012.com
EAST VALLEY – Kirk Adams praised today’s Ruling by the Arizona Court of Appeals upholding the Abortion Consent Act that he helped pass.
“This ruling is a huge blow to the abortion industry lobbyists and a huge win for women and life in Arizona,” Adams said. “This sensible legislation protects the health and safety of women and of the unborn. Unfortunately, the advocates of abortion on demand delayed its implementation by two years, but today, finally this sensible legislation can now go into effect. This case held implications for recognizing a broader right to an abortion in Arizona. I chose to intervene in this critical case to stop Planned Parenthood’s pro-abortion agenda.”
Passed in 2009 and supported by Adams, the Abortion Consent Act requires a notarized parental signature before an abortion can be performed on a minor, provides full and accurate information to women at least 24 hours before an abortion, protects the rights of medical professionals who do not want to perform abortions and bans non-doctors from performing surgical abortions. By intervening in the lawsuit, and fighting Planned Parenthood in court, Arizona House Leadership, under the direction of Kirk Adams, led the charge against planned parenthood.
Today’s ruling overturns an injunction that followed a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2011
Contact: Aaron Baer, 602.424.2525, ext. 242, or 602.456.1792
Victory for Life Advocates:
Arizona Court of Appeals Upholds Abortion Consent Act
Key provisions protecting health and safety of women upheld
PHOENIX – The Arizona Court of Appeals today upheld the Abortion Consent Act. This law, signed by Governor Jan Brewer in 2009, was enjoined by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daughton following a Planned Parenthood lawsuit.
Today’s 3-0 opinion vacates the injunction in its entirety.
Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) drafted the Abortion Consent Act and is a part of the legal team defending the constitutionality of the law. The team is led by the Arizona Attorney General, Arizona House Speaker, and Alliance Defense Fund and also includes Bioethics Defense Fund and Life Legal Defense Foundation.
Key provisions that will be enacted include:
“The Court acknowledged the Legislature’s right to pass legislation to protect the health and safety of women considering abortion,” said Deborah Sheasby, Center for Arizona Policy’s Legal Counsel. “This is a major victory for Arizona women.”
“If Planned Parenthood truly cared about what’s best for women, they wouldn’t be repeatedly going to court around the nation to stop laws that allow women to make fully informed choices,” said ADF Senior Counsel Steven H. Aden, who argued before the Court of Appeals on June 14. “The court ruled rightly in this case in rejecting the arguments of the nation’s largest purveyor of abortion. The protection of women is not unconstitutional.”
For more information on the Abortion Consent Act visit CAP’s information page: http://bit.ly/qDCDpv
To read the decision from the Court of Appeals click here: http://bit.ly/r2m5QU
For more information about Center for Arizona Policy, visit azpolicy.org or contact Aaron Baer, 602.424.2525.
Center for Arizona Policy promotes and defends the foundational values of
life, marriage and family, and religious liberty.
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