Thrill of Victory!

During this last legislative session, pro-lifers felt what ABC Wide World of Sports has described as “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”

Right on the heels of the miraculous defeat of SB494, House Bill 3391 popped out of committee. This bill requires all Oregon insurance companies to cover abortion free of charge as well as requiring abortions for women on the Oregon Health plan to be fully paid (Providence Health insurance is exempted). It also increases the number of women who are eligible for government paid abortions. The bill had been lying dormant in the Ways and Means Committee since early in the session. Oregon Right to Life had testified in opposition to the bill during its hearing and that was the last we had heard. Suddenly, with the fury of hell behind it, the bill popped out of committee, and within a week passed both the House and the Senate.

Pro-abortion Democrats control the House, Senate and the Governor’s office. The Speaker and Majority Leader of the House are both pro-abortion zealots, who wield their power at Planned Parenthood’s bidding. Our pro-life legislators were completely outnumbered.

However, as I sat and listened to our pro-life legislators debate this bill, my heart was bursting with pride at their passion, courage, and eloquence in defending the unborn. One House representative read what God says about the unborn from Psalms 139. I thought it fitting that before pro-abortion legislators voted to kill more unborn children that they at least know Who they are defying.

Other legislators detailed the unborn’s development, explaining they are as much of the human family as born infants. Legal arguments, constitutional arguments, and personal, heart-touching stories were told. A couple of legislators, chocking, back tears, pleaded against the bill.

HB3391, soon to become Oregon law, has received national attention. The majority of states have protective laws for the unborn and their mothers. While in Oregon free late-term sex-selection abortions on 15 year olds without their parents even knowing, can be had in the wink of an eye.

While all of this is bad, let’s look from a different perspective. Currently almost half of all abortions are paid for by tax dollars; all insurance companies (except Providence) already cover abortion, although with a co-pay. There is no law whatsoever restricting abortion in Oregon. And yet, abortions in Oregon have dropped 39% since their high in the late 1990’s!

Why? Because of the persistent work of pro-lifers. This year alone Oregon Right to Life will be hosting booths in almost 40 fairs and other events with its fetal models and inter-active displays, as well as many speaking engagement. ORTLEF’s new Latino Outreach has taken off like wildfire. Pregnancy support centers offer free ultrasounds; 40 Days for Life holds vigils outside abortion clinics; post-abortive women are speaking out about the pain that follows abortion; Students for Life are active on Oregon school campuses; ORTL’s prolife website, Standupgirl reaches over 2 million girls a year.

With no laws or with bad laws, we can still save babies. The pro-lifer’s work is to reveal the truth about the unborn and to show mothers they do not have to kill their babies in order to have a full future.

While we continue, and even increase our faithful pro-life work, Oregon Right to Life is pursuing legal and federal remedies to overturn HB3391. In the meantime, you can sign two different petitions which would help take away the tax dollars that fund abortions (the insurance coverage mandated in HB3391 deals with private money and neither ballot measure can hinder those abortions).

Help repeal a newly passed sales tax on insurance premiums that funds the abortions added under HB3391 Visit www.stophealthcaretaxes.com to download and sign the petition to overturn HB2391.This measure will be voted on in January 2018.

Sign the petition to end taxpayer funding of abortion through a state constitutional amendment. Visit www.stopthefunding.org to download and sign this petition to put the measure on the November 2018 ballot.