New Report Reveals Major Pro-Life Gains Undermining Roe v. Wade
A new report from Americans United for Life contends that Roe v. Wade is being overturned on a state by state basis through a growing number of pro-life legislation.
"2011 was a watershed year in the defense of life," Dr. Charmaine Yoest, president of AUL, noted. "State legislatures enacted an historic number of laws reining in the abortion industry and limiting – with an eye toward eliminating – American taxpayers' funding of abortion and abortion providers, most notably Planned Parenthood."
The report, titled "A Year in the Life," gives a run-down of all the major pro-life achievements at the state, federal and judicial levels over the past year.
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In 2011, the vast majority of states pursued life-affirming laws. Forty-seven states considered more than 460 measures related to abortion; the overwhelming majority of these measures were life affirming.
According to the report, a top priority for many states was to eliminate, or limit, taxpayer funding or subsidization of abortion and abortion-related services. It found that "nearly two-thirds of the states considered such measures with 19 states enacting one or more funding bans or limitations."
Yoest noted that AUL's legislative involvement was also significant. During the 2011 state legislative session, at least 86 bills were introduced in 32 states that were based on AUL's model language or upon which AUL's legal experts consulted. Ultimately, 28 of those measures became law in 2011.
AUL's experts testified 21 times, supporting 20 pro-life bills. They also opposed legislation in Hawaii that would have compromised health care freedom of conscience.
The report makes it very clear, that in light of the increased passage of pro-life legislation in 2011, AUL anticipates that efforts to investigate and defund abortion providers at both the state and federal levels will escalate in 2012.
"In looking at the tremendous gains for life in 2011, we can predict the trends on the horizon in 2012," Yoest said in a released statement. "As we continue our efforts in this pivotal year, AUL will build on last year's gains and lay the legal foundation for the day after Roe is overturned."
The House of Representatives is also continuing an investigation into Planned Parenthood – the nation's leading abortion provider – by requesting and holding hearings on life issues, especially regarding discriminatory action by the Obama Administration and Planned Parenthood's use of taxpayer dollars.
This stems from a report released last year by AUL, titled "The Case for Investigating Planned Parenthood: AUL looks behind the closed doors of the nation's largest abortion provider," which provided a detailed report with a clear direction to the growing case against Planned Parenthood.
Later, in response, the House Energy and Commerce Committee began an unprecedented and ongoing investigation of Planned Parenthood's institutional practices and policies and its handling of federal funding.
AUL was the first national pro-life organization in the United States and its legal team has been involved in every abortion-related case before the U.S. Supreme Court including the successful defense of the Hyde Amendment.
AUL also publishes Defending Life, the most comprehensive state-by-state legal guide of its kind, which is distributed annually to legislators across the nation.
