Dear Pro-Life Friends:

We applaud Governor Otter for signing "The Woman's Right to View" legislation, H248 into law.

We also thank him for signing the Parental Consent legislation last week. This major pro-life bill initiated by Idaho Chooses Life, also has the potential of saving many lives in Idaho.

The press release concerning the governor's signing of the bill can be seen by clicking here.

Thank you to all who worked so very hard to pass these two pieces of pro-life legislation into law.

May you all have a Blessed Easter.

Dear Pro-Life Friends:

The Idaho Senate voted 25 to 9 for the Woman's Right to View H 248 legislation yesterday afternoon. It now is being sent to Governor Otter's desk for his signature. Another pro-life bill, the Parental Consent S1082, has also been sent to the Governor's desk.. The pro-life community is optimistic that he will sign both of these bills into law.

We commend Senator Curt McKenzie and Senator Lee Heinrich for their fine job in presenting and debating for H248.

And we thank all of you who contacted your Idaho senator to support this legislation. To see how he/she voted please go to www3.state.id.us/oasis/H0248.html.

We also encourage you to thank your own district senator and representatives if they voted for H 248 and S1082.

We pray that both of these bills will save the lives of many unborn children here in Idaho.

In another victory for Idaho parents and their minor daughters, the 75 member House voted yesterday, Friday, March 16th, to pass the Parental Consent Bill (S1082) 53 to 14 . The bill now goes to the Governor for his signature. The pro-life community is optimistic that he will sign this bill into law.

Representative Thomas Loertscher, the prime sponsor in the House, did a great job presenting and debating for the bill. We also thank Reps. Luker and Harwood for their fine debate in favor of the bill.

You can go to www.legislature.idaho.gov to see how your two representatives voted. Please thank them if they voted for the bill.

Good News! Woman’s Right to View H 248 was voted out of the Senate State Affairs Committee yesterday 6 to 3. This legislation will require an abortionist, who uses ultrasound equipment, to offer a pregnant woman the opportunity to view an ultrasound image of her unborn child prior to having an abortion. It will now go to the full 35 member Senate for a final vote, possibly on Monday. We are optimistic it will pass.

Senators Curt McKenzie and Lee Heinrich are the Senate sponsors.

We thank all who testified yesterday, including Brenda Saltzer with Care Net of the Palouse, a pro-life pregnancy center in Moscow, and Marilyn Scott, director of the Twin Falls Pregnancy Care Center. They both testified that most women who have come into their clinics seriously contemplating abortion, changed their minds after seeing an ultrasound of their unborn child.

Meagan Drayton, a teenager who experienced a crisis pregnancy, related her personal testimony of wanting an abortion until she saw the ultrasound of her unborn daughter. That experience compelled her to give her child up for adoption. Her mother, Sue Drayton, also gave powerful testimony supporting her daughter.

The pro-life groups were united in testifying in support of the bill. These included Cornerstone (Idaho’s affiliate of Focus on the Family), Right to Life of Idaho, Idaho Values Alliance, and Idaho Chooses Life.

Those who testified against the bill included Planned Parenthood of Idaho, ACLU, and Idaho Women’s Network.

We thank all of you for your continued prayers and for contacting your senator.

Dear Pro-Life Friends:

The Parental Consent S1082 (see below) initiated by Idaho Chooses Life passed the 12 member House Health and Welfare today 11-1. Jason Herring testified in support of the bill on behalf of Right to Life of Idaho. Senator Russ Fulcher is the prime sponsor in the Senate and Rep.Tom Loertscher is the prime sponsor in the House.

S1082 will now be voted on by the full House probably on Tuesday, March 13 of next week.

Thank you for contacting your two House representatives to support this legislation.

Dear Pro-Life Friends:

The 70 member Idaho voted 54-15 yesterday (March 7th) to pass The Woman's Right to View Legislation, H248 (see below). Representatives Brent Crane and Lynn Luker both did a masterful job in presenting and debating for the bill.

Thanks to all of you who contacted your two representatives. It truly makes a huge impact when you do so. H248 now goes to the Idaho Senate where it will be given a hearing in the Senate State Affairs Committee, most likely on Friday, March 16th, but perhaps, as early as Wednesday, March 14th at 8:00 am in the Gold Room, 4th Floor. Anyone interested in attending this senate hearing may do so. The senate sponsors are Sens. Curt McKenzie and Sen. Lee Heinrich.

You may begin contacting your senator now asking him/her to vote for H248. You may want to refer to the Talking Points for this legislation that are below.

We are quite optimistic that this legislation has a good chance to pass the Senate.

Dear Pro-Life Friends:

Parental Consent Bill S1082 (see below) is scheduled for a hearing in the Idaho House Health & Welfare Committee Thursday March 8 at 1:30. If you haven't already done so, please contact your 2 House representatives and ask them to vote for this legislation.

Also, Woman's Right to View Bill H248 (see below) is scheduled for debate on the House floor today, March 7. There are 9 bills ahead of H248 and thus it may be delayed until March 8. When you are in contact with your representatives, ask them to support this bill as well.

Dear Pro-Life Friends:

In a rare unanimous vote yesterday, Friday, March 2nd, the twelve member House Health and Welfare Committee voted 12-0 to pass The Woman's Right to View legislation, H 248. This legislation requires that a woman at least be offered the chance to view the ultrasound of her unborn child prior to having an abortion. Pro-life pregnancy centers nationwide and here in Idaho are reporting that as many as 75-95% of women who are seriously contemplating abortion decide to carry their baby to term after seeing an ultrasound image of their unborn child. Seven states now have similar laws in effect today.

H 248 now goes to the full House floor for a vote. It is predicted that the full 70 member House will debate and vote on H 248 as early as Wednesday, March 7th.

Here are some talking points that may be used in supporting the bill:

• It is imperative that a woman seeking an abortion have all of the information that can be made available to her so that she can truly make an informed choice.
• According to pro-life pregnancy care centers across the nation and here in Idaho, the majority of abortion-minded pregnant women who see an ultrasound image of their unborn child before having an abortion decide to choose life for their baby.
• These centers are reporting that as many as 75-95% of women who were seriously contemplating abortion decided to carry their baby to term, after seeing an ultrasound image of their unborn child.
• These pictures have a powerful impact on the mother and father who view them. There is a dramatic change when they actually see their unborn baby for the first time during the ultrasound. Even many of the fathers will cry when they see the ultrasound image of their unborn child.
• According to an article published in the year 2000 in MassNews.com, Planned Parenthood claimed that 50% of women going to their abortion facilities received ultrasound exams. These ultrasounds were done primarily to verify the pregnancy, and to determine the age of the child and what abortion procedure to use. But, according to this article, only 5% of these abortion-minded women, decided to keep their baby. Why is there this vast difference in percentages between the pro-life pregnancy centers and the abortions facilities? The only explanation for this is that abortion clinics actually discourage the patient from viewing her own ultrasound, and will even turn the monitor away from the woman.
• As of today, seven states have this ultrasound provision in their law. These states include Arkansas, Michigan, Indiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Utah. All of these laws are in effect today.
• Our Attorney General's Office has stated that this legislation "has no obvious constitutional defects" and that they have "no reason to believe that the language...is unconstitutional."

Those that gave testimony in favor of H 248 included Dr. Brian Johnson, Family Medicine from Twin Falls, Marilyn Scott, Executive Director of the Pregnancy Care Center in Twin Falls, Brenda Saltzer, CEO of the Care Net of the Palouse, Brandi Swindell, Director of Stanton Healthcare, Magen Drayton, a teenager who changed her mind about having an abortion after seeing the ultrasound of her baby, Brian Fisher of Idaho Values Alliance, David Ripley of Idaho Chooses Life and myself for Right to Life of Idaho. Jason Herring, Legislative Assistant for Right to Life of Idaho was unable to testify due to illness. Also, Julie Lynde of Cornerstone Institute (Idaho's Affiliate of Focus on the Family) could not attend the hearing but went on record as supporting this legislation. We wish to thank all of you who gave excellent testimony yesterday at the hearing .

Those organizations testifying against this legislation included Planned Parenthood of Idaho, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Idaho Woman's Network.

This legislation has been initiated by Right to Life of Idaho and Cornerstone Institute. Rep. Janice McGeachin is the prime sponsor in the House. It is also being co-sponsored by Representatives Lynn Luker, Brent Crane, Ken Roberts, Paul Shepherd, and Ken Andrus. Senator McKenzie is the prime sponsor in the Senate and Senator Lee Heinrich is a co-sponsor. We thank all of these sponsors for their commitment to passing this pro-life legislation, and we especially thank Reps. McGeachin and Luker for their fine job in presenting the bill during the hearing.

We ask for your continued prayers that this legislation will become law.

Dear Pro-Life Friends:

There will be a hearing on H248 this Friday, March 2nd at 1:30 PM (or upon adjournment) by the House Health and Welfare in the Gold Room. We are asking you to begin contacting your two Idaho State House representatives to ask them to vote for the Woman's Right to View Legislation (H248).

H248 will require that any woman seeking an abortion be offered to view an ultrasound image of her unborn child prior to having an abortion.

Dear Pro-Life Friends:

In a huge victory for Idaho parents and their minor daughters, the Idaho State Senate just passed the Parental Consent Bill (S1082) 23-12. The bill now heads to the Idaho State House for a committee hearing. We are very optimistic about its passing the House. Please go to www.legislature.idaho.gov to see how your senator voted.

Senator Russ Fulcher, the prime sponsor of the Parental Consent Bill in the Senate, did a masterful job in presenting and debating for the bill, and for this we thank him. Other pro-life champions included Senators Shirley McKaque of Meridian and Mel Richardson of Idaho Falls, who also courageously debated for the bill.

S1082 would require that parents are involved in their minor daughter's decision whether or not to have an abortion. It will protect minors by allowing them the benefit of their parents' counsel rather than making this life changing decision alone or with strangers. All pro-life groups in Idaho are supporting this legislation.

Abortion rates have been lowered in states which have passed parental involvement laws. Michael J. New with The Heritage Foundation just released a report on February 5th that stated, "Specifically, the passage of a parental involvement law correlates with a 16 percent decline in the minor abortion rate..."

Please continue to pray that this very important legislation becomes law.