On Monday, April 30, approximately 150 to 200 people attended the hearing of the Westchester County Board of Legislators on a bill that would restrict the free speech rights of prolife witnesses outside abortion clinics.

The vote is scheduled for next Monday, May 7. Click here for a letter from Sister Lucy Marie of the Sisters of Life, appealing for a redoubling of prayers and sacrifices for the conversion of hearts on this issue.  It includes insights from Ed Mechmann, an attorney from the Archdiocese of New York, on how such hearings can help the prolife cause:

I thought that having so many “regular people” on our side — as opposed to the largely institutional witnesses on the other side (e.g., employees and activists from Planned Parenthood) — was a very good thing.  I think that the legislators are more impressed when lots of people testify who don’t make a living out of the issue at hand.  Five voters count for a lot more than one “spokesman.” — Ed Mechmann