The four bills that would have seriously weakened the decision-making rights of patients and their surrogates have been withdrawn from consideration in the NYS Senate Health Committee. This legislation (S4791, S4794, S4795, S4796), introduced by Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-SD6), was strongly opposed by New York State Right to Life Committee and was the focus of their Lobby for Life Day in Albany last week, which drew over 250 protesters. New York State Right to Life thanks everyone who made calls and sent messages to their senators urging opposition of these bills. We must be vigilant and stand up against such laws as we continue to defend life from conception to natural death.
Author Archives: rocklandrtl
“Anti-Discrimination” Means RTL Must Hire Abortion Advocates??
Late on April 30, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Res. 43, a resolution to overturn the “Reproductive Health Nondiscrimination Amendment Act (RHNDA), a local law passed by the District of Columbia’s city council.
The National Right to Life Committee strongly supported the resolution to stop the RHNDA Act. The vote was 228-192.
Unfortunately, the Senate chose not to vote on the resolution, so the RHNDA took effect over the weekend in D.C.
Under RHNDA, prolife Washington, DC,-based employers (like the National Right to Life Committee) could be forced to hire people who advocate for abortion because not to do so would be “discrimination.”
Under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress has the right to review and overturn laws created by the city council.
Rep. Nita Lowy, who represents Rockland County in the House of Representatives, voted to uphold the RHNDA Act.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), announced candidate for the presidency in 2016, released a statement urging his colleages in the Senate to strike down the RHNDA, and a spokesperson for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky), also a candidate, wrote in an email to CQ Roll Call on Monday that “Sen. Paul has always been strongly opposed to the government usurping the constitutional rights of American citizens, and will continue to fight to preserve our nation’s religious freedom.”
Lobby for Life Day — Standing Up for the Medically Vulnerable
Liz O’Brien, Jeanmarie Grahn, and Judy Murray from Rockland Right to Life outside the Senate Chamber in Albany at Lobby for Life Day.
Opposing legislation to legalize physician-assisted suicide in New York and a separate package of bills that would deny treatment to the medically vulnerable received top priority at New York Right to Life’s Lobby for Life Day, held at the Capitol in Albany on April 29.
Over 250 prolifers from all around New York State came to a rally at the state house and to meet with their legislators about the dangerous implications of these bills.
Rockland Right to Life was represented by Liz O’Brien, chairperson, of Upper Nyack; Jeanmarie Grahn, secretary, of New City, and member Judy Murray, also of New City. They discussed the legislation with the two senators representing Rockland, Sen. Bill Larkin (R-SD 39) and Sen. David Carlucci (D-SD 38). Continue reading
Bills to Deny Medical Treatment Introduced in New York Senate
Four bills regarding the denial of life-preserving medical treatment have been introduced to the New York State Senate by Kemp Hannon (R-6th SD), chair of the Senate Committee on Health.
These bills would weaken the safeguards currently in place for the very ill and developmentally disabled patients.
Below you’ll find the “Opposition Memo” from the New York State Right to Life Committee, who strongly opposes these measures and has fought for years to protect from euthanasia those who can no longer make health decisions for themselves. The links will take you to the text of the bills. Continue reading
Kansas Gov. Signs Law Banning Dismemberment Abortions
This morning Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas signed into law a bill banning abortions in which the unborn child is dismembered. The new law was based on model legislation drafted by the National Right to Life Committee. It’s being considered in other states as well. Like partial-birth abortion ban, the Kansas law will make it clear to the American people how brutal abortion is. The ensuing debate could have the power to transform the landscape of abortion policy in the U.S. Read more about it here.
UPDATE: April 14 — Oklahoma Becomes Second State to Ban Dismemberment Abortions
UPDATE: June 25 — Judge Halts Kansas Ban on Dismemberment Abortions Tearing Babies Limb From Limb
FiOS1 Covers Good Friday Prayer Vigil in Spring Valley
40 Days for Life Concludes — 402 Babies Saved
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT 40 DAYS FOR LIFE
SHAWN CARNEY, CO-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR, 40 DAYS FOR LIFE
“Children who were scheduled to be aborted are alive today … because over these past 40 days, God blessed your prayers and peaceful vigil. In fact, we know of 402 babies saved from abortion during this 40 Days for Life campaign!“
The Spring 2015 40 Days for Life vigil drew to a close at 3 p.m. Sunday in Rockland and in hundreds of locations across America and around the world.
The closing prayer service on Perlman Drive in Spring Valley, attended by over 40 members of the Rockland 40 Days for Life project, was led by Msgr. Robert McCabe of St. Mary of the Assumption in Haverstraw.
Rockland Right to Life would like to express our admiration and gratitude for the 40 Days for Life group — all the organizers and volunteers — who witnessed so bravely throughout the harsh winter days against a culture of death in our midst. Continue reading
40 Days for Life: An Amazing Visitor
On March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, one of the traveling missionary images of Our Lady of Guadalupe arrived in Rockland County.
Replicas of the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the basilica in Mexico City, the traveling images have journeyed to thousands of sites across America over the past 15 years to bring foster conversions, reverence for life, sanctity of the family, and solidarity of the Church.
The image was displayed at the 40 Days for Life prayer site at Perlman Drive in Spring Valley, the chapel of St. Margaret’s in Pearl River for the Cenacle of Life, and at the Sisters of Life Motherhouse in Suffern. Continue reading
NYS Assembly Passes Stand-Alone Abortion Expansion
From NYS Right to Life:
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY PASSES DANGEROUS EXPANSION OF ABORTION IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER
[Note: All three Assembly legislators representing Rockland County voted FOR this pro-abortion bill: Ken Zebrowski, Ellen Jaffe, and James Skoufis. Skoufis and Zebrowski even co-sponsored it]
ALBANY – Today in a vote of 94-49 the New York State Assembly approved passage of AB 6221, the extreme stand-alone 10th point from the previously packaged 10-point Women’s Equality Act, which would expand third-trimester abortions and allow non-doctors to perform abortions. Since 2013, abortion advocates have been holding the Women’s Equality Act hostage to this single dangerous bill, refusing to break the 10-point bill up. This session, however, the will of the voters was finally heard, and the stand-alone bills have been considered. “Expanding cruel and brutal third-trimester abortions has long been a goal of the anti-life lobby who never met an abortion they didn’t like,” said Lori Kehoe, New York State Right to Life executive director. “With no regard for the fully developed unborn baby who is violently dismembered, or otherwise killed, the New York State Assembly once again put the abortion lobby above New York State women and their children.” Continue reading
Respect Life Group Marches In Pearl River
A classic St. Patrick’s Day — brilliant, clear sky, brisk wind, a warm, early spring sun shining down on all! Members of the Rockland prolife community marched under the banner of “Respect Life” in the Ancient Order of Hibernians’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Pearl River on Sunday, March 22.
ROCKLAND RIGHT TO LIFE COMMITTEE 