The FAMiLY Leader’s Lack of Prolife Leadership

I received an email yesterday from The FAMiLY Leader written by Chuck Hurley. He wrote about the late-term abortion battle. It read:

Last week, The FAMiLY LEADER assisted Senate Republicans with efforts to amend the Human Services budget bill to say that abortions done outside of the provisions of the bill are considered “homicide” under Chapter 707 of the Iowa Code. We worked to provide research and arguments to make the amendment “germane,” hoping to persuade Senate President (the Parliamentarian) Jack Kibbie to allow debate on the Chapter 707 amendment. However, after considerable deliberation, Senator Kibbie appeared to follow the directions of his Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, and ruled against the amendment. Senate Republicans then refocused their efforts this week on Senate File 354.

Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, was the floor manager of Senate File 354, supposedly designed to keep Dr. Leroy Carhart from setting up a late-term abortion clinic in Council Bluffs. The bill passed the Iowa Senate on Monday of this week, but not before considerable resistance from Senate Republicans. Hats off to Senators Sorenson, Zahn, Johnson, Bartz and others who mounted a vigorous effort to amend the bill with meaningful limitations on late-term abortions.

Suffice it to say that we at The FAMiLY LEADER, along with other pro-life lobbyists, have looked for every way possible to get meaningful votes on key pro-life legislation. We have been blocked at every turn by the 26 Democrat Senators, including so-called pro-life Democrats Joe Seng and Tom Hancock. Both of these gentlemen supported Joe Bolkcom’s cunning effort to supposedly prevent late-term abortions in Council Bluffs, while allowing them in several other Iowa locations.

News from the Iowa House on Thursday, however, suggests that the determined House Republicans will send back to the Senate a tough pro-life bill in response to SF 354. We commend Speaker Kraig Paulsen and his caucus as they react to the Senate [in]action.

As this session comes to a close, it is clear to Danny and me that pro-family and pro-life legislation will find difficult/impossible passage with the Democrats in control of the Iowa Senate (Click here for Senator Sorenson’s inside look at the situation.  For another perspective, you may want to contact Senator Gronstal and/or others).

Please call and/or write any or all of the 26 Senate Democrats who support Mike Gronstal as their leader, or better yet replace them with Iowans who will fight for and defend Biblical values!  It is time we return to the Judeo-Christian ethics that made this country so great.  Unfortunately, Senate Democrats are pursuing an opposite direction.

With gratitude,

Chuck Hurley

Yes I was told that Danny Carroll who lobbies for The FAMiLY Leader did try to help with an amendment to the Cover Mike Gronstal’s Butt Act of 2011, but they weren’t even registered on the bill. The simple fact is that they have pretty much been worthless for the prolife cause this session. The only bill they pushed hard for was the personhood bill (and I commend them for that). When their focus this session, the marriage amendment, stalled, they muddied up what other prolife organizations were doing.  They tried to ride the fence on the late-term abortion ban (they were registered as undecided).  They could have pushed for it, but they didn’t.  There was a coalition of prolife organizations they could have been a part of, but were not.

I’ve been pushing all prolife bills pretty hard, and frankly the email above offends me. Hurley portrays their organization as being champions for life this session and anyone who’s spent time around the statehouse this session will tell you it’s far from being accurate.