Winter 2010

What an amazing fall pro-lifers had here in Virginia!  Victories all across the Commonwealth by pro-life candidates.  Most impressive was the landslide victory of our new pro-life Governor Bob McDonnell, Lt Governor Bill  Bolling and Attorney General Ken Cuccinnelli!  There is so much to be grateful for and so many reasons to hope for  real possibilities for pro-life legislation in Virginia over the four years ahead. 

There will be struggles ahead for while there is a pro-life majority in the House of Delegates, the pro-abortion majority in the Virginia Senate will make serious progress much harder for the next two years.   Yet we will not put aside our responsibilities to fight for the right to life for every Virginian. 

This year we expect to  see several bill and budget amendment put forward that will be of real importance to pro-life people in the Commonwealth.  Among them are efforts to  prevent the use of Virginia tax funds to pay for abortions. Another bill of interest is from Del Kathy Byron( R. Lynchburg) and should get all of our attention and support.  Her Bill expands the current informed consent law to allow women the chance to view an ultra-sound image of their unborn baby before having an abortion,

A very similar bill passed into law in Nebraska last year and is currently helping women there make better life saving decisions for them selves and their babies.

There maybe other bills that we will want you to be watching, including efforts to deny life saving medical treatment from vulnerable patients and efforts to defund planned parenthood in Virginia.  All of these bills will be monitored and reported on here on the VSHL website.  Please sign up to receive important email alerts as the session goes forward. 

Virginia has a very short General Session each winter so it is important that concerned pro-life Virginians stay on top of what's going on at the General Assembly in Richmond!

Virginians also have a vital role to play in National pro-life issues, particularly regarding the national debate on health care.  Please contact your member of Congress and Senators Webb and Warner to tell them how you feel.  Please let them know that you do not want any Federal funds of any kind used to finance abortion in any national plan.  Also let them know that you object to penalties on Medicare doctors that provide their patients with needed life saving medical treatment.

For all the information  you will need to follow this part of the debate please check out www.nrlc.org the website of the National Right to Life Committee.

As we remember this week the anniversary of the saddest day in American history, January 22, 1973, let us here in Virginia take heart at the part we are playing in sending a pro-life message to the rest of the country.  Our new Governor ran as unabashedly pro-life during throughout his campaign and he is now the leader of our great Commonwealth.  We have a lot to be proud of here this year!  Now let's get back to work!

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Fall 2009

Dear Pro-life friends and Visitors,

September is upon us. Cool cloudy days settle us down from the Summer excitement but hopefully help us to focus on the jobs to be done in Virginia this Autumn to help save innocent human lives.

There is so much to be done, too.  As I write this we are awaiting the start of the fall sessions of the US Congress.  The great debate of the year, Health Care Reform has shaped up to be a struggle about preventing our tax dollars from paying for either abortion or rationed care leading to euthanasia.  It is the charge of pro-life people to keep the subject before the eyes of our Members of Congress and the Senate.  We must  ensure that these plans do not allow for the use of our taxes to pay for abortion.  Nor will we accept health care changes that threaten the lives of the vulnerable or the elderly in order to save money or cut costs.

I urge you to take a few minutes and read the information available at  The National Right to Life website, www.nrlactioncenter.com.  There you will find the very latest updates on these issues.  Study the information then do your duty as a Virginia pro-lifer and place a phone call to your representative and  Senators Webb and Warner.   They need to know we are watching what they do now to respect our views.  We call upon them to defend all human life.

Even as we play our part in working to defeat the efforts of pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL in the health care debate, we must keep our eyes on the Commonwealth and this fall critical elections. The eyes of the entire USA are on Virginia this fall.  We must work together to keep Virginia pro-life in November.

Pro-life Virginians have a great team of pro-life leaders at the top of the ticket this year.  Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli have outstanding records on pro-life issues.  The VSHL Political Action Committee will be working hard to help see that they are elected.  Check out how you can help at www.vshlpac.org.

There has never been a more exciting or challenging time to be a pro-lifer in the Commonwealth!  There is so much that we can do to change the course of history right now.  I invite you to rededicate yourself to this vital cause.  If you are not yet a member let me extend a hand of welcome to you.  You are needed! 

Each Virginian has a valuable part to play in this effort to protect human live which is the mission of VSHL.  I welcome all of you to the meet the challenge!

Yours in defense of Life,

Olivia L Gans, President

VSHL

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SPRING 2009

Dear Pro-life Friends all over Virginia,

Victories!  Yes, indeed,  pro-life Virginians have several important things to celebrate now that the 2009 General Assembly is finished.  VSHL participated in several critical legislative efforts this session, some didn't get out of committee but some did!  The first big one is the passage of the "Choose Life" License Plates!

Sen. Ken Cuccinelli skillfully guided the bill through both the House of Delegates and the Senate.  In spite of fears that it might be killed in the pro-abortion dominated Senate, or vetoed by Gov. Kaine, he was successful!  I am very happy to say that VSHL was proud to support his efforts this session. These license plates will raise valuable funds for Virginia Pregnancy Resource Centers.  Please send a thank you to the Governor's office.  Thanks are also encouraged to Sen. Cuccinelli and your own Delegate or Senator, if they voted in favor of this bill.

VSHL also help to ensure that no new money will be used to fund embryonic stem cell research in the State budget.  Along with that we successfully fought efforts to allow doctors to decide with out the patients wishes when ,and if a patient should receive life saving treatment at the end of life!

Although the Ultra-sound bill, sponsored by Sen. Kathy Byron didn't make it out of Committee, we will try again next year for sure!  We believe women considering an abortion should have the chance to see their unborn child before they make this life and death decision.

As we move into the Spring, I am hopeful that many of you will consider holding an event at your church, synagogue or clubs to help educate and inform your neighbors about how to help the pro-life cause.  A surprisingly few number of people actually know what is happening in America today on pro-life issues and even fewer know what can be done to help solve the problem.  Please contact the VSHL office in Richmond if you are interested in the kinds of events that could be sponsored.  There are great speakers in Virginia on the full range of pro-life issues from Stem Cell Research to End of Life Care, as well as Abortion.

Don't forget that the Annual Alex and Geline B. Williams Oratory Contest for High School students is coming up on May 9th.  This is a great opportunity for Virginia students to hone their speaking skills on pro-life matters.   The top three winners receive a monetary prize, and the first place winner will represent Virginia at the National Right to Life Convention  in June.

While the election of pro-abortion President Barack Obama was a deep blow to pro-life hopes, it cannot be the end of our good work for Life!  It must be a new beginning that calls us to draw even more deeply from the well of strength and commitment that brought so many of you to this cause.

All eyes are on Virginia as we prepare for this year's elections.  We will need you help to ensure that we elect pro-lifer to all the offices in question this fall.  Please let us know what you can do to help!

Each of you has a vital role to play in the work before us.  If you are not yet a member, please contact us to learn more about what we do and how you can help.

Please accept this invitation to stand in defense of innocent human life here in Virginia.

Yours in defense of Life,

Olivia L. Gans

President

VSHL