in Pennsylvania's First Congressional District
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania's_1st_congressional_district http://archphila.org/pastplan/MAPS/Arch.pdf
and the Central Garden State

Saturday, March 4, 2017

40 Days, Harrisburg Politics & Celebrating St. Patrick's Day (Pro Life Coalition of Pennsylvania, 3/3/17)





From: Michael McMonagle <paprolifecoalition@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, March 3, 2017 5:59 PM
To: Mike McMonagle
Subject: 40 Days, Harrisburg Politics & Celebrating St. Patrick's Day
 
Dear Pro-Life Friends:

Applying Lenten Themes

We have begun the Season of Lent with its penitential challenges for prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  This email applies these challenges to some of the current efforts of the Pa. pro-life movement, along with some "Harrisburg Politics."

Lenten 40 Days For Life Campaign Launched

These campaigns are occurring at 11 locations throughout Pa.  For a listing of these campaigns and their coordinators, visit www.40daysforlife.com.

Initial Campaign at our State's Largest Abortion Chamber

These campaigns include an inaugural 40 Days campaign at the "Philadelphia Women's Center" at 8th and Appletree Streets in center-city Philadelphia.  This abortion chamber now commits the most abortions of any abortion chamber in Pa., as abortionists there commit approximately 4,800 abortions each year.

Until two years ago, Planned Parenthood (PP)'s abortion chamber at 12th and Locust Streets in center-city Philadelphia committed the most abortions in our state, as abortionists there once committed approximately 5,200 abortions annually.  However, since the five prior 40 Days campaigns, initially begun in the Fall of 2014 under the leadership of Dr. Monique Ruberu and Patrick Stanton, abortions have declined there to approximately 4,200 per year.

With Monique's and Patrick's assistance, Bob Reynolds is leading this inaugural campaign at the Philadelphia Women's Center.  Bob welcomes your assistance and his contact information is

Bob Reynolds
rgrcons1@gmail.com
267-733-2737

Harrisburg Developments

Pennsylvania Senate

The Pa. Senate passed S.B.3 on February 8, 2017 by a vote of 32-18.  This legislation bans most post 20-week gestation abortions and abortions committed by dismemberment.  This legislation is very similar to H.B.1948, which passed the Pa. House on June 21, 2016, by a 132-65 vote.

All 16 Democrat Senators voted no, except for James Brewster (Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties) and all 34 Republican Senators voted yes, except Lisa Baker (Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming Counties), Dan Laughlin (Erie County) and Charles McIlhinney (Bucks County).

Please thank those Senators who supported this legislation who represent you and/or with whom you have influence.  We should particularly thank Sen. Greenleaf, the Chairman of the Pa. Senate Judiciary Committee.  I am attaching a copy of my letter to him.

We should also similarly admonish such Senators who opposed this legislation.  I am attaching such a letter from Monsignor Joseph P. Gentili, the Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church near Doylestown, to Sen. McIlhinney.

If passed by the Pa. House, Gov. Tom Wolf is certain to veto this legislation and 34 votes are required to override a veto in the Pa. Senate.

Of the 18 Senators who voted no, three have previously taken a pro-life position and/or cast pro-life votes, i.e., Democrat Senators John Blake and John Yudichak and Republican Dan Laughlin.  The other leaders of our organization and I welcome assistance from any constituent of and/or someone who has influence with these Senators for our efforts to persuade them to vote to override Gov. Wolf's veto of S.B.3.

Challenges in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives

The Pa. House likely has a veto proof majority (of 136 votes) to pass S.B.3.  However, the Pa. House leaders have not yet committed to run S.B.3.  They are considering introducing and running H.B.77, which has no significant differences from H.B.77.

The Pa. House proponents of running H.B.77 instead of S.B.3 have not yet articulated a reason for this position.

The Pa. Senate leaders are currently taking the position, "We will not have another Senate Floor debate on this legislation."  Thus, the Pa. House's passage of H.B.77 and failure to pass S.B.3 will likely result in a stalemate in which no pro-life legislation is sent to Gov. Wolf because the Pa. Senate refuses to run H.B.77 and the Pa. House refuses to run S.B.3.  Such a stalemate only serves the interests of Pa.'s abortion industry.

Déjà Vu

Such a stalemate occurred in the 2011-2012 term of the Pa. General Assembly.  The Pa. Senate initially passed Obamacare abortion opt-out legislation.  However, the Pa. House Majority Leader (and now Speaker) Rep. Mike Turzai refused to run this legislation in the Pa. House because his desire for this legislation to be a "House Bill" superseded his commitment to pass this legislation.  Thus, this legislation died in the 2011-2012 term.  Such legislation only passed in the 2013-2014 term because the Pa. Senate leaders agreed that this legislation would be a House Bill.

S.B.3 is currently in the Pa. House Health Committee.  If introduced, Speaker Turzai would send H.B.77 to the Pa. Health Committee.  Thus, the Chairman of this Committee, Rep. Matt Baker, will be making the immediate decision as to whether to run S.B.3 or H.B.77.

Requested Actions

Please contact Speaker Turzai and Rep. Baker, and urge them to run S.B.3 in the Pa. House and not H.B.77.  Their contact information is

Speaker Mike Turzai
mturzai@pahousegop.com
Capitol office: 717-772-9943
District office: 412-369-2230

Rep. Matt Baker
mbaker@pahousegop.com
Capitol office: 717-772-5371
District office (Wellsboro): 570-724-1390
District office (Troy): 570-297-3045

Defunding Planned Parenthood in Pennsylvania

The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have made some progress in efforts to defund PP at the federal level.  Sen. Pat Toomey and all 12 Republican members of the U.S. House from Pa., except for Rep. Charles Dent, have supported this effort.  Sen. Robert Casey, Jr. and all five Democrat members of the U.S. House from Pa. have opposed this effort.

I request your assistance for our efforts to defund PP (and other abortion committers) in Pa.  We seek to achieve this goal by passing Priorities Legislation and/or attaching it to the 2018 Fiscal Code.  This legislation would assign the lowest priority for the receipt of state "women's health services" funds (which, through its current several funding streams and federal matches, total approximately $90 million annually) to any abortion-committing organization.

Rep. Paul Schemel plans to introduce this legislation (which was H.B.1623 in the 2015-2016 term) soon in the Pa. House, as does Sen. Eichelberger in the Pa. Senate.

June 6, 2017 Stand Up For Life Rally

Our organization's goals are to pass S.B.3 in the Pa. House in the near future and, then to attempt an override of Gov. Wolf's veto.  We then wish to focus our attention on efforts to defund PP.  These efforts include another Stand Up For Life Rally on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at 11:00 AM.  We have invited Lila Rose to be our featured speaker.

Our June 7, 2016 Rally, which focused on passing H.B.1948, proved to be well attended and highly effective.  Please plan to attend and to promote attendance at this Rally!

Please Support our Saturday, March 18, 2017 St. Patrick's Day Celebration

The Pro-Life Legal Fund provides much of the required funding for our efforts to effect pro-life public policies in state government.  Our Delaware County affiliate and this Fund are hosting a St. Patrick's Day Celebration fundraiser on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at St. Anastasia Church Hall in Newtown Square, Delaware County.  I request your generous support for this fundraiser.

You can provide this support by

- taking a full or half page ad ($100/$60) in our ad book on behalf of yourself, your Parish Respect Life Committee and/or any other organization;

- attending this fundraiser for which tickets are $40 per person; and

- purchasing one or more $10 raffle tickets for a drawing on a beautiful emerald ring that is described in the promotional flyer.

I am attaching a promotional flyer and an ad book order form.

Summary

1. During this Lenten Season, please pray at one or more of the 40 Days locations in our state.

2. Please ask Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai and Chairman Matt Baker to run S.B.3 in the Pa. House as soon as possible and to "fast" from running H.B.77.

3. Please "give alms" for our work by supporting the March 18, 2017 St. Patrick's Celebration fundraiser.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this email and its attachments.  May God bless you!

Best wishes,

Mike McMonagle
President
Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania
215-393-3610

P.S.
Theresa Murtagh and her colleagues, who are playing at the March 18th St. Patrick's Day Celebration fundraising event, are a superb Irish Band!

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