Rhode Island’s general assembly has a total of 113 elected legislators, and 99 of them are Democrats. In fact, the state Senate has only 5 Republicans. Yes, they have 5 Republicans. Despite this, a pro-abortion mega bill, which was similar to New York’s extreme pro-infanticide legislation, was defeated by a Senate committee, setting back efforts by the abortion lobby.
According to LifeNews.com, “Now Rhode Island will not follow the state of New York in legalizing abortions on babies up to the point of birth. However, Vermont, Illinois and Massachusetts are still dealing with radical legislation like that. The vote has Rhode Island joining New Mexico in defeating the extreme pro-abortion bill for abortions without limit up to the day of birth for unborn babies. In both states, pro-life advocates expected the measures to pass the state legislature and be signed into law by their governors.The Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee voted down the pro-abortion bill on a 5-4 vote after a key legislator decided to oppose it. Sen. Stephen Archambault, D-Smithfield, cast the deciding vote against the bill after initially indicating he would support it.”
Abigail Young, the New England Regional Coordinator for Students for Life, traveled to Rhode Island to join other pro-life activists in rallying against the legislation. She noted, “Rhode Island’s pro-life Democrats helped defeat this terrible legislation. As the national Democratic Party seeks to add infanticide to its 2020 platform and uses the support for infanticide as a prerequisite for being the nominee, it is great to see pro-life Democrats and pro-life Republicans work together to protect preborn lives.”
Students for Life Action continues to work to fight against pro-abortion legislation and fight for pro-life legislation across the country. Some recent victories include:
- In Kentucky, we publicly supported a law to protect pregnant workers from discrimination. The legislation was supported by a variety of pro-life, workers’ groups, and much of the business community.
- In Virginia, we helped stop the pro-abortion Equal Rights Amendment from passing. We circulated a letter among national and local pro-life groups that laid out the many reasons the ERA should be opposed, and also organized a press conference at the beginning of the legislative session.
- In Georgia, we helped circulate a similar letter and the legislation has died.
- In Maryland, we testified and spoke out against assisted suicide (Death with Dignity) bill that died in the state senate. This was a huge victory since Maryland is a heavily Democratic state.
- In North Dakota, we testified and spoke out in favor of several pieces of pro-life legislation, including a ban on dismemberment abortions and an Equal Rights Amendment resolution which basically said that North Dakota knows the deadline has passed for the ERA.
- In North Dakota, we also supported legislation, which passed, that requires a doctor to inform someone who takes RU-486 about abortion drug reversal
- In Indiana, we supported the successful prohibition on dismemberment abortions
- In Ohio, on this Tuesday, May 14th, we are joining a press conference in support of abortion pill reversal information. The legislation was written with the help of Ellie Wittman, the Students for Life leader at Miami University-Oxford, and a Wilberforce Fellow.
- In New Mexico, the state Senate had several Democrats switch over to vote against an extreme abortion bill that would have forced New York-style legislation on the state. The bill could also force doctors to commit abortions.
- In the state of Washington, legislation that would have basically let Planned Parenthood write sex ed curriculum for the state died.
Students for Life Action is ready for a post-Roe America.
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Author: Matt Lamb
