This is very serious. We need to pray for the protection of the Crises Pregnancy Centers in Washington State. Please read below:
February 14, 2011
UPDATE ON THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
A Call for Prayer and Fasting
Dear NIFLA Member,
I am sending you this email to update you on the very serious situation your sister PRCs in the state of Washington now face. As stated in our last Legal Tips Planned Parenthood and NARAL have put forth a very aggressive effort to pass legislation that, if passed into law, would mean every pro-life PRC in this state will be sued within the next few years and some will close their doors because of this. (Go to the January 2001 Legal Tips to review the details of this bill.)
We have had two hearings now on these bills, one in the state House of Representatives and one in the state Senate. At both hearings PRC supporters who oppose the bills greatly outnumbered those from PP and NARAL who came to support the bill. Over 1,000 PRC supporters came out at the two hearings wearing buttons proclaiming "I Love Pregnancy Resource Centers." PP and NARAL had no more than 50 supporters at each hearing. Yet, the pro-abortion chairwomen of both legislative committees instructed that to be "fair" all of PP supporters would be allowed into the hearing room and then limited the PRC supporters to only 50 in the room at each hearing.
Regardless, our presence was felt! Our supporters filled the Galleries of the Senate Chambers to watch the hearings on closed circuit television. Afterwards, they visited the offices of their state representatives to voice opposition to the bill. I have been told by several prominent state legislators that our turnout was impressive but that we must keep our presence known and the pressure on.
Sadly, support and opposition to this bill falls on party lines. PP is a big financial contributor to many Democrat legislators in Washington. And PP has announced that this bill is their top priority. Virtually every Republican is in opposition to the bill BUT the Democrats are in the majority in both houses -- 27-23 in the Senate and 57-42 in the House. Further, The state of Washington, as are other states, is in a budgetary crisis and must make significant cuts in social programs that the left supports. In order to placate their left-wing base it appears that the destruction or PRCs through this bill is what the liberals will present to PP and NARAL. That is why the current Speaker of the House is pushing so hard on this bill.
Last week the House committee reviewing the bill passed it out of committee with some meaningless amendments on a party line vote -- 6 Dems for and 4 Reps against. That means that the bill in the House will go to a full floor vote before the end of the month and the Democrat Speaker of the House is making it priority to pass!
We have a good chance of defeating this bill in the Senate, however. At least one Democrat is a firm "no" on the bill. That means we have to persuade two more of his colleagues to join him to defeat the bill. We believe we can do this, but we need your prayer support more than ever. God will be the victor and we are trusting him for the victory.
I want to communicate to you that this serious situation has national repercussions. PP is under attack all over the nation right now and they are desperate for a win. They are making an all out effort with money and intense lobbying to pass this bill for their signature win that will excite their donors. If they are successful then they will make this bill a model template for other states to pass next year. If this comes to pass then we can expect to fight this fight in legislatures all over the nation.
The current legislative session is scheduled to adjourn at the end of April, but due to the financial crisis in the state several special legislative sessions may be called, which conceivably keep the legislature open until the end of June. As long as the legislature remains in session there is a danger that this bill will be passed.
I am now issuing an urgent and heartfelt plea to all NIFLA members for the following:
--- Schedule on a weekly basis a day of prayer and fasting for the situation in the state of Washington. Secure volunteers who will participate in this and please do it on a weekly basis until we have this bill defeated.
-- Go to the You Tube video clip of the Senate hearing and turnout. http://www.youtube.com/user/TheNIFLA#p/a Show this clip to all of your volunteers, staff and board and educate them on the seriousness of what is happening in Washington. Give them copies of the last Legal Tips and future publications from NIFLA that will update them on the latest information.
-- Educate your supporters and churches about this situation in the same manner as you do your staff, board and volunteers. Enlist their involvement in the days of prayer and fasting.
-- Stay updated on this situation by going to NIFLA's Facebook page and becoming a fan. We are posting daily updates. (On Facebook go to the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates and click on the "like" icon to do this.) You can also get detailed updated on the web site www.protectwomenWA.com to get detailed information on the Washington bills.
I am absolutely confident that in the end we are going to defeat this legislative attack. But we will do so only if our entire network and the body of Christ intervenes by implementing spiritual warfare. Thank you so much for committing to this at this very perilous time in our nation's history and in the history of this divinely ordained movement of God.
Under His Mercy,
Thomas A. Glessner, JDPresident
National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA)
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