The truth about marriage has become so hidden
that confusion about it is causing fewer and fewer people to seek marriage as
the foundation of their own families. The unfortunate result is also seen in
court decisions and in our culture with the legal redefinition of marriage. To
see a promotional video and details about the series go to http://ccgaction.org/marriage/EWTN-EvangelizingtheCulture.
Also, the 2015
Washington State legislative session begins on Monday, January 15th. Here is a look at a few of the issues we
think could be debated in the legislature in the upcoming session.
Abortion Insurance
Mandate: Senate Bill 5026
would require every private insurance company in Washington State to cover
abortion. Every insurer already offers abortion, but under current law
individuals and companies are free to purchase insurance that does not cover it
if they prefer. This bill has been defeated in the Senate for the last three
years.
Forcing Religious
Hospitals to Perform Abortions: The abortion industry is increasingly concerned with the fact
that Catholic hospitals are merging with public hospitals because Catholic
hospitals are unwilling to perform abortions. Groups supportive of the abortion
industry held a number of community events around the state over the summer and
circulated a petition in support of legislation that would require religious
hospitals to perform abortions in violation of their beliefs. We are not yet
aware of specific legislation to address this issue, but it is very possible in
this session.
Payment for Webcam Abortions: This bill would facilitate payments from state sources for
telemedicine, or medical consultations done remotely via computer. The abortion industry wants to be able to
charge the state for prescribing chemical abortions remotely. They have used a
similar strategy to increase their revenues in other states because it allows
fewer medical staff to prescribe more abortions. Encouraging abortion providers
to prescribe abortions remotely is especially problematic in Washington state
where there is no requirement that parents know about a minor's abortion. As a
result, encouraging remote chemical abortions would create a situation in which
minors are getting an abortion without their parent's awareness and without any
medical professionals nearby. In light of the fact that chemical abortions have
been known to kill women and often cause severe abdominal pain and bleeding,
this would be a dangerous situation for the girls involved.
There will undoubtedly
be other issues to deal with as well and we will keep you informed of all the
developments affecting marriage, life, religious freedom, and parental rights.
You are encouraged to
contact your legislators through the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000 anytime you have a thoughts to share or
questions to ask.
