A special note, I hope you’ve seen our Breaking News – available here – about the Washington Supreme Court ruling that government can compel a private business owner to participate in an event – a same-sex wedding – regardless of the owner’s beliefs. This rewriting of the First Amendment denies individual freedom to dissent and strikes at the very heart of what religious freedom means in our country. It’s not about discrimination. Take time today to contact President Trump and ask him to issue the executive order on religious freedom.
Giving the most vulnerable a chance at life
Babies can and do survive attempted abortions. Yet, in our state, some are left to die and not given every chance at life. On Wednesday before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Senator Steve Smith shared the true story behind CAP-supported SB 1367, stating “The baby was placed on a cold medical table alive… 20 minutes the baby lay there receiving no medical attention, and died.” He continued, “Can we at least finally agree… this is a living baby and everything should be done to save it?”
CAP President Cathi Herrod shared about a baby born at 22 weeks and is now a healthy five year-old. With abortion clinics advertising abortions through just shy of 24 weeks and viability being a moving target, there’s no question that some babies can survive an abortion.
Expert testimony by Dr. Paul Liu, a Pediatric Critical Care Specialist, proved up the points. He testified that viability is a moving target and that babies born as early as 21-22 weeks can go on to live healthy lives. Responding to opponents, Dr. Liu corrected those calling the baby a fetus saying, “It is a baby. A fetus is inside the womb.”
Incredibly, a doctor representing the American College of Ob-Gyn doctors testified that these babies should be given “comfort care” and left to die.
Thankfully, SB 1367 passed 5-2 and now moves to the full Senate for consideration as early as next week.
Read more about the bill and track its progress here.
Read the text of the bill here: SB 1367
“Please don’t ask me to do that”
Those are the words of Dr. Liu when testifying in favor of CAP-supported SB 1439. Sponsored by Sen. Nancy Barto, the bill would protect health care providers from being discriminated against for exercising their rights of conscience to not participate in medical treatments or procedures that could eventually end the life of a patient. Dr. Liu talked about the need for health care providers to be free to opt out of such treatment based on their beliefs.
Just as the law protects a health care provider from being forced to participate in abortion procedures, the same conscience protection should be extended to health care professionals treating patients near the end of life. SB 1439 also passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday.
Read more about the bill here.
Read the text of the bill here: SB 1439
A compelling argument against SOGI
In a don’t miss new report from Heritage Foundation, Senior Research Fellow Ryan T. Anderson lays out how to analyze and think about proposed so-called nondiscrimination laws on sexual orientation/gender identity (SOGI) and religious freedom. These are the laws used to deny First Amendment freedom to Barronelle Stutzman by the Washington Supreme Court. Anderson makes a clear distinction between unlawful discrimination and the freedom to associate. He says the difference is motive.
Read Anderson’s report here.
Another bad idea from California and Colorado
Rep. Powers Hannley and Senator Juan Mendez have introduced similar bills that would allow doctors to prescribe death for their patients. HB 2336 and SB 1512 would follow California and Colorado’s recent moves to legalize doctor prescribed death in Arizona. In states and countries with legal assisted suicide laws, it has proven to be a slippery slope. It leads to the deaths of the disabled and elderly, not just the terminally ill. Some insurance companies have refused to cover treatment for illnesses, but have instead approved coverage of assisted suicide. These pressures on the vulnerable diminish the value and sanctity of human life.