National Right to Life reports, that the U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 13 on resolution to "ratify" the pro-abortion "Equal Rights Amendment"

[ This week's column by MCFL's president provides you with an easy to use phone script for calling your legislator, and members of the Judiciary Committee, to oppose the "ROE" Act. It also provides a quick refresher on the proposed law's provisions. ]

By Myrna Maloney Flynn, MCFL President

By raising my voice, I can help the greatest of all causes—good will among men and peace on earth. - Albert Einstein

“Hello, this is Myrna Maloney Flynn from Massachusetts Citizens for Life. I received your voicemail. How can I help?”

On the other end of the line, a longtime MCFL member with a soft trilling brogue humbly explained, “I’m 86 now and can’t get down to the State House to lobby like I used to. So I will call their offices about that bill. I just don’t know what to say.” 

Like my new friend, you’ve got the power of your voice. And I’ve got a way for you to use it. Yes, it will take 15 minutes of your day. But it has the potential to save thousands of lives.

We learned this week that the Judiciary Committee extended until May 12 its deadline to report on the ROE Act. This means that they’ve got until then to decide whether or not they will allow legislators to vote on the radical, dangerous legislation. The new deadline may also be pushed back, however, so it is likely that we won't be able to rest easy until the end of the session on July 31st. 

Despite our strong showing at last June’s hearing, and subsequent petition delivery last fall—efforts that successfully stalled the bill, we have not defeated it. Yet. To do so, we need to doggedly continue our lobbying efforts. And the quickest, easiest first step lies in your hands and with your voice: call your legislators. We know from experience that these phone calls are important to stopping legislation.  

There are six people you have to call to make a difference, and it will only take a few minutes of your day: Your state representative, your state senator, and the four committee chairs. I'm sharing a sample script that you can alter for each one of them. When you call, ask to leave a message for the individual. It’s important to say you are a constituent.

Not sure who your representative or senator is? You can look them up here (https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator). 

State Representative/State Senator Sample Script

"Hello, I would like to leave a message for Representative/Senator [name]. My name is [your name]. I live in [your town], Massachusetts and I am a constituent. I implore that [he or she] OPPOSE [If Representative: House Bill 3320. If Senator: Senate Bill 1209] - the ROE Act. It is a horrific piece of legislation that threatens the lives of young girls. It is a setback for women and society, and it further threatens the lives of society's most vulnerable. If the bill comes up for a vote in the state legislature, I expect Representative/Senator [name] to vote against the ROE Act. Thank you for passing along my message. I appreciate your time on this imporant issue."

After you’ve called your state rep/senator, call each of the four Judiciary Committee Chairs:

Committee Chair Claire Cronin  -- (617) 722-2396

Committee Vice-Chair Representative Michael Day -- (617) 722-2396

Committee Chair Senator James Eldridge -- (617) 722-1120

Committee Vice-Chair Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz -- (617) 722-1673

Judiciary Committee member Sample Script

"Hello, I would like to leave a message for Judiciary Committee member [name]. My name is [your name]. I am a voter in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I've contacted my local representatives, and I want to voice my opposition to the ROE Act - House Bill 3320/Senate Bill 1209 - currently being debated in the Judiciary Committee. It is a horrific piece of legislation that threatens the lives of young girls, it is a setback for women and society, and it further threatens the lives of society's most vulnerable. I urge the committee NOT to let the ROE Act be voted out of committee, and, instead, let the deadline pass to stop the bill from being voted on at all. Thank you for passing along my message. I appreciate your time on this important issue."

If any of the staff members try to justify the legislator's positions, simply tell them that there is no justification for this type of legislation and that, as a constituent, the legislator represents you. Therefore, you expect him or her to vote against it. 

Your voice matters to them because they know you are a voter in their district! These calls matter, and the other side knows it, too. They’ve been urging their fellow abortion rights supporters to make similar calls. So now, more than ever, raise your voice on this, the greatest of all causes. 

Please share this email with like-minded people and urge them to make these important calls as well. If we don't let our voices be heard, everything that Massachusetts pro-lifers have accomplished in the last 47 years could be lost. Beneath my message you’ll find a reminder of what the ROE Act will mean for our women, girls, and infants if it is passed.

Thank you for your time, energy, and passion in protecting the vulnerable in Massachusetts.

Finally, below is a review of the ROE Act’s implications. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with them and use your knowledge to inform others. Most voters simply do not know the impact this legislation will have. This bill would essentially wipe out every common-sense, pro-life law on the books in the Commonwealth. 

If passed, the ROE Act will:

• Remove protections for newborn babies who are born alive having survived a failed abortion (opening the door to infanticide);
• Eliminate the requirement that a parent (or at least a judge) consent before a minor girl undergoes an abortion; allowing any adult who may be abusing them to cover up their assault by eliminating the need for a legal guardian to consent to any abortion. 
• Allow abortions of viable unborn babies to be performed outside of a hospital, meaning abortions can be done in any facility, even those lacking the most basic of medical standards like hallways wide enough for gurneys if a woman needs to be rushed to the hospital (A woman was recently rushed to a hospital in Massachusetts due to hemorrhaging after an abortion). This further endangers women. 
• Increase taxpayer funding of abortion, by diverting money from Healthy Start, a program intended to reduce infant mortality among the poor;
• Eliminate all criminal penalties for the performance of any abortion—whether coerced, sex-selective, eugenic, incompetently executed, performed by a non-physician, inflicted on a victim of sex trafficking, statutory rape, or other sexual abuse, etc.

Mid-November, just a couple weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday and State House recess, MCFL started tallying the signatures.

On the online petition opposing the "ROE" Act (S.1209/H.3320) alone, we had thousands of signatures. And as our office began printing them off, more were coming in.

From every possible angle, the "ROE" Act fails. Perhaps the final straw for even pro-choice citizens has been the exposure of the provision that would remove multi-day late-term abortion procedures from our internationally acclaimed hospitals -- and dump them, and the women subjected to them, in unregulated clinics.

An attorney in New Mexico currently prosecuting just such a clinic for gross negligence and the death of his client's 23 year old daughter, Keisha, spoke to an audience the State House's Great Hall:

"The provisions in this bill [ROE] have killed or injured 17+ women in my state...and that's just the ones I've documented."

State House News stopped in to report on the delivery. As C.J. handed over the thick stack of signatures and petitions, the reporter snapped a photo.

Better than your voices being heard, the voices of the unborn and marginalized women were heard because you spoke up, signed up -- and some of you even showed up!

MCFL members who had received the call to action email the week before joined us on Beacon Hill.

After the delivery of signatures, we visited 40+ offices and representatives, all of whom were open -- and concerned -- about this bill's outright flouting of basic standards of medical care on an "access before safety" model that promotes abortion. Period.

Keep signing that petition! We're set to make another delivery after the holidays.

In the meantime, educate yourself on the line-by-line modifications of our general law imposed by the "ROE" Act, and join the movement (if you haven't already), to receive regular action opportunities that will save lives in Massachusetts.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh joined mayors from across Massachusetts, October 1st, at the Massachusetts State House, to declare support of legislation removing basic standards of medical care for women and newly born infants. SB 1209/HB 3320, the "ROE Act," abolishes parental consent, eliminates every meaningful constraint on any abortion up until birth (while simultaneously making such abortions even more unsafe by canceling the current requirement that abortions after the first trimester be performed in hospitals), and removes the current requirement that life-supporting medical equipment be on-hand during late-term abortions—in case a child survives the abortion attempt.

The event included Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern, Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer, Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday, and Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle.

If any one of these officials is your mayor, call them today to express your deep disappointment in their judgment.

Boston - Marty Walsh - Phone: 617-635-4500

Cambridge - Marc McGovern - Phone: (617) 349-4321

Easthampton - Nicole LaChapelle - Phone: (413) 529-1400 ext. 470

Framingham - Yvonne Spicer - Phone: 508-532-5400

Newburyport - Donna Holaday - Phone: (978) 465-4413

by C.J. Williams

Summer is over, and the Fall has brought back the bill that's as problematic for pro-lifers as for those who are pro-choice. This is not the time to give in to apathy or distraction. S.1209 (the "R.O.E." Act) has not been dismissed by the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. The members of the committee are still taking testimony, still counting the numbers of calls they receive, and still undecided on what to do with this bill, whose provisions would radically reduce our medical standards of care for women, endanger our 12 and 13 year old  girls, and slash legal protection for infants born during botched abortions.

Neither pro-life nor pro-choice, S,1209 deserves a resounding no from voters, and our legislators.

But those legislators need to hear your voice, because the abortion business lobby is pressuring them fiercely.

Here's your brief update, and 3 action items. Put them on your calendar with a permanent marker.

S.1209 has not been changed, nor has it been approved and sent on to a vote in our legislature.

S.1209's provisions which abolish adult supervision for underage girls entering abortion facilities, and the removal of the requirement that late-term 2nd or 3rd trimester abortions be performed in hospitals continue to cause even our most pro-abortion representatives to waver on this bill.

S.1209 will not be heard again in public, which makes your contacting the committee in-person, via mail, email, and phone essential to educating them on the bill's dangers, and driving home the message you sent when you showed up in the hundreds at the June hearing.  

So TAKE 3 THIS WEEK: Completing this list will make a concrete difference in whether Massachusetts promotes abortion even over women's safety, and legalizes the passive killing of infants.

1. If you've already submitted testimony, follow up by contacting Chair Claire Cronin and Vice-Chair Michael Day of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. 
2. If you have not submitted testimony, submit your statement today.
3. Commit to calling each member of the committee one day this week and/or next during our Mobile Callbank (September 25 through October 9).

BONUS: Visit the the offices of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary this week or next. 

For easy reference:

Chair Rep. Claire Cronin

Claire.Cronin@mahouse.gov

Don't walk, run. There is nothing more critical to shelving this deadly bill than your non-stop vocal opposition.

Share the opportunity to reach our legislators with your friends, family, and neighbors, pro-life or pro-choice!

RESOURCES FOR EFFECTIVE ACTION BELOW:

GUIDELINES FOR TESTIFYING

ROE ACT FACT SHEET WITH CITATION OF CURRENT LAW AND CHANGES

SUPPORTING MEDICAL OPINION: SCIENCE SUPPORTS A NO TO S.1209

MCFL ON WGBH HEAD TO HEAD WITH NARAL

When you think of lobbying, you probably think of State House halls, formal letters, or official meetings scheduled in offices or quiet restaurants. But what you may not know is that nearly every one of your legislators now has an active presence on social media, and their Facebook and Twitter accounts are as valid and impactful a meeting ground as their offices.

In fact, sometimes, social media causes a greater impact than a formal letter these days, because on social media, one message may not just reach your representative or senator. One message may reach your entire district.

And that kind of reach is a reality every politician watches like a hawk.

Here are the easy steps to finding, reaching, and engaging your legislator online. Double your lobbying efforts by reaching out via social media, bring your fellow state citizens to the conversation, and raise awareness of the laws and proposed laws threatening or supporting human lives in Massachusetts.

1. Do you know who your representatives are? Who your senator is? If not, start here: Plug in Your Address and Receive Your Legislators' Full Contact Information (click here to search).

2. Do you have FaceBook? If so, take the names of your representatives to your FaceBook toolbar, and type them in. 

It should look like this in your browser.

3. Do you have Twitter? If so, take the names of your senator or representatives and type them into the search bar on your Twitter feed.

If your senator or representative has an account, it should show up like this in your browser:

Click on the name in the search results, then select follow. Now, you can either tweet at them, or send them a direct message.

--BREAKING--

ACT NOW

The bill that would promote abortion at the expense of women's safety in Massachusetts, S.1209/H.3320 (the "R.O.E." Act), originally to be heard by the Joint Committee on Public Health, has been moved to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. 

If confirmed by that committee in its current form, it will be passed on to the full legislature for a vote. 

THE HEARING HAS CONCLUDED. NOW IT'S TIME TO FOLLOW UP.

Our advocates endured a grueling 18 hour day to testify against the provisions in this extremist legislation. Follow up and amplify the testimony they submitted on this bill's reduction of our standards of medical care, legalization of passive killings of infants born during late-term abortions, and removal of adult protection for minor girls. Ensure

that the committee does not disregard the overwhelming case for rejecting an abortion access over safety mentality that would be devastating in Massachusetts. 

We need you to make your voices heard today. 

Are these legislators in your district?

Have you sent your legislator this fact sheet?

>>Download the PDF Fact Sheet Here<<

>>DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE PDF OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS CONTACT INFORMATION HERE.<<

SENATE BILL 1209 / HOUSE BILL 3320

ENDANGERS 12 AND 13 YEAR OLD GIRLS.

WHY?

S.1209/H.3320 REMOVES ADULT SUPERVISION by striking out section 12L (chp.122) in our General Law. This leaves our children prey to sexual predators, and sex trafficking. SEE S.1209 SECTION 12L.

(for further background, see the undercover journalistic investigations of abortion facilities refusing to report sex crimes: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10156350513198728)

RISKS WOMEN’S LIVES.

HOW?

S.1209/H.3320 STRIKES MEDICAL REGULATIONS THAT ENSURE THE HEALTH & SAFETY OF WOMEN SUBMITTING TO LATE-TERM ABORTIONS by removing section 12M (chp.112) in our General Law. A woman’s health is now less important -- and protected -- than the law’s commitment to promoting abortion at any time, for any reason. A procedure that is more likely to kill her (abortion) can be recommended before she is given prenatal care. SEE SECTION 12M in CURRENT LAW

KILLS INFANTS*.

HOW?

S.1209/H.3320 STRIKES OUT REQUIREMENTS THAT DOCTORS PROVIDE LIFE-SAVING TREATMENT TO BORN INFANTS by striking section 12P (chp.112) in our General Law: “[a physician must take] reasonable steps, both during and subsequent to the abortion, in keeping with good medical practice, consistent with the procedure being used, to preserve the life and health of the aborted child” if that child is born alive during the procedure.” SEE SECTION 12P IN CURRENT LAW.

*(for research proving that babies without this protection are routinely killed, Canada’s CIHI provided a statistics sheet in reply to our query regarding their similar law &  infants born alive during abortion procedures:: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QtC0BXfavgyg1KKX1Fb2qGevdcKmDDBp/view)

HOW TO LOBBY

“We in America do not have government by majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” -- Thomas Jefferson

“Just one high quality, thoughtful communication will have more of an impact on a legislator than 10 or 20 or 100 lukewarm communications—no matter whose name is on the letterhead.”

[ adapted in part from MCFL experience, and various sources ]

Here are a few tips to keep handy when you start lobbying for life in Massachusetts. Whether you’re making a phone call or visiting your legislator in person to make your case, telling a personal story about an important issue is much more effective than any town hall mob or purely intellectual fact sheet you choose to use.

Identify yourself. Start by telling them who you are. Make sure to tell them where you live so they know you’re a constituent. (In some cases, such as those where bills are heard in special committee, this is not important. When addressing someone such as a committee chairman, simply introduce yourself as you would any other time.) Do let them know if you are a member of an organization or have a tie to some other group that may have an expert opinion or interest in this issue or law.

Be polite and professional. This is common sense. Also, ask questions first. Don’t assume your legislator opposes or supports the bill, or even knows the specifics of the bill. They see a lot of legislation. So state your views firmly and forcefully without being hostile or argumentative. Be friendly and courteous, even if/when the legislator disagrees with your position. Don’t interrupt or scream out at legislative hearings. Legislators and their staff are also more likely to be persuaded by people in business attire than people wearing cut-off jeans and flip-flops.

State a clear and concise objective. Stay focused on the purpose of your phone call or meeting, and don’t wander off in too many directions. Let them know up front what you are asking them to do, and refer to bills by their numbers and names—such as, “I want Representative Smith to remove his sponsorship of S.B. 1209.” Be sure to explain any jargon that might be unclear, such as “judicial supervision “abortion” “so-called lethal fetal abnormalities.” Generally, limit your list to one bill or issue (although it is not unheard of to address two or three bills that are most important to you).

Explain why this issue is important to you personally. Lawmakers are interested in data and statistics, but they’re much more interested in how an issue affects their constituents personally. If you have a story to tell, it’s much more compelling than charts and graphs. If you’re talking about late-term abortions, you might be an ob-gyn, an ER doctor, or an ambulance driver; you might be the sibling, sister, parent of a woman who has undergrone the grueling late-term procedure; or you may be a post-abortive woman yourself. Perhaps you’ve worked in an abortion clinic, or against sex-trafficking, and have seen first-hand how violent and demeaning abortions are to women. If you’re advocating for patient’s rights legislation, it might be because you had a family member pressured to take lethal drugs when they were ill, or refused life-saving treatment because of their adverse diagnosis. If you’re a teacher or parent, you might comment on the impact removing adult supervision of 12 and 13 year old girls seeking abortions has on them, or how you’ve had students become victims of sex-traffickers, and that removing this provision leaves them in a black-hole once they’re targeted.ey

Don’t use form letters. Legislators want to know what you have to say, not just that you can cut and paste. They know when it’s a form letter, period. It’s okay to use talking points and language from advocacy groups, but it’s best to take that material and put it into your own words.

Use the web and email effectively. Visit legislators’ official web sites before your meetings, so you can learn in advance about their background, biographical information, positions on issues, and even their pets. Phone calls are usually taken more seriously by legislative offices, so if you do send email, you can still follow up with a phone call, too.

Never lie or mislead. The truth for women victimized by abortion is harsh enough. You don’t need to holler. You don’t need to overreact.  Making up facts will always come back to haunt you. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know the answer to a question, and offer to look it up for them later. The key thing is that you’re a citizen, and you care. You are not expected to be a perfect expert.

Work with legislative staff.  Lawmakers rely on their staff to meet with constituents, draft legislation, learn the issues, and make policy recommendations. Staff are the gateway to your rep. They work on all of the issues you’re concerned about, and are often as important a touchstone as your rep. Develop relationships with aides when you reach out. They will begin to view you as a source of reliable information

Listen to elected officials’ comments and questions. Let them react. Their comments and questions will give you cues on how to frame your arguments and what additional information might be useful. It is especially useful if they ask questions.  You want to leave time for this. It will give you an opportunity to follow up with them after your meeting.

Thank someone who was helpful. Always thank a staff member who took the time to meet with you, and follow up with any additional information that’s needed. And if a legislator does what you’ve requested, such as co-sponsor or remove sponsorship or vote for a bill, be sure to thank him or her for taking that action. Positive reinforcement is the most effective way to develop a good relationship for future issues.

Finally, be persistent. You don’t have to be angry, obnoxious, or discourteous. You just have to be consistent. Keep asking. Keep calling. Even if your legislator disagrees, continue to call and ask for meetings, letting them know you’ll provide additional information, or would like to follow up on other aspects of the issue you’re addressing. This person is a member of your community. They are accountable to you, and the rest of your district. Let them know you -- and many others -- want to keep the communication line open for the benefit of the most vulnerable citizens in our state: our women, infants, children, and marginalized. Ask them to get back in touch with their reply.

Bill SD 1209, better known as An Act to Remove Obstacles and Expand Abortion Access in Massachusetts makes extremism look mild.  Massachusetts has some of the most liberal abortion laws in the nation, and the world.

This bill makes abortion not safe, not rare, and outright promotes the deadly procedure.

See our quick facts on the ROE Act here. 

Sign your name below to say no to extremism, no to abandoning our 13-year-old girls to predators, and our women to non-physicians, and no to expanding abortion in our state

(Both pro-life and pro-choice voters in Massachusetts agree: SD1209 throws the health of women to the dogs, abandons minors to sexual predators and big abortion busines, and unnecessarily reduces culpability for abortionists who botch procedures and butcher the patients on their tables.)

RETURN HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION AGAINST EXTREME ABORTION PROMOTION

Thank you for everything you do in our movement to 

restore respect for every human being

in our Commonwealth.