Governor Signs, Planned Parenthood Whines, and We Celebrate Outside

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Saturday, 14 May 2011

Governor Signs, Planned Parenthood Whines, and We Celebrate Outside

Governor Mitch Daniels has signed House Bill 1210 into law, following through with his statement a week ago. That strong statement, which I reprinted here last week, pointed out that the portion of this pro-life legislation moving state tax dollars away from abortion providers would still leave over 800 Medicaid providers who are still eligible for state funded women's services. This fact did not stop Planned Parenthood, Indiana's largest abortion provider, from holding a press conference an hour after the bill was signed. They announced that they would seek a legal injunction (restraining order) against the implementation of the law.

Federal Judge Tonya Walton Pratt could issue or reject an injunction on the law's implementation as early as this afternoon. If the judge does not issue an injunction, it can be assumed that the ACLU and Planned Parenthood will still move forward with legal efforts to try to get the measure ruled unconstitutional.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has stepped up to announce that his office would defend the law, which is the duty of an Attorney General. (US Attorney General Eric Holder could learn a lot from General Zoeller in regard to the role of an AG when it comes to defending the law. Unlike AG Holder, Zoeller has used his office to defend marriage statutes.) It is obvious that the Indiana Attorney General's office has expected the ACLU and Planned Parenthood to try to block HB 1210 in court.

It is interesting to note that while the Governor signed HB 1210 and signaled that intent with a very good press statement in advance, he rejected a request by pro-life groups and their legislative authors for a signing ceremony. Not every bill has a signing ceremony. Yet, Planned Parenthood certainly won't give the Governor any less grief for not having one. Such an event would have given pro-life and pro-family leaders a photo opportunity for their publications. It might also have been politically helpful in regard to lingering questions about the Governor's "truce" comments and his true view of social issues.

POSTED BY: Micah Clark AT 06:02 am | Permalink | 5 Comments | E-mail this

Comments:

"Policy, however, sir, is not my principle, and I am not ashamed to say it. There is a principle above everything that is politic, and when I reflect on the command which says "Thou shalt do no murder," believing its authority to be divine, how can I dare to set up any reasonings of my own against it"? William Wilberforce. This bill allows exceptions for murder, thats morally wrong. We have allowed our Government to redefine sanctity of life, instead of holding it accountable to God's divine law.

Posted by Michael Amatuzzo on 05/15/2011 06:26:57

Michael, I think I can agree with your interpretation of the law as insufficient as it allows murder to continue. We are on the same page. But the law is almost guaranteed to save at least one life. While it is not the end, while it is not perfect, while it fails to protect all life as it should, while it falls short of making complete sense, I can...and will...celebrate the saving of any life. I hope you can too, even if you remain frustrated with the cowardice of those writing these laws to protect them all.

Posted by Observer on 05/15/2011 11:30:55

William Wilburforce felt compelled to repent for his incrementalist strategy for a reason. I certainly can celebrate the saving of a single life, but I could never prop up a bill, or a politician that is a part of immoral laws like this. The facts are staggering, almost 40 years of this strategy has failed misserably, and we are no closer to ending the slaughter of innocent babies. You could argue this might save a single child, but I could also argue, we really don't know how many more lives it might claim because of our compromise. The perfect is not the enemy of the good. We are not smart enough to predict a political outcome, but we are smart enough to obey God.

Posted by Michael Amatuzzo on 05/15/2011 12:14:42

One of the reasons we are in this immorality debacle is because the left tenaciously clung to each victory no matter how incremental. They chipped away at our moral foundations and continue to do so. My point? We who oppose abortion should celebrate each victory and actively support each politician who takes steps, however small, away from the culture of death. When they are only and constantly assaulted by "friend" and foe alike, there leaves little incentive to take the political risks necessary to bring about a return to principled morality.

Posted by TheOldSalt on 05/15/2011 13:24:12

We are not talking about losing a few apples here. I guess I just can't celebrate a victory when we compromise a law that already exists, Gods law, and sacrifice even one child. Why are we the ones that are always compromising our Faith? We have the truth. Like I said this is the road traveled for almost 40 years. We keep pruning the abortion weed.

Posted by Michael Amatuzzo on 05/15/2011 18:57:57

click between 3-5 pm ET