KY Legislation up for Vote February 28th, 2013

Helpers,
The follow urgent Information was just passed to us from St. Patrick’s Pro-Life Office. We are seeking your assistance by acting on said information and passing it on.

Dear Pro-Life friends,
Your HELP is needed … your IMMEDIATE ACTION could make the difference in at least one pro-life bill making it to the Kentucky House floor where it could be passed. (As of right now, it’s ‘business as usual’ and pro-life legislation is at risk of being killed (again) by those in opposition. But there is ONE MAN whose YES VOTE will get this to the floor for a hearing where it would be overwhelmingly approved.)

A hearing is scheduled in two days (Thurs, Feb 28).

Between now and Wednesday night,
please do these THREE very simple things:

1) CALL the state Legislative Message Line 1 800 372-7181 (open 7am-11pm) and leave the following message for State Representative Dr. David Watkins: Dr. Watkins, thank you for your past support of informed consent legislation. I ask that you please remain consistent and vote YES for Senate Bill 4 this Thursday. Thank you.�
(It takes less than 1 minute … you simply give your name & address, state that you are calling about Senate Bill 4, and that your message is for State Representative Dr. David Watkins)
2) CLICK on the following link, scroll down, fill in the prompts to send an automated email message or letter urging your State Representative and Democratic House leaders to support Senate Bill 4:
http://capwiz.com/ccky/issues/alert/?alertid=62440641&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]
3) PRAY for the success of this life-saving bill becoming law in Kentucky!

Your Help Needed Now on Senate Bill 4.
Senate Bill 4 In Committee Feb 28

Take Action!

Urge YES Vote in Committee and on the Floor
TAKE ACTION TODAY
INFORMED CONSENT AND ULTRASOUND LEGISLATION: House Health and Welfare Committee Chairman, State Rep.Tom Burch, has scheduled a hearing on Thursday, February 28 for Senate Bill 4 and Senate Bill 5.
BUT CHAIRMAN BURCH IS WORKING HARD TO KILL THEM. IN A CLOSED DOOR MEETING THIS PAST WEEK HE URGED ALL DEMOCRATS TO STICK TOGETHER AND DEFEAT THESE BILLS.
Another member of the committee, Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, told at least one person who called her that she was doing all she could to stop their passage.
State Representative, Dr. David Watkins It is still possible to pass at least one of these bills, SENATE BILL 4. Last year State Rep. Dr. David Watkins voted YES for a similar bill. With his YES vote this year the bill will clear the committee and go to the House floor where an overwhelming number of State Representatives support it.
So even if Dr. Watkins is not your State Representative please call 1.800.372.7181 as soon as possible and leave a message for him: �Dr. Watkins, I thank you for your past support of informed consent legislation. Please be consistent and vote YES for Senate Bill 4 this Thursday. Thank you.�
In addition, please send the email message asking your State Representative to support and vote YES for Senate Bill 4.
Background:
Current Kentucky law and practice do not require in-person informed consent before an abortion. Instead, the practice is for the abortion clinic to tell a patient to call a phone number and listen to a long recorded message filled with information. This is not only not good medical practice, there is no assurance the call is made 24 hours in advance of the procedure as the law now requires. Even more troubling is the fact that a patient is not treated as a person who may have questions and can’t ask a recording for the answers. Furthermore each patient has a different medical history. A recorded message cannot possibly address the difference between patients.
The new language in SB 4 requires that informed consent regarding an abortion procedure be given to a woman by a health care professional in a �face-to-face meeting with the patient and both parties are physically located in the same room.� The informed consent is valid only if �a physician or a licensed nurse, physician assistant, or social worker to whom the responsibility has been delegated by the physician� has the �face-to-face� meeting.
Opponents claim this places an undue burden on the patient, but a U. S. Supreme Court case declared that requiring informed consent in this way is constitutional and not burdensome.
This is a commonsense proposal to be sure a patient fully understands the procedure she is considering. To deny a patient information prior to surgery that ends in the taking of human life is plain wrong.
Please contact your State Representative now.