Get Involved Now!
Join Us in Fighting for the Sanctity of Human Life
from Conception to Old Age and the End of Abortion
An Important Message from Jennifer
In these beginning weeks of the legislative season there are several important things you can do. First, we need ongoing support in terms of phone calls and emails sent by you to key legislators during the committee process. If you are interested in being a part of this volunteer army, click here, and fill out the form with your email address, phone number, and Senate/House District. If you don't know what district you are in, you can just fill out your address with zip code and we will send you an email letting you know. You can also get your district information from www.congress.org. Also, take a few moments and read the article below: Why Contact Your Georgia Legislators, Speaker of the House, and Governor?
Second, print out the materials available for community outreach and hand them out. Your circle of influence is broader than you might think. Teachers, homeschool groups, neighbors, friends, family, church, etc. Simple ignorance has been the reason legislation to end abortion in Georgia has died in the committee process for the last several years. We can't allow that to happen again!
On behalf of future Georgians, we thank you for getting involved and taking a decisive, active stand for life.
Jenny Hodges
Why Contact Your Georgia Legislators, Speaker of the House, and Governor?
I want to introduce you to the House Judiciary Committee where HB 1 currently resides. Speaker of the House, Glenn Richardson, assigns every bill to a committee, and can pull bills and reassign them in committee based on his desire to see the bill pass or fail the committee process.
Assigning pro-life legislation to the House Judiciary has long been a tradition in Georgia. Tom Murphy, Speaker for 28 years from 1974 to 2002, was adamantly opposed to any sort of regulatory or restrictive governance for abortionists in Atlanta. He sent pro-life legislation to the House Judiciary Committee, where the pro-choice chairman killed the bill silently.
Currently, the chairman of the House Judiciary committee is a white Republican, Wendell Willard. Wendell was endorsed by Planned Parenthood in 2004. He came into office first in 2001 under Tom Murphy. He represents parts of Fulton county where thousands of abortions every month are performed, the majority of which are on black babies. Wendell Willard is in District 49.
Here is a complete listing of the members of the House Judiciary Committee. If your representative is listed here, it is imperative that you contact him/her about HB 1. These are listed in numerical order.
District:
34- Rich Golick
38- Steve Tumlin
40- Rob Teilhet
49- Wendell Willard
52- Joe Wilkinson
54- Ed Lindsey
55- Mable Thomas
64- Roger Bruce
80- Mike Jacobs
83- Mary Margaret Oliver
92- Pam Stephenson
117- Barry Fleming
127- Mack Crawford
146- Larry O'Neal
167- Roger B. Lane
177- Mark Hatfield
Something I have come to understand is that even if a legislator is Republican, ran as pro-life, and passed the GRTL pro-life litmus test, this does not in any way guarantee a legislator is pro-life. One legislator who has signed onto HR 536, told the press that he felt the bill had no chance. There is currently a pro-life majority in the House and Senate, yet the last two pro-life bills (The Woman's Right to Know and Ultrasound bill) were nearly impossible to pass, and were altered in committee to the extent that Planned Parenthood issued a statement in May '07 stating that they had no problem with the Ultrasound bill. (I've come to realize through my work in front of abortion clinics that these laws are not enforced anyway).
One thing that effects all legislators is re-election. The only way to insure that a "pro-life" legislator is going to vote to end abortion in '08, is to let him know you are watching with expectation. If enough constituents put pressure on their Representatives, the bill is going to make it. It really is that simple.
It is worthwhile to contact the Governor's Office, ask to speak with an administrative assistant and let him know you want the Governor's support on this pro-life legislation: HB 1. Governor Perdue's office at the Capitol ph. #: 404-656-1776. Please contact the Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and urge his support for HB 1. Call Brad Alexander, Chief of Staff at 404-651-5257.
Finally, I cannot over emphasize the importance of all Georgians contacting Speaker Glenn Richardson. Glenn resides in District 19, but as Speaker, he represents all Georgians. His email: glenn.richardson@house.ga.gov, his office phone number: 770-445-4438 and his address as posted in the General Assembly Directory: P.O. Box 1750, Hiram, Ga. 30141.
One last very important point- make sure you ask for HB 1 without alteration or amendments! Thank you for your help.
Jenny Hodges
Insure the Passage of HB1:
Contact your Georgia State Representative and ask him/her to support HB1.
Visit the Georgia General Assembly site.
Contribute financially to ProLife Unity's HB1 campaign:
Call, write, and/or e-mail your family and friends about this important initiative.
*Support ProLife Unity's crucial, life saving work through your financial gifts.
Pray daily for the end of abortion on demand and for our nation to protect the sanctity of human life.
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