A rally in support of House Bill 2050 will be held on Monday, March 12 in the Pennsylvania State Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg. Pro-life Pennsylvanians are being urged to make the trip to Harrisburg, to show our support for this legislation and express our solidarity with people affected by Down syndrome. The Rally will begin at 2:30 p.m.

Harrisburg is just a five-hour drive from Erie.

The keynote speaker will be Karen Gaffney, an internationally recognized disability rights activist who has swum the English Channel, overcoming her own personal challenges related to Down syndrome.

A number of organizations have come together to sponsor this rally, including: the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, and the Pennsylvania Family Institute.

Please let us know if you are planning or thinking about a drive to Harrisburg for this important event. If you are in need of transportation or have a few extra seats that you would like to fill, People for Life would be happy to see if we can help as a facilitator.

Whether or not you will be at the rally, please call and e-mail your state representative to express your support for House Bill 2050.

A link at the top of this message will take you to complete contact information for all of our northwestern Pennsylvania state and federal legislators. (Please note that House Bill 2050 is state legislation, so you should contact your state, rather than federal representative.)

House Bill 2050, would prohibit abortion in cases where the baby's life would be terminated solely because he or she has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, a relatively common (1 in 350) "disability."

It is estimated that currently in the United States approximately 90% of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted.

Pennsylvania law already protects babies from abortions that would be carried out solely because the parents want a boy instead of a girl or a girl instead of a boy.

Click here for a more complete discussion of H.B. 2050 published by the bill's primary sponsor, House Speaker Mike Turzai.

From the National Right to Life Committee:

No medical professional should ever be coerced or bullied to participate in an abortion, or have his or her job threatened for not participating in an abortion. And when it does happen, these health care providers need legal protections and remedies like those found in the Conscience Protection Act (S. 301/ H.R. 644).

Congress must pass a new government-wide appropriations bill by March 23, when current spending authority expires. National Right to Life is urging that the Conscience Protection Act be enacted as part of this upcoming "must-pass" appropriations bill.

The Conscience Protection Act would significantly strengthen federal conscience protections for health care providers, and prohibits any level of government from discriminating against health care providers, including doctors, nurses, hospitals, and insurers who decline to participate in abortions.

The Conscience Protection Act would also empower victims to seek relief in court for violations of the federal conscience laws.
PHONE CALLS AND E-MAILS  Please let your U.S. Representative know that you want to see the Conscience Protection Act (S. 301/ H.R. 644) included in the upcoming government-wide appropriations bill.

If you live in northwestern Pennsylvania, your U.S. Representative is either Rep. Mike Kelly or Rep. Glenn Thompson. Use the link at the top of this e-mail for complete contact information.

If you do not know the name of your U.S. Representative, get your contact information here.

People for Life is sponsoring a Pro-Life Essay Contest for students in grades 7-12. Cash prizes will be awarded ($50 / $25 / $15 for the top three essays in the 6-9 grade level and in the 10-12 grade level).

Contestants will write an original, pro-life essay on abortion, infanticide, physician-assisted suicide/euthanasia, embryonic stem cell experimentation, or a related topic. They are welcome to focus on hopeful and uplifting topics such as: adoption, motherhood, pregnancy and fetal development, personal experiences doing pro-life activities (the March for Life, for example), and the rewards of knowing people with mental and physical disabilities.

Word limits are 500 for grades 7-9 and 750 for grades 10-12. People for Life can offer ideas about specific topics and guidance for researching a chosen topic.

Essays must be e-mailed to [email protected]; faxed to 814-459-1333; or mailed to P.O. Box 1126; Erie, PA 16512 (and postmarked) by April 16, 2018. The student's name, address, phone number, age, and grade should be included.

Click here for an image suitable for sharing on social media.

Click here for an Essay Contest poster suitable for printing.