TENNESSEE DEMOCRAT REMOVED FROM BALLOT BY OWN PARTY FOR BEING PRO-LIFE

Join our Town Hall Meeting with Representative DeBerry to hear his first-hand account.
 
We previously reported the case of pro-life Democrat John DeBerry being removed from the ballot for being pro-life. In 2019, after State Rep. DeBerry voted to protect pre-born children, Planned Parenthood began a campaign to unseat the long-time respected legislator .
 
Rather than trying to defeat him in a free and fair election, a woman complained to the Executive Committee of the Tennessee Democratic Party about his votes. Although some on the committee, including the chair of the Black Caucus, voted to keep DeBerry, the majority-white committee prevailed.
 
We are thrilled to announce that John DeBerry will be attempting to return as an Independent after winning a recent challenge. John DeBerry remains a registered Democrat and, if elected, he will keep upholding Democratic, #prolifeforthewholelife, values.
 
DFLA will be holding a Town Hall meeting with State Rep. John DeBerry where he will, for the first time, share the entire story from start to finish of how he was victimized by the abortion lobby.  You can sign up for the Town Hall here . In particular, we encourage DFLA members from Tennessee to join.
ACTION ALERT: PETITION TO THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM COMMITTEE
 
DFLA is launching a petition to change the Democratic Party platform’s position on abortion, which includes several extreme policies. For example, in 2016, for the first time, the Democratic Party endorsed the colonialist and unethical practice of taxpayer-funded abortion in poor countries by supporting the repeal of the Helms Amendment. We are hoping for at least 10,000 signatories, which means we need everyone receiving this newsletter to sign.
 
Please sign here and share on social media with your network. We are hoping to testify to the Platform Committee and to cite this petition and any comments on it as proof of the strong grassroots opposition to the current platform position.
SUPREME COURT DECISION
 
Any day now, possibly this coming Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court will release its ruling on June Medical Services LLC v. Russo , which is the first abortion-related case since Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the court. This case concerns legislation, authored by Pro-Life for the Whole Life champion State Senator Katrina Jackson of Louisiana, aiming to protect women’s safety at abortion clinics.
 
When this ruling comes down, we need to be ready. If you can, send an emergency donation of $10 to DFLA so we can keep fighting, whether the ruling is in our favor or not. We will need to highlight the important role of pro-life Democrats in this legislation and use the ruling as an opportunity to bring our Whole Life values to the attention of the nation.
 
No matter what happens, the $3 billion abortion industry will seek to tie this issue to Republicans and Donald Trump, but this legislation was signed into law by a pro-life Democrat governor, John Bel Edwards of Louisiana. This case is about Whole Life values and protecting women from an unscrupulous industry that profits off women’s suffering. We need to be as vocal as possible not to be crowded out by NARAL and Planned Parenthood.
CHANGES TO THE DFLA BOARD
Thank you Janet and Jeannie!
I would like to take this opportunity to share my appreciation and gratitude to two former Board members, Janet Robert and Jeannie Wallace French. Both have been critical to the success and growth of DFLA. 
 
First: long-time President of DFLA Janet Robert. I first met Janet when she sought a Congressional seat, and I immediately was so impressed with her. She became a mentor and a friend. I was so honored and excited when she came on to the Board and took over as the Board president. She helped DFLA not only with her generous financial support but also with her effective leadership. I look forward to a continued friendship and collaboration with Janet. A big thank-you to Tom Berg for agreeing to serve as the interim Board chair.
Second: Jeannie Wallace French. For a while, Jeannie was only a name on a very impressive list of names. I was so excited to finally meet her and even more excited when she agreed to join the Board. She was one of the signers of the New York Times advertisement during the 1992 Democratic Convention that called for “ A New American Compact: Caring about Women, Caring for the Unborn ” after Governor Bob Casey, Sr. of Pennsylvania was prevented from speaking about pro-life issues at the convention. Jeannie served as the treasurer and was critical to helping DFLA balance its budget and use its limited resources in a more effective manner.
Welcome Terrisa, Xavier and David!
I would also like to welcome our two new Board members,

Terrisa Bukovinac and Xavier Bisits. They both bring new energy, enthusiasm, ideas, and direction. Terrisa brings expertise in social activism on the ground. She was an integral part of planning and implementing our presence at the Democratic debates. She is determined to make her voice heard and rarely leaves home without her megaphone. Terrisa is also helping us with social media outreach -- an essential part of getting our message out and building our grassroots effort.

Xavier brings an incredibly analytical mind and is developing communication, organizational, and outreach strategies. In particular, Xavier has been critical to advancing and strategizing our effort to change the Democratic platform.

We are also excited to announce David Donofrio from Ohio as the new recruitment director on our Candidate Committee. David will bring expertise in local politics and new ideas to launch our initiative to encourage pro-life Democrats to run for office.
Do you want to organize in your state? Contact Matt Tuman, our State Chapter Coordinator today! Click here to contact Matt!
DFLA IN THE NEWS

Missouri Dem Will Toast to Abortion With Liberal Mega-Donor , Washington Free Beacon , June 11, 2020 (Kristen Day, executive director of DFLA, quoted)

'The death of George Floyd will not be in vain', says Democrats for Life coordinator , Catholic News Agency , June 11, 2020 (Harriet Bradley, DFL of Georgia state coordinator)