Legislative Day highlights
Making a difference for life

A record number of prolife citizens from all across the state went to Lansing on May 14 to take part in an excitingly unique event that Right to Life of Michigan calls Legislative Day. The day began as Right to Life of Michigan's pair of political pundits, Ed Rivet and Kristen Hemker, provided updates, summaries, talking points and lobbying tips on Michigan's current prolife legislation.

In between the legislative updates and talking points, the crowd was greeted with a rousing speech by Michigan's prolife Attorney General Mike Cox, who pleaded with those in attendance to "press on, press on, press on" in our goal to protect innocent human life.

After meeting in table caucuses to discuss strategy for lobbying their legislators, the 300 plus attendees filed into the ballroom for lunch where they sat with their representatives and senators to share and discuss their views on prolife legislation. Delivering the keynote address was Georgette Forney, executive director of National Episcopalians for Life, who focused on her own personal experience with abortion and how our elected officials have a duty to protect women from the evils of abortion. As a young girl, Georgette had an abortion in Michigan. She encouraged lawmakers to protect women and children from the devastation of abortion.

Following the luncheon, attendees had the opportunity to go to the Capitol and sit in the gallery of the Michigan House and watch as their representatives overwhelmingly passed the Legal Birth Definition Act by a vote of 74 to 28. After the vote, RLM President Barbara Listing, along with more than 100 people, walked across the street to the governor's office to deliver nearly 2000 letters gathered in the previous week. The letters, from all parts of the state, urged Governor Jennifer Granholm to sign the Legal Birth Definition Act into law. Such a law would prohibit brutal partial birth abortions in Michigan.