What Students for Life Action Has Been up to at the State Level

Students for Life Action engages in both national and state-level pro-life legislative action. With our massive army of boots-on-the-ground student activists and Regional Coordinators, we are able to show up at state houses and testify in favor of pro-life bills and in opposition to pro-abortion ones. At any given time, there are dozens of abortion-related bills actively moving through state legislatures. Here’s what we’ve been up to lately…

Students for Life Action Hosted a Live Stream with Special Guests U.S. Senators Tom Cotton & Steve Daines

This past Wednesday evening, SFLAction President Kristan Hawkins invited guests Marjorie Dannenfelser (SBA List) and U.S. Senators Tom Cotton and Steve Daines to discuss the pro-life movement’s opposition to Xavier Becerra to lead U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Speakers noted his utter lack of qualifications to manage healthcare, his relentless abortion advocacy against conservatives and pro-lifers, and his general abuse of power against political and ideological opponents.

You can re-watch the webcast here.

Oklahoma’s Life At Conception Bill S.B.612 is on the Move

SFLAction worked with Oklahoma Senator Nathan Dahm to introduce this pro-life bill. Unexpectedly, the bill moved up to a special scheduled committee hearing (the committee typically met on Mondays but they moved it up 6 days early). On February 2nd, with just 2 hours’ notice, SFLAction Captains helped send over 10,000 voter text messages and generated over 1,800 voter emails to targeted committee members in the OK Senate Committee on Health & Human services.

When the bill passed, Sen. Dahm even gave SFLAction a shoutout during the committee hearing. (Video Here) We expect a floor vote around late next week. SFLAction is preparing to do more voter emails, texts, patch-thru calls, and more to key votes… and then do it all over again in the OK House if it passes the Senate.

Arkansas Life At Conception Act, S.B.6 Makes it out of Senate Committee Unscathed

… but Arkansas Governor Hutchinson and Senate leadership are seeking to amend and gut the bill. Our SFLAction Captains sent over 10,000 personal text messages to voters encouraging pro-life citizens to contact their legislators representing the Senate Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee. In addition, Students for Life Regional Coordinator Jacinta Florence spoke at press conference with bill sponsor Sen. Jason Rapert on the morning of the Senate committee hearing. SFLAction President Kristan Hawkins signed a letter of support in favor of the bill on February 10th, after which the bill passed out of committee. Unfortunately, inclement weather has postponed a floor vote.

So far, our team has sent out over 40,000 pre-recorded patch-thru calls to voters in the districts of 10 key state senators. The calls automatically connect voters with their state senator’s office! Sen. Jason Rapert, the bill author, has confirmed the senators are very much aware of this. That’s why we’re keeping the pressure up! We will be sending 30,000 text messages to voters and more statewide emails this week as well.

 In Alabama, a Chemical Abortion Ban has been Filed

Rep. Andrew Sorrell’s HB 377 Chemical Abortion Ban was filed on February 10th at our request. Now, Students for Life Action is planning to engage heavily in support of this bill – stay tuned!

In Idaho, a Heartbeat Bill is Introduced

More details are still coming in as the bill is new, but it appears to be solid legislation and will likely earn our support. More details to come.

In Indiana, a Bill Restricting Chemical Abortion is on the Move 

On February 15th, SFLAction President Kristan Hawkins and SFLAction Grassroots Political Coordinator Titus Folks submitted testimony on part of an Indiana proposal on Chemical Abortion Pills, namely, to stop online distribution based on the danger it poses to women (including making them more vulnerable to abusers).

In Iowa, a Pro-Life Champion Files a Heartbeat Bill & Chemical Abortion Ban at SFLAction’s Request

After making some state connections, SFLAction found a champion in Rep. Jeff Shipley who just introduced H.F. 403 (Heartbeat Bill) on February 8th as well as H.F. 331 (Chemical Abortion Ban) on February 2nd. The Students for Life Action team is working to ensure IA House members hear from pro-life voters ahead of committee hearings and upcoming votes.

Testifying in New Hampshire

On February 10th, Regional Coordinator Kate Maloney testified via Zoom in favor of H.B.596: Prohibiting Public Funding of Abortions and Establishing the New Hampshire Foster Care and Adoption Initiative Fund. More to come.

In New Mexico, SB 10 & HB 7 Seek to Overturn Laws Protecting the Preborn after Roe Falls

These two bills seek to overturn state code written before Roe v. Wade that ban abortion in New Mexico, thus, ensuring abortion is legal in New Mexico when Roe v. Wade is eventually reversed. Repealing this existing code would also mean late-term abortion is greenlighted in New Mexico. The Senate and House versions have both unfortunately passed, but SFLAction continues to pressure the Governor for a veto.

Delays have been standard practice in New Mexico so far. SFLAction sent over 10,000 personal text messages to voters in targeted districts opposing this bill, and we have billboards and digital ads planned exposing New Mexico’s radical pro-abortion Governor and New Mexico’s title as abortion capital of the world.

South Carolina Passes a Heartbeat Bill, S.B.0001

SFLAction engaged in supporting this Heartbeat Bill. Our Regional Coordinator, Brooke Larkin, and several students have been attending the committee hearings for this bill. The Governor has since signed it into law!

In Virginia, We Are Opposing Bills that would Mandate Private Insurance Companies to Cover Abortion

Regional Coordinator Stephanie Stone had a great lobby day last week. More to come.

 

Overall, SFLAction is currently tracking over 172 pieces of state legislation at various stages. Additionally, SFLAction is engaging at the federal level on the following topics over the next few weeks:

1. 1. Stopping Xavier Becerra’s nomination to Health & Human Services
   2. H.R.1, which is a power grab to silence organizations like ours (blog here)
   3. Protecting current FDA REMs against chemical abortions as Dems try to remove them.
   4. Protecting the Hyde Amendment

1. More webcasts with pro-life legislators in the works.
2. Special elections in March.
3. More state bills!