Senator Rick Bertand’s (R-Sioux City) voice was a mixture of anger and frustration as he told me the news over the phone.
For daring to force his State Senate colleagues on record on the Iowa Life-at-Conception Act during the last session of the General Assembly, weak—kneed and secretly pro-abortion members of his own Republican caucus were seeking to punish him.
They succeeded.
In fact, just weeks ago, Senator Bertrand was stripped of his position as Chairman of the critical Transportation Appropriations Sub-Committee!
Why?
For daring to “step out of line.” For fulfilling his campaign promise to fight to save unborn life.
For exposing the fact that most of his colleagues like to use life issues to get elected, but have no real intention of ever finally ending abortion across Iowa.
We cannot allow this go unanswered.
That’s why I’m counting on your IMMEDIATE help. Won’t you please sign and submit the NO MORE EXCUSES petitions that I’ll provide you with down below?
As you’ll see, these petitions insist that your State Representative and Senator cosponsor the Iowa Life-at-Conception Act.
The truth is, for years now, all you and I have received from self-described “pro-lifers” in both parties are excuses and half-measures.
In fact, earlier this year, legislative leaders rallied pro-life support across the state for their “20-week” bill, which would have banned abortion starting at the 20th week of a pregnancy.
Like you, I’m all for saving as many unborn children’s lives as we can. But this was clearly a half-measure from the get-go since the number of late-term abortions that happen in Iowa every year are approximately zero.
Not only that, but it was destined to be struck down in court since it argues that an unborn child at 20 weeks of a pregnancy must be protected — but can be killed unmercifully at 19 weeks.
In fact, less than three hours after Governor Branstad signed it into law, it was struck down by the courts!
It’s no accident.
Legislators wanted to pretend they were doing something to protect innocent life in order to have something to brag about on the campaign trail in 2018.
They just wanted to make sure it wasn’t “too effective” at actually saving lives!
As I’m sure you’ll agree, the games and excuses have to end.
After you and I forced the General Assembly to defund Planned Parenthood last session, we have the best opportunity in years to finally end abortion across Iowa.
Planned Parenthood’s machine has taken a major hit. Four abortion facilities have shut their doors.
So the timing has never been better to insist on passage of the Iowa Life-at-Conception Act in BOTH houses of the General Assembly.
Please make sure they know that by signing your petition in support of this life-saving bill RIGHT NOW!
The Iowa Life-at-Conception Act would use the U.S. Supreme Courts’ own words in the 1973 Roe v. Wade travesty against them.
In the court’s tragic ruling, they noted that if life was ever declared to begin at conception, then unborn babies MUST be protected by the U.S. Constitution.
Whether the pro-abortion crowd wants to admit it or not, from the moment of conception, unborn babies are genetically human, scientifically alive and have DNA distinct from their mothers.
From that moment forward, their hair and eye color — all the way down to the shape of their little toes — has already been determined.
So science proves what you and I have always known to be true — unborn babies are living humans with the same right to life as you and me.
The Iowa Life-at-Conception Act would simply legally recognize that FACT, provide stiff penalties for abortionists — and save tens of thousands of innocent lives in the process.
After Senator Bertrand assisted in forcing a vote in the State Senate last year — and received his punishment — it’s never been more critical that we double down with more pressure.
We have to ensure that EVERY State Representative and Senator understands that you and I are not going away.
Please stand with us now, by signing your petition in support of Life-at-Conception right now!
And if they keep playing political games, there will be a severe price to pay. Planned Parenthood — now stripped of Iowans’ hard-earned tax dollars — won’t be able to save them.
That’s why I’m counting on your IMMEDIATE action.
So please sign your NO MORE EXCUSES petitions to your State Representative and Senator right away!
With your help, my goal is to ensure that state legislators come back to a stack of petitions a mile high insisting on action on the Iowa Life-at-Conception Act.
I’m ready to pull out all the stops, including:
>>> Contacting up to 100,000 Iowans to generate petitions, postcards, letters and phone calls from folks just like you, to turn up the heat on their legislators;
>>> Launching an all-out earned media blitz to include hard-hitting op-eds, a flood of letters to the editor, media interviews, and appearances on talk radio;
>>> Running hard-hitting TV, radio and newspaper ads calling on State Representatives and Senators by name to vote to pass the Iowa Life-at-Conception Act;
>>> Turning on the phones, contacting pro-lifers all over the state to urge them to call their elected officials.
But putting this plan into action will take valuable resources — resources I just don’t have laying around in Iowa Pro-Life Action’s bank account.
So I hope I can count on your most generous contribution.
The truth is, I’m afraid if we don’t mobilize now, we’ll miss out on an historic opportunity to save thousands — perhaps tens of thousands — of lives.
With your help, I’m convinced we can force the General Assembly on record on this critical bill, and take a giant step forward in our battle to save innocent lives.
It’s time to tell every member of the Iowa General Assembly: “NO MORE EXCUSES!”
So please act at once.
Sign your petition and then please agree to your most generous contribution of $100, $50 or at least $25 TODAY!
Alina Waggoner
Executive DirectorP.S. State Senator Rick Bertrand was just stripped of a committee chairmanship for daring to force his colleagues on record on the Iowa Life-at-Conception Act last session.
We cannot allow this to go unanswered. We have to ensure that EVERY member of the Iowa General Assembly understands that there can be NO MORE EXCUSES.