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Historic Night in WV as Amendment 1 Passes and Successful Endorsements Allow for Biggest Pro-Life Gains Yet

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Amendment 1 historically passed statewide with 5,878 voters making the difference. Legislative Coordinator for the WV Alliance for Ethical Health Care, Mary H. Tillman, JD, said, “The WV Alliance for Ethical Health Care, West Virginians for Life, and organizations that advocate for the rights of persons living with disabilities celebrate the successful passage of Amendment 1. Following the strong example of our legislators who voted by overwhelming majorities, the voters of WV have now also shown their belief that all lives in our beautiful state, regardless of age or ability, will be respected and protected from the dangers of medically-assisted suicide. West Virginia becomes the first state in the United States of America to proactively protect all its citizens and health care institutions from the dangerous trend of assisted suicide by a state constitutional amendment.”

Of the 113 races in which the West Virginians for Life PAC (WVL-PAC) endorsed candidates, a 95% success rate has been realized. West Virginia, not surprisingly, gave all four of its electoral votes to Donald Trump on November 5. WVFL President Wanda Franz, Ph.D., said, “West Virginia is a national leader in its support for the conservative pro-life values of former President Donald J. Trump, who represents the values of WV families.”

With 69% of the vote, Jim Justice won the US Senate seat left open by Joe Manchin’s departure. First District Congressional incumbent Carol Miller retained her seat for a third term. In the Second Congressional District, Riley Moore defeated his opponent by a margin of 71%-29%. This completed a pro-life sweep of the entire slate of federal candidates.

The WVL-PAC enjoyed wins in all six statewide races. Patrick Morrisey won the governorship with 69% of the vote. JB McCuskey will be the new Attorney General ensuring that pro-life legislation will be defended if challenged. Kris Warner easily won the Secretary of State seat. Mark Hunt will be the State Auditor. Kent Leonhardt will remain Agriculture Commissioner.

Of the 16 Senate races in which endorsements were made, 15 were winners. Thirty-three of 34 senators will be supporting pro-life policies.

WVL-PAC can report only five losses in the endorsed State House races. With a net gain of +6 pro-life seats, 87 of the 100 members of the State House will be pro-life as the next legislative session begins in February 2025.

In conclusion, Wanda Franz, Ph.D., WVL-PAC president, said: “West Virginians for Life is proud of its overwhelming success in supporting pro-life legislators and we look forward to working with them in the upcoming session.”

West Virginians for Life, the state affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee, is the state’s largest pro-life group with more than 30 local pro-life chapters. West Virginians for Life works through education, legislation, and political action to protect those threatened by abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide.

Dr Wanda Franz receives tribute, Pro-Life Angel Lifetime Achievement Award, at 22nd Rose Dinner

On November 12, 2020, West Virginians For Life presented to Dr. Wanda Franz the first ever Pro-Life Angel Lifetime Achievement Award during a tribute to her at the 22nd annual Rose Dinner. Wanda Franz, PhD is a developmental psychologist and professor emerita of child development in the Division of Family and Consumer Sciences at WV University in Morgantown. She joined the WVU Right to Life Club in 1971, as a graduate student. Dr. Franz served as President of West Virginians for Life from 1975 to 1990 and as President of National Right to Life Committee from 1991 to 2011. Dr. Franz has spoken on abortion and euthanasia across the U.S. and around the world. She has been profiled and interviewed on numerous radio and television outlets and, for 20 years, was the host of Pro-Life Perspective, NRLC’s daily five-minute radio program. She and her husband were married for 53 years and had three children and 12 grandchildren.

VIDEO: WV Gov. Jim Justice signs ‘The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act’ (HB 4007) on 3/2/2020

West Virginians For Life introduced and backed this legislation. We’re thrilled it’s now law, and that WV is yet again making nationwide news with pro-life leadership. Join us: wvforlife.org/membership — Better yet, step up to Rose Society Membership while you’re there! — Already a member? Give here: wvforlife.org/donate

Note: It’s newsworthy that our WV legislators succeeded in bipartisan passage of the very thing federal lawmakers can’t even bring to the floor: actionable protection for babies who survive abortionists’ best efforts to kill them. The Mountain State’s leadership continues to be noticed, and we’re genuinely influencing other states with pro-life values. We’ve got to keep a pro-life President in office and a pro-life majority in the Senate, to keep getting better judges & justices on the bench at all levels. Your pro-life support and vote are needed now more than ever.

Latest: both DC’s and WV’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Acts

Pain_baby

Currently, each year many thousands of late-term babies, many of whom are viable (can survive outside the womb) are aborted — without anesthesia — and it is now known that they suffer excruciating pain as their little bodies are ripped apart, limb from limb. On Thursday, January 22, 2015 (the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade/Doe v. Bolton decision by the US Supreme Court in 1973, which overturned existing laws regulating abortion and legalized abortion even up to the time of birth without regulation), Pro-Life legislators in both Washington, DC and in Charleston, WV plan to reintroduce the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would stop abortions on preborn babies after 20 weeks, when those babies are known through medical science to feel pain.

Regarding DC’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: The bill is anticipated to pass both houses. President Obama has indicated he will veto this bill. Please contact your congressman and senators and urge an override of such a veto!

Regarding WV’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: Wanda Franz, President of West Virginians For Life, sent the following update on Wednesday, January 21:

Dear Friends,

John Carey, Karen Cross, and I have been to Charleston, and we are working closely with the leadership to write a bill that improves on the older version and which will be certain of passing.  Other bills can be introduced, including the one that Dave Perry introduced on January 20. He has introduced last year’s version of the bill.  It is not a bad bill and we appreciate the pro-life commitment of the sponsors. However, West Virginians for Life will be working to pass this year’s updated version of the bill. We will let you know as soon as it has sponsors and a bill number.

Wanda Franz,
President

As you may remember, last year West Virginia became the first and only state with a Democrat-controlled legislature to pass a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (similar acts are now law in several other states, but they were all passed by Republican-controlled legislatures), however, after it was passed with overwhelming support (near the end of the session), WV Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, who claimed to be Pro-Life, vetoed the bill. (He delayed until after the session ended to do so, effectively preventing any chance for an override unless a special session was called.) Now that both the WV House of Delegates and the WV Senate are under newly elected leadership majorities, the bill is expected to pass in a manner of timing that would allow an override if the Governor should attempt another veto. We encourage you to contact your representatives in the WV House of Delegates and in the WV Senate and urge them to support the bill, and to override any veto!

Icanfeelpain

Latest: both DC’s and WV’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Acts

Pain_baby

Currently, each year many thousands of late-term babies, many of whom are viable (can survive outside the womb) are aborted — without anesthesia — and it is now known that they suffer excruciating pain as their little bodies are ripped apart, limb from limb. On Thursday, January 22, 2015 (the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade/Doe v. Bolton decision by the US Supreme Court in 1973, which overturned existing laws regulating abortion and legalized abortion even up to the time of birth without regulation), Pro-Life legislators in both Washington, DC and in Charleston, WV plan to reintroduce the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would stop abortions on preborn babies after 20 weeks, when those babies are known through medical science to feel pain.

Regarding DC’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: The bill is anticipated to pass both houses. President Obama has indicated he will veto this bill. Please contact your congressman and senators and urge an override of such a veto!

Regarding WV’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: Wanda Franz, President of West Virginians For Life, sent the following update on Wednesday, January 21:

Dear Friends,

John Carey, Karen Cross, and I have been to Charleston, and we are working closely with the leadership to write a bill that improves on the older version and which will be certain of passing.  Other bills can be introduced, including the one that Dave Perry introduced on January 20. He has introduced last year’s version of the bill.  It is not a bad bill and we appreciate the pro-life commitment of the sponsors. However, West Virginians for Life will be working to pass this year’s updated version of the bill. We will let you know as soon as it has sponsors and a bill number.

Wanda Franz,
President

As you may remember, last year West Virginia became the first and only state with a Democrat-controlled legislature to pass a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (similar acts are now law in several other states, but they were all passed by Republican-controlled legislatures), however, after it was passed with overwhelming support (near the end of the session), WV Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, who claimed to be Pro-Life, vetoed the bill. (He delayed until after the session ended to do so, effectively preventing any chance for an override unless a special session was called.) Now that both the WV House of Delegates and the WV Senate are under newly elected leadership majorities, the bill is expected to pass in a manner of timing that would allow an override if the Governor should attempt another veto. We encourage you to contact your representatives in the WV House of Delegates and in the WV Senate and urge them to support the bill, and to override any veto!

Icanfeelpain

The words “It’s a girl” shouldn’t be a death sentence.

Gender-Equality-Starts-Here_940x492

Genetic counselors report sex-selection abortion qualms yet do nothing

Pro-choice feminists find themselves in a quandary when they are faced with sex–selection abortions, especially when, as is usually the case, they are performed because the baby is a girl. Sadly, most feminists have chosen to overlook this obvious misogyny and support such abortions. They argue that a woman has the right to abort her child even if she is doing so solely to prevent another prenatal “woman” from being born. This seems like a blindingly obvious case of discrimination against women, but pro-choicers tend to support these abortions based on “women’s rights.” In bizarre cases, feminist groups even proclaim that fighting female feticide (i.e., abortions to eliminate baby girls) is “anti-feminist.” An example is this… [read more at NationalRightToLifeNews.org]

FREE Web Sites for WVFL State Chapters

Wanda Franz, President, West Virginians for Life

Wanda Franz, President, West Virginians for Life

Pastor Doug Joseph, Harrison County West Virginians for Life

Pastor Doug Joseph, Harrison County West Virginians for Life

Harrison County WVFL is pleased to announce WVFL Chapters, a website network intended to house sites for each local chapter of West Virginians for Life. The network is the brainchild of Pastor Doug Joseph, of Clarksburg, working in conjunction with Linda Oldack (Harrison County chapter president), also of Clarksburg, and Wanda Franz (WVFL statewide president), of Morgantown. Joseph recently joined the Harrison County chapter’s planning committee, and there it was mentioned that their local chapter was then without any web presence. Joseph, who has extensive experience in web development (as well as in graphic arts), had recently built such a site network for his statewide church organization (the WV District of the United Pentecostal Church International), while he was head of their district missions department (he is now presbyter, serving the section covering north-central WV and the northern panhandle). That network made it possible for the department to offer web services to their member churches. Knowing the same technology could work here, Joseph offered the idea to Oldack at the monthly planning meeting. Soon afterward, Oldack discussed the idea with Franz. Tentative plans are for Joseph to present the full details of the concept to Franz and others in Morgantown, demonstrated by showing a working model of the Harrison County site, which could then be duplicated and edited as needed to create other chapter sites.