Please forward this message to your e-mail lists ASAP!

Dear Friends of LifeTree,

Several important pro-life bills have recently been introduced in the NC General Assembly and your help is needed if they are to remain viable. LEGISLATORS NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY!

Each bill is currently in a committee and each one must be heard by the committee before it can go to the full House or Senate. The committee chairs and members need to know that you care about the passage of these pro-life bills. PLEASE CONTACT THEM NOW!

See http://burtonsys.com/ltree.html for the details about these bills and what they will accomplish. Their short titles are as follows: (1) Abortion/Extend Conscience Protection, (2) Abortion – Woman's Right to Know, (3) No Abortions Under State Health Plan, (4) "Choose Life" License Plate, (5) Conscience Protection/Contraceptives, (6) Notarized Consent for Minor's Abortion, and (7) Physician-Assisted Suicide. All are solidly pro-life except the last one which has some major flaws. It is currently being rewritten as a committee substitute and we are awaiting the draft language of the substitute bill.

The "all purpose" phone number at the NC General Assembly's switchboard is 919-733-4111. Just tell the person who answers that you wish to be connected to a certain legislator's office or for more information about a bill you may ask for the House (or Senate) Principle Clerk's office. These people are always very helpful and courteous. You can also find phone numbers for each legislator, as well as office number, bill information, etc., on the NC General Assembly’s web site: http://www.ncleg.net/.

Because of deadlines, your help is needed immediately!!!! Bills without a financial component will have to pass one chamber by "Crossover Day" which is April 24. OTHERWISE THEY WILL DIE IN COMMITTEE! Then we must wait for two years to begin again. So please contact the legislators about these pro-life bills as soon as possible. (Note that they are not in session on Fridays, and many of them go home around 1:00 PM on Thursdays.)

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Contact committee chairs and ask them to please hear the particular bill you are calling about. Then contact the committee members and ask them to encourage the committee chairs to hear the bill (and, of course, encourage them to vote for the bill). At our website (which is http://burtonsys.com/ltree.html) you will find the document called "Pro-Life Bills and Sponsors – 2003." Look in the Committee column for links to the committee chairs and members, with their email addresses, phone & fax numbers, and addresses.

2. For suggestions on how to lobby effectively, see http://burtonsys.com/lobby.html.

3. Pray that the legislators will be inspired to build up a culture that honors the natural course of human life.

Finally, watch for future emails from LifeTree with updated information about the status of these bills.

God bless you for your help at this time.

Elizabeth D. Wickham, Ph.D.
Executive Director, LifeTree

LifeTree@lifetree.org.nospam (remove the ".nospam")
919-785-0855
PO Box 17301
Raleigh, NC, 27619