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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Is ALEC Behind the War on Women?

When you consider that the American Legislative Exchange Council distributed an article to their members in 2000 that included this statement:
I was honored to serve as the Junk Science sub-committee Chair on this very important project. The evidence herein speaks for itself, documenting the reckless, imprudent decades-long use of fraudulent "sex science" data to cripple the sex laws and public policies that had served our nation so well until they were deftly subverted by a cadre of legal revolutionaries. It is hoped that this State Factor will serve legislators all over the nation by providing a factual history of how the Kinsey frauds came to dictate school sex education and our sex laws nationwide.
Senator Kay O’Connor Chair of the Subcommittee on Junk Science

I can’t help wondering – based on the radical conservative religious belief of ALEC’s founder Paul Weyrich – is ALEC behind the war on women that is occurring.

A Little “Morality” History About Paul Weyrich

The Moral Majority was formally initiated as a result of a struggle for control of an American conservative Christian advocacy group known as Christian Voice during 1978. Robert Grant, Christian Voice's founder, stated in a news conference that the Religious Right was a "sham... controlled by three Catholics and a Jew." Paul Weyrich, Terry Dolan, Richard Viguerie (the Catholics) and Howard Phillips (the Jew) left Christian Voice. During a 1979 meeting, they urged televangelist Jerry Falwell to found Moral Majority (a phrase coined by Weyrich[3]). This was also the beginning of the New Christian Right.[4][5]

In 1979 he [Falwell] began what would become perhaps his most famous venture, the Moral Majority. Although it is traditionally believed that he was the driving force behind it, many believe that he was more of a figurehead. Much of the ideological and political muscle seems to have come from the financial backers Bob Billings, Paul Weyrich, Ed McAteer and Howard Phillips.

The Moral Majority group took a religious and political stance against abortion, pornography, feminism, homosexuality, and a variety of other things, thus helping in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980

Now On to a Couple of Recent News Items
The Arizona Senate passed a bill Tuesday that will prohibit medical malpractice lawsuits against doctors who withhold information from a woman that could cause her to have an abortion.

The "wrongful birth, wrongful life" lawsuit legislation passed the Republican-controlled Senate 20-9 Tuesday, setting up a coming battle in the GOP-dominated state House of Representatives. The legislation -- which is currently law in nine states -- is sponsored by a Republican senator with close ties to the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council. The approval comes as Kansas lawmakers consider similar legislation.

Sen. Nancy Barto (R-Phoenix) told the Claims Journal that she sponsored the law because she did not want claimants to blame a doctor for a baby born with disabilities. Under the provisions of her bill, a doctor could not face a medical malpractice suit if the doctor withholds information from a mother about health issues facing a child that could cause her to have an abortion. In addition, a lawsuit could not be filed on the child's behalf regarding a disability.

In 2011, Barto was named legislator of the year by ALEC. A press release she issued on the award noted she was on the executive committee of the group's Health and Human Services Task Force and touted her opposition to the federal health care reform law.
Kansas lawmakers are currently debating a measure that would allow doctors to withhold information from a mother in order to prevent an abortion and not face a malpractice suit.

Former Rep. Nancy Barto (R-7; now Sen., R-7)[17], Health and Human Services Task Force member and 2011 ALEC State Legislator of the Year[1]

Kansas lawmakers are currently debating a measure

    state Rep. Lance Kinzer (R-Olathe), a vocal abortion opponent, is the driving force behind the legislation. Kinzer did not return several calls.

Gatewood believes that Kinzer had help in shaping the proposal. "I have a feeling that the governor and senior legislators have had input on this bill," he said.

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has not indicated his position on the bill but previously has said he is willing to sign anti-abortion bills. Brownback's spokesman did not return a call for comment.

Lawmakers were informed of its existence last Thursday, six days before the scheduled committee meeting.

Kansas lawmakers have been given six days to consider one of the most sweeping state anti-abortion bills to be introduced.

A Kansas House committee is scheduled to take up a bill Wednesday that would exempt doctors from malpractice suits if they withheld medical information to prevent an abortion. The measure would also take away tax credits for abortion providers, remove tax deductions for the purchase of abortion-related insurance coverage and require women to hear the fetal heartbeat.

Among the most contested provisions of the bill is the section that would exempt a doctor from a medical malpractice suit if a woman claims the physician withheld information about potential birth defects to prevent her from having an abortion. In addition, a woman would not be able to sue if she suffers health damage from a pregnancy as a result of information withheld from her to prevent an abortion..

Rep. Lance Kinzer (R-14),[80] ALEC Civil Justice Task Force and International Relations Task Force member, attended 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[81]


Currently the folllowing states
Pennsylvania, 1981
North Dakota,
South Dakota,
Utah, 1983
Idaho, 1985
Indiana, 1998
Missouri, 1986
Minnesota 1982
have wrongful birth laws - with the year passed noted.
See what happens when we aren’t paying attention.

But this is 2012 - this is the 21st century!!!! A lot has happened since the 1980's!

But – note the dates these states passed this and remember from above:

In 1979 he [Falwell] began what would become perhaps his most famous venture, the Moral Majority. Although it is traditionally believed that he was the driving force behind it, many believe that he was more of a figurehead. Much of the ideological and political muscle seems to have come from the financial backers Bob Billings, Paul Weyrich, Ed McAteer and Howard Phillips.


By restricting a physician's speech to further "reduce the
incidence of abortion,    . These parents
will now be unable to establish the requisite duty of the physician
to inform. Thus, these parents will never reach the merits
of the constitutional right to an abortion.

These women, will be forced to carry pregnancies full term without
being properly informed of the consequences.

They will be deprived of their constitutional right to an abortion,
 their liberty interest in medical self-determination, and
will not have a cause of action against the physician
for failure to inform

Consequently, the parents and the impaired children will suffer irreparably with the financial burden coming to rest on public funds..

These women, deprived of this medical information, have nowhere to turn.


ALEC may call this “tort reform” – but I have another name for it.

When you consider that ALEC legislators
        according to ALEC
        only represent less than  1/3rd of all state legislators
        (ALEC membership nearly 2,000 state legislators, total legislators, 7,382) –

To have both of these bills sponsored by ALEC members can only lead to the following question:
Are the right wing extremist conservative members of ALEC behind the war on women?

It is worth taking a look at who is sponsoring the "war on women" legislation and connecting the dots.
Do the dots all come back to ALEC?


ALEC members and those affiliated with ALEC in any manner
MUST NOT BE RE-ELECTED or receive our support in any means or manner!

Without state and federal legislators ALEC will cease to exist and it will implode.

For more information on ALEC –
Please read this or this or this

This is what ALEC is About  - An Interview with Mark Pocan about the ALEC Annual Meeting.

A Minnesota specific report about ALEC by Common Cause.

And watch this news video  from North Carolina on how other ALEC "model legislation" is going to screw the citizens of North Carolina - legislation introduced by ALEC legislators.

Do your own "act of education".
Distribute these materials about ALEC to your friends and family.

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