Wis Catholic Conference: Urge Congress to pass Conscience Protection Act now!

Now is the time to contact your representatives to urge them to co-sponsor and work to enact the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (H.R. 4828/S. 2927). Please tell your members to uphold the right of conscientious objection to abortion by enacting this much-needed legislation. The bill, now introduced into both chambers, contains the policy of what in past years has been called the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA).

The need for federal conscience protection has only grown since 2014, when California started forcing almost all health plans in the state to cover elective abortions, even late-term abortions. This policy has no exemption for moral or religious objections. A mandate for hospitals, even religious ones, to perform abortions may be next. What is more, other states such as Washington and New York may be following California's lead. These actions clearly violate a federal law known as the Weldon Amendment, which forbids governments receiving federal health care funds to discriminate against those who decline to take part in abortion or abortion coverage. Unfortunately, this amendment has legal weaknesses that make it largely ineffective against such challenges.

The Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (H.R. 4828/S. 2927), will protect health care providers from being forced to pay for or participate in abortions, and allow victims of discrimination a "right of action" to defend their rights in court. For example, nurses threatened with loss of their jobs unless they assist in abortions have found they have no right to go to court to see the law enforced. Congress should reaffirm a principle that has long enjoyed broad bipartisan support: Government should not force hospitals, doctors, nurses and other providers to stop offering much-needed health care because they cannot in good conscience participate in destroying a developing life.

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Conscience protection is important, but equally important is reasserting ethics in public health policy. Elective abortion is not medicine and is bad for public health.

Illinois Passes Bill Forcing Every Doctor, Pharmacist and Pregnancy Center to Promote Abortion

Illinois came one step closer to forcing its pro-life medical community to choose between violating state law and violating deeply held religious conscience Wednesday, as the state’s House approved Senate Bill 1564 and set the legislation on the governor’s desk.

The bill, which would introduce decisive changes to Illinois’ Health Care Right of Conscience Act, passed by a 61-54 margin and now awaits the signature of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Originally put forward in the summer of 2015, the legislation would require pro-life medical providers, including 51 Illinois nonprofit pregnancy centers offering free services including ultrasound and STI testing, to take action the bill’s opponents say amounts to participating in an abortion.

Particularly at issue is the bill’s requirement that every Illinois pro-life medical provider of any kind who chooses not to perform a procedure such as abortion or a prescription for birth control has one of three options: Either they must “refer the patient” to another provider, “transfer the patient” to another provider, or provide a list of “other health care providers who they reasonably believe may offer the health care service.”

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Support SB44/AB61 - "Freedom of Conscience in the Workplace" bill

Details on SB 44/AB 61, "Freedom of Conscience in the Workplace" bill

Some call this legislation Right to Work. We call this "Freedom of Conscience in the Workplace"legislation. Essentially, SB 44/AB 61 says Wisconsin workers will have their individual conscience rights respected and will not be forced to join and/or pay dues to a labor union if they choose not to do so.

In recent years, labor unions have taken positions on (and sometimes even funded organizations working on) issues such as abortion and marriage redefinition--positions not shared by all their members. Unions have also frequently supported, by endorsement and/or funding, political candidates whose positions on issues such as abortion and/or marriage are opposed to the positions of some of their members.

Article I, Sec. 18 of our Wisconsin Constitution guarantees liberty of conscience to all citizens: "nor shall any control of, or interference with, the rights of conscience be permitted...." This liberty of conscience should be extended to the workplace. No one should have to violate his/her conscience in order to be employed.

SB 44/AB 61 ensures that the conscience rights of all WI workers are respected.

SB 44/AB 61 does not do away with labor unions in Wisconsin. All SB 44/AB 61 does is to make belonging to a labor union a matter of choice for an employee. For many this is a matter of, finally, being able to work without having their conscience rights violated because they've been forced to join and pay their hard-earned money to a union whose ideological and political positions are different from theirs.

Such freedom of conscience is a fundamental right 
of our American and Wisconsin citizenship.

Wisconsin Family Action