The mission of Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF) is to give innocent and helpless human beings of any age, particularly unborn children, a trained and committed defense against the threat of death, and to support their advocates in the nation's courtrooms. LLDF will accomplish its mission and purpose through the law and education.
Senate Bill 780 Sent to Governor
Contact: Dana CodySacramento, California 916.727.4396
September 19, 2001
SACRAMENTO, CA - This month Senate Bill 780, authored by pro-abortion Senator Deborah Ortiz, was sent to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Allegedly the bill claims to protect California citizens from “anti-reproductive rights crime,” although its provisions are redundant of both state and federal laws. Further, the bill’s provisions only protect citizens who support abortion, not those who oppose it. “This bill punishes citizens holding one viewpoint and protects others holding the opposite viewpoint. This isn’t racism, its ‘viewism,’” states Dana Cody, attorney and Executive Director of Life Legal Defense Foundation.
Senator Ortiz used the Senate Office of Research as her personal lobbying arm to advance SB 780. A report by the SOR, Crimes Against Reproductive Rights in California, was relied on to justify SB 780. Not surprisingly, the report was requested by Senator Ortiz and authored by a pro-abortion SOR staff member who appeared at committee hearings with the Senator.
The SOR report implies that the election of George Bush signaled to anti-abortion extremists (and racist, homophobic, and anti-government extremists they associate with, according to the report) that there is now a green light for violence against clinics and abortion providers. Repeated attempts to bring to the Senator’s attention violence committed against abortion opponents were ignored. She was provided with police reports and newspaper accounts but dismissed them in her testimony to the Assembly Judiciary Committee in July as unreliable. Further, there is not one reported death or injury resulting from “anti-reproductive rights” crime in California, but the SOR report instead references specific instances elsewhere is the United States.
“In the face of the overwhelming threat we know our country now faces, we do not have the luxury of using our law enforcement personnel as state props in political morality tales,” stated Catherine Short, Legal Director for Life Legal Defense Foundation. “They must be free to do their jobs, to protect all Californians against the very real threats to life and property directed to all of us. To hobble them with special assignments to protect particular interests against imaginary threats is not just irresponsible, it is dangerous!”
“We are hopeful that the Governor will remember the phrase ‘equal protection under the law’ and veto this pernicious bill. Does the term ‘McCarthyism’ ring any bells?” implores Ms. Cody. For more information call 916.727.4396.
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