By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
If you're busy raising children, caring for grandchildren, working a job, or taking care of your home, you may not have had time to analyze the record of Democratic Governor Tom Wolf on the life issues.
So, here's a snapshot of the Governor's policy positions and background.
The Governor came into office as what was believed to be the first Chief Executive in Pennsylvania history who had volunteered as an escort outside an abortion center. He quickly named a Planned Parenthood official as his Chief of Staff.
Governor Wolf came out squarely against a bill that would have banned the outrageous practice of dismemberment abortion, where a baby is torn limb by limb from a mother's womb. The common sense measure would have also changed the legal limit for abortions in Pennsylvania from 24 weeks to 20 weeks to reflect the amazing medical breakthroughs that have enabled doctors and nurses to save premature infants at earlier ages. The dismemberment ban had the support of a vast majority of Pennsylvanians, according to a statewide public opinion poll. The ban also won backing from a majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Support for the ban was actually higher among women than men.
The Governor's office then said he would veto House Bill 2050, the Down Syndrome Protection Act. This disability rights bill would ban abortions for the sole reason of Down syndrome diagnoses. The bill is a response to the massive tragedy in which the great majority of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome in the womb are aborted. The bill passed the Pennsylvania House by an overwhelming veto-proof majority and is now being considered by the Pennsylvania Senate.
Governor Wolf continues to defend taxpayer funding of organizations that perform abortions, such as the abortion giant Planned Parenthood, which takes the lives of more than 300,000 preborn babies each year.
If you know someone who does not know the Governor's positions on the life issues, please share this information with him or her. It is critically important that the citizens of Pennsylvania know where our public officials stand.
