You Have To See This Graphic!
When something memorable happens in your life it is common to acquire a keepsake to help you recollect events worthy of memory.
Hoosiers for Life has many trinkets and reminders that we've collected over the years, but one stands out among the rest. This picture is the single most profound reminder that we must stop abortion immediately.
Before I show you the picture, you must know the backstory.
In the quest to stop abortion we knew we had to have a legislator to file the Protection at Conception Bill. Curt Nisly of Goshen has proven to be a strong advocate for preborn children and with no hesitation he claimed the opportunity.
Once the bill was filed, it traveled into a committee of Speaker Brian Bosma’s choice, the Public Policy Committee. This panel holds 12 individuals who mainly claim to be pro-life and who were elected generally because of their stance against abortion.
Each Committee is elected a Chair, to hold the authority over that legislative group. The Chair is elected by Speaker Bosma and is someone who not only sticks with the agenda for the year but also one who is compliant to Bosma’s direction. If Bosma says no hearing in a bill...there must be no hearing.
Ben Smaltz was the main attraction last year. He held the position of Public Policy Chair, and held out on Indiana voters statewide as they begged for a fair hearing and vote on the Protection at Conception bill. Bosma said no vote...Ben said, ‘yes sir’.
Ben Smaltz would never admit his overzealous submission to Leadership, and certainly would never admit compromise over his own constituents, so instead he gave three failed reasons why he couldn't give the bill a hearing in hopes of keeping the affection of his district. All three lead right up to the infamous picture we will soon show you.
Ben’s first “reason” was the bow to Roe vs Wade, which is an obvious cop out as we all know. Indiana has claimed life begins at conception in the legislative code and in the state constitution for many years. We all know states have the ability to stand against court opinion, just as many of them do with other issues, such as gay marriage, gun rights, and marijuana laws. It’s just a matter of voters making them take that stand.
When that didn’t work with voters, his next move was to claim that because the bill had no rape exception, he couldn’t support it. He used the example of his own wife, and Smaltz said if she was raped and laying on the exam table, he would want her to kill her unborn baby.
This was not only an unusual statement but a gross stand when claiming you are a Christian pro-life legislator. I would say this created huge concern for his prior supporters. The appeal to the general public that babies conceived through rape have the right to die, didn’t sit well with Indiana voters. His exact quote was, "If my wife is on the table and the government comes in and says 'no,' there's going to be a fight.” (Read story here)
Then when he had nothing left, he sent out his severability statement. This was intended to scare pro-life voters into not supporting the Protection at Conception Bill, and for the most part it worked...but not for long.
Let me explain this and then I will show you the picture that we have hanging on our wall.
Severability is the term used for when legislation is severed into parts. It means Judges can severout good stuff if they prefer, leaving behind something completely different than what was offered in the first place. This also means that they have the jurisdiction to take away good parts of the existing law. This can happen with any bill, any bill except ours and this is why...
Because of this very concern, Hoosiers for Life and Rep. Curt Nisly agreed that we would intentionally put in a ‘non-severability clause’ into the bill. This was to ensure nothing could be taken out of the existing law...that if Protection at Conception was to fail, everything would go back to the way it was prior to the bill being filed.
Many states use non-severability in their bill language, and the effectiveness of it is strong and withstanding. Yet, most voters don’t know this, and Ben Smaltz used their lack of knowledge on this kind of clause to his advantage.
The truth is that every life bill that has been proposed to the legislature outside of Protection at Conception, does not contain a “non-severability clause” and poses a MUCH greater risk than our bill.
Any bill filed without this exemption is a great risk to preborn babies, Rep Smaltz knows this, and he still continues to support the establishment political agenda while disregarding the requests of Indiana voters of having a fair hearing and a VOTE on this bill.
Last year 8,000 babies died. Rep. Smaltz took the only bill that could have prevented them from being suctioned out or ripped apart, and slyly slid it off his desk and into the trash. Ben Smaltz’ submission to the establishment leadership in Indiana over voters made him responsible for Indiana’s 8,000 children that no longer exist today.
Because of all of this, we then were granted this keepsake...
Representative Ben Smaltz of Auburn, the Chairman of the Public Policy Committee, and the one who killed the Protection at Conception bill was given the honor by Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky as a hero.
They posted this picture on their facebook wall after it was acknowledged that Ben Smaltz was no longer going to intervene for the lives of these precious babies. They were so proud and thanked him publicly!
Friends, everytime I see this my blood boils. I think of all the little boys and girls that could be here today. I think of Planned Parenthood and all the lives they have taken from us. I think of Ben Smaltz’ district and how they had believed Rep. Smaltz to be something different than someone who compromises his convictions for power and recognition.
We keep this picture as a solemn reminder to the babies that died and it serves as our strongest motivator to take every resource we have to make sure that this NEVER happens again.
As you can see from our keepsake above, we have work that needs done in the Indiana legislature!
When Planned Parenthood is thanking the pro-life, conservative, Christian, Republican, we have a major problem on our hands. But, I am willing to work hard and fight to make Indiana a better place for ALL Hoosiers, including pre-born Hoosier babies. And I know you are, too.
Please, contact your representatives TODAY, let them know you support Curt Nisly’s Protection at Conception bill, and DEMAND they support it, too.
Then, if you haven’t signed the petition letting Indiana Republican leadership know you support the bill, please do so right away, and consider forwarding the petition to friends who will sign. We need to remind these politicians who put them in office and demand our voices be heard!
Finally, please consider chipping in $10 or $20 to help me reach more people like you who could help us as we fight for the lives of Hoosier Babies.
Believe me, Ben Smaltz DOES NOT want you to see the keepsake I shared with you. He and the rest of the Republican leadership would LOVE for us to slink away quietly, hang our heads in defeat, and give up. Afterall, have they not already plotted to kill the bill again this year?
Let me tell you this: I am never giving up. Too much is at stake. The lives of 8,000 Indiana babies hang in the balance. Threats from the House Speaker to kill pro-life bills coupled with Ben Smaltz proven loyalty to leadership over voters is not enough to scare me away.
And so, when abortion giant Planned Parenthood honors Ben Smaltz, the “pro-life” Republican, I will make sure you know about it.
The abortion death toll is rising, and Curt Nisly will propose an end to the slaughter. What will the other pro-life Republicans do about it this year? I’ll keep you informed on that, too. Let’s urge these legislators to do right and be champions for life this year, instead of Planned Parenthood’s heroes.
For Life,
Amy Schlichter
Executive Director
P.S. Planned Parenthood publicly thanked Public Policy Chair, Republican Ben Smaltz, for killing the bill that would have saved 8,000 babies from abortion last year. Smaltz doesn’t want you to see the graphic above! Please, contact your representatives TODAY, let them know you support Curt Nisly’s Protection at Conception bill, and DEMAND they support it, too.
Then, if you haven’t signed the petition letting Indiana Republican leadership know you support the bill, please do so right away, and consider forwarding the petition to friends who will sign.
P.P.S. Please consider chipping in $10 or $20 to help me reach more people like you who could help us as we fight for the lives of Hoosier Babies.