“Joining the MCCL March for Life on Jan. 22 is one of the most effective actions a pro-life citizen can take all year,” said Scott Fischbach, executive director of MCCL. “As lawmakers prepare for the 2008 session, pro-lifers shine a bright light on the sanctity of life and the imperative of justice for unborn babies, their mothers and other vulnerable persons. Every marcher there is truly helping save lives.”

The 2008 March for Life begins at noon, and signs will be available for marchers on the Capitol grounds. A short program featuring state and local elected officials will begin at 12:30 p.m. MCCL encourages citizens to arrange to meet with elected officials following the event as well.

The 2008 march will be preceded by an ecumenical prayer service at the Cathedral of Saint Paul at 10:30 a.m.

During each legislative session, MCCL works to help pass pro-life laws in the state. The 2008 MCC legislative agenda includes legislation dealing with abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, stem cell research and other issues concerning human life.

MCCL’s team of four lobbyists will work to ban saline abortions—a procedure in which an unborn child is suffocated and burned to death in the womb by injection of a poisonous saline solution. According to MCCL, more than 50 saline abortions have been performed in Minnesota in the last five years.

Lobbyists with the organization will continue to work to end taxpayer funding of abortions in Minnesota. As many as 28 percent of the abortions performed in the state are paid for with state tax dollars at a cost of $1.4 million per year, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

MCCL will also continue to oppose the Kahn-Cohen Cloning Bill, which would sanction and help fund University of Minnesota embryonic stem cell research. The pro-life organization will also continue to defend existing pro-life laws, including: the Woman’s Right to Know Law, the Positive Alternatives Act, and the Unborn Child Pain Prevention Act.

MCCL’s third annual Student Day at the Capitol will take place March 3 and 10. During these events, students visit the Capitol to learn about the legislative process, how MCCL works to pass pro-life legislation, and meet with elected officials. In 2007, more than 300 students met with Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Speaker of the House Marty Seifert.

MCCL will also celebrate its 40th anniversary on June 12. The organization is planning events to mark the occasion with more details forthcoming.

“Our 40th anniversary will celebrate the countless lives saved and honor the dedication and perseverance of our passionate volunteers,” Fischbach said. “Our tens of thousands of grassroots activists are the reason why Minnesota has more protective laws in place than almost any other state.”


PLAM
Immediately following the 2008 March for Life, Pro-Life Action Ministries will hold a prayer meeting outside Regions Hospital. The facility is owned by Health Partners and hosts a third trimester abortion facility. PLAM has organized a campaign to close the abortion facility (www.savehealthpartners.com) that includes a petition signed by more than 7,000 people.

“We want to bring the focus to Health Partners/Regions because very few people are aware that an abortion facility exists within Regions Hospital, and many people who care about the mother and her unborn child may use the services at Regions,” said Brian Walker, program director at PLAM.

The Jan. 22 prayer meeting at Regions will mark the kickoff of the Twin Cities 40 Days for Life Campaign. Part of an ongoing national effort, PLAM is coordinating 40 Days for Life efforts in Minnesota.

The goal of 40 Days for Life is to bring together pro-life organizations and churches in a grassroots movement based on prayer, fasting, peaceful public vigils and community outreach in efforts to reduce the number of abortions in a region. According to the national organization, parts of the country have seen 25 percent reductions in visits to Planned Parenthood or private abortion facilities because of the campaign.

In Minnesota, PLAM is calling for volunteers to help maintain a 24/7, 40-day presence in front of Regions Hospital and other abortion facilities in the state.

“We are asking individuals and those who have Health Partners as an HMO provider to boycott non-emergency services at the hospital, and we are asking that they join us on the street to reveal what’s really going on in there,” Walker said.

PLAM is organizing a prayer vigil for Labor Day weekend during the Republican National Committee convention. The group will also continue sidewalk counseling efforts and other prayer vigils throughout 2008.


ACTION POINT:
For more information about Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and the 2008 March for Life, visit www.mccl.org. To read more about Pro-Life Action Ministries, visit www.plam.org. For more details about the national 40 Days for Life Campaign, visit www.40daysforlife.com.