By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
The countdown to the convention has begun—and I could not be more excited!
I relish the opportunity to join with people from across the nation in Pittsburgh June 23rd and 24th to mark the one-year anniversary of the overturn of that dastardly U.S. Supreme Court decision known as Roe v. Wade.
A lot has happened in the wake of the demise of Roe. Most importantly, it is estimated that tens of thousands of preborn babies’ lives have been saved as a result of protective laws which went into effect post-Roe. That also means that thousands of mothers have been spared the profound pain of losing a child to abortion.
I have also noticed a new energy in the pro-life movement, as people who might have been silent before are lending their voices in support of the preborn children who cannot speak for themselves. At the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, the Keystone State affiliate of National Right to Life, I have seen a renewed interest in grassroots involvement at the local county chapter level. This warms my heart, as local chapters are really the lifeblood of our life-affirming, life-changing movement.
We will be quite fortunate at the convention to have Pennsylvania state Representative Rob Mercuri (R-Allegheny County) and former PA state Senator Jeff Piccola. They will be holding a fascinating discussion on effective lobbying techniques at the state level. This comes at a critical time in Pennsylvania, as high-level budget discussions are now underway. The outcome of those discussions will determine how much PA invests in programs that assist pregnant women and their babies.
If you have not already done so, please register now for the National Right to Life convention conveniently online at https://nrlconvention.com/ . I cannot wait to see you there!