By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press
Catholics and other Massachusetts residents are being asked to oppose legislative bills that would expand abortion and legalize physician-assisted suicide in the commonwealth.
A public hearing for the abortion bills (Senate Bill 1209 and House Bill 3320) is scheduled for Monday, June 17, before the
Joint Committee on the Judiciary. Many other bills are also scheduled for that hearing, which is to begin at 1 p.m.
The hearing for the physician-assisted suicide bills (H. 1926 and S. 1208) is scheduled for June 25, beginning at 11 a.m., before the
Joint Committee on Public Health.
Both hearings are in Gardner Auditorium in the State House in Boston.
“State-wide organizations are in full tilt getting their members ready to oppose these bills,” said Sandra A. Kucharski, a member of Sacred Heart–St. Catherine of Sweden Parish in Worcester and the diocesan Respect Life Committee.
“No legislator on that committee (on the Judiciary) should be able to say they voted without seeing thousands of Massachusetts citizens testifying to the truth that our women’s, our girls’, and our infants’ lives matter more than an abortion industry’s profit,” said information from Massachusetts Citizens For Life, calling on people to “flood the State House” for Monday’s hearing. “No legislator on that committee will leave the hearing room without confronting the face of those very citizens this bill disenfranchises and assaults.”
“Everyone is encouraged to attend the public hearings,” Ms. Kucharski said, suggesting that people car pool or take public transportation.
“We know the opposition - the pro-abortion groups such as Planned Parenthood and National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) and Compassion & Choices - will have their supporters out in force,” Ms. Kucharski said. “We need to respond with like numbers. You do not have to testify if you attend the hearings.”
Those who want to give brief oral testimony sign up at the entrance to the room, she said. If quoting a scientific study, they should submit a written copy of the study to the committee for the permanent record.
Everyone, whether or not they testify orally or even attend the hearing, should submit written testimony, she said. In written testimony, which can be emailed to committee members, Massachusetts residents should explain their position on the issue, using information such as supporting studies, personal experience, etc. Phone calls should be made to committee members and one’s own legislators.
“Contact your legislators, let them know you are a Massachusetts voter, and say no on abortion expansion,” said a parish bulletin insert from the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the bishops’ public policy office.
The abortion bills have different names but are the same, said James Driscoll, Massachusetts Catholic Conference executive director. Senate Bill 1209, presented by Worcester Sen. Harriette L. Chandler, is called “An Act to remove obstacles and expand abortion access.” House Bill 3320, presented by Rep. Patricia A. Haddad and Rep. Jay D. Livingstone, is “An Act removing obstacles and expanding access to women’s reproductive health.”
Mr. Driscoll said objections to raise are that these bills:
– Expand abortion access, including late-term abortions, during the nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason
– Eliminate requirements that late-term abortions be performed in a hospital
– Eliminate the requirement that provides medical care to a child who survives an abortion attempt
– Eliminate the requirement that a minor under age 18 have the consent of a parent, guardian or the courts to have an abortion
– Expand state funding for women who cannot afford an abortion
Mr. Driscoll said the physician-assisted suicide bills, both called “An Act relative to end of life options,” are the same.
Catholic teaching is that life is sacred from conception to natural death – not doctor-prescribed death – Mr. Driscoll said.
Among other reasons for opposing these bills are that no witnesses are required when patients take their lives and patients must have six months or fewer to live. But, Mr. Driscoll said, many people live longer than their diagnosis.
More information about physician-assisted suicide and this hearing is available on the website
witnessforlife.com.
After the hearings, the committees could vote on the bills or let them die in committee, Mr. Driscoll said. If a committee votes in favor of a bill, the bill moves through the legislative process in one way or another, he said.
– To find their representatives, Massachusetts residents can type their address into the website:
malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator.
They can then click on the legislators’ names to get their contact information.
To get contact information for legislators on the committees, people can go to:
Joint Committee on the Judiciary (abortion bills)
malegislature.gov/Committees/Detail/J19/191 Joint Committee on Public Health (physician-assisted suicide bills)
malegislature.gov/Committees/Detail/J16 People can also seek legislators’ contact information by calling the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-746-5630.