"Thank you for taking the time to share your comments and concerns with me. Our party's success depends on the active participation of supporters like you, and I hope you will write often.

Abortion is a fundamental moral question that divides America, and both political parties. As a citizen and a voter, I am pro-life, but I recognize that not all Republicans share my view. As chairman of the RNC, I am committed to working on behalf of the many great issues that unite our party -- a balanced budget, lower taxes, a smaller, less intrusive government -- and I pledge to do my best to help elect our party's nominees at all levels on the ticket I hope you will stand with me in that cause."

Imagine what would happen if Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, wrote a similar letter to a pro-abortion Democrat? A few wimpy letters like that and NOW, NARAL and EMILY's List would have him deposed in short order. Democrats demand absolute adherence to their Party's pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, pro-big government agenda as the price for positions of Party leadership or support for pursuit of national office -and they get it. It's called coalition politics, something Ronald Reagan understood and practiced.

New Hampshire Governor Strikes Down Pro-Life Laws 
Surrounded by longtime pro-abortion advocates, Gov. Jeanne Shaheen signed into law a bill that removes three 1848 pro-life laws from New Hampshire's books. The 149-year-old laws were the only abortion restrictions on the state's law books. The repeal -- sought for many years by pro-abortion activists -- takes effect January 1. Pro-abortion forces have succeeded in passing bills to repeal the laws three times previously, but former Republican Gov. Judd Gregg, now a U.S. Senator, vetoed the legislation in 1989, 1990 and 1992. Shaheen's predecessor, Steve Merrill, used his influence to squelch efforts to repeal the laws during his four years in office.

Shaheen, a Democrat and former National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) board member, pledged during her campaign she'd sign a bill if it was sent to her desk. Afterward, Shaheen said she would give the pen used to sign the bill to Peg Dobbie, NARAL's executive director. (Manchester Union-Leader, 6/3/97)

Dole Tells Students Assisted Suicide OK "in some cases" 
Former U.S. Sentator and unsuccessful Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole spoke to a group of high school students who were in Washington for Presidential Classroom, a program designed to teach young people about U.S. government. In response to a question, Dole said assisted suicide "could be justified" in some cases. (AP - 7/1/97)

Pharmacists' Right to Refuse 
82% of pharmacists think they have the "right to refuse to fill a prescription for a drug such as RU-486 that would facilitate an abortion." The poll of 625 pharmacists was conducted on the heels of reports that the California Pharmacists Assn., which allows pharmacists to "refuse to fill prescriptions based on ethical, moral or religious grounds," recently supported a local pharmacist, reprimanded by his employer, for refusing to dispense "morning-after" pills. Pro-life pharmacists need more information on the abortifacient properties of oral contraceptives and the drugs Depo Provera and Norplant.

K-Mart Will Dispense Abortifacient Drugs 
K-Mart corporation has taken a hard-ball approach to pharmacists who invoke conscience clauses. The June 8 Salt Lake Tribune quoted spokesman Dan Jarvis as saying, "K-Mart will distribute morning after pills when a doctor prescribes them. We will not tolerate a pharmacist who, on his own because of his own beliefs, will not distribute these medications." Last December K-Mart fired Indiana pharmacist Karen Brauer for refusing to dispense MicroNor, a progestin-only pill that is highly abortifacient. Interested parties may express their opinions to K-Mart by calling 1-800-635-6278. (San Diego News Notes/July-August 1997)

Oregon Children's Clothing Company Promotes Pro-Abortion Candidates 
Hanna Andersson, a children's clothing catalogue company based in Portland, OR, has supplied use of its phones to the Oregon National Abortion Rights Action League for its voter information drive to "specifically educate voters on local candidates' stance or voting records." Don Wildmon of the American Family Association said Hanna Andersson "has absolutely no conscience. On the one hand they sell little children's clothes because the money is good, and on the other they spend those same dollars to help in promoting Oregon NARAL's position of killing babies in their mother's womb." (AFA Journal, January 1997)

Planned Parenthood Sues to Overturn Texas Law 
Faced with the loss of millions of taxpayer dollars, Planned Parenthood has sued to overturn a state budget provision that would ban the distribution of taxpayer-funded prescription drugs to minors without their parents' permission.

Pro-life Republican Senator Steve Ogden, who sponsored the rider to this year's budget bill, said he believes the measure will survive the legal challenge. "Texas taxpayers shouldn't pay for teenagers who get contraceptives or other prescription medicine without their parents' knowledge," he said.

Planned Parenthood claims the law violates the teens' right to privacy. They also claim it violates the Texas Constitution which prohibits legislating through the budget bill. Austin-based spokesman for Planned Parenthood, Margot Clarke, said, "This is going to impact every family planning provider in this state." Texas Department of Health officials have asked the federal government whether the state can restrict federal family planning money. They have found several Texas' attorney general opinions that say federal money becomes state money once it is deposited in the Texas treasury. (Dallas Morning News, 7/23/97)