The Catholic Church and the Politics of Abortion: A View From the States by Timothy Byrnes & Mary C. Segers

Author:Timothy Byrnes & Mary C. Segers [Byrnes, Timothy & Segers, Mary C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political Science, General
ISBN: 9780367290542
Google: t6yhDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 52056186
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-09-13T00:00:00+00:00

Interest Groups

Mary Beliveau is the chief lobbyist for the Pro-Life Federation, a non sectarian, non denominational, composite of pro-life groups.18 This group is an umbrella organization and very much stresses grass roots organization. Included in this federation are both the Catholic Conference and fundamentalist groups. Beliveau credited Friend for his co-ordinating role and stated that the federation's chief goal was to maintain constituent support for the legislation. In light of the post -Webster mobilization of pro-choice forces, Beliveau said it was imperative that the legislators were made aware of constituent preference for this legislation. Beliveau complained that the media had a tendency to exaggerate the scope of the legislation. The federation, therefore, focused on educating the public as to the actual restrictions contained in the bill. Apparently, some constituents were initially opposed to the legislation because they thought abortion was to be outlawed completely. After the Abortion Control Act was passed, the Pro-Life Federation's grass roots strategy became more electoral, concentrating on the election of pro-life candidates to the state legislature.

Morgan Plant was the chief lobbyist for Planned Parenthood.19 In an interview, she agreed with Rep. Friend that this legislation was a direct challenge to Roe. v. Wade, and she argued that the governor had violated his pledge not to sign unconstitutional legislation. Planned Parenthood's chief strategy was to educate the legislators as to the nature of the legislation. For example, legislators had to be made aware of the fact that the health exemption for abortions after twenty-four weeks was so restrictive that many serious health problems or evidence of fetal deformity would still not allow for an abortion to take place. Ms. Plant took little consolation in the few pro-choice amendments that were successful. For example, she stated that the "apparent" victory on fetal experimentation really was based on political considerations of the individual legislators and not on the issue itself. She felt many legislators were privately much more amenable to pro-choice legislation, but the political climate did not allow it. For this reason, her long term strategy is to work for the election of pro-choice candidates in Pennsylvania so as to "change the political landscape on this issue." Her immediate strategy is to challenge all the provisions of the legislation, including the sex selection and the twenty-four week provisions.

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