| "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain Unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness … (and) that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men." (The Declaration of Independence) Background for the "Inalienable Right to Life" For the past four years, we have worked closely with pro-life groups and Valley legislators to pass a range of pro-life bills in the VA General Assembly, including most recently an "Inalienable Right to Life" bill (HB 1). Unfortunately, after passage by the House and then by the Senate Committee on Education and Health earlier this year, the full Senate took the unusual step of referring HB 1 back to the Committee for review with a deadline of Thursday, Nov. 29. Now, with only a few days remaining, that Committee has only three options: 1) to reaffirm its earlier approval and send it back to the Senate for a final vote in January, 2) to reverse its decision and vote it down, or 3) to do nothing and thus kill it by default. HB 1: Why It Matters and How You Can Help In this situation, we are urging Chairman Steve Martin to call the Committee together and to pass HB 1 again. However, we know that our pro-life friends will again face strong opposition and could be tempted to put Politics over Principle. Therefore, we need to encourage them to stand strong for life and to reaffirm their support for HB-1. For Action: To that end, please join us in thanking Senator Martin for his past support of pro-life bills and ask him to bring the Committee together before it's too late. You can call his office at (804) 674-0242 or write him by clicking on district11@senate.virginia.gov. A sample note follows below for your reference. An Open Letter to Senator Steve Martin Dear Senator Martin: On behalf of the Valley Family Forum and the legions of pro-life voices around the Commonwealth, I want to thank you for your past support of pro-life initiatives in the Virginia Senate. To continue that record, and as we have discussed before, we now urge you to convene a special session of the Education and Health Committee before the Nov. 29 deadline for the purpose of reaffirming its earlier vote in support of the "Inalienable Right to Life" bill (HB 1). In principle, the bill simply affirms the first of the inalienable rights referred to in the Declaration of Independence. Beyond that, however, it also codifies what we all know as a self-evident truth, that life begins at conception. As such, it would provide critical guidance for Virginia courts that are often required to balance competing interests in cases involving the rights of unborn children. While this might seem to be a simple proposition, we are keenly aware of the opposition you will face from a loud and sometimes violent army of pro-abortion activists, and even from some of our pro-life friends who may prefer to avoid "social issues" in order to focus on other matters. Nevertheless, we hope and expect that you will stand up to that opposition and to fight once more for a principle that stands above all others, the defense of innocent human life itself. Like you, we understand that we are not called to avoid the battle but rather to stand together in the fight for what we know is right. I look forward to receiving your assurance that the Committee will be meeting to consider HB 1 and to working with you in every way possible to ensure its passage. Once that is accomplished, please also know that we will proudly stand with you in seeking the support of your other Senate colleagues in January. With Warm Regards, for Faith, Family, and Freedom! Dean Welty, Director Valley Family Forum (540) 438-8966 | 
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