Americans United for Life has released their 2017 Life List, “Based on How Well Women are Protected from Abortion Industry Abuses.” For the second year in a row, Oklahoma was ranked the most protective state. Here is the full list:
- Oklahoma
- Kansas, same as last year
- Louisiana, same as last year, and has been a top state before
- Arkansas, same as last year
- Arizona
- South Dakota
- Mississippi
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Pennsylvania
In addition to the Life List, AUL also references its Women’s Protection Project and Infants’ Protection Project, where Oklahoma ranks fifth and first, respectively. Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma are the only four states on all three lists, and AUL highlighted them as “AUL All-Stars.”
In June 2016, Oklahoma passed a fetal education law, which ensures that accurate embryology is taught in public schools. Students will also understand the facts surrounding abortion, which scientifically kills a human being. “Oklahoma continues to enact comprehensive and protective laws and regulations, counting it more important to protect women from a predatory abortion industry which values profits over women’s lives and health,” AUL pointed out.
Arizona is noted for how, [with original emphasis], “it has improved its enforcement of existing abortion laws and ensured that abortion facilities are regularly and rigorously inspected. In 2016, Arizona enacted measures to ensure the integrity of taxpayer dollars and to prohibit the use of the broken bodies of aborted babies for experimentation or research.” Live Action News has also highlighted the state’s defunding of Planned Parenthood in addition to 2016 Arizona proposals to regulate the abortion pill, including requiring abortionists to inform patients about abortion pill reversal. in addition to the state’s defunding of Planned Parenthood. Information on reversing an abortion anywhere in the United States, specifically one begun with the abortion pill, can be found here or by calling Abortion Pill Reversal’s 24-hour nurse-staffed hotline at 1-877-558-0333.
Arkansas is highlighted for being “a leader in implementing the Mother-Child strategy, enacting laws that protect both mother and child from the harms inherent in abortion. It maintains strong informed consent and parental involvement requirements, comprehensive health and safety requirements for abortion facilities, and effective limits on state taxpayer funding for abortion and abortion providers.” Late last year, Arkansas also introduced a bill to ban second-trimester D&E abortions.
AUL pointed to Mississippi for its “ban on abortions at or after 20 weeks (based on maternal health concerns and fetal pain), its informed consent law, and comprehensive protection for healthcare freedom of conscience.” Abortions at 20 weeks can be committed by D&E, by induction, or a variety of other less common methods. Live Action News has highlighted Missisippi for its defunding of Planned Parenthood (though that was blocked by a federal judge) and for a law to ban D&E abortions.
AUL also ranked the worst states, and the list is similar to past years’ rankings:
- Washington, the worst state for the eighth year in a row
- California, the fourth worst state last year
- Vermont
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Nevada
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Hawaii
While other states have been highlighted for their conscience protections, Live Action News has noted that Washington has been particularly unkind (not to mention unconstitutional) to its pro-life pharmacists.
AUL has also published a report, Unsafe, highlighting abuses in the abortion industry. This must-read report will hopefully bring about more pro-life laws that will end the abuses and human rights violations of the dangerous abortion industry in 2017.
