Coffee Praises ‘Rose Day’ Participants

Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee praised “Rose Day” participants who rallied at the state Capitol Wednesday, and credited them for last year’s passage of pro-life legislation for the first time in a generation.

“Senate Republicans are very pleased to welcome the Rose Day participants to the Oklahoma State Capitol today, and we praise them for the tireless efforts in support of the unborn,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

“Last year was a break-through for pro-lifers in the Oklahoma Legislature, and our success in passing the first pro-life bill in a generation was the direct result of the prayer and advocacy of everyday Oklahomans like the good people who are here at the Capitol for Rose Day,” Coffee said.

“For years, pro-life legislation was bottled up by the state Senate’s liberal Democrat leadership. But with a record number of Republicans in the state Senate last year, and a new GOP majority in the House, pro-life legislators were finally able to force the Senate’s Democrat leadership to allow a vote on the issue – and we passed it,” Coffee said.

Coffee noted that Senate Republicans are pushing for passage of four pro-life bills in 2006:

? SB 1694, by Sen. David Myers of Ponca City, would require that women seeking an abortion be informed that printed materials are available describing the pain a fetus may feel during an abortion, and requiring that women be informed that certain measures may be taken to eliminate the pain an abortion causes to an unborn child.
? SB 1781, by Sen. Cliff Aldridge of Choctaw, would provide information, counseling, and support services to assist pregnant women in choosing alternatives to abortion, such as adoption.
? SB 1898, by Sen. Randy Brogdon of Owasso, would require that women seeking abortions be informed that ultrasound imaging and heart tone monitoring services are available so that the mother can view the development of her unborn child.
? SB 1739, by Sen. Owen Laughlin of Woodward, would require better statistical reporting by abortion providers about abortions, such as the number of abortions performed and complications that developed during procedures.