* The 1996 abortion statistics for the United States has been released. Wyoming has the lowest rate at two per 1,000 women ages 15 – 44 (total number for the year – 208). California still has the highest rate of abortions as has been the case since 1994. It dipped slightly since last year from 40 per 1,000 to 39 per 1,000. The actual number is a staggering 280,180 dead babies. New York had the second highest rate at 37 per 1,000 women. The nationwide rate remained at 20 per 1,000 women, reported The Associated Press, using the Centres for Disease Control figures. The number of reported deaths was 1,221,585. This is the first year since 1990 that the rate did not drop from the previous year. (With files from Pro-Life E-News)
* The U.S. House of Representatives opened debate yesterday on a foreign aid bill which includes an anti-abortion amendment that was supported earlier in the day by a vote of 228- 200. It “prohibits U.S. aid to organizations that use privately raised funds to lobby in favor of liberalized abortion laws,” notes the Associated Press. President Clinton has underwhelmed observers with his predictable promise to veto the bill if it does not grant recipients the freedom to use it to kill babies.
* Pro-life activists are suing Florida’s much-loved pro-life Sheriff, John McDougall, for restricting their access to abortuaries to counsel women. According to an article in Naples News, the pro-lifers claim that the Lee County Sheriff is being pressured by heavyweights in Washington. Mr. McDougall, however, says that he is simply attempting to apply the law in as just a manner as possible. Having said that, he has also demonstrated sympathy for the pro- life activists, telling Naples News: “ “In an odd way, I really do wish they could prevail.”
* Oregon’s Legislature last week backed down from an attempt to block funding for abortion and assisted suicide. “Pro-abortion Gov. John Kitzhaber vetoed the $2.2 billion general-fund budget for the Department of Human Resources,” wrote Catholic World News this week, “because pro-life legislators removed $2.8 million in funding for abortion and assisted suicide.” The Legislature chose not to continue the battle.