Dear Friend,
I’ve been saying it for years.
Politicians are predictable creatures.
And it is election time again.
So it’s no surprise to see our Indiana State Representatives worming their way out of the 2022 legislative session, where they killed the Protection of Life bill, straight onto the campaign trail, touting their pro-life positions.
In fact, some are even bragging about how they’re the only candidate in their race who is pro-life, when there is nothing further from the truth!
I’ve seen it happen time and again.
During election season, a Republican candidate makes a strong effort to convince you of his pro-life stance. He will do almost anything to appear “pro-life” because he knows he can’t weasel his way back into the Statehouse if you know where he really stands.
But once in office, he behaves very differently.
With most Republican candidates flashing their endorsements, sharing their best photo ops, and promising they care about unborn babies, how do you know who is really pro-life and who is just pretending to be in order to gain your support?
The best way to test a politician’s true position on the issue of abortion is to not only listen to what they say during election season, but to also keep track of how they behave once in office.
And Hoosiers for Life has been doing just that.
As the primary election heats up in Indiana, I want to share with you some telltale signs a politician may not truly be pro-life so you know what to watch out for.
A politician may NOT really be pro-life IF he or she:
refuses to support the Protection of Life bill. This legislation would protect EVERY unborn baby at the moment of conception. If their goal is to end abortion once and for all, pro-life legislators should jump at the chance to support Protection of Life.
kills pro-life bills. Rep. Ben Smaltz has killed the Protection of Life bill four times. Rep. Jerry Torr has killed the bill two years in a row.
sits on the committee which kills pro-life bills and lets the bills die without a fight. Pro-life members of the Public Policy committee (2017-2020) and the Judiciary committee (2021-2022) should have advocated for Indiana’s abortion ban instead of being complicit in its demise. These members include House Speaker Todd Huston and Representatives Peggy Mayfield, Timothy Wesco, Edward Clere, Chris Jeter, and Matt Lehman.
votes against SOLID pro-life legislation. Voting records speak louder than pro-life promises. Many legislators voted AGAINST shutting down Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics around the state*. Representatives Jake Teshka, Peggy Mayfield, Craig Snow, J.D. Prescott, Dan Leonard, Edward Clere, Matt Lehman, Timothy Wesco, Martin Carbaugh, and Chris Jeter all voted in favor of killing this amendment.
leads the charge in killing SOLID pro-life amendments. For the last two years, Rep. Dan Leonard has been the first to speak up and urge other legislators on the House floor to vote down solid pro-life legislation.
advertises shady endorsements. If the endorser funded Planned Parenthood or endorsed other candidates who side with Planned Parenthood, the endorsement may not be credible. I will be blunt—Congressman Jim Banks voted in favor of giving millions of our tax dollars to Planned Parenthood. Do not believe your candidate is pro-life just because Jim Banks says so.
insists abortion cannot be made illegal because if his wife needs an abortion, he wants to make sure she gets one. Rep. Ben Smaltz actually said this.
declares Republicans never intend to end abortion. Rep. Timothy Wesco let us know the Republican plan was to never totally end legalized child killing.
instructs fellow legislators NOT to support ending abortion. House Speaker Todd Huston picked up where Brian Bosma left off and warned Republicans to steer clear of ending abortion.
seeks to unseat the most pro-life legislators in the Statehouse. The Republican Establishment is pouring money, time, and effort into unseating pro-life champions because the RINOs are tired of dealing with the issue of abortion.
schemes to redistrict pro-life champions, even at the risk of electing a pro-abortion Democrat. It has long been the Establishment’s plan to draw new district lines to unseat Rep. Nisly and Rep. Jacob. Thanks to Rep. Nisly’s and Rep. Jacob’s bold leadership, the RINOs are confronted every year with whether or not they will end abortion.
protests Planned Parenthood during election time, but sides with them during legislative session. Rep. Ben Smaltz pulled this one.
refuses to shut down Planned Parenthood, given the chance. Governor Eric Holcomb shut down our entire state in 2020, but he deemed baby killing essential and kept Planned Parenthood open. Hair salons could not operate, but abortionists could murder babies. Watch out for Holcomb endorsements and even other groups who have endorsed Holcomb.
refuses to fill out a Hoosiers for Life Candidate Survey. Some candidates for office are still refusing to fill out our pro-life survey. In so doing, they’re refusing to go on the record with their pro-life stance. What are they hiding if they’re truly pro-life? Hoosiers for Life has been around long enough that candidates know we will be comparing their promises now with their actions once in office.
(Pro-life champions do not behave this way. I’ll be in touch soon with how to identify a pro-life champion, like Reps. Curt Nisly and John Jacob.)
The list I shared with you above is NOT what your average RINO will be telling you when he sends his postcards, letters, or even knocks on your door. Predictably, he will be telling you exactly what you want to hear—“I’m pro-life!”
But that’s one reason why Hoosiers for Life exists--to keep track of Indiana politicians and hold them accountable to their pro-life promises. You deserve to know what your elected officials are really up to.
After all, our goal is to end abortion once and for all. Every individual has a God-given right to LIVE, and I will not stop fighting until our legislators do their jobs and protect every last unborn child at the moment of conception.
Would you consider joining our efforts? There are a number of ways you can help.
First of all, please sign your petition letting your elected officials know you expect them to end abortion in Indiana.
After that, share this letter with all of your pro-life friends so they know just what to look for when the campaign trail leads RINOS through your neighborhood.
Finally, I hope you’ll consider donating $20, $10, or even $5 to Hoosiers for Life. With just a few dollars, we can reach more people with updates like this one, and as our supporters grow, our voice is becoming louder and louder for the pre-born.
Thank you so much for standing with me and speaking up for unborn babies. When you speak up, our elected officials can hear you, and trust me, election time is when they listen very closely!
Be on the lookout for phony pro-life politicians, and let me know if one comes knocking at your door!
For Life,
Amy Schlichter
Executive Director
Hoosiers for Life
P.S. It’s election time again, and predictably, every Republican candidate is claiming to be pro-life.
Read the list above to help sort out who may just be pretending!
I hope you’ll consider chipping in a few dollars to help Hoosiers for Life as we fight to end abortion in Indiana.
* SB325 Amendment 12 (2021)
**Reps. Jim Pressel, Ann Vermillion, John Young, Brad Barrett, Ryan Lauer, Tim O’Brien, and Ben Smaltz also voted to kill this pro-life amendment.
Paid for by the supporters of Hoosiers for Life, a tax exempt non-profit organization under IRC 501(c)(4) which does not endorse, support, or oppose candidates for election.