Happy Thanksgiving to YOU, KRLA and Educational Foundation Friends. This post brings good news on some current outreaches.

Nearly two months ago, our 23rd Annual Golf Outing was enjoyed by many pro-life supporters, and new friends came, too! This event supports our mission to educate the public on the cause of LIFE, especially in regards to reaching moms and saving the babies.

With the overturning of Roe in June of 2022, our Kentucky Court battles and the current cultural confusion, we are acutely aware of an even greater urgency now placed on our advocacy and educational outreach.

In the past year, we committed time and listened closely to young woman to better understand why they have felt terminating the life of their child was the answer to their situation. Many were scared, and often felt coerced or pressured by their traffickers, friends, or the baby’s father. In our conversations, we learned most did not really want to take their baby’s life, but felt at that moment hopeless, their futures were bleak, and they felt they had nowhere to turn.

In 2023, we expanded our advocacy and education footprint under the robust theme: Loving Them Both - With Every Woman, For Every Child.

In August we announced and launched two SIGNIFICANT Initiatives:

• SAFE HAVEN BABY RESCUE BOXES - THE RIGHT TO LIFE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION OF KENTUCKY committed to provide each of our Right to Life Chapters throughout Kentucky up to a $1000 match to assist our Chapters in supporting their community’s effort to raise the funds for a Safe Haven Baby Box.
• HER FUTURE - PREGNANT & PARENTING SCHOLARSHIPS - No mother, no matter her age, should feel she has to choose between her education and her baby's life. She still has a world of opportunity ahead of her, and it is important to be there to support her to embrace a future that may now include motherhood and a degree.

The Right to Life Educational Foundation of Kentucky committed and blessed Her Future Scholarships with generous institutional double-it-match of $50,000. We launched a challenge match goal of $100,000 to assist Moms who choose life to continue their education, securing a bright future for them and their baby. Our “Love Them Both” Phase I Goal was set at $50,000. Sponsors and Golfers, we are excited to share that because of your faithful generosity and support, YOU DID IT! The 2023 Tee Off Fore Life Charity Golf Outing raised $50,000!

Special thanks to Mike Ryan and Dennis Corley for making the event happen!

Blessings and Thank You Again!

Today marks one year since the life of an unborn baby could be legally and willfully terminated in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We celebrate every life saved this past year. We are grateful to Kentucky lawmakers, Attorney General Daniel Cameron and everyone who has prayed, advocated as a voice for the voiceless.

We have worked over 50 years for the human rights of the unborn and the defense of the most vulnerable, yet the right to life of the unborn has been and continues to be the defining issue of our time. There is a difference between the pro-choice advocates’ message that says you can separate the mother from her child and our pro-life message that says you cannot. You cannot love the women without loving the child, nor can you love the child without loving the mother. Our message is clear that to be pro-life means to be pro-woman.

Today the ACLU and abortion advocates hosted a rally to complain about a year of lack of access to abortion and the right for a pregnant woman to terminate the life of her unborn child in the Commonwealth. The challenge we put before the pro-choice advocates today, if we truly care about Kentucky women, we must come together and seek ways to support pregnant women that provide a path for a bright future, breaking the cycle of poverty for Kentucky women and their children.

We must work together to respond to the issues impacting Kentucky women. Over the years, I have listened to vulnerable young women explaining how they felt pressured to choose between having their baby or continuing their education. Kentucky Right to Life is currently working with the private sector and with lawmakers to develop initiatives that will assist teens and college women to accomplish their educational goals and impact future generations of Kentuckians. Additionally, we are working with lawmakers to ensure women access to programs that provide critical healthcare support for a non-viable pregnancy.

Kentucky Right to Life will continue to advocate, to expand our outreach and to explore new initiatives that support vulnerable young women in crisis experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and empower women to make life-affirming decisions. Loving them both, moms and their babies, means we can do more, and we must do more.

At this moment, terminating the life of an unborn child is illegal in the Commonwealth except in extreme cases of maternal medical risk, as the Kentucky Trigger & Heartbeat Laws remain in the hands of the Kentucky Supreme Court.

This is the longest span of days that the lives of precious and vulnerable Kentuckians have been free from termination since Nine-Men-in-Black-Robes issued their decision that decided the tragic fate of more than 63 million innocent children.

We pray in thanksgiving as our mission continues, working together, changing hearts to make abortion unthinkable. We are counting the days until the 2023 Celebrate Life Gala, Kentucky’s 1st Post-Roe Celebration with special guests Dr. Ben Carson and his wife Candy.

Dr. Carson is an accomplished neurosurgeon, yet a humble and kind man. We are so honored he accepted our invitation to visit the Bluegrass. Profoundly pro-life, Dr. Carson performed the first successful neurosurgical procedure on an unborn child inside while in the womb, while developing new methods to treat brain-stem tumors.

Dr. Carson became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center in 1984 at age 33, then the youngest chief of pediatric neurosurgery in the United States. In 1987, he led a team of surgeons in the first known separation of conjoined twins who were joined at the back of the head. The Gallup Organization named Dr. Carson one of the 10 Most Admired Men in the World.

It has been 50 years and look where we are today!

Kentucky Right to Life was founded and formally incorporated on June 6, 1973. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, March 2^nd, as we gather for Kentucky's First Post-Roe Celebration and Kentucky Right to Life’s 50^th Jubilee Anniversary.

Register by calling 502-895-5959 or 859-272-3920. If the office is closed, please leave your name and phone and someone will call you.

You are invited to a post-Roe Family Celebration, a Yes for Life Rally, and the 44th Annual Kentucky RTL Walk!

The Walk will be in Frankfort this year on the beautiful Capitol grounds. Register near the steps of the Capitol at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October first.

At 2 p.m. our celebration of the end of Roe in the USA and the closing of Kentucky's abortion clinics kicks off. This celebration combines a Rally for Yes for Life, because passing Ballot Measure #2 in the November General Election ensures that no right to abortion nor any funding for abortion can be found in the Kentucky Constitution.

Confirmed speakers include Dr. Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Most Rev. John Iffert, Bishop of Covington. Please make plans, mark your calendar and watch for more details!

Pro-life leaders’ message balms the air waves!

As KRTL director, I would like to personally thank Renee Shaw with Kentucky Educational Television, for her media boldness and talent— hosting an all-women panel discussion where passions and politics met. Abortion, ProLife, ProWoman, healthcare; science vs. personal views on when life begins; exploring the risky business of chemical abortion pills and the need for Kentucky to apply safety measures in response to importation of these pills from China- amidst the FDA’s decreasing regulations; the delicate matter of how we treat and care for the remains of the human child in a dignified process vs. being disposed of as medical or pathological waste; and medical conscience legislation. Look for more discussions on the Humanity in Healthcare Act 2022! - Addia Wuchner

KET host Renee Shaw has invited Addia Wuchner, R.N., Executive Director-KRTL, State Representative Nancy Tate (D-27), and Katie Glenn, Esq., Government Affairs Counsel for Americans United for Life, to share their ProLife–Pro Woman position on Kentucky Tonight. The discussion will include abortion, the Humanity In Healthcare Act 2022, Yes for Life, the 2022 General Assembly, and more. Please join us to watch this special program!

From left: Katie Glenn, Addia Wuchner, Nancy Tate, Renee Shaw

Scheduled guests include Tamarri Wieder, Ky State Director of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky; State Representative Attica Scott, a Democrat from Louisville (D-41); and Heather Gatnarek, staff attorney for the ACLU of Kentucky.

The show aired live on Monday, November 8 at 8:00pm EST and 7:00pm CST on KET.

134 Breckenridge Lane has been the home of Kentucky Right to Life, Right to Life Educational Foundation of Kentucky, and Right to Life of Louisville for over 40 years. Our history is the ground in which we can see where God has worked with KRTL and speaks to our presence in the community.

The time has come for a change and while change is always difficult and often bittersweet, we honor our past as we move forward to our future. We live with inspiring memories, the creativity of the Spirit, and what God is doing now in this time. ProLife Kentucky Right to Life founder, Margie Montgomery, had a vision of a future where every life is valued, loved, and respected. One generation builds its work upon the foundations of the other, and our faithfulness continues with our ProLife work.

“As we move forward, we are grateful for Margie, her dedication, and her leadership.” - Addia K. Wuchner, Executive Director

Once we get settled, we hope you will join us for an Open House and the Blessing of our new office home. The dates for these two events will be announced.

Volunteers are always needed to help at the office, and many hands make light work of the various tasks here in our new home. Please call 502-895-5959 if you want to help.

Walk for Life photos | See more pictures here.

Across Kentucky, pro-lifers walked for Life this past weekend. Our slides are on this post and on the Walk Event page, too. Overall, our numbers showed that Kentucky right-to-lifers are tuned in.

In Louisville, Students for Life joined with students from Bellarmine University and Boyce College at the Walk for Life. Addia noted: “I can’t say enough about these amazing students. They are a joy to work with, to be in their presence — they are truly a sign of HOPE for the future. Thank you, as I have said many times, You are 25% of the population and 100% of the future!”

In Owensboro and Central Ky, Walks took place on Saturday; in Louisville it was Sunday. The rain in Louisville held off until 4 PM, the time the walk was to end!

We are grateful for those who came and to their sponsors for the financial lift to our organizations.Thank you to all!

Images from the Press Conference | Yes for Life Facebook Video | Yes for Life on TARC! | WLKY TV reports | News Enterprise reports

The Yes for Life Alliance launched its campaign today to pass a prolife Constitutional Amendment affirming there is no right to an abortion or the funding of abortions in Kentucky. Yes for Life Chair Addia Wuchner and Vice Chair Angela Minter hosted a press conference at the Kentucky State Fair to introduce the new organization alongside Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles.

“Kentuckians of faith and conscience have the incredible opportunity to make our Constitution reflect our prolife values with their vote on November 8, 2022,” said Wuchner. “The Yes for Life Alliance will encourage voters across the Commonwealth to use their ballot to stand up for the most vulnerable Kentuckians— our unborn children. We are so grateful to the courageous leaders in the General Assembly who passed legislation and gave us this chance to be clear that there is no right to an abortion or the funding for abortion in Kentucky.”

In March, the Kentucky General Assembly passed HB 91, which provided for the Yes for Life Constitutional Amendment to appear on the November 2022 ballot. The Amendment, if ratified, will prevent state judges from reading abortion rights into the Constitution and asserting their own politics over the will of the people.

“The Yes for Life Constitutional Amendment is the final piece of the puzzle to make Kentucky a prolife state,” said Minter. “We ask for the prayers and support of all Kentuckians as we embark on this journey to strengthen our Constitution. We will work in every corner of our Commonwealth, urging everyone to vote Yes for Life. Together, we can end the culture of death and make Kentucky lead the nation in defending the defenseless.”

“Kentuckians are proud to be prolife and the Yes for Life amendment is one more way they can stand up for the dignity of life,” Commissioner Quarles said. “As a former legislator with a strong prolife voting record, I am proud to be here today to help spread an important message across the commonwealth: on November 8, 2022, Kentuckians can cast one of the most important votes of their lives and say Yes for Life at the ballot box.”

Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball shared a video endorsing Yes for Life.

Yes for Life Founding Members include Kentucky Right to Life, Sisters for Life, The Family Foundation, the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, the Kentucky Baptist Convention and the Commonwealth Policy Center.

For more information on the Yes for Life Alliance, please visit YesforLifeKY.com and follow the organization’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages.

THANK YOU PRO-LIFERS for turning out for the YES for LIFE Rally in Frankfort! Lawmakers spoke, and they and their supporters heard from a coalition of pro-life organizations encouraging passage of HB 91. Rep. Joe Fischer, the bill's sponsor, is shown addressing the group.

HB 91 has been added to the Orders of the Day by the Senate! Stay tuned.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron joined the Rally unexpectedly with a surprise announcement that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear Ky’s appeal regarding Dismemberment Abortion. Read more about this Ky law here.

WHAS, WLKY and WDRB covered the YES for LIFE Rally and the AG’s announcement. More pro-life news was featured online about the passage of Nancy Tate’s HB 155 to allow the use of a “newborn safety device” for anonymous surrendering of a newborn, and of Sen. Ralph Alvarado’s SB 12 to prohibit sales of human organ or tissue and for-profit procurement of eye or cornea tissue.

Watch the YES for LIFE Rally video and see the slideshow!

Please join us at the Capitol on Monday, March 29, at 10:30 AM for a brief rally to encourage the Ky Senate to pass HB 91. This bill is Kentucky’s ProLife Constitutional Amendment which has already passed the House, and the Governor cannot veto it.

In numerous states (see important to know), abortion advocates have sued to overturn pro-life laws, and their respective Supreme Courts have “found” a right to abortion in their state constitution. This technique is how Roe v. Wade became our nation’s case law.

A number of states have passed constitutional amendments to protect their pro-life laws from such court decisions. (example)

Rep. Joe Fischer testified during a Senate committee hearing that HB 91 assures, “No Ky court will be able to fashion an implicit right to abortion from the language in our state constitution: there will be no Roe v. Wade decision in Ky. The regulation or elimination of abortion will be vested in the Ky General Assembly, not in the courts.” (Read more.) HB 91 ensures that it is the lawmakers of Ky who make the laws, not rogue judges.

Hundreds ! of pro-lifers gathered to Celebrate Life at the annual banquet on March 18. Watch for more pictures and coverage of the event soon! The keynoter, Mark Schultz, moved us to tears with his personal message and music about adoption. The RTL Educational Foundation of Ky Award went to Kent Ostrander, Executive Director of The Family Foundation; the Schuhmann A. Montgomery, Sr., Volunteer(s) of the Year Award went to Rick and Celesta Arnold; and the Dr. Albert J. Schweitzer Humanitarian of the Year Award went to Governor Matt Bevin.

Shown in the photos are: Matt and Glenna Bevin; March for Life chairman Jerry Durbin- family table; Stuart Benson-Louisville Metro Council with Dennis Corley- Louisville RTL board; Debbie Brown, Peggy Boone, Lynn Ray- Louisville RTL board and banquet volunteers; and Sen. Ralph Alvarado with wife Dawn.

We have never been more challenged to keep up with news and events, and to determine the best way to react and show leadership. In part we will address this through sending out our e-news weekly starting in September through early November, and if you are not on our list, please sign up now. We will keep you apprised of important updates affecting pro-life activism in these unusual days of national and state political distress.

We receive media requests to quickly respond to developments in pro-life issues, and the news cycle is accelerating. An example may be seen in a recent Courier-Journal article. Margie Montgomery was asked to weigh in on the Buffer Zone ordinance (see previous post). We are in the office daily to field calls and requests for information, and the stream of activity is never-ending.

Donors have given generously to the Educational Foundation, but our funds for operations are down. We are humbled by the sacrificial giving of all donors, and ask our members and supporters to keep us in mind for our September Walk for Life. This is our major annual fundraiser that enables us to keep the lights on and do our work, both for Louisville RTL and KRLA.

The State Fair and Golf Outing have been cancelled this year due to the virus, and we have not been able to participate in other events. At this time we do not anticipate a State Conference but will instead focus efforts on the Election.

We are are concerned to do whatever we can to help Kentucky run a clean General Election and to help elect pro-lifers. Kentucky is among Ballotpedia’s “22 battleground chambers in 17 states out of the 86 chambers holding regularly-scheduled elections in 2020… that will be more competitive overall and have the potential to see major shifts in party control.” Watch for specific news about District candidates and races.

As noted, donors have generously given to the Education Foundation, enabling three media campaigns. The first was organized by Louisville board president emeritus Jack Ratterman. It began in June and has resumed this month on WHAS Radio.

The second is an Internet Click Ad campaign coordinated by Louisville board member Schu Montgomery. The theme of this outreach is: Life is not just for the perfect, privileged and planned. We hope it will strike a chord in the hearts of people who realize that our society is on a course to cold, calculated birth and death, with abortion, eugenics and euthanasia promoted by the mainstream media as well as certain medical associations without scruples. When the ads are clicked they go to a special website page.

The third campaign will start in the Autumn and feature very large “mobile” ads on TARC buses in Metro Louisville. This project was spearheaded by Louisville board member Dawn Heuglin and the Celebration of Life Banquet committee, working with the keynote speaker, Mike Fichter, to ask for funding. We are excited about all these campaigns! Our sincere thanks to all these RTL board members and the donors!

To hear or see all ads, visit the Educational Foundation Special Projects page.

A midsummer night’s dream with so many subplots (!) — a masked happening with security detail — a time to mark 50 years of pro-life activism with Derby Pie and other delectables — it was all that! Plus (!) the chance to meet wonderful pro-life legislators, see Daniel Cameron’s beautiful fiancée, win exotic trips and exciting prizes, and get together with the sidewalk counselors, the winners of the KRLA Essay Contest, those who run the crisis pregnancy centers, and the army that leads and protects Right to Life of Louisville — the board members, staff, volunteers, long-time supporters, youth for life, religious community and families. Whew!

Pulling the banquet together this year was “different” but Chairwoman Dawn Heuglin and her committee did it once again, even with virus fears nipping away at the RSVPs. A very special slideshow was produced by Schu Montgomery to commemorate 50 years of Walks, Banquets, Activism and so many memories.

A good description of how the nonprofit has flourished over the years under the leadership of Margie Montgomery was published in a Courier-Journal OpEd on Tuesday, July14, penned by Atty. Bob Heleringer.

Read more. Enjoy the retrospective video! And take a look at Vice President Mike Pence’s congratulations to RTL of Louisville!

Hardcore pro-lifers braved the freezing temps to Rally for Life! See the slideshow.

The Louisville chapter of KRLA was Kentucky’s first. Does anyone recall its first office building on Willis Ave. in St. Matthews?

The group has staged a January 22nd Rally (over too many years to count) to commemorate the lives lost since the 1973 Roe v. Wade legal decision. These now number 61+ million.

This year the Rally will also mark the chapter’s golden anniversary. All are invited! Speakers include Attorney Bob Heleringer, Metro Councilman Robin Engel, Aundria McClain, Sisters for Life, and Margie Montgomery, founder and executive director of Louisville RTL and KRLA.

A special flyer was created to feature photos and news clips from the past. The flyer reports on the earliest days of the Louisville voice for the voiceless, and provides background on how Roe v. Wade became law despite the states’ opposition to abortion on demand.

Click here for the flyer and all the details. Why not download the flyer and send it to friends? We hope to see a huge crowd at the 2020 Rally!