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PHOTO CREDITS: 4D Ultrasound of fetal yawning at 30 weeks of pregnancy by Dr. Wolfgang Moroder. Baby yawning by Jeuwre. Human fetus at 10 weeks.

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The KRLA Forum carries up-to-date pro-life news and comment. You may need to refresh this page for the latest view.

Watch for more news on the KRLA Facebook page, USA.life and Twitter

KRLA Forum
By Addia Wuchner, Executive Director, Kentucky Right to Life

Ours was a protest of disappointment directed at Mount St. Joseph, a Catholic University in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1920 by the Sisters of Charity. Wednesday evening we stood prayerfully, joining Cincinnati Right to Life, Students for Life from three states, along with many broken-hearted and upset alumni of the Mount in our protest of disappointment.

Mount St. Joseph knew the position of U.S. President Joe Biden on abortion, which even includes the destruction of the unborn with taxpayer dollars, when they extended the invitation and hosted his visit and nationally covered Town Hall, on this past Wednesday evening, July 21st.

While Kentucky Right to Life is not affiliated with any particular religious or political organization, it is our mission to advance the culture of life, rooted in the truth about the human person. The position on the sanctity of human life is not unique to Catholic Church teaching, but is held by many denominations across the globe reflecting the fact that from the earliest times, Christians sharply distinguished themselves from surrounding pagan cultures by rejecting abortion and infanticide.

It is clear where President Biden stands on this fundamental matter which is in direct opposition to the position of the Catholic Church, affirmed in its Catechism which states: “Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law” (CCC No. 2271).

It was such a dark departure for Mount St. Joe to host the event. This institution was founded in a faith that fundamentally believes every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred because the human person is made in the image and likeness of the living and holy God.

Kentucky Right to Life extends sincere appreciation to Archbishop Schnurr with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

“Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has not been contacted by any involved party about the upcoming visit of President Joseph R. Biden to Cincinnati to participate in a CNN town hall meeting at Mount St. Joseph University. Archbishop Schnurr has therefore not been asked for, nor would he have granted, his approval for any such event to occur on Catholic premises. Mount St. Joseph University operates under the sponsorship of the  Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati …”


KRLA Forum
UPDATE on July 22, 2021

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Original post

Ky Right to Life invites you to join a Protest this evening in Cincinnati in support of RTL of Greater Cincinnati.

President Joe Biden will be hosted by Catholic University for his first presidential visit to Cincinnati. CNN will be using the university to air an invite-only town hall, moderated by Don Lemon. A Reuters news reports is here.

The Protest starts at 7 PM and the Town Hall at 8 PM. Go here for all pertinent Protest information. Take action!

The Biden Administration has reversed restrictions on abortion and implemented a pro-abortion agenda since day one. Join us to protest Catholic University hosting his Town Hall.


KRLA Forum

smiling-baby.jpgCandidates endorsed by Kentucky Right to Life PAC were overwhelmingly victorious in the General Election on Tuesday. We are thankful for the increase in the numbers of pro-life candidates who won, further adding to the Republican pro-life super majorities in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly.

We look forward to supporting these pro-life legislators, working together to end the war on unborn children in Kentucky. By way of abortion, the unborn child and the family have become the focus of all attacks and contempt— they are utterly unbearable to the other side.

Of the 13 Senate races, 11 candidates who were either Endorsed or Recommended by KRLA PAC, won their seats. The makeup of the 2021 Ky Senate will be 30 seats held by Republicans and 8 seats held by Democrats.

Of the 100 House races, 70 candidates who were either Endorsed or Recommended by KRLA PAC, won their seats. The makeup of the 2021 Ky House will be 75 seats held by Republicans and 25 seats held by Democrats.

“While it goes without saying that Kentucky is a pro-life state, the results of the election are a sound repudiation of Governor Beshear’s policies and his pro-abortion position”, said Diana Maldonado, president of Kentucky Right to Life. “The fact this governor has allowed the abortion businesses in Louisville to remain open while other businesses were either forced to close or severely cut back on services during the Covid-19 pandemic, speaks ‘loud and clear’ to the governor’s extremism regarding abortion.”


KRLA Forum

Numerous candidates are running for POTUS. In all, there are four write-in candidates, one Libertarian, two Independents, one Democrat and one Republican.

We are hearing from friends about pro-lifers who say they cannot decide which candidate is best. Example from Joel Belz, founder, World Magazine (about), who has penned:

So it didn’t take long, after the Democrats chose Joe Biden as their presidential candidate for the current cycle, for some of us to conclude that it was impossible for us to support him. The reasons reach now from his comprehensive commitment to the pro-abortion movement to his selection of demonstrably leftist Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.

The debate among us concerning a vote to renew Donald Trump’s lease on the White House was more problematic. We were grateful for his appointment of hundreds of right-thinking personnel (especially to the judiciary and bloated regulatory bureaucracy). Our applause meter leaped as he nudged other nations’ governments to take up their share of leading the world. He seems bold in supporting educational choice. But we were stressed— again and again— at the president’s utter carelessness with facts, his rudeness and crudeness, and his mocking disdain for his opponents and sometimes even for his friends.

Bottom line: No way could I withhold my vote from Biden and then— with virtually the same set of standards— give a pass to President Trump.

Will I turn in a blank ballot? No way. Will I write in someone like Nikki Haley or Kay James? Maybe. I’ve still got a few days to resolve such important issues. (Read more.)

Mr. Belz, please consider: A personality trait (that many see as being incisive not crude, or simply crying out for media fairness) is not on a par with destroying innocent human life.

One hears on radio and TV that churches or their priests or pastors are not permitted to endorse a political candidate because it is counter to their non-profit status. Some churches are corporations, but most are not.

As well, when President Trump took office, he signed an executive order to state that churches and other religious groups could engage in politics without endangering their tax-exempt status. (Read more.)

Both Catholic and Protestant church leaders have endorsed President Trump based on his pro-life record.

On Oct. 19, LifeSiteNews reported that the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter pointed out that any Catholic who supports abortion Democratic candidate Joe Biden ‘would be in proximate cooperation with evil.’ Search LifeSiteNews for other statements from other church leaders. Also, on Oct. 19, a priest, Rev. Eduardo Ortiz Santiago, called for Christians to vote for President Trump.

Pastor John MacArthur of ‘mega-church’ Grace Community in Los Angeles has stated, “A real Christian cannot vote Democratic because you are voting to continue the slaughter of babies… believers will vote for Trump.” James Dobson will vote for Trump. Southern Seminary’s Albert Mohler will vote for Trump.

There are also Jewish organizations and rabbis who promote a pro-life ethic. Please see the Carousel for Life on this website for examples of religious organizations for Life.

The Right to Life is nondenominational and bases its pro-life work on the founding documents of the U.S. We welcome members from all religious backgrounds if they uphold the Right to Life.

We urge all Americans to vote for President Trump, whose record in office shows Respect for Life. In fact, President Trump is the most pro-life president in our history! For a list of President Trump’s pro-life accomplishments, see here.

We wonder why the social media is censoring President Trump’s tweets etc. but not Biden’s posts.

It is obvious this nation is on a precipice. It will make real and sad differences in our everyday lives if a Biden-Harris ticket wins. Please don’t split the vote! We would still have our pro-life governor had it not been for so many who voted for the Libertarian candidate.


KRLA Forum

Do you have a Trump/Pence sign in your front yard? Or, maybe the question should be: DID you have a Trump/Pence sign?

A number of pro-life members and friends have reported that theirs were either vandalized or stolen. In broad daylight. On busy roads.

trump yard signs

The gentleman pictured desires to remain anonymous but wants to report that his large sign was stolen once and on two other occasions his signs were ruined by spray paint. He has resorted to guarding the large sign in uniform, and he added the smaller ones to make a point. He lives in eastern Jefferson County.

There are many online news stories and YouTube videos about Trump yard signs being stolen and some stories about Biden sign theft.

Any campaign sign must not be placed between the sidewalk and the road or in the right-of-way, and the person who steals a sign from a yard can be punished with a fine or even face jail time.


KRLA Forum

The KRLA PAC ALERT Voter Guide has only three recommendations on judges. A short bench! It can be hard to discover whether or not a judge is pro-life.

A judge must run as a non-partisan, so unless we hear from a person who knows them or knows someone who does, or the candidate makes it clear, we cannot know their views on the sanctity of life. Likewise, KRLA cannot endorse any judge due to the non-partisan nature of the race. We only recommend when we have trusted information. Let us know when you have a tip! We will verify your information.

All judges’ positions in Ky are elected offices, but if a judge departs a seat before the end of the term, the new U.S. District or Appeals Court judges will be appointed by the U.S. president, and the Ky Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Court, Family Court or District Court vacancies will be filled by appointment of the governor. Their nominations or appointments are based on lists received from the judicial nominating commissions.

Ky has an Eastern and Western district plus a temporary judge who can serve if a sitting judge becomes disabled. There are seven Supreme Court and Court of Appeals districts, 57 circuit court districts and 60 Judicial districts. The graphic shows the seven districts of Ky’s Supreme and Appeals Courts.

seven districts of ky supreme and appeals courts

The candidates recommended in the PAC ALERT include:

DistrictDivisonJudge CandidateBench Seat
7 Robert B. ConleySeeking to become an Eastern District Judge on Ky’s Supreme Court
11Jenny HinesRunning for a seat on the Ky Court of Appeals
281Teresa WhitakerRunning for Circuit Judge

Robert Conley’s opponent, Rep. Chris Harris (D-93), is stepping down from the Ky House to run for the Supreme Court position, recruited by Gov. Beshear. Jenny Hines’ opponent, Chris McNeill, was appointed to the seat by Gov. Beshear earlier this year.

The Ballotpedia states that Whitaker’s opponent, Walt Maguire, was a family court judge for the 28th Circuit who retired on June 30, 2013. The Somerset, Ky online newspaper reports: A local retired judge is seeking an opportunity to return to the bench… Maguire acknowledged… “I’m not signing on for eight years, but I just like being involved in trying to make a difference in our communities in a positive, constructive, traditional way.” So, voting for Maguire is voting for the person who will succeed him by appointment.

Judges make so many important decisions; holding a high view of human life is essential to their role in society.

Ky has rarely had a helpful verdict in the Western District Court that hears the legal cases relating to the pro-life laws passed by our Legislature. An interesting article on the judicial role in deciding the “times, places and protocols” for congressional elections is here.

Your ballot will feature a question: Are you in favor of changing the term of Commonwealth’s Attorneys from six-year terms to eight-year terms starting in 2030, changing the terms of judges of the district court from four-year terms to eight-year terms beginning in 2022, and requiring district judges to have been licensed attorneys for at least eight years beginning in 2022 by amending the Constitution of Ky?

How will you mark your ballot?


KRLA Forum

Looking at Ky’s House races in the central to east districts, excluding Jefferson and Fayette counties, we find numerous incumbents. Two incumbents, Travis Brenda in D-71 and Les Yates in D-73 were defeated in the Primary. This is unusual. An incumbent ought to have an advantage. When they are unopposed, they do! The below table shows incumbents who are unopposed. All are ENDORSED by the KRLA PAC.

DistrictRegionRepublicanComment
52McCreary, Pulaski-part, WayneKen UnchurchNO CONTEST
55Jessamine-part, Mercer, WashingtonKim KingNO CONTEST
59Oldham-partDavid OsborneNO CONTEST
60Boone-partSal SantoroNO CONTEST
61Boone-part, Grant, Kenton-part, Scott-partSavannah MaddoxNO CONTEST
71Garrard, Madison-part, RockcastleJosh BrayNO CONTEST; seat formerly held by R. Travis Brenda
80Lincoln, Pulaski-partDavid MeadeNO CONTEST
82Laurel-part, WhitleyRegina HuffNO CONTEST
83Oldham-partJoshua BranscumNO CONTEST; seat formerly held by Jeff Hoover
85Laurel-part, Pulaski-partShane BakerNO CONTEST; replacing Tommy Turner- retired
86Knox, Laurel-partTom SmithNO CONTEST; replacing Jim Stewart III- retired
87Bell, Harlan-partAdam BowlingNO CONTEST
98Boyd-part, GreenupDanny BentleyNO CONTEST

For the remaining districts of central and east Ky not covered in previous articles, the below table features the ENDORSED and RECOMMENDED candidates only. Some comments and links are included. If you take time to visit the candidate websites, you will be impressed. You will be encouraged to help elect pro-lifers and to vote.

DistrictRegionRepublicanOpponentsComment
47Carroll, Gallatin, Henry, TrimbleFelicia RayburnJack CouchFelicia’s campaign website
49Bullitt-partThomas HuffJonathan Cacciatore (D), Mitch Rushing (Lib)Huff’s campaign website. He is the incumbent.
50NelsonChad McCoyKory Miller (D)Chad’s campaign website. He is the incumbent.
51Adair, TaylorJohn CarneyRichard Steele (D)Huff’s Twitter page. He is the incumbent.
53Anderson, Bullitt-part, SpencerJames A. TiptonDustin Burley (D)Rep. Tipton won in 2018 against Dustin Burley (D) by 8208 votes.
54Boyle, CaseyDaniel ElliottLydia Coffee (D)Rep. Elliott won in 2018 against Other/Write-in votes by 7319 votes.
57Franklin-partGary StrattonDerrick Graham (D)Huff’s Twitter page. Graham is the incumbent. An uphill race for Stratton
58ShelbyJennifer DeckerWill Barnett (D)Jennifer’s campaign website. Are you in a position to endorse a candidate? Do!
63Boone-part, Kenton-partKimberly BantaAshley Williams (D)Kim’s campaign website. She is the incumbent.
64Campbell-part, Kenton-partKimberly Poore MoserLarry Varney (D)Kimberly’s campaign website. She is the incumbent.
66Boone-partEd MasseyRoberto Henriquez (D), Cristi Kendrick (Lib)3-way race: Rep. Massey beat Henriquez and several other candidates in 2018 handily
67Campbell-partLeAnna HomandbergRachel Roberts (D)LeAnna’s campaign website. Rachel is the incumbent.
68Campbell-partJoe FischerNancy Bardgett (D)Joe’s campaign website. He is the incumbent. Sponsor of many pro-life bills.
69Boone-part, Kenton-partAdam KoenigRyan Neaves (D), Bill Mitchell (Lib)Adam’s campaign website. He is the incumbent.
70Bracken, Fleming, Mason, RobertsonWilliam LawrenceCraig Miller (D)William’s campaign website. Youngest candidate? Great!
72Bath, Bourbon, Fayette (Part), NicholasMatthew KochTodd Neace (D)Matthew’s campaign website. He is the incumbent.
73Clark, Madison-partRyan DotsonKenneth Blair (D)Ryan’s Facebook page. Ryan won against the incumbent.
74Menifee, Montgomery, PowellDavid HaleJeff Spradling (D)David’s Facebook page. He is the incumbent.
78Harrison, Pendleton, Scott-partMark HartJames Toller (Lib)Mark’s Facebook page. He is the incumbent.
81Madison-partDeanna FrazierMike Eaves (D)Deanna’s campaign website. She is the incumbent.
84Harlan-part, PerryChris FugateKenneth Hall (D)Fugue’s Twitter page. He is the incumbent.
90Clay, Laurel-part, LeslieDerek LewisRalph Hoskins (D)Derek’s campaign website. He is the incumbent.
91Breathitt, Estill, Lee, Madison-part, OwsleyBilly WesleyPaula Clemons-Combs (D)Billy’s Facebook page. Billy’s video is great! It’s on our PAC page.
92Knott, Magoffin, Pike-partJohn BlantonAncel Smith (D)John’s campaign website. He is the incumbent.
93Martin, Pike-partNorma Kirk-McCormickRod Varney (D)Norma’s Facebook page.
96Carter, LawrencePatrick FlanneryKathy Hinkle (D)Patrick’s Facebook page. Kathy is the incumbent.
97Johnson, Morgan, WolfeBobby McCoolWill Hurst (D)Bobby’s campaign website. He is the incumbent.
99Elliott, Lewis, RowanRichard WhiteBill Redwine (D)Rep. White won a 2020 special election against the same candidate.
100NelsonScott SharpTerri Branham Clark (D)More about Scott. Terri is the incumbent.

KRLA Forum

The Ky House Districts are apportioned based on population. Our state representatives speak for an average of 43,394 residents. The number is the population of Ky (2010 US Census) divided by 100.

Let’s look at the districts of Ky’s most populous cities, Louisville and Lexington. Eleven in Jefferson County are dead races.

DistrictRegionRepublicanOpponentsComment
28Jefferson-part Charles Miller (D)NO CONTEST
29Jefferson-partKevin BratcherSuzanne Kugler (D)Kevin is the incumbent
30Jefferson-part Tom Burch (D)NO CONTEST
31Jefferson-part Josie Raymond (D)NO CONTEST
32Jefferson-partG. Hunt Rounsavall Jr.Tina Bojanowski (D)Tina is the incumbent
33Jefferson-partJason NemesMargaret Plattner (D)Jason is the incumbent
34Jefferson-part Mary Lou Marzian (D)NO CONTEST
35Jefferson-part Lisa Willner (D)NO CONTEST
36Jefferson-partJerry T. MillerJeff Grammer (D)Jerry is the incumbent
37Jefferson-partJimmy MaricleJeffery M. Donohue (D)Jeffrey is the incumbent
38Jefferson-part McKenzie Cantrell (D)NO CONTEST
40Jefferson-part Nima Kulkarni (D)NO CONTEST
41Jefferson-part Attica Scott (D)NO CONTEST
42Jefferson-part Reginald Meeks (D)NO CONTEST
43Jefferson-part Pamela Stevenson (D)NO CONTEST
44Jefferson-part Joni Jenkins (D)NO CONTEST
46Jefferson-partBob DeVoreAlan Gentry (D)Alan is the incumbent
48Jefferson-partKen FlemingMaria Sorolis (D)Maria is the incumbent

In Fayette Co., three of nine candidates are unopposed.

DistrictRegionRepublicanOpponentsComment
39Fayette-partMatt LockettCarolyn Dupont (D)Seat previously held by Russ Meyer (D)
45Fayette-partKilian TimoneyShirley Mitchell (D)Seat previously held by Stan Lee (R)
56Fayette-partDaniel FisterLamar Allen (D)Seat previously held by Joe Graviss (D)
62Fayette-partPhillip PrattDavid Mayo (D)Phillip is the incumbent
75Fayette-part Kelly Flood (D)NO CONTEST
76Fayette-part Ruth Palumbo (D)NO CONTEST
77Fayette-part George A. Brown, Jr. (D)NO CONTEST
79Fayette-partJon LarsonSusan Westrom (D)Susan is the incumbent
88Fayette-partAaron YatesCherlynn Stevenson (D)Cherlynn is the incumbent

So, let’s see who we can help. The KRLA Endorsed candidates are BOLDED. Those Recommended are BOLD and ITALIC. Please refer to the KRLA PAC Alert for notes on those not coded. We realize as well that some with pro-life views may not have submitted the KRLA survey for various reasons. It is very challenging to run a campaign with limited help and resources.

In the races, we find Kevin Bratcher, D-29, opposed by Suzanne Kugler, a democrat with goals for more fairness— though not for the pre-born. On her Twitter page she re-tweets Emerge Kentucky’s tweets. See more about Emerge-Ky here.

Jason Nemes, D-33, is facing Margaret Plattner, a former CEO of Planned Parenthood of Louisville and “global thinker” (from her resume) who supports United Nations’ initiatives such as the CEDAW, which KRLA and Louisville RTL actively opposed when the Louisville Metro Council proposed its endorsement.

Jerry T. Miller is running as an incumbent in D-36 which has a majority of Republicans. He serves on the Pro-life Caucus, a committee of the Ky General Assembly. His opponent is part of the coalition encompassing numerous causes relating to Democratic control of Ky and the US, which equates to aggressive abortion goals.

Jimmy Maricle is new to the candidate scene. He is running against Jeffrey Donohue (D) in D-37 which is heavily Democratic. It’s a bold move for Mr. Maricle— Let’s get out the vote for this soldier. Rep. Donohue vigorously opposed the passage of HB 67 last spring.

Bob Devore faces incumbent Alan Gentry in D-46. Find some of Bob’s goals here.

An interesting race is for D-48 which includes Prospect and other areas that were lost to a pro-abortion candidate in the Senate District 26 Special Election in June. The incumbent, Maria Sorolis, won by 326 votes against Ken Fleming in 2018. But Ken bested Maria by a sizeable margin in 2016. What happened? Maria is an Emerge-Ky candidate.

She was absent from the vote for SB9 (Born alive) last spring. In 2019 she voted AGAINST ALL FOUR PRO-LIFE BILLS which were passed into law by Gov. Bevin. Why not volunteer to walk your neighborhood for Ken, a tested and proven pro-lifer?!

In Fayette County, Lamar Allen (D) will face Dan Fister, a super pro-lifer. Other ENDORSED candidates are: Matt Lockett, Phillip Pratt and Aaron Yates.

By referring to the PAC ALERT Voter Guide, you will note that for the most part, the Democrat candidate does not respond to the PAC questionnaire. On the candidate website there may be reference to the abortion issue, but we rely on the questionnaire which is a thorough vetting of the candidate’s views.

Signing a survey that clarifies how a candidate will vote when the time comes, is what matters, along with other evidences. A person with some pro-life views may waffle at the critical moment, believing that the woman must have choices, and it is enough to simply reduce the number of abortions. This is NOT a pro-life perspective! Our endorsements state the case.

At this time, Ky’s largest cities are pro-abortion strongholds. With Gov. Beshear in office, it is likely that more abortion clinics will open.

Let’s do all we can to help elect pro-lifers. Walking your neighborhood is a great way to support a candidate. According to the Ky COVID19 website, it is mandatory to wear a face mask outdoors when you cannot maintain a physical distance of six feet from all individuals who are not members of your household (etc). The guidance says that a mask can be removed in some cases.

Don’t let COVID rules prevent your participation in actively supporting pro-life candidates! Let’s roll and let’s walk!

Last but not least! An ENDORSEMENT of Louisville Metro Council Member Marilyn Parker, D-18, is here. As noted above, a few slips may occur in coordinating the PAC ALERT Voter Guide despite our best efforts or due to a candidate’s lack of response though they may be pro-life.


KRLA Forum

Looking at the 100 Ky House races of 2020, in 35 districts the incumbent was not challenged. Most of the incumbents in Ky’s Nov. Election are Republicans, though Ky has more registered Democrats than Republicans.

With 1,670,789 registered voters in the most current count (8/2020), Democrats are in the cat seat in Kentucky. Republicans come in second with 1,533,095, and the Groups have 313,681. Groups include Libertarian, Independent etc.

A few examples in the western districts, with PAC endorsed candidate bolded: District 1 (Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, Hickman, McCracken-part) has about 4600 more Democrats than Republicans, but incumbent Steven Rudy (R) had no challenger. District 2 (Graves, McCracken-part) has nearly 4900 more Dems, but incumbent Richard Heath (R) only faces a Libertarian candidate.

Incumbent Randy Bridges (R) in District 3 is running against Democrat Corbin Snardon. Incumbents usually win, but since this district has 6400 more Dems than Reps let’s not take it for granted. Randy lost to a Democrat in 2014.

Incumbent Lynn Bechler (R-D4) is in a 3-way race, outnumbered by Dems.

Mary Imes (R-D5), faces Davis-Roberts, an Emerge-Ky candidate. Recently Ky lost Senate District 26 to an Emerge-Ky candidate.

Chris Freeland (R-D6) is the incumbent but this district has more than 5,000 more Dems than Reps.

Incumbent Walker Thomas (R-D8) faces Pam Dossett— who is endorsed by Planned Parenthood ($$$).

An interesting race is in District 13. D. J. Johnson (R) faces the incumbent Democrat Jim Glenn Jr., who has a pro-abortion voting record. Glenn defeated Johnson in the 2018 race by one point!

dj-johnson-glenn.png

It is interesting to note the number of Republicans in Blue districts. Going back some decades, Democrats elected many conservatives. Heck, U.S. Congressman Larry McDonald (D-Ga, 1970s, ‘80s) served as chairman of the John Birch Society.

Looking at the years 1980 and 1990 in the American Conservative Union (ACU) many Democrats in Congress had as high ACU numbers as Republicans. Even in 2000 about 20 Democrats had mid-range ratings of 40 or above, but by 2010, only six did.

Now in 2020, we see Rep. John DeBerry, a pro-life Democrat Tennessee state representative, running as an independent after he was ousted from the Democratic Party last spring for his views on life and marriage.

Times have changed! Most Kentuckians are pro-life.

But with the changes in how people vote due to COVID, pro-lifers must work hard to get the vote out. EACH pro-life candidate from President Trump to the local council member NEEDS our support.


KRLA Forum

It’s great when passionate pro-lifers get excited about political races. It’s fun to enthusiastically support a candidate who could make a positive DIFFERENCE!

rhonda-palazzo.png

Rhonda Palazzo is the one to watch in the Third U.S. Congressional District which comprises most of Jefferson County. She will face John Yarmuth who has held office since 2007.

Yarmuth is supported by Planned Parenthood and solidly votes pro-abortion, against conscience rights, and for Democratic bills. See his voting record here.

Mr. Yarmuth’s net worth has risen massively over his years in Congress so donating his congressional salary may not be so generous. His family’s business, Almost Family, merged with LHC Group in 2018, a corporation worth $6.35B in 2020 and a recipient of $87.5M from the CARES Act. LHC is recommended on the NASDAQ as a Buy this month, because it is “well poised for growth on the back of a broad range of services… The stock has gained 75.9% compared with the industry’s growth of 18.8% in a year’s time.” Well, the rich do get richer.

Without a doubt Mr. Yarmuth will outspend Rhonda in the General Election. However, she does not believe that money will be the deciding factor for the Third District. She spent $7,092 to win by 130 votes in the Primary against Mike Craven, who spent very much more.

In an interview on YouTube she notes that Michael Bloomberg spent nearly a billion dollars on his three-month presidential campaign but that did not help. Likewise, Republican Vickie Glisson spent $744K to win against Yarmuth in 2018, which was hundreds of thousands more than Harold Bratcher spent in 2016 to unseat him, but Glisson got fewer votes than Bratcher.

“It’s about people, reaching out to people,” says Rhonda. She is seeking an opportunity to prove herself to all the people of the District.

Rhonda is a strong supporter of President Trump, and in particular favors his plan to build a wall on the southern border. She notes that a large reason he wants the wall is to put an end to sex trafficking of children and women. “Over 66,000 children go missing each month in the USA, many who are trafficked across the border.”

Rhonda is endorsed in the KRLA General Election PAC Alert. Learn more about her platform on her website.

She will be a featured speaker at the 2020 Annual Meeting of Louisville Right to Life on October 5th. All members are invited, but please call the office, 502.895.5959 to RSVP so we can plan for COVID safety.


KRLA Forum

The Most Likely To Succeed congressional candidates are Republicans in Ky Districts 1, 2, 4 and 5. All are incumbents. The Ballotpedia calls Ky’s Sixth District a ‘battleground race’ even though the Republican is an incumbent. For District 3 see here.

DistrictRegionPro-life RepublicanOpponentsComment
1western KyJames ComerJames Rhodes (D)Comer won by 93K votes in 2018. Heavily Republican District predicted to remain Red.
2west central KyBrett GuthrieHank Linderman (D),
Robert Lee Perry (L),
Lewis Carter (P),
Poet Tribble (U)
Guthrie beat Linderman by about 92,000 votes in 2018. Predicted to win in 2020.
4northern KyThomas MassieAlexandra Owensby (D)Predicted to win again in 2020.
5southeastern KyHal RogersMatthew Ryan Best (D)Rogers beat Democrat Stepp by 126.2K votes in 2018. Predicted to win in 2020.
6central Ky
(includes Lexington)
Andy BarrJosh Hicks (D), Frank Harris (L)Barr won by about 10K votes against Amy McGrath in 2018. Carried the Republican
Primary by about 90% against contenders, but received 63K votes compared with
81K votes received by Josh Hicks in the Democratic Primary. So, if the Democrats are
diligent to vote in the General Election, Barr may have a problem.

Cause for concern?

In Comer’s and Barr’s districts, there are more registered Democrats than registered Republicans. Here are the July 2020 statistics. (The numbers don’t quite add up but are close.)

As shown in the Pdf or Excel file, the categories of registered voters include: Democrat, Republican, Other, Ind, Libert, Green, Const, Reform, and Soc Wk. On the old mainframe computer all voters not registered as Democrat or Republican were classified as ‘Other,’ however, no current registered voter in the new system is classified as ‘Other’ and ‘Ind,’ for example. Each has only one designation as a registered voter. Only Democrats and Republicans are classified as a Party; the rest are called ‘Groups.’

For District 1 there are 40,700 total voters in Groups, which is more than either the Democrat or Republican registered voters.

Districts 2, 3 and 6 have more in the Groups than in Republican, and Districts 4 and 5 have more in Groups than are Democrats. It is unclear how these Groups may affect the General Election. Perhaps these voters will positively affect Barr’s circumstances.

Not voting is not an option for pro-lifers!


KRLA Forum

Kentucky has 38 Senate Districts. To maintain a smoother governing process, elections are held for odd, then for even-numbered districts every two years. This year, of the odd-numbered districts, seven are uncontested:

  • District 1 - Jason Howell (R)
  • District 15 - Rick Girdler (R)
  • District 19 - Morgan McGarvey (D)
  • District 25 - Robert Stivers (R)
  • District 33 - Gerald Neal (D)
  • District 35 - Denise Harper Angel (D)
  • District 37 - David Yates (D)

Of the remaining 12 races,

  • 3 pro-life incumbents face Libertarian and Independent candidates
  • 5 pro-life incumbents face Democrat challengers
  • 3 new Republican candidates face Democrats and others, and
  • 1 Democrat faces an unaffiliated, write-in candidate

Of the active campaigners who are pro-life, it’s likely that those facing Democrats will need the most turnout to win their race. That said, we should not take any race for granted. The 28,433 votes for the Libertarian candidate sank Gov. Bevin’s boat. So, let’s make plain exactly what the Libertarian party stands for:

The right to life— “We support the prohibition of the initiation of physical force against others…”
On abortion— “Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.”

Here are the districts and the Republican incumbents facing a Libertarian:

DistrictCountiesPro-lifeLibertarianIndependent, Write-in
3Christian, Logan, ToddWhitney Westerfield (R)Amanda Billings 
5Breckinridge, Edmonson, Grayson, Hart, LaRue, MeadeStephen Meredith (R)Guy MillerJohn Whipple
27Bourbon, Fleming, Harrison, Lewis, Mason, Nicholas, Robertson, RowanStephen West (R)Bryan ShortGene Detherage

It is hard to imagine that the incomparable Westerfield, Meredith or West could lose to these contenders, but there are many ways a race can be snagged, so let’s get out the vote for these fine Senators!

In reading the websites of the Libertarian and Democrat opponents of the pro-life incumbents, a central theme is that the incumbent is out of touch with the district. He does not understand that his constituents are struggling to make ends meet and cannot afford health care and other basics. The incumbent is accused of hobnobbing with lobbyists while ignoring the promises to teachers and school districts, etc., and he is not even sensitive to COVID-19 rules. Promises are made to fix everything by the superior methods and philosophies of the contenders.

Disinformation is promoted. For example, stunted views on the pro-life candidate’s legislative work and perspectives are presented. For that reason, the name of each in the below table is linked to the page on the legislature website that lists their 2020 record of sponsored bills.

One opponent pictures himself with Allison Lundergan Grimes, which seems a bad idea but perhaps proves that, no matter what, many Democrats will never change their vote. Of the counties in these Districts, 10 have more registered Republicans and 5 have more Democrats, but some counts are very close. For the below Democrat candidates, we saw no pro-life sentiment expressed on their campaign sites.

Now for a look at the five pro-life incumbents who are facing Democrat opponents:

DistrictCountiesRepublicanDemocrat
9Allen, Barren, Green, Metcalfe, Monroe, SimpsonDavid GivensBrian Pedigo
11BooneJohn SchickelJames Fiorello
17Grant, Kenton (Part), ScottDamon ThayerJason Stroude
23Kenton (Part)Chris McDanielRyan Olexia
31Elliott, Lawrence, Martin, Morgan, PikePhillip WheelerGlenn Hammond

Mr. Wheeler won a special election in March 2019 flipping his District to Republican after 50 years. His race will be hard with 17K more Democrats than Republicans in these counties.

Finally, let’s look at the three new Republican candidates on the General Election ballots and their opposition:

DistrictCountiesRepublicanDemocratIndependent
7Anderson, Franklin, Gallatin, Owen, WoodfordAdrienne SouthworthJoe GravissKen Carroll
21Bath, Estill, Jackson, Laurel, Menifee, PowellBrandon StormWalter Trebolo 
29Floyd, Harlan, Knott, LetcherJohnnie L. TurnerJohnny R. Turner 

You will find out more about these candidates in the KRLA PAC Voter Guide. We can say that Republican Johnnie Turner easily won his Republican primary in Eastern Kentucky and has previously served in the Ky House of Representatives.

Storm was a KRLA PAC recommended candidate in the Primary. His opponent, Trebolo, states that he is “very pro-life”.

Joe Graviss currently serves in the Ky House D-56 (Fayette (Part), Franklin (Part), Woodford), having defeated his Republican opponent in 2018 by a sizable margin, and has been endorsed by retiring Senator Julian Carroll. He voted in favor of the Born Alive (SB 9) Bill but we do not know his full outlook on pro-life issues.


KRLA Forum
National Right to Life | nrlc.org | September 2, 2020

mitch-m.jpgRadical pro-abortion Democrats are eager to defeat pro-life Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and take back the U.S. Senate. They are only a few seats away! If that were to happen, they would advance an agenda of abortion on demand and taxpayer funding of abortion. And they would be in a position to determine the fates of judicial nominees, including potential nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court.

It may all come down to Kentucky!

Mitch McConnell is pro-life. He opposes abortion on demand and supports protection for unborn children. Mitch McConnell has been instrumental in advancing pro-life legislation, including the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

Mitch McConnell voted against taxpayer funding for abortion, and he voted against taxpayer funding of abortion providers.

By contrast, his opponent, Amy McGrath, supports a policy of abortion on demand, which allows abortion for any reason. McGrath opposes legislation to protect unborn children at 20 weeks, a point by which the unborn child is capable of experiencing great pain when being killed by dismemberment or other late abortion methods.

For more information on where the candidates stand, please see this comparison flyer.

National Democrats are spending BIG in Kentucky. We need to fight back! We would like to inform and turn out as many pro-life voters as we can. But we cannot go toe-to-toe with pro-abortion forces without your help. Please consider a donation to National Right to Life.


KRLA Forum

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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.


KRLA Forum

We read or witness the continual disparaging of our duly-elected pro-life President every day.

To help counter this trend, on Friday, July 31, KRLA issued a media release restating our endorsement of President Trump. Read it here.

Mail-in voting update

Last week, Secretary of State Adams stated that he is considering scaling back mail-in voting eligibility for the general election this fall. Gov. Beshear disapproved of this. He was quoted as saying that with the pandemic “more dangerous now than it was during the primary election,” Kentucky should continue no-excuse absentee voting this fall.

SOS Adams noted that Kentucky handled increased mail-in voting effectively and without fraud in the primary, but he is “dubious” that the same model can be fully replicated in the fall with significantly higher turnout.

“It’s not obvious that our county clerks or the post office can manage a 250% increase in absentee ballots,” Adams said. “That is based on feedback from state and local election officials from both major parties. They and I are concerned that going from 750,000 absentee ballots to 1.875 million absentee ballots, or more, would overload and crash our system.”

Read more.

An important announcement is on the KRLA PAC page. Let’s all get involved in helping to elect pro-life candidates!

A somewhat troubling discussion about the General Election prospects may be heard on the July 28 KET video covering state government and legislators’ questions on this issue. SOS Adams begins speaking at about 33 minutes.

Every day we hear news that breaks pro-life hearts. We read stories about COVID ‘necessitating’ Telemedicine and at-home procedures that could result in extreme trauma and even death for women; about decisions in our courts that favor abortion clinics, and demands made by legislators to force taxpayers to pay for abortion, related health insurance, research on aborted fetuses, and to fund abortion worldwide.

The next three months are sure to break all records for bad behavior by politicians, and we can only encourage prayer as the way forward.



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Yard signs are private property.
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A lot of pro-life sentiment here!
9/30/2020 8:07:51 PM
Ky metro areas are abortion strongholds. Please help to elect pro-life candidates. Walk your neighborhood!
9/23/2020 9:51:35 AM
Kentucky Is a Red State with More Democrats than Republicans
9/15/2020 7:06:04 PM
The odds are on Rhonda.
9/14/2020 8:22:53 PM
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Attention pro-lifers! Let's get out the vote for pro-life state senators, some who face uphill battles.
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National Right to Life explains the challenge ahead for Leader McConnell
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A look at KRLA and RTL current activities
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