LOBBY FOR LIFE DAY 2019

It’s a day of lobbying, legislators and a love for life.

On Wednesday, May 1, pro-life supporters from across the state will come together for the annual Lobby for Life Day, held at “The Well” inside the state’s Legislative Office Building in Albany. 

Sponsored by the New York State Right to Life, the event will draw pro-life supporters to the lawmakers’ homebase and demonstrate the number of New Yorkers who are still pro-life in a predominantly pro-choice state.

Kathleen Gallagher, director of pro-life activities for the New York State Catholic Conference, said that “This year, more than ever, it is critical for New Yorkers to be present at the Capitol for this event.”

“We will not back down. We will never throw in the towel on defending the right to life. New York may have one of the strongest pro-abortion laws in the country right now, but that just makes it more important for pro-life New Yorkers to be visible to lawmakers, to say ‘We are here to be a voice for the voiceless.’ ”

The day kicks off at 10 a.m. with refreshments, and the featured speaker is Carol Tobias, the president of the National Right to Life Committee.

Attendees are encouraged to meet with state legislators after the speeches to lobby in support for pro-life laws in New York. 

In early April, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his support for legalizing physician-assisted suicide. Gallagher said that a large focus of the day will be on how attendees can communicate and highlight the dangers of such a policy with lawmakers. 

“Legislators are supposed to be representing their constituents, so they have to be held accountable,” said Gallagher. 

“If they voted for the new abortion law, (the Reproductive Health Act) they have to be made to understand that a large majority of New Yorkers oppose many of the provisions, e.g. late-term abortion and infanticide. If they voted no on the new law, they need to be thanked and affirmed, so they will keep fighting the good fight.”

Gallagher said that, while tragic, the passage of the RHA sparked an angry response across the political spectrum in the state. It reminded her of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationally. Pro-life supporters responded to the ruling by starting the March for Life. 

“The March just kept getting bigger and stronger, as more and more people were educated and realized how inhumane abortion is,” said Gallagher. “That is my hope for the Lobby for Life Day and New York State. That this new abortion expansion law has awakened people, and motivated them to educate and act, and the movement will only grow.” 

To register for Lobby for Life Day, call the New York State Right to Life office at 518-434-1293 or email [email protected] with your full contact info.