For pro-life activists across the country, it was a bitter night when several ballot initiatives expanding access to abortion were passed in New England and California. Despite these defeats, however, there is a glimmer of hope for the pro-life movement. As Bob Vander Plaats, a leader in the pro-life movement, tells Fox News, the movement is preparing for big wins in 2020.
Despite the pro-choice initiatives that passed in New England and California, Vanner Plaat is optimistic. He believes that the pro-life movement is in a position to make significant progress in the upcoming year. Specifically, he cited Oregon and Massachusetts — two states where initiatives that were heavily funded by the pro-choice organization, Planned Parenthood, were passed — as states where the pro-life movement could make significant headway in 2020.
In Massachusetts, the state legislature is in the process of passing a bill that would require parental consent before a minor could have an abortion. Vander Plaat believes that this bill could be the first step in reversing the gains made by the pro-choice movement in the state. He believes that the passage of this bill could be the start of a larger push from the pro-life movement to take back control of the state legislature.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, the pro-life movement is gearing up for a larger fight. The state has a ballot initiative which would require that any healthcare facilities funded by the state would be prohibited from performing abortions. The pro-life movement believes that this initiative could serve as an important starting point for a larger effort to restrict abortion access in the state.
Despite the recent setbacks in California and New England, Vander Plaat is still confident that the pro-life movement will be able to make significant advances in 2020. He believes that the pro-life side is better positioned to make gains than the pro-choice side, particularly in Oregon and Massachusetts. The coming year should serve as an important test for the pro-life movement, as their efforts will determine whether the movement is able to reverse the gains made by pro-choice initiatives in those states.
