We told you earlier about an important pro-life bill, HB1887, that failed yesterday before the Arkansas House Public Health Committee, and we’ve been encouraging you to come to the Capitol on Tuesday morning for Pro-Life Day at the Capitol in Little Rock.  However, I want to pause to highlight four representatives on the House Public Health Committee who showed strong, pro-life resolve on yesterday’s vote.

These four representatives are all Democrats. I point that out, because it is becoming increasingly difficult for an elected official to be both pro-life and a Democrat.

When I first began lobbying, it was not uncommon to find Democrats who were staunchly pro-life. These days, though, there’s so much pressure from the Democratic Party at the national level that a lot of pro-life legislators are being forced to choose between their party and their morals.  That’s just wrong.

Yesterday, however, four representatives made the choice to support good pro-life legislation in spite of whatever objections party leaders might have had to their votes, and I’m very proud to highlight them here.

Representative Billy Gaskill

Rep. Gaskill might be one of the most vocally pro-life members of the House Public Health Committee. He’s plainly said publicly and to members of my staff many times over the past couple of years, “Abortion is murder.” Yesterday he kept that same sense of resolve, and voted in favor of HB1887.

Representative Jeff Wardlaw

Rep. Wardlaw gave a good vote on HB1887 yesterday. We’ve had some disagreements with Rep. Wardlaw in the past over pro-life issues, but yesterday he took a stand for unborn children and for every Arkansan who believes in upholding the sanctity of human life. Hats off to Rep. Wardlaw for doing that.

Representative Sheilla Lampkin

Rep. Lampkin has been upfront about the fact that she is pro-life. Yesterday she was moved to tears by the stirring testimony presented on HB1887. She gave the bill a good, affirmative vote when her name was called, and should be recognized for doing so.

Representative Barry Hyde

Rep. Hyde also took a solid stand yesterday.  When some of his colleagues at the table voted against HB1887—or just didn’t vote at all—he chose to cast a vote in favor of the bill. We’re very proud of Rep. Hyde’s willingness to support pro-life legislation.

I’m very grateful for every representative who supported HB1887 yesterday, but I wanted to highlight these four in particular, because when a lawmaker comes to Little Rock, he or she faces tremendous pressure from all kinds of interests and power brokers. No matter which party you’re in, there’s going to be someone at the Capitol telling you that you shouldn’t support a pro-life bill for one reason or another.  Yesterday, these four representatives shone through as examples that Democratic lawmakers don’t have to choose between their party and their conscience.