The 3 - April 26, 2020

This week, on The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there was positive court action in a Federal appeals court stopping most abortions in Arkansas during the COVID-19 crisis as a court order for another state, Texas, is over due to the expiration of a stay-at-home order.  Also, religious freedom concerns are spotlighted in California, where drive-in services can now occur, but in-person services cannot.  Plus, religious content has been removed from the Facebook page of an Army fort in New York.

Federal courts split on abortion decisions

The availability of abortion during this time of crisis, especially when "non-essential" surgical procedures are banned in a number of areas, is troubling.  Legitimate medical professionals have been unable to sustain their regular practices, yet the heavy-handed and life-taking practices of the abortion industry continue.

The state of Arkansas is one place where most abortions are now banned, based on a court decision from a Federal appeals court.  National Review reported that...

...the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Arkansas may restrict most surgical abortions as part of its prohibition on elective procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak. Earlier this month, a federal judge had temporarily blocked the policy and ruled that the state could not lawfully restrict abortions as part of its overall order.

In the article, Sen. Tom Cotton is quoted as saying, “Medical resources—especially during a pandemic—should be used to preserve life, not end it,” adding, “The Eighth Circuit Court upheld the rule of law, rightly supporting Arkansas’s decision to dedicate its health-care system to saving the lives of Arkansans.”

The 5th Circuit had also allowed temporary restrictions on abortion in Texas to stand, but apparently, that period is over, according to the Texas Tribune, which stated this week:

A ban on nearly all abortions in Texas during the coronavirus pandemic appears to be over, as clinics began offering the procedure again Wednesday and state lawyers ceded in a legal filing that there is no longer any "case or controversy."

The near-total ban has been the subject of weeks of litigation — starting in late March when Gov. Greg Abbott postponed all surgeries not “immediately medically necessary” to preserve medical resources for coronavirus patients. Attorney General Ken Paxton said the ban extended to abortions, and the politically conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely sided with state officials.

And, while Alabama's stay-at-home order included elective surgical procedures being temporarily suspended, WSFA reported that the 11th Circuit upheld a lower court order allowing abortions to continue.  The article said:

Alabama abortion providers can continue performing abortions during the state’s coronavirus health order, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

Appellate judges said the state can’t limit abortions during the coronavirus outbreak.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in March challenging Alabama’s COVID-19 state health order, which requires dental, medical and surgical procedures to be postponed during the pandemic.

California opens up drive-in worship

How churches can worship during the COVID-19 crisis has been a major point of contention in a number of areas of the country, and while some faith voices seem to have dismissed these skirmishes as "no big deal," there are definite implications for religious freedom, and Christian legal advocates certainly take these threats seriously.

LifeSiteNews reported that a lawsuit in California "...brought by the Center for American Liberty in California, prompted Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra to back down, Fox 26 reported. The article went on to say:

The state will now permit drive-in church services, provided worshippers observe “social distancing” while doing so – which would presumably be a moot point, as every attendee remains inside his or her own car.

At its website, the Center for American Liberty stated that the ruling did not go far enough after a judge refused to grant a request for a temporary restraining order that would have allowed other forms of in-person worship.  The organization's CEO, Harmeet K. Dhillon, stated:

"...We rapidly obtained the right of all Californians of faith to be able to communally worship by drive-in services, and many churches are already taking advantage of this great development, but they still cannot worship inside their churches using the same social distancing practices we are now all familiar with in grocery stores and other retail establishments deemed “essential” by the government,..."

Dillon added, “We commend the Governor and San Bernardino and Riverside Counties for recognizing their error in barring drive-in services, and hope we can continue to make progress on overcoming the other barriers the government has artificially placed in the way of the faithful.”

LifeSiteNews also reported on Mendocino County in California, which limited even the type of worship that could be conducted online.  That article stated:

The directive, which is in force until May 10, limits events, including live-streamed events, to four individuals. It goes on to state:

No singing or use of wind instruments, harmonicas, or other instruments that could spread COVID-19 through projected droplets shall be permitted unless the recording of the event is done at one’s residence, and involving only the members of one’s household or living unit, because of the increased risk of transmission of COVID-19.

The article quotes Tyler O'Niel of PJ Media, who wrote that the ban "sounds like something out of a dystopian nightmare.” He also said, "“The coronavirus has brought many petty tyrants out of the shadows, and it appears Mendocino County is home to some of the most abominable tyrants in America..."

Army removes inspirational message from fort's Facebook page

At the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade at Fort Drum, New York, statements about religious practice have been removed from the installation's Facebook page, according to The Christian Post.  Videos by chaplains Scott Ingram and Amy Smith were found to be objectionable.  According to the article:

One of the videos in question was posted on April 2 by Chaplain Ingram in which he cited Isaiah 41 to call on people to put their trust in God during the coronavirus crisis.

“Change is never easy, but together we can walk forward in supernatural strength in the confidence that we are not forsaken,” Ingram says in the video.

Two videos by Chaplain Smith were removed, including one posted on April 8.  The Post reported:

In an April 8 video, Smith encouraged the Fort Drum community to visit the Fort Drum Labyrinth. She called the obstacle a great spiritual tool to use “especially during this COVID-19 epidemic.”

“It’s going to feel like you are walking in circles. But sometimes in life, that is what you feel like,” she said.

“Sometimes you will be toward the outside. At times in our walk with God, we can be asking God, ‘Where are you? Where are you in the midst of this COVID-19?’ Other times, you will be more toward the center and you can hear God’s voice and you can hear Him and you can sense Him, even in the midst of all the craziness that is going on with all the worry, fear and anxiety.”

After the Military Religious Freedom Foundation claimed to have received complaints and after it contacted base leadership, the videos were removed from the fort's Facebook page and posted solely on the page for the installation chapel.

Mike Berry of First Liberty was quoted by Fox News; he said: "I cannot believe the legendary U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division raised the white flag of surrender to an anti-religious freedom zealot. Every president, from Washington to Trump, has publicly prayed for our military. If the commander in chief can pray, then our soldiers can, too."

The 3 - April 19, 2020

With three stories of relevance to the Christian community, this is The 3.  The lineup for this week including statements from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding religious freedom.  And, two states (so far) have been sued because of their orders regarding church gatherings.  Plus, an atheist group has been awarded a significant sum of money as the result of a graduation prayer that one Federal judge found to be unconstitutional.

Department of Justice issues statement on religious freedom, indicates interest in Mississippi drive-in church service situation, city mayor backs down

Just before Easter, the U.S. Department of Justice was anticipated to provide religious freedom guidance for churches and government officials, to ensure that First Amendment concerns continued to be upheld during the Coronavirus crisis.  On Tuesday, the 14th, Attorney General William Barr issued a statement and announced that it had filed a statement of interest in the case of a Mississippi church, where attendees at a "drive-in" worship service were fined $500.  According to the Department of Justice website, the Attorney General said:

But even in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers. Thus, government may not impose special restrictions on religious activity that do not also apply to similar nonreligious activity. For example, if a government allows movie theaters, restaurants, concert halls, and other comparable places of assembly to remain open and unrestricted, it may not order houses of worship to close, limit their congregation size, or otherwise impede religious gatherings. Religious institutions must not be singled out for special burdens.

The statement also said:

As we explain in the Statement of Interest, where a state has not acted evenhandedly, it must have a compelling reason to impose restrictions on places of worship and must ensure that those restrictions are narrowly tailored to advance its compelling interest. While we believe that during this period there is a sufficient basis for the social distancing rules that have been put in place, the scope and justification of restrictions beyond that will have to be assessed based on the circumstances as they evolve.

WREG Television in Memphis reported on Thursday: "After drawing national attention, including lawsuits brought by two local churches, the mayor of Greenville, Mississippi has reversed his decision to ban drive-in church services." The article went on to say:

After receiving “clarification” from Gov. Tate Reeves, Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons says he’s reversing an April 7 order saying all churches would be closed, including drive-in services, as part of Mississippi’s shelter in place mandate.

Alliance Defending Freedom had filed suit on behalf of Greenville's Temple Baptist Church, and First Liberty took action on behalf of King James Bible Baptist Church.  The television station quoted Jeremy Dys of First Liberty: "There’s no pandemic exception to the First Amendment and so thankfully, today worshipers in Greenville are experiencing a greater degree of freedom than they did yesterday..."

The television station stated, "The city of Greenville will allow drive-in and parking lot services in the city, so long as families stay in their cars with windows up."

Christian legal advocacy organizations sue states

In order to preserve religious freedom rights for churches, there has been legal action that has been taken by Christian legal organizations against the acts of two governors. The Alliance Defending Freedom filed suit in Federal court on behalf of two Kansas churches against the state's governor, Laura Kelly, according to the ADF website, "to challenge a provision of her statewide shelter-in-place order that singles out churches from holding gatherings of 10 or more people while allowing numerous secular gatherings that exceed that number, including bars, restaurants, libraries, and shopping malls."

The website reported on Saturday that the Federal court had granted a temporary restraining order against the governor's policy.  ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker, a recent Meeting House guest on Faith Radio, stated, "...We’re pleased that the court halted the governor from subjecting our clients to that type of targeting and agreed that the churches are likely to prevail on their claim that doing so violates the First Amendment. The order specifies that our clients are to abide by their own proposed, rigorous social distancing practices for the time being while our case continues in court, which these churches are obviously happy to do, since they proposed those rules themselves for everyone’s health and safety."

Liberty Counsel, according to its website, filed suit in Federal court against the governor of Kentucky, on behalf of a Louisville church, for "...violating their religious freedom by targeting churchgoers on Easter Sunday."  The organization's website stated:

On Easter Sunday, Kentucky State Police troopers came to Maryville Baptist Church, wrote down license plate numbers, and placed notices on every car in the church parking lot. The church set up speakers outside for parking lot service. The state troopers did not go inside the church where a small number of people were spread far apart in a 700-seat sanctuary. Following Gov. Beshear’s threat to target anyone who attended a church service, they placed quarantine notices on each car, including those where people stayed in their cars for the drive-in parking lot service. Anyone who did not drive off were given notices, including two media vehicles.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver is quoted at the website, stating: "Governor Beshear has clearly targeted this church and violated these church members’ religious freedom. The only reason these people were given notices is because they were in a church parking lot. Had they parked in the nearby shopping center they would not have been targeted. This is clearly Gov. Andy Beshear’s discriminating against churches."  According to WAVE 3 Television: "A motion for a temporary restraining order filed by a Hillview baptist church against an order by the Beshear administration has been denied by a District Court Judge on Saturday."  This was a reference to Maryville Baptist.

Federal judge rewards atheist group in graduation prayer case

Seemingly on an annual basis, there is confusion over the free speech rights and right to religious expression of students regarding graduation ceremonies.  A troubling decision was handed down recently by a Federal court concerning a school in the Greenville, S.C. school district -ChristianHeadlines.com reported:

A federal judge this week awarded an atheist group more than $450,000 in attorney's fees and expenses after the organization successfully fought against high school graduation prayer as part of a 2013 lawsuit.

The group is the American Humanist Association which, according to the article, "sued the school on behalf of parents of a student who objected to students leading prayers at a graduation. The organization also objected to the graduations being held in off-site chapels."  Last year, the judge, Bruce Hendricks, "...ruled for the group and said in a 2019 decision that 'the district shall not include a prayer – whether referred to as a prayer, blessing, invocation, benediction, inspirational reading, or otherwise – as part of the official program for a graduation ceremony.'"

The school district may appeal; it issued a statement which said, in part: "the School District has argued that students, like other citizens, have the right to free speech, including that of a religious nature..."

The 3 - April 12, 2020

In this week's edition of The 3, there are several stories regarding religious freedom in light of the COVID-19 crisis, including attempts in Mississippi and Kentucky to limit religious expression through "drive-in" church services.  Meanwhile, in Virginia, church members were arrested for exceeding a governor's order, the same governor who signed two pro-abortion bills in the past week.  And, Colorado baker Jack Phillips was back in court recently, defending himself from being forced to endorse a message with which he disagrees due to his Christian beliefs.

Attempts to "crack down" on church services, including drive-in events, during Easter week

One of the stories that has emerged during the Coronavirus crisis has to do with religious freedom and the balancing of this First Amendment freedom with public health.  Some states regard churches as being "essential" during this time, others do not.  There are some who question why it's OK for liquor stores and abortion clinics to be open during the crisis while churches are closed.  And, some have questioned why people can go to some retail stores and mix with dozens or even hundreds of people but are not allowed to go to church, especially if social distancing is used.

But, we have to keep in mind we are in a public health crisis, so there are rules and regulations that have, well, evolved.  Unfortunately, there have been some blatant violations of religious freedom that have been occurring.

Take, for instance, a situation in Greenville, Mississippi, where law enforcement officials showed up at a "drive-in" church service and began to fine people $500.  According to ToddStarnes.com, last Thursday...

As many as 20 police officers showed up at the King James Bible Baptist Church in Greenville, Mississippi threatening to issue citations to the pastor as well as church members.

It is the second day in a row that the city’s police department has been used to crack down on “drive-in” church services.

On Wednesday, nearly two dozen people attending a “drive-in” prayer service at Temple Baptist Church were slapped with $500 fines.

ToddStarnes.com reported on the state's governor's response:

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves issued a warning to local elected leaders who are cracking down on religious liberty.

“If you send police after worshippers trying to social distance, you are going to have Mississippians revolt,” the governor wrote on Twitter.

Starnes noted: "Temple Baptist Church and King James Bible Baptist Church held 'drive-in' services that appeared to be in line with state-mandated social distancing guidelines."  Apparently, the city added its own rules limiting church activity.

Alliance Defending Freedom has now become involved in the situation there.

And, in Louisville, Kentucky, the mayor there decided to clamp down on these "drive-in" services.  Mayor Greg Fischer, according to WDRB Television, "said he couldn't allow 'hundreds of thousands' of people to drive around town this weekend in observance of Easter festivities when they need to be home riding out the pandemic." The story says that On Fire Christian Church "...sought to 'block (Fischer's) prohibition on churches holding drive-in services during the COVID-19 pandemic,' according to the First Liberty Institute, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the church."

On Saturday, a Federal judge agreed with the church; the television station reported that Judge Justin Walker granted a temporary restraining order allowing it to hold "drive-in" services.  The article states: 

In his ruling, Walker blasted the mayor's decision to prohibit drive-in church services as "beyond all reason" and akin to what one might find only in a dystopian novel. Fischer, however, said that in a global pandemic, he is simply trying to save lives.

The station also reported:

"In this case, Louisville is violating the Free Exercise Clause 'beyond all question,'" he wrote. "Here, Louisville has targeted religious worship by prohibiting drive-in church services, while not prohibiting a multitude of other non-religious drive-ins and drive-throughs — including, for example, drive-through liquor stores."

And, U.S. Senate Majority Leader tweeted out his support:

"Grateful for this strong, eloquent ruling defending Kentuckians' religious liberty from Judge Justin Walker ... Of course church parking lots cannot be singled out with unfair standards that differ from other establishments," he wrote. McConnell, who attended Walker's swearing-in ceremony in March, recently sent a letter to Fischer urging him to permit church services that adhere to CDC guidelines.

According to the Lexington Herald-Ledger, the governor of Kentucky seems to be OK with drive-in services.  So is the state's attorney general.  However, Gov. Andy Beshear has decided to place church attendees under what amounts to house arrest - quarantine for 14 days if their license plate numbers are identified by law enforcement.  FoxNews.com reports:

Under the new rules, people seen taking part in in-person events will have their license plate numbers recorded by authorities, who will provide the information to local health departments, Beshear said. Health officials will contact each participant and require them to go into quarantine for 14 days.

The governor also warned that those attending drive-in services must stay in their cars, park six feet away from their neighbor and not pass items between vehicles.

Virginia governor signs bill that repeals previous abortion restrictions

The governor of Virginia, who has been under fire for some time over his statements indicating a lack of the respect for the right to life for abortion survivors certainly seems to have his priorities out of line - strengthening the so-called right to abortion while not protecting religious freedom.

Live Action News reported that:

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed two bills into law today, which he referred to as “The Reproductive Health Protection Act.” Together, the two bills, SB 733 and HB 980, repeal Virginia’s laws requiring a 24-hour waiting period and an ultrasound before any abortion, and overturn multiple other regulations and safety standards meant to keep women safe.

As previously noted by Live Action News, the Act “will do away with common-sense requirements, such as ambulatory surgical center standards for abortion facilities, a 24-hour waiting period, delivery of informed consent materials, and a transabdominal ultrasound before an abortion. The bill would also non-physicians such as physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified-nurse midwives, to commit abortions.”

Live Action News stated that, "Governor Northam’s so-called Reproductive Health Protection Act has nothing to do with health or keeping women safe. It’s simply another step from a pro-abortion governor seeking to make abortion as widespread as possible in Virginia."

Meanwhile, the Liberty Counsel website, there is this report:

Police served a summons to the pastor of Lighthouse Fellowship in Chincoteague Island for holding a church service for 16 people spaced far apart in a sanctuary that seats 293.

The charge is violating Virginia Governor Northam’s COVID Order 55 with a penalty up to a year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine. Liberty Counsel is representing Pastor Kevin Wilson and Lighthouse Fellowship Church.

The site quotes Mat Staver of the organization, who is heard on Freedom's Call on Faith Radio; he stated: "We need to balance the First Amendment with protecting the health and welfare of people. Using an arbitrary number of 10 people for every church is not the answer.”

WRIC Television reported on a resident of the state who attempted to block the governor's executive action against gatherings of over 10 people:

A man from southwest Virginia hoping to have churches reopen on Easter filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday claiming the governor’s executive orders limiting gatherings of more than 10 people has had “a chilling effect” on his right to religious freedom. On Thursday, a judge denied the man’s temporary injunction to block Northam’s orders.

The suit, filed by Larry Hughes in Russell County, argues Northam’s order violates the Virginia Constitution’s guarantee of the enjoyment of life and liberty. Hughes’ suit also claims Executive Order 55 violates the constitution’s guarantee that people are the source of power in the commonwealth, that laws may not be suspended without the people’s consent and the guarantee of the the free exercise of religion.

Jack Phillips back in court

It is now becoming more uselessly complex to keep up with the legal action being taken against Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado.  He won a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2018 involving his declining to provide a cake celebrating gay marriage; the high court ruled that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had exercised hostility toward the baker.

The Alliance Defending Freeedom website reports that in 2017, while the original lawsuit was still being litigated, an attorney filed a complaint with the Commission against Phillips over his denial for a cake celebrating a gender transition. ADF states: "The commission filed charges against Phillips but abandoned the claim in the wake of more evidence of the state’s hostility toward religious freedom—hostility that the U.S. Supreme Court had first condemned in a separate lawsuit that began years earlier but that Phillips won in 2018. Instead of appealing the commission’s decision to drop its action on the 2017 complaint, the attorney filed a new lawsuit in state court that seeks monetary damages of more than $100,000 against Phillips in addition to legal fees."

ADF Senior Vice President of U.S. Legal Division Kristen Waggoner, who represented Phillips in arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court, stated, “It’s time to move on and leave Jack alone. This new lawsuit is nothing more than an activist’s attempt to harass and ruin Jack because he won’t create custom cakes that express messages or celebrate events in conflict with his conscience..." Arguments were made before a state court this past Thursday.

The 3 - April 5, 2020

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is news from Idaho about new legislation that would prevent males who are transgender from participating in competition in female sports.  Also, in the name of "social distancing," law enforcement officials in North Carolina have been arresting pro-life people who come to minister and protest at abortion clinics.  And, Texas is still abortion-free, thanks to a Federal appeals court ruling that upholds state law that abortions are elective procedures and should be banned under state law designed to combat the Coronavirus.

Idaho passes legislation preventing boys who are transgender from competing in girls' sports

One of the emerging stories over the months prior to the Coronavirus becoming the dominant news story had to do with boys who were attempting to transition into being girls competing in - and winning - in girls' sports.  The state of Idaho took decisive action to address this growing problem, passing legislation recently that would prohibit biological males from participating in female sports categories.

A piece on the Family Policy Alliance website, written by Blaine Conzatti of the Family Policy Alliance of Idaho, stated that the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act "ensures only biological females can play in girls’ school sports."  The article also points out that, "state lawmakers passed the Idaho Vital Statistics Act, which ensures the accuracy of birth certificates, the most important state vital record;" it prevents people from changing their gender determination on these documents.

The article says that:

Most Americans believe that boys shouldn’t play in girls’ high school and college sports—a common-sense approach that was legally buttressed with the advent of Title IX in 1972.

Yet that which was once unthinkable is becoming an increasingly common occurrence in school sports around the country. It has gotten so bad that three female high school track runners in Connecticut have sued their state athletic organization because several boys, who say they’re girls, keep winning championships, breaking records, and taking opportunities from hardworking girls.

And, as The Christian Post has reported, the Department of Justice "has sided with three female high school athletes suing Connecticut public schools over allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports," citing a misinterpretation by the governing body over school athletics in the state of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination.

Protestors at abortion clinic in NC arrested, including David Benham

There continues to be discussion within the pro-life community about why abortion clinics are continuing to operate during the COVID-19 crisis, when abortion certainly can be considered to be "elective" surgery.  Abortionists utilize medical supplies that could be used in saving lives that are threatened by the Coronavirus, instead of taking lives through abortion.  And, it is discomforting to think that abortion clinics are allowed to operate in many areas while churches are closed across most of the country.

There is disconcerting news out of North Carolina, where sidewalk counselors at a Charlotte abortion clinic were arrested over the weekend, despite their contention that the gathering was legal and that they were practicing "social distancing." One of those counselors was noted Christian speaker and author David Benham. The Charlotte Observer reported:

Police on Saturday charged eight Charlotte abortion protesters with violating North Carolina’s COVID-19-related ban on mass gatherings.

The arrests went national late Saturday when U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas criticized Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.

“This is an unconstitutional arrest,” Cruz, a runner-up for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 election, tweeted. “@BenhamBrothers exercising core First Amendment rights. PEACEFULLY. In a way fully consistent w/ public safety. Because elected Dems are pro-abortion, they are abusing their power—in a one-sided way—to silence pregnancy counselors.”

The article said that a crowd of around 50 had originally gathered outside the clinic, but police asked them to leave; 12 stayed and were cited, then the remaining 8 who stayed, including David Benham, were arrested. 

On Twitter, the Benham Brothers tweeted out: "The sidewalk counselors stayed over 6’ apart and there were less than five of them. Yet this officer selectively enforced the law, even though Cities4Life had less than 10 people."

The Observer also noted that:

Video posted to the Facebook page of Love Life, a Charlotte-based group that opposes abortion, shows Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police cars outside the clinic Saturday.

On Thursday four people affiliated with Love Life filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Greensboro mayor and a lieutenant with the Greensboro Police Department after they were arrested March 28 for violating the stay-at-home orders of that city and Guilford County while protesting outside an abortion clinic there.

Federal appeals court says no abortions in Texas

While abortions continue to be performed across America, in the state of Texas, thanks to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, abortions apparently have been brought to a halt.  Last Monday, the appeals court issued the decision, according to the Susan B. Anthony List:

Today the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed temporary enforcement of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s order stopping elective procedures, including abortions, pending appeal. The order is part of the state’s efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Planned Parenthood and other abortion advocates have filed similar lawsuits in four other states, and Planned Parenthood reportedly has kept its doors open in Ohio despite a directive from Governor Mike DeWine and the urgings of national, state, and local government officials to suspend all elective surgical procedures at this time.

SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser is quoted as saying: “At a time when millions of Americans are making heroic sacrifices to protect the vulnerable, and legitimate health care workers risk their own lives to care for COVID-19 patients with crucial protective equipment in short supply, the abortion industry led by Planned Parenthood demands special treatment and diverts scarce resources. We thank Governor Abbott, Attorney General Paxton, and the governors of a growing number of states for their strong leadership."

Meanwhile in Alabama, a Federal judge, in response to Governor Ivey's March 27 order banning elective surgeries, allowed abortions to continue until April 13, according to WSFA.