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The VSHL goal is to protect all unborn children not just VA. Read their mission statement for clarification.
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The '''Virginia Society for Human Life''' ('''VSHL''') is a non-profit organization advocating an end to abortion in [[Virginia]]. VSHL is the Virginia affiliate of the [[National Right to Life Committee]]. It was founded in 1967 and is the oldest [[pro-life]] organization in the country.<ref name="Standard News Wire">[http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/130512052.html Nation's Oldest Right to Life Organization Supporting Thompson]</ref><ref name="WORLD">[http://www.worldmag.com/virginia/18262 Moving forward]</ref><ref>[http://www.vshl.org/about_us.html VSHL About Us]</ref> The group has a [[political action committee]], VSHL PAC, to support pro-life candidates for Virginia public office. Olivia Gans is the current president of VSHL and the Director of the American Victims of Abortion (AVA).<ref name="nationalrighttolifenews">[http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2012/08/historic-the-best-description-of-first-annual-virginia-society-for-human-lifes-pro-life-youth-camp/#.Ui1is1ko5jo Historic]</ref>
The '''Virginia Society for Human Life''' ('''VSHL''') is a non-profit organization advocating an end to abortion in [[Virginia]] and the United States. VSHL is the Virginia affiliate of the [[National Right to Life Committee]]. It was founded in 1967 and is the oldest [[pro-life]] organization in the country.<ref name="Standard News Wire">[http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/130512052.html Nation's Oldest Right to Life Organization Supporting Thompson]</ref><ref name="WORLD">[http://www.worldmag.com/virginia/18262 Moving forward]</ref><ref>[http://www.vshl.org/about_us.html VSHL About Us]</ref> The group has a [[political action committee]], VSHL PAC, to support pro-life candidates for Virginia public office. Olivia Gans is the current president of VSHL and the Director of the American Victims of Abortion (AVA).<ref name="nationalrighttolifenews">[http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2012/08/historic-the-best-description-of-first-annual-virginia-society-for-human-lifes-pro-life-youth-camp/#.Ui1is1ko5jo Historic]</ref>


==Activities==
==Activities==

Revision as of 09:53, 9 September 2013

Virginia Society for Human Life
Formation1967
HeadquartersRichmond, VA
President
Olivia Gans
Websitevshl.org

The Virginia Society for Human Life (VSHL) is a non-profit organization advocating an end to abortion in Virginia and the United States. VSHL is the Virginia affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee. It was founded in 1967 and is the oldest pro-life organization in the country.[1][2][3] The group has a political action committee, VSHL PAC, to support pro-life candidates for Virginia public office. Olivia Gans is the current president of VSHL and the Director of the American Victims of Abortion (AVA).[4]

Activities

VSHL works through political and social channels against abortion, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia, and other life issues in Virginia with the ultimate goal of ending those practices in the state and nationwide. It lobbies for pro-life legislation or against pro-choice legislation in the Virginia General Assembly. VSHL president Olivia Gans says that during a General Assembly session, VSHL has "a team of 2-3 individuals who are almost daily down at the General Assembly communicating, lobbying, giving our pro-life members information, reaching out to members who might be on the fence and monitoring bills...We may or may not support every pro-life bill that is put forward because we look at what kind of effort has the greatest chance of success in this session."[2][failed verification]

In 2011, VSHL was involved in the passage of a bill to regulate abortion clinics as hospitals.[2][failed verification] The bill, which passed the House by an large margin and passed the Senate after a tiebreaker vote from Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, may force a number of abortion clinics in the state to close.[5]

In August 2012 VSHL started a pro-life youth camp called Camp Joshua that is part of the Life & Leadership Camps Initiative developed by the National Right to Life pro life program. Olivia Gans the president of VSHL and the Director of the American Victims of Abortion (AVA) attended the event and presented workshops on how abortion effects women and the world.[4]

VHSL Mission Statement

"Virginia Society for Human Life, Inc., is a voluntary and non-denominational organization united in the belief that the human being in his innate dignity and worth should be safeguarded by law at every stage of biological development. Through education and legislative activity, the Society's purpose is to promote measures which will insure protection for all innocent human life."[1]

VSHL PAC

VSHL PAC provides support to pro-life candidates for public office, especially for U.S. Congress, the Virginia General Assembly, and statewide offices. They endorsed Gov. Bob McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in the 2009 elections, as well as 61 candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates.[6][dead link] VSHL PAC started in 1990 and has spent about $100,000 on federal elections since then.[7] In the 2011 state elections, 11 of VSHL's endorsed state Senate candidates and 21 endorsed House of Delegates candidates were elected.[8]

VSHL v. FEC

VSHL was involved in a federal court case against the Federal Election Commission that was decided in 2001. VSHL planned to distribute voter guides for the 2000 elections that would detail VSHL's views on life issues and would show various candidates' positions on these issues. VSHL submitted a petition to the FEC asking it to repeal a subsection of election regulations that would declare these activities corporate expenditures, illegal for a 501(c)(3) non-profit. VSHL said the law was too broad. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, agreed, and issued an injunction against the FEC prohibiting them from enforcing the law in question. However, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit overturned the lower court's nationwide injunction and amended the injunction to apply only to VSHL.[9][non-primary source needed][10][dead link]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Nation's Oldest Right to Life Organization Supporting Thompson Cite error: The named reference "Standard News Wire" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Moving forward
  3. ^ VSHL About Us
  4. ^ a b Historic Cite error: The named reference "nationalrighttolifenews" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ Abortion clinics fear new Virginia law could shut them down
  6. ^ VSHL 2009 Endorsements
  7. ^ VSHL -- OpenSecrets.org
  8. ^ Pro-lifers Win Majorities in 2011 Election!
  9. ^ VIRGINIA SOCIETY FOR HUMAN LIFE, INC. v. FEC
  10. ^ Circuit Court decision
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