Americans United for Life released its seventh annual “Life List,” a ranking of all 50 states based on a comprehensive list of life issues, from abortion to euthanasia. For the second time in three years, Louisiana tops the list, followed closely by Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and Arkansas. The least life-affirming states were Washington, California, Hawaii, Vermont, and Montana. The five states rated as the “most improved” were Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, and Utah.
The report also notes that 47 states considered more than 460 measures to curb abortion, with more than 70 of them being enacted.
AUL president Charmaine Yoest called 2011 “a watershed year in the defence of life.” As the legal arm of the pro-life movement, AUL influenced 86 bills in 32 states. Yoest said, “as the Life List documents, we’re seeing tremendous gains in defending life in law.”
At the same time, NARAL Pro-Choice America issued its 21st edition of “Who Decides: The Status of Women’s Reproductive Rights in the United States,” a report on abortion-related legislation in the United States, and they note that eight states prohibited insurance coverage for abortion, seven restricted or banned state funding for Planned Parenthood, and five enacted bans on abortion after 20 weeks. NARAL also noted that eight abortion-related bills were voted on in the House of Representatives, the most it has considered since 2000.