Why would NRL want to scuttle the bill?
I don't know. South Dakota had enough votes to pass this bill in the last two years, and before the vote, Right to Life and Planned Parenthood worked together to change elected officials' votes. Why do you think? Maybe they worry if abortion ever went away, they wouldn't have a purpose. As long as it's 100% legal, they can keep sending out fundraising letters.
Why would NRL want to scuttle the bill?
Because they would loose their reason for being and funds. They stopped it last time because "the time isn't right".
Since then I have decided not to support NRL.
Pro-life groups divide over abortion ban
Two pro-life groups are clashing with each other over a South Dakota bill to criminalize abortion that was defeated by a single vote in the state Senate.
The public-interest Thomas More Law Center accuses National Right to Life of "complicity" with pro-abortion groups over demise of the bill, designed to become the most restrictive abortion law in 30 years and help overturn the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision.
The Michigan-based law firm helped draft the bill, which would have banned virtually all abortions in that state and made abortion a felony punishable for up to 15 years. The bill passed the state House by an overwhelming majority, 54 to 14, before its narrow defeat in the Senate, 18-17.
In a news release, the More Center quoted a bewildered 25-year member of Right to Life and director of an abortion counseling service, Leslee Unruh.
"We were shocked, saddened and dismayed that National Right to Life lobbied against this bill," she said. "In effect, they aborted the right to life bill."
Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the More Center concluded, "One thing we know for sure, Planned Parenthood and NARAL could not be happier with National Right To Life."
In response, National Right to Life called the charge of joining forces with pro-abortion groups "absurd, untrue, and unproductive."
"In fact," the group said, "National Right to Life called for no grassroots action against the bill, sent no one into South Dakota, sent no letters to the South Dakota legislature, issued no press releases and spoke only to one South Dakota state senator who is also South Dakota's representative to the National Right to Life Committee board of directors."
The More Center said state Sen. Jay Duenwald led "behind-the-scenes opposition" when the bill reached the State Affairs Committee.
"Together with pro-abortion senators, Duenwald's lobbying efforts succeeded in removing the ban and replacing it with an informed consent measure, something already covered by South Dakota law," the law center's release said.
Thompson accused National Right to Life of betrayal.
"It is one thing for National Right to Life to disagree with the timing of a bill banning abortions, it is another thing for them to join forces with pro-abortionists to kill the ban – it is betrayal of the unborn and pro-life movement," he said. "When is it the wrong time to do what is right? This organization has lost the moral authority to lead the pro- life cause." (excerpted)