From The Desk of Addia Wuchner, RN, Executive Director KRTL & The RTL Education Foundation of Kentucky

Words cannot express adequate thanks to the Kentucky legislators who have supported pro-life legislation and will retire this year. The participation in the Pro-life Caucus of most of these and their votes have saved thousands of lives. What better record and commendation for faithful service could there be?

They have also shown support for KRTL events, lending their time and wonderful personalities and presence. We salute and THANK these who will retire at year end.

REPRESENTATIVES

Melinda Prunty, D-15, Butler, Muhlenberg

Bart Rowland, D-21, Adair, Cumberland, Metcalf, Monroe

Jim DuPlessis, D-25, Hardin (Part)

Jerry T. Miller, D-36, Jefferson (Part)

Joe Fischer, D-68, Campbell (Part)

Regina Petrey Huff, D-82, Laurel (Part), Whitley

Steve Sheldon, D-17, Warren (Part)

SENATORS

Paul Hornback, D-20, Boone (Part), Carroll, Franklin, Gallatin, Kenton (Part), Owen

Matt Castlen, D-8, Daviess, Hancock, McLean

Alice Forgy Kerr, D-12, Boyle, Fayette (Part), Mercer, Woodford

Wil Schroder, D-24, Bracken, Campbell, Kenton (Part), Pendleton

C.B. Embry, D-6, Jefferson (Part), Oldham, Trimble— d. 9/29/22

Bob brings over 30 years of successful management experience across many organizations to our team. He has worked in Frankfort and around the Commonwealth serving the pro-life and pro-family mission. Most importantly, he brings his passion, talents and commitment to share and expand our mission to uphold the sanctity of life.

Bob holds a degree in Communications from Morehead State University. He and his wife Caroline reside in Shelby County with their four children. Caroline is co-host of the Jim and Caroline morning show on WJIE Christian radio in Louisville.

“I’m incredibly excited and blessed to be joining Addia and the Kentucky Right to Life team for a time such as this. God is so very good,” Bob says of his new role. Please join us in welcoming Bob Scott!

By Addia Wuchner, Executive Director, Kentucky Right to Life

Ours was a protest of disappointment directed at Mount St. Joseph, a Catholic University in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1920 by the Sisters of Charity. Wednesday evening we stood prayerfully, joining Cincinnati Right to Life, Students for Life from three states, along with many broken-hearted and upset alumni of the Mount in our protest of disappointment.

Mount St. Joseph knew the position of U.S. President Joe Biden on abortion, which even includes the destruction of the unborn with taxpayer dollars, when they extended the invitation and hosted his visit and nationally covered Town Hall, on this past Wednesday evening, July 21^st.

While Kentucky Right to Life is not affiliated with any particular religious or political organization, it is our mission to advance the culture of life, rooted in the truth about the human person. The position on the sanctity of human life is not unique to Catholic Church teaching, but is held by many denominations across the globe reflecting the fact that from the earliest times, Christians sharply distinguished themselves from surrounding pagan cultures by rejecting abortion and infanticide.

It is clear where President Biden stands on this fundamental matter which is in direct opposition to the position of the Catholic Church, affirmed in its Catechism which states: “Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law” (CCC No. 2271).

It was such a dark departure for Mount St. Joe to host the event. This institution was founded in a faith that fundamentally believes every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred because the human person is made in the image and likeness of the living and holy God.

Kentucky Right to Life extends sincere appreciation to Archbishop Schnurr with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

“Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has not been contacted by any involved party about the upcoming visit of President Joseph R. Biden to Cincinnati to participate in a CNN town hall meeting at Mount St. Joseph University. Archbishop Schnurr has therefore not been asked for, nor would he have granted, his approval for any such event to occur on Catholic premises. Mount St. Joseph University operates under the sponsorship of the  Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati …”

On Monday, June 14, Attorney General Daniel Cameron filed a brief before the United States Supreme Court in support of his defense of House Bill 454, Kentucky’s law prohibiting live-dismemberment abortions. Read his full statement here.

A year and a half ago the Sixth Circuit Appeals Court heard the arguments for and against HB454. A media event organized by our current executive director raised public awareness about the legal case, how babies are aborted, and AG Cameron’s defense of the Ky law. At that news conference AG Cameron promised to pursue the case to SCOTUS if the Appeal was denied, which it was about this time last year. Learn more here. Following is a statement by Addia Kathryn Wuchner on AG Cameron’s bold stand.

As a former Kentucky state representative and the author and sponsor of ‘HB 454, The Human Rights of the Child Act Banning Live Dismemberment Abortions,’ and as Executive Director of Kentucky Right to Life, we are grateful and stand in full support of Attorney General Daniel Cameron and his unwavering commitment to the defense of life.

In January 2020, outside the US Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, at our joint press conference, AG Cameron publicly affirmed that he would defend human life and appeal the case to the Supreme Court if necessary. Thank you for being a leader of integrity and a man of your word!

HB 454 banning live dismemberment abortions in Kentucky reflects the judgment of the citizens of our Commonwealth that certain abortion practices are so barbaric and gruesome, they warrant exclusion from a civilized society.

Without a doubt, ultrasound affirms that “by the end of 10 weeks, the unborn child has fingers, hands, arms, toes, feet, legs, eyelids, and ears” — confirming that the unborn child is in fact a human being, and affirms our work in defending the ‘human rights’ of the child.

When we look at all the human rights injustices that deform our society and culture today, we are paralyzed in moving forward to address any of them, until we resolve the greatest human rights issues of our day: the basic right to life and the human rights of every child.

Further notes

• Many people do not know that Dilation and Evacuation Abortion is a surgical procedure during which the limbs and torso of a live, in-utero fetus are torn off by the abortionist's forceps, and the skull crushed. The fetus feels pain as early as 12 weeks, and the D&E abortion is performed beginning at 13 weeks.
• In 2018 when the ‘Dismemberment Abortion’ Legislation passed, science had ascertained that pain was felt by a fetus as early as 20 weeks. In 2017 the “Pain Capable” Law was passed in Ky, limiting the procedure of abortion to 20 weeks. The 12-week threshold was reported by the American College of Pediatricians earlier this year.
• Did you know that Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers at times facilitate a D&E abortion to deliver baby parts for use by research labs? This controversy was initially publicized by ABC News in 2000 and then further exposed by David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress in a series of videos starting in mid-2015, and his revelations landed him in a legal quagmire that continues today.
• The practice of using baby body parts in research, funded by taxpayers and the federal government, was restricted by former President Trump. His policy was repealed this past April, as reported on the KRLA Timeline.
• Read more about Ky’s Dismemberment Law on this website here and here.

Last fall Right to Life of Louisville began an extensive local search for its new executive director. After interviewing several impressive applicants, an offer was made to Louisville native Corey Koellner, and we are pleased to report that he accepted the position, effective February 1st.

Corey and his wife Melissa, whom he met when both studied accounting at Bellarmine U., have three children: Henry (9), Anna (6), and William (4), and two four-legged friends. The Koellners are members of St. Agnes Catholic Church, where their children attend school.

Corey states he is honored to be selected as RTL’s new executive director. “I look forward to working with the pro-life community and using the skills and experiences I’ve gained in the business and non-profit sectors to propel our organization forward as we defend the human rights of the unborn and help create a culture of life.”

He is keenly aware of the political and cultural environment for pro-lifers. “While we’ve seen positive developments in the Kentucky General Assembly, we are aware of the significant challenges ahead at the Federal level. The reality, though, is our most authentic success will come from changing hearts and minds, enabling others to understand and appreciate we are all made in God’s image and deserving of a right to life.”

As a long-time supporter of the pro-life cause, Corey knows he has big shoes to fill. Margie Montgomery’s contributions to the culture of life locally and statewide loom large. He hopes to build on her legacy.

“I look forward to partnering with KRLA and our manager and volunteers to bring RTL Louisville’s processes into the 21st century through leveraging technology and improving the efficiency of our operations. We’ll be mission-centric and proactive to maximize our resources and expand our reach in the community.”

Right to Life of Louisville and KRLA extend a warm welcome to Corey.

Kentucky Right to Life enters a new, exciting phase of its outreach and growth, led by Addia Wuchner.

Addia, a Louisville native, served in the House of Representatives, District 66, for Boone County and Kentucky citizens from 2005 until 2019. She was the first woman in Ky to be appointed Chair of the House Standing Committee on Health and Family Services.

She is an unwavering pro-life, pro-family and pro-woman advocate who has championed the human rights of the unborn child and women’s right to know, the healthcare right to make a completely informed decision before giving consent to abortion.

From the inception, drafting and presentation of the Ultrasound Bill (2017 Ky House Bill 2) to its final vindication by the U.S. Supreme Court, Addia promoted this critical piece of pro-life legislation across the finish line. For the first time in history, women who seek an abortion in Kentucky now must be given the opportunity to see who will be aborted and to hear the fetal heartbeat before a final decision is made.

In 2018 she penned The Human Rights of the Child Act - ‘Dismemberment Abortion’ bill, banning live dismemberment abortions in the Commonwealth. The 6^th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower Court injunction, but Attorney General Cameron is committed to pursuing a challenge to the ruling.

During her tenure in the Kentucky General Assembly she served on the Economic Development and Workforce Committee, Banking and Insurance and Budget Subcommittee for Human Services Committee, Appropriations and Revenue, Education and Workforce Development, Tourism, Transportation, and numerous task forces and working groups including the Healthy Babies Council.

In 2006, Representative Wuchner worked tirelessly to ensure that her child pornography legislation became law, raising the offense of child pornography in Kentucky from a Misdemeanor to a Class D Felony.

In 2010 after months of work, her Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma Act, the “Shaken Baby Prevention” bill, passed and became model legislation for child abuse prevention.

Working across the aisle, in 2013 she co-sponsored HB 3, the Kentucky Human Trafficking Victims Right Act, which successfully passed, sending a clear message that this modern day slavery has no place in Kentucky.

A long-time advocate for dyslexia awareness and ensuring Kentucky students early identification and appropriate interventions, she championed both the 2012 Kentucky’s Response to Intervention Act and the 2018 Ready to Read Act.

Her dedication as a servant leader has also been demonstrated in her work as a businesswoman, bioethicist, registered nurse, community leader, and humanitarian mission director. She has placed her life in the service of others throughout the Commonwealth and abroad.

Thomas More University awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters in recognition of her overall contributions in bioethics, rights of the unborn, and international humanitarian aid.

Addia served six years on the Northern Kentucky Independent Health Department Board of Directors with passion and energy to improve both the economic and physical well-being of all Kentucky citizens, especially our most vulnerable citizens, children.

She is a member of the 2007 Class of Leadership Kentucky and is an alumni of the 2005 Toll Fellows Program (Quest for Excellence) which recognizes excellence in public leaders.

Addia is a Registered Nurse and has been a dedicated healthcare professional for over 36 years, recognized for her contributions in advancing the role of bioethics in healthcare and public policy. She began her career as a nurse at St. Anthony Hospital in Louisville.

She served as Vice President of Strategic Planning for the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati and Senior Director of Corporate Relations for the St. Luke Hospitals for eight years.

Her faith and mission-driven vision have taken her around the globe, at times to places few would venture. She was the founder and missions director for Project Wings Of Mercy, International Medical and Humanitarian Aid, completing nine missions to war-torn Bosnia and Croatia during the 1991-94 conflict.

Other missions include: medical aid and disaster relief to New Orleans following hurricane Katrina, annual specialty surgical missions to Mexico, and disaster relief missions to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Addia and her husband Jan have three children, 12 grandchildren and a lovable Wheaten Terrier named Buddy.

The happy expression, “Our prayers have been answered!” describes the KRLA board members’ delight in sharing this wonderful news with our members and friends. Special thanks go to the Search Committee headed by Louisville RTL President Cathie Young.

Addia officially joined KRLA on January 22, 2021, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Updated January 20, 2021

Ruling in favor of Trump overruled by Biden on Day One

As part of President Biden’s Day One executive actions, non-citizens shall be included in the Census and in the apportionment of congressional representatives.

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Updated December 31, 2020

A Trump Victory

On Dec. 18, 2020, The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that the federal government may remove illegal aliens from the 2020 Census count in relation to apportioning congressional seats, a victory for the Trump administration. However, the Census Bureau missed the statutory deadline of Dec. 31 for handing in the count affecting the seats.

A dissenting opinion was filed by Justice Stephen Breyer, joined by Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. The ACLU promised to sue, should the “policy” be implemented. It is not clear which states could lose a seat in Congress, but California is an educated guess.

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ORIGINAL POST:

We await critical 2020 Election news. Will the hard evidence of voter fraud (example) be addressed by the courts and legislators? Nothing is more important, yet there is an issue under SCOTUS review that runs a close second to that one, from a pro-life perspective.

On Monday, Nov. 30, SCOTUS heard oral argument in Trump v. New York. The case will determine whether the 2020 US Census count will include persons or subsets of people in the country illegally. President Trump instructed the secretary of commerce last summer to present the census information so that he could exclude noncitizens from the full count for purposes of apportioning seats in the House of Representatives. The US Constitution, Article I, Section 2, requires congressional apportionment to be based on an “enumeration” of the U.S. population.

This differentiation has been handled variously in the past. A citizenship question was asked in each census from 1890 to 1950, but in 1960, times changed.

So simple?

On the surface it sounds like a simple matter. Why should non-citizens be counted when only citizens can vote for the representatives? However, many insist ‘there is no such thing as an illegal person’ (despite laws to the contrary), and of course, undocumented people are counted in the census so that cities and states can receive federal assistance in serving their needs. This would not be affected.

But if the 2020 Census counts citizens only, perhaps some states would lose congressional seats. Since the Democrats oppose the citizenship question, they must feel that they would. Of course, subtracting Democrat seats benefits pro-life goals.

Including undocumented people in the population count also affects redistricting of legislative enclaves in cities and states. The tendency of large cities toward corrupt politics can produce legislators who are not pro-life.

Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey B. Wall argued the case for President Trump very well. Atty. Dale Ho, ACLU Voting Rights Dir., argued the case for the ACLU. You can listen to the oral argument here, and a pdf of the transcript is here. The hearing is also on C-span.

President Trump attempted to add a “citizenship question” to the 2020 census in June 2019, but this effort failed, with Chief Roberts casting the deciding vote.

Biden has promised to quickly send an immigration bill to the U.S. Senate with a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million illegal immigrants in America.

Would this action override the 2020 Census citizen count, if Trump does win the legal case? Will Biden be POTUS? Would the newly minted citizens be pro-abortion? Maybe not, but they may still vote for the Party that gave them the pass.

Best case scenario: Our country and officials will refuse to certify illegal votes, President Trump will remain in office, and SCOTUS will favor citizens only as constituents of our representatives.

UPDATED January 5, 2021

Keep up to date with 2021 pro-life initiatives here.

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Part I of the Regular Session of the 2021 Ky General Assembly runs from January 5-8. A large portion of January will be for the purpose of accepting and reviewing drafts of bills.

Part II convenes on Feb. 2. There will be 30 legislative days and the Session ends on March 30.

Let’s be ready to recommend the bills that our pro-life legislators have already filed or will file. Please watch for the KRLA e-news, and sign up to receive it. A link to the signup form is at the top of the KRLA.org home page.

Four bills have been prefiled so far. Our thanks to Reps. Melinda Prunty, Joe Fischer, Lynn Belcher and Derek Lewis. Read their bills here, here, here and here.

Senator Whitney Westerfield promised last spring to resubmit SB9, the Born Alive bill.

As of yesterday, approximately 210 Bills have been prefiled under BR# (Bill Request). Bills will be official received and filed in their perspective Chambers and receive their official House “HB” and Senate “S” number. Top Priority for the 2021 Session will be to approve another One Year Budget. KRLA has several bills and legislation on our radar and we will communicate their official Bill numbers to you as soon as they are assigned.

A quick review of bogged-down cases:

1. On Oct. 30, AG Daniel Cameron requested SCOTUS to review the Dismemberment Abortion law which the Appeals Court overturned last June. This law passed the Ky legislature in April of 2018. In Nebraska, a law prohibiting D&E abortion on live unborn babies went into effect last month. This means that 14 states have passed such legislation, but only four have enacted their law: Nebraska, Miss., W. Va. and Ohio. Why not Ky? Think positive and pray.
2. On Nov. 20, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the EMW, along with attorneys from Calif., Washington D.C., New York, and Louisville (total 13 attorneys), filed a document in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to request an En Banc hearing of the Transfer Agreements case which the Appeals Court panel upheld on October 16. The TA law passed the Ky Legislature in July of 1998. It had been ignored before Bevin took office.
3. In the spring of 2019 Ky’s Heartbeat and No Discrimination laws passed and were quickly challenged and combined in a legal maneuver by the ACLU. Last spring Western District Judge Hale stated he would wait to hear the Appeals Court verdict on an Ohio law, Preterm-Cleveland v. Himes, which would ban abortion on Down Syndrome babies, before deciding the case. However, a Tenn. law similar to Ky’s Heartbeat/No Discrimination laws was partially upheld by the Appeals Court on Nov. 20, to ban abortions based on Down Syndrome or race. This action could affect Judge Hale’s decision. The Appeals panel did not uphold the entire Tenn. law. Ky AG Daniel Cameron led an 18-state coalition in an Amicus brief, asking the Appeals Court to uphold the entire law.

Some existing laws are also in a state of suspension. Ky’s law to require that women be made aware of the Abortion Pill Reversal method by her abortion doctor, which passed in spring 2019, is not currently enforced since a woman can order abortion pills online with only an online medical consultation. See Ruling here. It’s likely that not many women know this, or abortion statistics for the EMW would be lower. This national ruling also overrides, we assume, Ky’s law against TelMed, WebCam or “telehealth” abortions.

Ky law also requires that a physician certify that an abortion is necessary, and this doctor must also describe the basis for his/her best clinical judgment. Numerous articles state that most abortions are done for social or economic reasons.

Though ‘clinical’ once referred to medical treatment, it now only means that a person has been observed in a clinic setting.

Laws may be suspended when their criteria are blurred or prevented by societal change. Such change engenders legal challenges to good laws.

Let’s continue to insist on the rule of law and work hard for pro-life goals.

This morning, a media conference was held by Black pastors in downtown Louisville to show support for pro-life candidates and “to change the narrative.” The photo shows Pastor Charles Elliott, other pastors and Third Congressional District Republican candidate Rhonda Palazzo in prayer; the black leaders taking the cross on a march to Jefferson Square Park; and the T-shirt message stating their pro-life stance. Pastor Elliott is a well-known civil rights leader and was a confidante to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He also marched with Rosa Parks. The event was covered by WHAS-TV, WAVE-TV and KRLA. The organizers’ press release follows.

Black leaders march for Bible-based solutions to advance black families through love, forgiveness and education— rather than Marxist tactics of fear, intimidation, violence and destruction.

Sat., Oct. 31, Black leaders will assemble at 10:30 AM at Greater Salem Baptist Church, 1009 West Chestnut in Louisville, Ky. for a press conference where Pastor Charles Elliott and black pastors throughout Kentucky will ENDORSE CANDIDATES for President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives who stand for THE TRADITIONAL FAMILY and THE RIGHT FOR UNBORN BABIES TO LIVE.

Following endorsements, Pastor Derek Wilson of Louisville will announce the Black Families Matter Foundation to fund Christian Schools in Black churches and explain how the foundation differs from the Black Lives Matter Organization’s Marxist goals for America. At the conclusion of the press conference, the Black Men’s March will proceed to minister God’s love as the men walk to Jefferson Square Park declaring the Truth of God’s Word.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (October 30, 2020) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron today filed a petition for a writ of certiorari before the United States Supreme Court asking the court to hear the ACLU’s challenge to Kentucky’s live dismemberment abortion law (House Bill 454). The law, passed by the General Assembly in 2018, prohibits abortionists from performing gruesome Dilation and Evacuation procedures (D&E) on a living unborn child.

Read more.

Updated October 31, 2020

Consideration of Mississippi case rescheduled

The court had previously been scheduled to discuss on Friday a challenge to a Mississippi ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but that petition has been rescheduled and will be discussed at some future conference. Read more.

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Amy Coney Barrett sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas, 10-26-20 - photo credit: whitehouse.gov

Only hours after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve ACB’s nomination, Mississippi’s Attorney General petitioned SCOTUS to review the state’s 15-week abortion ban. The AG, Lynn Fitch, had initially asked for this review last June.

This time she referenced the high court’s summer 2020 decision on June Medical Services v. Russo that favored abortion providers as it ruled that doctors need no admitting privileges with a hospital. Though it disappointed pro-lifers, the decision has since been cited in other appeals, quoting Justice Roberts’ opinion, and helping to uphold legislation such as Ky’s Transfer Agreement Law.

Roberts wrote that lawmakers have wide discretion “in areas where there is medical and scientific uncertainty” and that weighing the “costs and benefits of an abortion regulation” was not necessarily a job for the courts. The Circuit Judge for the Ky case, Joan Larsen, ruled that states must step in to regulate clinics where a need for safety is discovered.

So, Ky’s TA case helped to promote the need for clarification by SCOTUS on certain issues. For example: Which legal precedent should be applied to protection of the woman’s health?

Ky AG Daniel Cameron signed an Amicus Brief last summer in support of the Mississippi case, questioning: “Whether an abortion law is necessarily unconstitutional, regardless of the State’s interest or the actual burden on women, when it theoretically could prevent a small number of women from obtaining a previability abortion.” Viability is a Roe v. Wade stumper.

The Mississippi Free Press reported on Wed., Oct. 27 (2020):

Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban could soon make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, with the court set to decide whether to hear it on Friday. The court announced plans to consider hearing the case yesterday evening—just as the U.S. Senate voted on a party-line basis to confirm President Donald Trump’s third pick to the high court, Amy Coney Barrett.

Lower courts in 2018 and 2020 found the Mississippi law unconstitutional under the precedent Roe v. Wade set in 1973. In court filings, though, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch is asking the nation’s high court to revisit and overturn one of Roe v. Wade’s key holdings: that “a State may not prohibit any woman from making the ultimate decision to terminate her pregnancy before (fetal) viability.”

The lower courts ruled that the Mississippi law banning abortions at 15 weeks, known as “The Gestational Age Act,” was unconstitutional for that reason; medical science says fetuses generally become viable outside the womb at around 24 weeks.

“This Court should grant the petition, hold that it is illogical to impose a ‘rigid line’ allowing state regulation after viability but prohibiting it before viability” and “uphold the Gestational Age Act,” Attorney General Lynn Fitch wrote in a filing with the U.S. Supreme Court over the summer.

The current case, Fitch wrote in a Supreme Court filing, is “an ideal vehicle to promptly resolve” questions about Roe v. Wade and the Supreme Court’s position on abortion rights…

Read more.

We’ve been looking for a special headline on the front page of the Courier-Journal, as one would expect for significant news about a community icon. We want to see one that mentions the retirement of Margie Montgomery from her role as executive director of Kentucky and Louisville Right to Life, and the Ky RTL Educational Foundation.

Margie, a faithful reader of the C-J, was nearly always contacted by a C-J reporter for input about pro-life issues, of which there have been many over the years.

Though we can’t find a featured headline, there is a nice article about her retirement. See here. To read an insider’s announcement about her retirement, see here.

Do you have a Trump/Pence sign in your front yard? Or, maybe the question should be: DID you have a Trump/Pence sign?

A number of pro-life members and friends have reported that theirs were either vandalized or stolen. In broad daylight. On busy roads.

The gentleman pictured desires to remain anonymous but wants to report that his large sign was stolen once and on two other occasions his signs were ruined by spray paint. He has resorted to guarding the large sign in uniform, and he added the smaller ones to make a point. He lives in eastern Jefferson County.

There are many online news stories and YouTube videos about Trump yard signs being stolen and some stories about Biden sign theft.

Any campaign sign must not be placed between the sidewalk and the road or in the right-of-way, and the person who steals a sign from a yard can be punished with a fine or even face jail time.

The KRLA PAC ALERT Voter Guide has only three recommendations on judges. A short bench! It can be hard to discover whether or not a judge is pro-life.

A judge must run as a non-partisan, so unless we hear from a person who knows them or knows someone who does, or the candidate makes it clear, we cannot know their views on the sanctity of life. Likewise, KRLA cannot endorse any judge due to the non-partisan nature of the race. We only recommend when we have trusted information. Let us know when you have a tip! We will verify your information.

All judges’ positions in Ky are elected offices, but if a judge departs a seat before the end of the term, the new U.S. District or Appeals Court judges will be appointed by the U.S. president, and the Ky Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Court, Family Court or District Court vacancies will be filled by appointment of the governor. Their nominations or appointments are based on lists received from the judicial nominating commissions.

Ky has an Eastern and Western district plus a temporary judge who can serve if a sitting judge becomes disabled. There are seven Supreme Court and Court of Appeals districts, 57 circuit court districts and 60 Judicial districts. The graphic shows the seven districts of Ky’s Supreme and Appeals Courts.

The candidates recommended in the PAC ALERT include:

Robert Conley’s opponent, Rep. Chris Harris (D-93), is stepping down from the Ky House to run for the Supreme Court position, recruited by Gov. Beshear. Jenny Hines’ opponent, Chris McNeill, was appointed to the seat by Gov. Beshear earlier this year.

The Ballotpedia states that Whitaker’s opponent, Walt Maguire, was a family court judge for the 28th Circuit who retired on June 30, 2013. The Somerset, Ky online newspaper reports: A local retired judge is seeking an opportunity to return to the bench… Maguire acknowledged… “I’m not signing on for eight years, but I just like being involved in trying to make a difference in our communities in a positive, constructive, traditional way.” So, voting for Maguire is voting for the person who will succeed him by appointment.

Judges make so many important decisions; holding a high view of human life is essential to their role in society.

Ky has rarely had a helpful verdict in the Western District Court that hears the legal cases relating to the pro-life laws passed by our Legislature. An interesting article on the judicial role in deciding the “times, places and protocols” for congressional elections is here.

Your ballot will feature a question: Are you in favor of changing the term of Commonwealth’s Attorneys from six-year terms to eight-year terms starting in 2030, changing the terms of judges of the district court from four-year terms to eight-year terms beginning in 2022, and requiring district judges to have been licensed attorneys for at least eight years beginning in 2022 by amending the Constitution of Ky?

How will you mark your ballot?