Indiana gubernatorial candidate John Gregg officially announced today that he has selected Vi Simpson of Bloomington to run for lieutenant governor on the Democratic ticket. Simpson is virulently pro-abortion — even opposing a ban on partial-birth abortions.
Simpson, who is widely recognized as one of the most strident abortion supporters in the Indiana legislature, has compiled a 6% voting record on pro-life legislation during her time in the Senate, according to Indiana Right to Life.
In 1997, Simpson was one of only a handful of Indiana legislators who voted against a ban on the gruesome partial-birth abortion procedure that involves plunging surgical scissors into the base of the skull of a fully-alive baby that is removed from the birth canal except for the head, the group noted.
IRTL added that Simpson has also voted against informed consent for women considering abortion, against requiring that women be informed about the availability of ultrasound imaging, against requiring licensing and inspection standards for Indiana abortion clinics, against a ban on public facilities and employees doing abortions, and the list goes on.
In 1993, Simpson was also one of a handful of legislators voting against a ban on assisted suicide.
“Vi Simpson is a proponent of unrestricted abortion for the full nine months of pregnancy, and even up to the process of birth as in the sickening partial-birth abortion procedure ,” states Indiana Right to Life President and CEO Mike Fichter. “Mr. Gregg could not have selected a more radical running mate than Vi Simpson.”
Yesterday, Indiana gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence officially announced that he has selected lawmaker Sue Ellspermann of Ferdinand to run for lieutenant governor. The selection of the pro-life woman is getting rave reviews from the state’s leading pro-life group.
As a freshman member of the Indiana legislature, Ellspermann has compiled a 100% pro-life voting record including support for the historic pro-life gains in the 2011 legislature.
“This morning, I’m thrilled to announce that Sue Ellspermann is my choice as our candidate for Lt. Governor,” Pence said.
“While making my decision, I focused on finding a leader, an individual of high integrity who is capable of inspiring confidence in all Hoosiers. Since day one of our campaign, jobs have been job one. For that reason, it is critical our next Lt. Governor has business experience and an understanding of state government in order to best serve Hoosiers. I was fortunate to find all of these qualities and more in Sue,” he added.
“I encourage you to learn more about Sue at www.PenceLG2012.com, and join the team as Sue and I work to bring good jobs, great schools, safe streets and strong families to all corners of Indiana,” Pence said.
In 2011, Ellspermann was spotlighted by World magazine as an example of the new wave of pro-life women entering the policy arena.
“Sue Ellspermann is a solid pro-life voice who is already established as a leader on life issues at the Statehouse,” states Indiana Right to Life President and CEO Mike Fichter. “Her energetic and enthusiastic support for advancing pro-life policies in Indiana is appreciated, and we look forward to the perspective she will bring to communities across Indiana during this important election cycle.”
Ellspermann holds a bachelor’s degree and a PhD in industrial engineering from Purdue and the University of Louisville. She founded her own consulting business, which she ran for 20 years before joining the University of Southern Indiana in 2006 as the Director of the Center for Applied Research and Economic Development.
Gregg recently called himself a pro-life Democrat but attacked Pence for his efforts to revoke federal funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business.
Pence was a leader in Congress to de-fund the biggest abortion business in the nation and the House of Representatives ultimately approved his measure to make the abortion giant operate without forcing taxpayers to fund its family planning efforts. The state of Indiana followed suit and Gov Mitch Daniels signed a bill that would eliminate state taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. That’s not something Gregg supports.
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“It is reprehensible that John Gregg wants our tax dollars to fund Indiana’s largest abortion business Planned Parenthood. His comments not only show that he will be Planned Parenthood’s best friend as governor, but that he will work overtime to expand its agenda into our schools and communities,” IRTL’s Fichter said.
“Gregg’s comments are a political attempt to fan the phony ‘war on women’ theme and are a complete misrepresentation of the issue,” Fichter added. “The Indiana legislature voted to end all state-directed funding for Planned Parenthood due to its involvement in killing over 5,000 unborn children per year in Indiana. There are hundreds of alternative sources for healthcare for women in Indiana that do not involve the business of abortion, so to play the card that women are denied health care under Indiana’s defunding law is just a lie.”
During the debate over his amendment, Pence talked about the importance of not having federal funds flow to Planned Parenthood.
“By banning federal funding to Planned Parenthood, Congress has taken a stand for millions of Americans who believe their tax dollars should not be used to subsidize the largest abortion provider in America,” he said after the vote. “I commend my colleagues in both parties for taking a stand for taxpayers and a stand for life. I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to support this legislation and end federal funding of Planned Parenthood once and for all.”
Pence led the way in fighting for the amendment to ensure that none of the federal funds in any program or department would go to the abortion business, which does more than 324,000 abortions annually and receives more than $363 million in federal, state and local taxpayer funds.
“I believe that ending an innocent human life is morally wrong,” Pence told his colleagues. “I also believe it is morally wrong to take the taxpayer dollars of millions of pro-life Americans and use them to fund organizations that provide and promote abortion-like Planned Parenthood of America.”
