Agenda
Agenda
National Conference of Democrats for Life of America
July 26 - 28, 2019 / Kellogg Center in East Lansing, Michigan
All events take place in Big Ten Room B unless otherwise noted.
[updated 7/19/19]
Pre-Meeting Activities 7:00-9:00pm
- 3:30pm Registration table opens
- 5:00-7:00pm Cash Bar
5:30-6:30pm Light dinner for registered participants only (burrito bar and pizza)
(Dinner can also be purchased in the State Room restaurant by walk-in and ‘Free 50’ guests.)
Friday Evening 7:00-9:00pm Setting the Foundation
The Meaning of ‘Pro-Life for the Whole Life’
- John Whitehead, president of the Consistent Life Network
Personal Experiences of Abortion and its Aftermath
- LoriJo Nerad, past national director of Women Victimized by Abortion
- Aimee Beltran, a national leader of Surrendering the Secret
Medical Aspects of Fetal Development and Abortion
- Dr. Melissa Halvorson-Smith, a pro-life ob-gyn physician who formerly performed abortions
Saturday Morning 9:00-12:00pm Human Life and Dignity at Risk
Interplanetary Perspectives on the Nature of Human Life: Can Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Ever Understand One Another?
- Kenneth Darga, president of the Michigan chapter of Democrats for Life of America
An Inconvenient Truth: Abortion and Race in America
- Monica Sparks, Democratic County Commissioner for Kent County and board member of Michigan Democrats for Life
End-of-Life Issues
- Jason Negri, Associate Director of the Patient Rights Council
- Robert Anderson, elder law attorney and board member of Michigan Democrats for Life (POST: A New Michigan Alternative to Physician-Assisted Suicide)
Threats to the Lives and Dignity of Refugees and Immigrants
- Sr. Attracta Kelly, immigration attorney and former prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters
- Dana Anderson, branch director of immigrant and refugee programs for Bethany Christian Services
Saturday Lunch 12:00-1:30pm
Lunch is provided in the Big Ten Room for pre-registered participants only.
(Lunch can also be purchased in the State Room restaurant by walk-in and ‘Free 50’ guests.)
Saturday Afternoon 1:30-3:15pm Communicating Across Ideological Divides
Communicating Across the Pro-Life/Pro Choice Divide
- Ed Rivet, former legislative director of Michigan Right to Life and current executive director of the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum
Do You Have to Be a Religious Conservative to Be Pro-Life?
- Terissa Bukovinac, a pro-life atheist feminist Democrat and executive director of Pro-Life San Francisco
When Is Environmental Policy a Life Issue?
- Bob Delaney, Senior Environmental Scientist, State of Michigan
Saturday Afternoon 3:15-5:30pm Demand-Side Approaches to Abortion
Support Services for Pregnant Women and Mothers
- Soraya Nowland, director of the New Life Center
- Lindsay Walters, executive director of Pregnancy Services of Greater Lansing
Public Policies that Address the Demand Side of Abortion
- Mark Brewer, former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party and past chair of the Association of State Democratic Chairs
Common Misconceptions about ‘Obamacare’
- Bart Stupak, former congressman from Michigan’s 1st Congressional District (subject to availability)
- Kenneth Darga, president of the Michigan chapter of Democrats for Life of America
Saturday Evening 5:30-9:00pm Dinner Program in the Lincoln Room
- 5:30-8:30pm Cash Bar
- 6:30-7:30pm Dinner for pre-registered participants only
- 7:30-9:00pm Dinner Program
Keynote Address
- Rep. Katrina Jackson, a pro-life Democratic legislator from Louisiana
Update on Activities of Democrats for Life of America
- Kristen Day, Executive Director of DFLA
Sunday Morning Church Services
9:00am Church services at the Kellogg Center (open to the public)
- Catholic Mass with Bishop Earl Boyea in Big Ten Room B
- Non-denominational Protestant service with Pastor Jacque McDaniel in the Riverside Room
Additional places of worship in East Lansing are listed at:
Sunday Morning 10:30-12:30pm The Challenge of Being a Whole-Life Democrat
Perspectives on Being a Whole-Life Democrat
- Joel Sheltrown, former Democratic legislator from northern Michigan
Perspectives on Recent Pro-Choice Legislation in New York
- Michele Sterlace-Accorsi, president of Feminists Choosing Life
Promoting Whole-Life Policies in the Michigan Democratic Party
- Robert Anderson, board member of Michigan Democrats for Life
A series of brief updates on state chapter activities
Sunday Lunch on Your Own
For a very extensive food court with unlimited portions, visit the cafeteria on the second floor of Brody Hall, directly across from the main entrance to the Kellogg Center. Lunch can also be purchased in the conference center at the State Room restauran.
Sunday Afternoon 2:00-5:00pm Pro-Life Films and Service Organizations (open to the public)
A showing of pro-life films, information tables showcasing pro-life service organizations, and a presentation by Brandy Meeks, vice president of Abby Johnson’s ministry ‘And Then There Were None,’ which helps abortion workers leave the industry.
In lieu of an admission fee, attendees who are not registered for the conference will be asked to make a financial contribution to one of the pro-life organizations that has an information table at the conference.
