Hawaii Right to Life was conceived in 1972 when the Hawaii Legislature passed a bill legalizing "abortion on demand" in 1970. At that time, Hawaii's abortion law was the most liberal in the U.S. Governor John Burns, a Catholic, allowed the bill to become law without his signature after Burns gave in to union pressure to allow the bill to become law - and after Burns assured then-Bishop Scanlan that he would veto it.
In response to that betrayal by Burns, Bishop Scanlan joined several prominent people of religious faiths to found the Mary Jane Home, the Pearson Foundation, and Hawaii Right to Life. One of the most notable of those people was Maui Contractor Bob Pearson, who almost single-handedly - along with the Catholic Church - worked tirelessly in the Legislature for the rights of unborn children, from 1967 to 1970.
Under Pearson's leadership, Hawaii Right to Life was formed in 1973, soon after the Roe v Wade decision of January 22, 1973. Over the next ten years, Hawaii Right to Life set up an educational foundation, organized the annual Right to Life March, did valuable education in the community and promoted the identification and organizing of people who considered themselves "Right to Lifers".
In 1983, closer connection with the National Right to Life Committee began; Hawaii Right to Life was reorganized with Social Action, Education, and PAC divisions; and an executive director, Roger Stenson, was hired in 1987. For the next ten years, Executive Directors Stenson, Barbara Carman, Molly Aden, and Holly Born led to greater respect for HRTL and its accomplishments in the community and Legislature.
HRTL hired Andy Blom as executive director in 1997; he successfully thwarted the efforts of the "Governor's Panel on Living & Dying with Dignity" to have assisted-suicide legislation introduced into the 1998 Legislature. In March of 1998, Andy led a drive to pass a partial-birth-abortion ban in the State House. Only last minute strong-arm tactics by Senate leadership prevented a similar passage in the State Senate; the bill was defeated 15-10. In late 1999, Andy left for new work at Human Life International in Washington, D.C.
In January 2001, John Long became Executive Director; he started a daily talk show on Christian Radio KHLT and the October "Walk for Life." Under John, Hawaii Right to Life was accepted for Combined Federal Campaign paycheck deductions and for Foodland's "Give Aloha." John was a judge at home-school speech contests and introduced and developed our web page and blog; "Voter Guides" for Primary & General Elections were improved; and HRTL became the only Voter Guide in Hawaii to list incumbents' voting records on life issues.
