Seen and heard ’round Twitter this week. Follow us!

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has been collecting food items at their PP locations; the food donations are theoretically being given to nearby food pantries. Have an abortion, donate a can of soup. Sounds like a deal.

One Green Bay food pantry — Paul’s  Pantry — declined the Planned Parenthood donation because PPWI is an abortion provider. (And maybe they didn’t want IUD cookies or aborted fetus cookies? Just a thought.)

And because pro-aborts are always so shocked when a person exercises their free choice and disagrees with their world view, name calling and Jesus comparisons ensued:

The Daily Kos picked up the “news” and took it one step further, encouraging harrassment and intimidation (a far cry from pro-lifers’ attempts to be courteous when boycotting, hmmm):

This type of reaction is exactly what happened when Komen announced earlier this week that Planned Parenthood was no longer eligible for receiving grants from the organization. So much for civilized discourse.

THANK YOU to Paul’s Pantry for exercising CHOICE and refusing Planned Parenthood.

Madison Area Technical College — aka MATC — has become the first two-year college in the nation to offer embryonic stem cell research study. Press release here [PDF]. News story here.

Somewhat surprising, given that embryonic stem cell research giant Geron Corp. got out of the embryonic stem cell research business in November:

To understand how big a blow to the embryonic stem cell industry this was, you first must know it was Geron that funded the University of Wisconsin Madison’s original research back in 1995, which resulted in the first cultures of embryonic stem cells. It was Geron that started this whole mess.

Geron went on to comprise one-third of the triune that controlled which company or university got access to embryonic stem cell lines, along with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

In all, Geron invested 15 years and a whopping $150 million into embryonic stem cell research.

Interesting that a taxpayer-funded university picked up where a for-profit company left off… There is always work to be done with taxpayer funding, apparently.

Sacrificing people in the name of science has been and always will be gravely immoral. Whether it occurs at UW-Madison or MATC, directly or indirectly participating in embryo-destructive research is unethical and must be prohibited. As the state of Wisconsin nurtures the ever advancing bioscience industry, it must ensure that our publicly funded academic institutions adhere to the highest ethical standards.

The pro-life community is pro-stem cell research. We want to see research progress toward the treatment of debilitating diseases, but not by killing human beings in order to potentially save them. Ethical and effective adult stem cell research is a life-saving alternative that has experienced documented clinical success over a wide range of health conditions including breast cancer, stroke, and spinal cord injury. It is this life-affirming scientific technique that should be celebrated and funded.

On January 20, the HHS issued a ruling that most employers will be required to cover contraception in their health plans, along with other preventive services, with no cost-sharing such as co-pays or deductibles. The Catholic Church is included in the “most” employer category.

Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups, of course, applauded the decision. Catholic bishops across the country have condemned the Obama administration’s suppression of religious freedom.

Catholic Vote has the whole list. Archbishop Listecki of Milwaukee, Bishop Ricken of Green Bay and Bishop Morlino of Madison have spoken out. Update 1/30/12 Bishop Callahan of La Crosse has also weighed in.

Bishop Ricken read his letter to the faithful at Mass today, receiving a standing ovation. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is on record as opposing any religious exemptions, as well as the one-year stay before the HHS rule goes into effect.

More from the NBC affiliate in Green Bay:

Green Bay, WI – A Green Bay Catholic Bishop took time Sunday to a read a letter during Mass, calling on Catholics in Northeast Wisconsin to take action against new healthcare regulations. The regulations Bishop David Ricken is opposing come from the Dept. of Health and Human Services, which announced this week most church-affiliated groups will be required to offer their workers coverage, that includes contraception plans.

Under the new law churches and other employers with a religious base have a year to comply with the changes so they have time to adapt, but the bishop said they can never adapt.

“It’s a direct disconnect against our principles, our philosophy, our background, our teaching,” said Ricken. “If we don’t protect the rights to religious liberty for all faiths we’re going to be in trouble as a nation.”

After he read the letter to the congregation Sunday, a stand ovation followed.

Planned Parenthood responded to the church’s opposition. In a statement to NBC26, they said, “Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin applauds the decision by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to ensure access to affordable birth control, and not further expand the refusal provision to the birth control coverage benefit under the Affordable Care Act.”

They add, “Planned Parenthood believes all women, regardless of their employer, should be able to access the birth control coverage benefit. That’s why Planned Parenthood opposes the current provision that allows religious employers like churches and church associations to deny this important and economically valuable benefit to their employees. Planned Parenthood also disagrees with adding the one year waiver provision to the final rule.”

Seen and heard ’round Twitter this week. Follow us on Twitter if you aren’t already!

Thank you to everyone who joined us in DC, along with those who prayed for an end to abortion in their home towns. Every year, the March for Life gets bigger and bigger. And Wisconsin continues to be well-represented!

Close to 20 buses from around Wisconsin traveled to Washington, DC for the March. Many carloads of people drove separately, and dozens of individuals and groups of students from several Wisconsin colleges and high schools flew out. Bishop Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay attended the March with the Diocese’s group.

Read an article about the Vigil for Life Mass, held the night before the March, here.

After the rally, Rep. Sean Duffy held a pro-life reception for people from Wisconsin at his Capitol Hill office. Hundreds of people turned out to visit Duffy’s office. Other than Rep. Duffy, speakers at the reception included Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, Sen. Ron Johnson, Rep. Reid Ribble, Rep. Chris Smith, Rep. Paul Ryan, Raymond Arroyo of EWTN and National Review columnist Kathryn Jean Lopez.

To get an idea of just how big the March is, watch a minute-long time lapse video of last year’s March for Life here.

Photos from the March, below.

Part of our group, waiting for the March to get going.

Pro-life youth!

Marquette University Students for Life

A group of nearly 250 from St. John Cantius Church of Chicago.

Diocese of Omaha, Nebraska

Marchers stretched for miles and miles.

And miles… the street is filled with pro-lifers as far as the eye can see!

Raymond Arroyo speaking during Rep. Duffy’s reception.

Sen. Ron Johnson speaking during Rep. Duffy’s reception.