By Jason Tolbert

The debate over health care reform now dominates politics in virtually every way. This week voters in Massachusetts elected a Republican senator for the first time since 1972. Health care was by far the number one issue in this race.

Here in Arkansas, the health care debate permeated the annual March for Life which drew over a thousand people last Sunday.

“At this time in our nation when pregnancy is treated as a disease, we know that abortion is not a preventive service,” Arkansas Right to Life President Wayne Mays told the crowd. “The Reid Bill passed by the United States Senate and supported by Arkansas Senators Pryor and Lincoln contains provisions that will ultimately result in substantial expansion in abortion driven by federal administrative decrees and subsidies. Every pro-life American and Arkansan must tell Congress now, vote against the pro-abortion federal health care legislation.”

This debate began in the House when a last-minute compromise was worked out by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Minn., to ban all funding for abortions on any plan funded through the health care bill. This amendment was passed with bipartisan agreement by all four Arkansas representatives. However, by the time the reform came up in the Senate, this provision was killed.

“I support common sense health insurance reform that would improve women’s access to prenatal care and healthy childbearing services and believe it is important to prevent unintended pregnancies through counseling and contraception services,” said Lincoln in her statement announcing her opposition to the Stupak provision.

For years, Sen. Lincoln and Sen. Pryor have tried to have it both ways on this issue for fear of upsetting either the pro-life or the pro-choice groups. However, when push came to shove, they both choose to side with the pro-choice faction of their party.

This could be a risky move back home where polls consistently show that a majority of Arkansans identify themselves as pro-life. But even beyond that, many voters who hold pro-choice positions have problems with their tax dollars being spent for abortions.

Republican opponents will no doubt make this an issue when Sen. Lincoln faces re-election next year. Most of the potential candidates have already spoken out against her vote.

But the effect of the new focus on the right to life issue is likely to trickle down to not only federal races but state legislative races as well. One example is the state representative race that recently attracted former columnist David Sanders-turned-state representative candidate who stood front and center at Sunday’s march.

“Fighting for the protection of the unborn has always been a fundamental, human rights issue for me. I’ve never wavered,” said Sanders. “Without life there can be no liberty or pursuit of happiness. Republicans — especially those in Arkansas — should never waver on being pro-life.”

Shortly after Sanders announced his candidacy, his Republican opponent, John Parke, made it clear that he was changing his previous pro-choice stance and was now pro-life as well.

The next election cycle in Arkansas will be an interesting test to see if the majority of Arkansans who call themselves pro-life will reflect this belief in their vote. Conventional wisdom says that by November the election will be all jobs and the economy. However, it is also predicted to be a close one with an increased number of energized conservatives, most of whom see the basic right to human life as one that cannot be compromised.

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Jason Tolbert is an accountant and conservative political blogger. His blog — The Tolbert Report — is linked at ArkansasNews.com. His e-mail is jason@TolbertReport.com.