 |
Abstinence is saying yes to the rest of your life. |
|
|
Thank you Friends: (E-mail) Bad Bills Dead: Looks like both “medical accuracy” bills censoring abstinence education facts will die in committee. If they are not out of committee and ready for a floor vote by Friday, they are dead for this session of the Washington State Legislature. The Prime Sponsor showed her concern for the mechanics of the bill, when she presented her introductory testimony at the House hearing. It was because of research, pressure, direct lobbying, good testimony and a positive showing in the Senate hearing that legislators didn’t want to back this Planned Parenthood bill. Between the hearing in the Senate on Monday and the House hearing on Wednesday, the phone calls started coming in to the legislator’s offices. (Thanks to all of you, they see the light when they feel the heat.) Hearing testimony: There were 80 people to testify in the Senate hearing on the bill and 35 in the House hearing. Not all got to speak. The Chairs in both Senate and House were courteous enough to ask the audience to stand for their position, Pro and Con on the bill. The House had each person state their name, affiliation and position on the bill. (Cooperation is awesome and indispensable.) State level lobbying: On Monday and Tuesday, the education committee members were personally contacted and most of the signers or sponsors were visited. All the family groups ---from the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Conference, the Evangelicals (WERG), to NW Family Policy, teens, Master’s Commission students, calm-well-spoken teens, nurses, doctors, numerous pregnancy centers from around the state, abstinence presenters, curricula providers and more… all weighed in for truth. They weighed in via prayer, phone calls, e-mails, visiting legislative offices and sitting for several hours to show their support of abstinence. (“Truth is more powerful than power” and a little shoe leather and telephoning doesn’t hurt either.) Nationally: Special Thanks to Focus on the Family, National Abstinence Clearinghouse, Heritage Foundation and the local Concerned Women of America. This is one for the Abstinence Troops!! LeAnna Benn
|
