National Policy
We are five days from the inauguration of a new President of the United States; one with the power of the U.S. House and Senate on his side on most, if not all issues. Things in America are going to change, possibly even very quickly. We know this because President-elect Biden and incoming congressional leaders have said so.
Biden has indicated passing the Equality Act is at the top of his agenda. The Heritage Foundation has written extensively about the threat to freedom and the real dangers of this sweeping, mistitled legislation. We have also covered it. The Equality Act threatens free speech and religion, undermines parental rights, and embeds transgender ideology into federal law.
President-Elect Biden has also supported extreme abortion laws. His plan includes forcing the health insurance coverage of abortion-inducing drugs, and rolling back medical safety standards on chemical abortions. The U.S. Supreme Court just this week upheld such standards.
House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi gave us a glimpse of what’s to come when she unveiled a new resolution eliminating all use of gender specific language. She quickly revealed how difficult that might be by using a slew of her own forbidden words even within one sentence.
There is much more on the new President’s agenda, and we will discuss it as it plays out.
Arizona Policy
We have plenty to navigate here in Arizona. The legislative session began Monday, and we already see what we term, “bad bills.”
Some of the bad bills so far:
HB2195 – The effort to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes punishes those who hold to long-standing beliefs of human sexuality or religious beliefs. It is an effort to coerce Arizonans into choosing between their consciences or religious beliefs, and their livelihoods.
HB2250 – The effort to blacklist health care professionals who do not want to perform abortions or “sex change” surgeries, or other procedures due to their consciences or religious beliefs.
HB2251– This is comprehensive sex education that hinders the rights of parents and promotes a progressive sexual ethic.
HB2254 – Physician Assisted Suicide, which has proven to be a dangerous slippery slope going far beyond the terminally ill to the point of pressuring the elderly and disabled, and allowing the young to kill themselves for various reasons.
HCR2010 – The Equal Rights Amendment, which is not at all about equal rights for women, but would undermine that equality by embedding transgender ideology, as well as abortion into the U.S. Constitution.
CAP will keep a close eye on these bills, and the many more sure to come. But be encouraged, CAP is working on bills with many pro-life, pro-family Arizona lawmakers that we can all fully support. More on that as legislation is filed.
Meantime, Governor Doug Ducey in his State-of-the-State address, encouraged in-person learning and emphasized his commitment to educational freedom. This is a good sign leading into the 2021 session.
Governor Ducey said, “By necessity during this emergency, many parents have been more engaged than ever in the daily education of their children. Quite a few have found temporary educational options they want to make permanent. It’s their right. Public policy should keep pace, and empower them to make that choice.”
“We will not be funding empty seats or allowing schools to remain in a perpetual state of closure…children still need to learn, even in a pandemic.”
Stay tuned, the session has only begun and we’ll be informing you of the ins and outs at the State Capitol over the weeks and months ahead. We’ll need your help in speaking out in support of pro-life, pro-family bills, and in opposition to the “bad bills” that may gain momentum.
ICYMI
- The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a free speech case involving a former Georgia college student who was kept from sharing the gospel on campus.
- John Stonestreet discusses ethics and other aspects of the COVID-19 vaccine with a trusted bioethicist.
- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the abortion industry’s excuse of COVID-19 is insufficient to bypass the FDA’s safety precautions that require a woman see a doctor for a chemical abortion. Abortion activists had cited the pandemic as a reason to allow the abortion pills to be sent through the mail.
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