Bill Encourages Churches to Indoctrinate Young Children?

We’re told the Separation of Church and State exists to ensure that the church will never use the state to promote its religious beliefs. Does the wall of separation also exist to prevent the state from using the church to teach the state’s values?

WA Legislature Threatens Women’s Choice

Monday Minute

In 2007, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) approached child care centers (not home day care centers) in Washington about joining the union. After learning that the union would not disclose how much membership was going to cost or specify the benefits that the centers would receive, they declined.

"We Hate Pro-Lifers" Bill Scheduled for Vote in Senate Committee

Sen. Rodney Tom's bill (SB 6452) to encourage lawsuits against crisis pregnancy centers (CPC) is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee this morning at 10 a.m.

You are urged to contact your State Senator through the legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and ask them not to support this bill.

The bill that will be voted on has been amended from the original version. However, the amended bill is, miraculously, even worse than the original.

Originally, the bill allowed someone to file a claim under the Consumer Protection Act if a CPC center did something scandalous like ask you to watch a video about the risks of sexual activity before providing the results of a pregnancy test. While problematic, the Consumer Protection Act actually requires someone to have a legitimate complaint before making a claim.

The Threat of Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Yesterday in Olympia the Senate committee on Health and Long-Term care held a hearing on SB 6452 which seeks to regulate crisis pregnancy centers in a variety of unnecessary and unconstitutional ways.

The bill, promoted by Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Rights Advocacy League (NARAL), would place a series of regulations on crisis pregnancy centers that would not apply to centers that offer abortion.  For those of you following along at home, yes, that is probably unconstitutional.

Bill Claims Mothers and Fathers are Unimportant

Last fall, during the statewide debate over domestic partnership, I participated in several debates discussing Referendum 71. In them, we discussed whether there is any difference between homosexual and heterosexual relationships. In support of my belief that there is, I repeatedly suggested that it is preferable for children to have both a mother and a father. To me this is self-evident, but some find it very offensive.

Planned Parenthood vs. The First Amendment?

Legislators frequently propose things that I find redundant, wasteful, or counterproductive. Then sometimes they propose things that make me wonder if I live in America or Iran. A host of legislators led by Sen. Rodney Tom and Rep. Judy Clibborn are sponsoring bills (SB 6452 and HB 2837) aimed at harassing crisis pregnancy centers and revoking the first amendment rights of anyone in them.

Crisis pregnancy centers provide baby items, referrals to adoption agencies and other social services, pregnancy tests, friendship, and sometimes ultra-sounds free of charge. The women they serve are usually unmarried and frequently very young. Those serving in crisis pregnancy centers are usually unpaid. They frequently serve their communities in this way because their own experiences allow them to relate to the challenging life situations the clinics deal with.

Why Do Legislators Hate Single Parents?

Governments supervise everything. Most of us accept it. Every time someone gets a paper cut, bills get drafted and laws get passed in an effort to prevent it from ever happening again.

Since pain and suffering are a part of the human condition and not necessarily an indication that the government failed to do its job, I cannot help but wonder at what point the government will look at a situation and conclude it is outside their jurisdiction. Or perhaps, as President Obama put it "above my pay grade."

I have generally felt that that parental discretion was something that legislators of every political philosophy could respect. After all, most people are parents and resent it when their in-laws second guess their parenting decisions, never mind the government.