Children are our most valuable resource. They are the next generation, and we need to protect and nurture them. With that in mind, here’s the good and bad news for our Rhode Island kids:

The Good News. I’m glad to share this from GoLocalProv News: “McKee has now directly inserted himself into the negotiations of the Providence teacher’s union, fired the old Providence superintendent, and has personally hired the new interim superintendent. Governors don’t usually take on such an active role. He also dropped the freeze on new charter schools that was in place before he became governor in Rhode Island.”

We may have a more family friendly governor than we have had in quite a while!

You can send him a personal thank you here and encourage him to remain this way!

At the same time, though, things are far from rosy for children here in Rhode Island.

Drag Queen Story Times. It’s Pride Month and Drag Queen Story Times are once again knocking on the doors of our public libraries. They are obscene, perverted, and nothing to be proud about. On June 26th, the West Warwick Public Library will host ‘Ninny Nothin’. He’s not a role model for your child, and this is certainly not an event that deserves our tax dollars.

Family Policy Alliance has joined with two other groups to stop this event from happening.

Here’s how you can help: Let the Town Council of West Warwick know that a child’s safety is more important than perverse fads that sexualize children right in our own libraries. Email and call David Gosselin, Jr. (Democrat) Council President to say NO to putting children at risk!

David Gosselin, Jr.
Council President
401-821-8994
dgosselin@westwarwickri.org

School curriculum update. Not far away in North Kingstown, RI a mom made national news in her quest to obtain records of Critical Race and Gender Curriculum in the school her daughter will be attending. Now the school committee may sue to stop her! This is the story.

Your voice has an impact. We can make a difference when we take a stand for Faith and Family. Our national office reports that in 2021, more than 30 states introduced legislation to preserve female sports and 8 of them are law today! That is in large part thanks to your voice along with the voices of Americans across the country, and to the hard work of many state Family Policy Councils! In addition, legislators in more than 20 states authored bills to prohibit puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and mutilating surgeries on minors. Rep. Robin Lundstrum, an alumna of Family Policy Foundation’s Statesman Academy, sponsored the SAFE Act in Arkansas. We hope bills like this will become law throughout the country – even in Rhode Island – next year and in years to come!

Please consider helping us continue to hold the Faith and Family flag high with your financial help during the summer months. We can’t do it without you!

Looking ahead,

Dave Aucoin
Chairman, Board of Advisors, Rhode Island

I wanted to share that we will be at the Ball Ground Garden Festival this Saturday, June 12th.

So many of you have joined the fight against Critical Race Theory – and a host of our other issues – and we want to take the opportunity, at your festival, to spread the word about our efforts.

We would love to see you! Please stop by our table and say hello. See the details below and feel free to reach out with any questions.

What: Ball Ground Festival and Plant Sale

When: Saturday, June 12th – 10am – 4pm

Where: 215 Valley Street Ball Ground, GA

See you there!

Brittany Ellison
Deputy Director

 

Over the weekend, our team will be at the convention in Jekyll Island catching up with supporters and sharing updates on our plans. If you’ll be in attendance too, come find us! We look forward to sharing more.

At the forefront of the discussion will be where the conservative movement goes from here. Whether you are attending in Jekyll or not, I do have some thoughts – honest thoughts – I want to share:

We look forward to participating in many of these discussions. Moreover, we look forward to leading the charge as we move forward – providing the strategic legislative agenda for 2022, endorsing and electing pro-family candidates, and transforming our culture.

Georgia has a big need. We’re committed to filling it.

To Victory,

Cole Muzio
President and Executive Director

 

P.S. Come find our table at the Convention! We’ll have a special surprise!

It’s fitting for Georgians to occasionally ask themselves

What Would Stacey Do?

Because, there’s a very good chance she’s got her eyes on the Governor’s Mansion, and we cannot take anything for granted.

That’s why we’re asking you to help us ensure we never give Stacey the opportunity to do what she wants to do – Please consider a generous $25, $50, $100, $250, or greater donation today!

Consider what happened in the last week: Governor Kemp took executive action against Critical Race Theory, vaccine passports, and mandatory masking in schools. (We wholeheartedly applaud these actions.)

Stacey Abrams is avid supporter of racial division and Critical Race Theory, would certainly impose vaccine passports, and would have schools closed and kids masked.

The Georgia General Assembly and Governor Kemp signed the election integrity bill months ago. Stacey Abrams would repeal it and impose H.R. 1 style laws that changed the goal from “easy to vote and hard to cheat” to “easy to cheat and impossible to verify.”

Stacey Abrams would have the economy still shut down – making Whitmer and Cuomo look like freedom-lovers as she imposed her tyranny on our beloved state.

And, let there be no doubt, if the Supreme Court takes pro-life action in the Mississippi case, Stacey Abrams’ first action would be to work to undo the Heartbeat Bill.

My friends, this is the tip of the iceberg. We can’t afford to find out all the wicked things Stacey will do!

Can you help us preserve our values, defend families, and advance freedom in Georgia? Any amount will make a difference. $25, $50, $100, $250 – whatever God is leading you to do – can help us keep Georgia a great place for families, a place you can love and a place you can recognize.

Our state is on the line. Now, we must stand firm and take action.

For Georgia,

Cole Muzio
President and Executive Director

 

 

PS. I know I’m a bit of a tease. I’ve told you we have a big announcement coming soon. It’s coming VERY soon, and I cannot wait to share. Change is coming for our organization, and it’s all geared around positioning us to do exactly what we’re talking about – protecting our state from those who would do it harm. Please consider helping us on this journey with a generous donation of $25, $50, $100, $250 or greater TODAY!

Memorial Day is a time each year when we pause to remember those who laid down their lives for family, friends, and freedom. One week after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Those who long enjoy such privileges that we enjoy forget in time that others have died to win them.” Freedom is never really free; it is almost always bought with the blood of patriots.

Arlington National Cemetery is a stark reminder of this. I have been to Washington D.C. many times over the years, but it was not until four years ago that I visited Arlington National Cemetery.  In some ways it impacted me more than all the other wonderful sights in our nation’s capital. The best way I could describe it was that I literally felt like I was standing on hallowed ground.

As a pastor, I’ve been to many cemeteries and I have conducted many funerals over the years. I consider walking a family through the grief of losing a loved one a sacred privilege. To prepare for the service, I always meet with the immediate family, spouse, parents, siblings and sometimes even grandchildren and I ask them two questions…

1st – What are you going to miss the most?

2nd – What are you going to miss the least?

They are not just random questions, they have purpose. They are meant to stir up memories of the loved one as experienced by a variety of people who interacted with them. The different perspectives always amaze me. It affords me opportunity to reaffirm positive experiences and to facilitate forgiveness if needed for past offenses. I jot down notes that I will then use to shape the service (or memorial) and the end result is most often a well-balanced and accurate picture of the person’s life. I know I have done my job well when people comment that I really “captured” their loved one.

The goal of the service is to celebrate someone’s life and help the family with closure so they can move forward. I have to say that the process of meeting with the family is challenging but it is what I enjoy most. Life is often a mixed bag of victories and failures, wonderful memories, and regrets. Processing them all is part of a healthy grieving process. One illustration I have found to be helpful with family is to hold up a rose using it to represent the person’s life and say… “Their life was like this ROSE. I can choose to focus on the THORNS that bring pain or on the beautiful FLOWER that brings joy.”

As we observe Memorial Day Weekend, we can apply the same process to America. We are far from perfect. To be sure, our history is also a mixed bag of victories and failures, wonderful memories, and regrets, and we have to process them all together.

This weekend, while we acknowledge that there are thorns, let us not cancel out the beauty of our history, the freedom it has stood for, and the blood of the patriots who gave their lives for that freedom.

For Faith, Family and Freedom in RI,

Dave Aucoin
Chairman, Board of Directors – Rhode Island

Now that the North Dakota legislative session has concluded, I am taking time to get out and meet with more of you, our ministry partners.  I will be traveling around the state and would love to have coffee or a meal with you. That way we can get to know each other a bit better, I can recap the recent legislative session, and can hear your thoughts about things Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota should focus on. I know we are all very busy, but just a quick cup of coffee would be great.  Besides, I’m pretty sure that I have now found the best coffee shops everywhere in North Dakota!

I am so thankful for each of you.  I love meeting with you, because it is encouraging to hear how passionate you are for the causes we stand for here at Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota.  Passion is what often keeps us going.  We pray for you and for our organization to be effective – and when things get challenging, it’s our passion that encourages us to do more for God’s kingdom.

We know you share that passion, so to the extent we can encourage each other over a cup of coffee to keep that flame burning brightly, God’s kingdom is furthered.  As Paul says in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Please note that in addition to meeting with all of you, we spend time working on a lot of other things between legislative sessions, such as:

As you can see, we are plenty busy when not in session, but we need your faithful financial support to accomplish all this.  If God has blessed you with the means to contribute, we greatly appreciate your help.  We’ve tried to make it easy: you can donate by simply going to our webpage and contributing with a tax deductible gift.

By God’s grace, we have been promised that His kingdom shall prevail. Let’s be part of ushering in His kingdom now in all walks of life, including politics, and may we never lose our passion for doing that.

Sincerely,

Mark Jorritsma
President and Executive Director

It’s been a few weeks since the ND legislative session ended, and the dust has now settled on key pro-life and pro-family bills, so it is time for a summary. Here’s the list of wins and losses on key bills we engaged on using a variety of mechanisms such as written and in-person testimony, social media posts, action alerts, personal interaction with legislators, etc.

Note that there were other bills dealing with biblical values that were won and lost, however, this table provides a summary of the most important ones Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota contributed to.

 

Life Legislation Result
SB 2030 (Pro-Life Requirements for University Challenge Grants – FOR) WON
HB 1415 (Physician Assisted Suicide – OPPOSED) WON
SCR 4010 (ERA Ratification Expiration – FOR) WON

Family Legislation
Result
HB 1420 (Recreational Marijuana – OPPOSED) WON
HB 1389 (Legalize Internet Poker – OPPOSED) WON
HB 1443 (Bias/Thought Crimes – OPPOSED) WON
SCR 4011 (American History for Students – FOR) WON
HB 1234 (Legalized Sports Betting – OPPOSED) WON
SB 2308 (Ten Commandments/Pledge of Allegiance in Schools – FOR) WON
HB 1175 (Business Immunity from COVID‑19 Liability Claims – FOR) WON
HB 1245 (Essential Caregiver Act – FOR) WON
HB 1298 (Girls’ Fairness in Sports – FOR) LOST
SB 2176 (Payments to Parents for COVID Instruction – FOR) LOST

Religious Freedom Legislation
Result
SB 2181 (Religious Freedom During Emergencies – FOR) WON
HB 1137 (Tax Exemption for Private School Contributions – FOR) WON
HB 1503 (Free Speech on Public University Campuses – FOR) WON
HB 1410 (Religious Freedom in State Institutions – FOR) WON
HB 1471 (Preventing Taxation of Particular Church Property – FOR) WON
HB 1369 (Education Empowerment Program – FOR) LOST
HB 1281 (Tax Credits for Private and Home Schooling – FOR) LOST
HB 1497 (Tax Credits for Donations to Endowments and Non-Profits – FOR) LOST
SB 2288 (Education Scholarships in Exchange for Tax Credits – FOR) LOST

 

It was generally a good session for pro-life and pro-family values, with a few exceptions on particular bills. I want to thank all the legislators who led the charge on these important bills, legislators who consistently voted for biblical values, and the organizations who partnered with us and definitely share the credit for these wins. Finally, we want to thank each of you who supported our work and continue to make these types of wins possible.

If it was important to you that Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota successfully represented you on these bills, and that we will continue to represent you on similar issues going forward, we would ask for your financial support. We make it very easy to give online by simply following this secure link. Thank you for your support that makes all of this possible.

May God bless us as we strive to be faithful to His calling and as we act on our faith in all facets of life, including the political arena.

Blessings,

Mark Jorritsma
President and Executive Director

 

 

 

P.S. – We are currently working on scorecards for key pro-life and pro-family legislation so that you can see how your Senator and Representatives voted on these important bills. We hope to have something completed shortly, but could use some volunteer help to check data and reporting.  If you have a bit of time in the next few weeks, please let us know and let’s see if we can work something out. Thanks!

I talk to Kansans all the time who say they want to get involved and do something to help their community. One of the easiest, and quite frankly, most effective ways to get involved is by running for school board.

You might be asking what the school board does? Surprisingly a lot of authority gets delegated to local school boards. A lot of their power expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many COVID protocols were set by the local school board.

Even a lot of the curriculum can be determined by the school board. Things like critical theory or comprehensive sex ed are often allowed into the classroom because of decisions made by the local school board.

Another issue that was highlighted this legislative session – fairness in women’s sports – is currently controlled by the local school.

If you are looking for the chance to impact our culture and to shape kid’s lives, will you consider running for school board in your area? The deadline to file to run with your county election officer is June 1st!

Sincerely,

Brittany Jones, Esq.
Director of Advocacy

Today, we are encouraging the pro-life community to join us in prayer as we’ve learned the Supreme Court will take up the Mississippi case on their law banning abortion after 15 weeks. Like Georgia’s Heartbeat Law, the Mississippi bill has been held up in courts since its passage due to the unconstitutional and wicked precedent set in Roe v Wade.

The Court could choose to answer the Mississippi question in a number of ways, but this could be what brings down the standard set in Roe. It’s a standard that we in Georgia have led the fight to topple as well.

Our Life Act, or Heartbeat Law, continues to be defended in court by Governor Kemp and his legal team. We know that it is not an easy fight, but we don’t back down when things are hard. Instead, we stand on the frontline to defend life, in all stages and needs.

Recently, Governor Brian Kemp signed two of our life-affirming legislative initiatives: “Gracie’s Law” and “Simon’s Law.” Gracie’s law affirms our belief that everyone, regardless of disabilities, are worthy of any and all life-saving healthcare measures. The bill says that you cannot prohibit someone from being placed on the organ transplant list based solely on mental and physical disabilities. The second part of the bill, known as “Simon’s Law,” says that you cannot place a DNR on a minor without parental consent.

These are significant changes in toward making Georgia a place where life is cherished. But this is only the beginning. We are determined to lead the fight on saving all lives. Will you be a part of what we’re doing and donate to help our efforts?

We’re already gearing up for next session and pledge to continue to fight for Life – at the Capitol, at the ballot box, and in the hearts and minds of every Georgian. Can we count on you to donate $50, $100, $250, or more to help us defend the unborn?

We thank you for your continued prayers and support and promise to stand up for life-no matter how hard it gets. Please join us in prayer as the Supreme Court now plans to hear this monumental case which could topple Roe and holds huge ramifications for Georgia and the rest of the nation.

For Life,

Brittany Ellison
Deputy Director

The major part of legislative session wrapped up at 2:15 AM Saturday morning. Despite the best laid plans, legislative session is always a bit unpredictable. Given the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and a host of other complicating factors, this session redefined unpredictability.

But that is not to say unpredictability is always bad. This was arguably our most successful session to date despite the underlying chaos. When session started, we didn’t know how long we would be able to stay in session or how long it would take to get our premier legislation, Value Them Both, passed in both chambers.  We tried to realistically set expectations while also aggressively fighting for families. Because of how quickly Value Them Both passed, we were able to affect policy on almost every one of our core topics.

VALUE THEM BOTH

With the help of 114 pro-life legislators (86 in the House and 28 in the Senate), we were able to pass Value Them Both in record time on January 28th.   This huge accomplishment, first, required outstanding election results for pro-life candidates, and, secondly, leadership in the House and Senate who were committed to ensuring the amendment passed quickly. We once again thank Ty Masterson, Ron Ryckman, Rick Wilborn, Dan Hawkins, and Blaine Finch for their leadership on Value Them Both. And finally, we can never thank our brave advocates enough – Molly Baumgardner, Tory Arnberger, Renee Erickson, Susan Humphries, Kellie Warren, Barb Wasinger – as well as many others.

As we prepare for an election in August of 2022, we would love to speak at your church or your civic group about the impact of Value Them Both and how we protect our pro-life laws. Likewise, we would want to train you to speak about these issues in your area. Respond to this email and let us know you are interested in becoming an advocate for Value Them Both!

#SAVEGIRLSSPORTS

As soon as Value Them Both passed, we began to address the other seven objectives on our to-do list. And I am excited to report that we made major progress in every area we engaged!

Our second biggest objective was to protect women’s sports through the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. Though we failed to override the Governor’s veto by one vote in the Senate, we made significant strides in highlighting the conversation in the legislature and beyond. Be on the lookout for ways you can engage in standing up for our girls on a local level as we mobilize a strategy to continue the conversation and continue to advocate for fairness.

FALLOUT FROM 2020

After 2020, election integrity and controlling the power of tyrannical governors became the topic of national conversation. And that same conversation was reflected in Kansas. Through two elections bills, we were able to close several loopholes that could have exposed our elections to misuse. These safeguards will be especially helpful as we prepare for Value Them Both to pass on a statewide ballot. We were also able to ensure that our God-given religious freedom will be protected when a state of emergency is declared.

STOP BILLS THAT PUT FAMILIES AT RISK

While the new version of the “medical” marijuana bill was a more conservative bill than the one previously discussed, the bill that was rammed through committee and debated on the House floor last week was anything but conservative or strictly medical. This discussion is always complicated, rife with legal concerns, and real human concerns about the effect on families and society. Thankfully, the bill that the House debated did not move in the Senate. Several conservative legislators pointed out the plethora of potential harms to pregnant women, children, and society in general that we have seen in other states with liberal marijuana policies.

Also, a bill that would have further opened the door for the gambling industry to prey on families was stopped earlier in session. We recognize that the conversations around these issues are complicated in our society and the lines are not firmly drawn with well-intentioned individuals on both sides, but we will continue to dialogue with legislators and encourage legislators to put the good of Kansas families over profit.

SCHOOL CHOICE

School choice is the reason I did not get more than a few hours of sleep any night last week. While we are disappointed that a bill that included Education Savings Accounts did not make it to the Governor’s desk, we are thankful that a debate on the topic happened in both chambers. It also has garnered significant public discussion. I talk to families all across the state who are trying to discern the best way to fulfill their responsibility to educate their children in a way that glorifies God. It is my goal to equip you with as many options as I can.

One huge school choice win is the expansion of the low-income tax credit. Passing an education budget with policy requirements was one of the final things the legislature did late Friday night. The key thing for school choice advocates was the removal of restrictions for kids who can receive a scholarship from scholarship granting organizations. The new program will accept kids from any school (previously it was just an arbitrary list of the lowest performing schools) and secondly extended opportunity to kids who are a part of the reduced lunch program whereas they previously had to be part of the free lunch program. It encourages Kansans to use their resources to benefit kids in our state who would not have had any school choice opportunities without this program. This program now truly reflects that kids deserve options and opportunities no matter where they live or how much their parents make.

It is my absolute honor to represent you and your family at the Capitol each day. My goal every morning is to first bring Christ glory and secondly to represent you well. While we will still return to the Capitol for the official last day of session, known as sine die, we are turning now towards influencing local policies, educating families on how they can be involved, and working with policy makers beyond session to advance the family and honor God!

For Kansas,

Brittany Jones, Esq.
Director of Advocacy