New law targets faith-based organizations just before Christmas

BREAKING NEWS: President Biden just signed H.R. 8404 into law, codifying same-sex marriage in federal law.

How is this different from the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges?

First, this new law goes much further than the Supreme Court ruling. While the Supreme Court ruling recognized same-sex marriage, the new law threatens religious freedom in new ways. Here’s what our CEO and President Craig DeRoche had to say:

“For the last two years, we’ve seen repeatedly how the Biden Administration pits itself against the American people. Today, President Biden has gone even further by positioning himself against people of faith at Christmastime.

“The so-called religious freedom protections contained within this bill are little more than fig leaves. In reality, this bill could force faith-based adoption agencies to close, silence anyone with a moral objection to same-sex marriage, and target those who dare to disagree.

“While the Biden Administration and their allies in Congress made this signing ceremony about equality, they fail to understand that Americans with sincerely held religious beliefs on marriage will not waiver in their convictions –regardless of the passage of this new law. In the name of acceptance, the Biden Administration has chosen to alienate millions of Americans.”

The second difference from the court ruling is that this law will be harder to undo. If you’ve followed the pro-life movement, you know that it took us nearly 50 years to get Roe v. Wade overturned (and we still have much more work to do in the states). However, that was “just” a court case that could be overturned by another court case. Today, President Biden has signed an actual law passed by both chambers of Congress.

Imagine if Roe v. Wade had been made a federal law.

It will take time to change hearts and minds on this issue. But, we are hardly the first Christians in history to have to stand out from a distinctly un-Christian culture. In fact, we are specifically called to be a light in the darkness and salt on the earth (Matthew 5:13-14). Here at Family Policy Alliance, we see this as a continued opportunity to live that out.

What can I do to help?

At Family Policy Alliance, we are always looking for ways to protect your religious freedom, whether that’s by standing for First Amendment rights at the federal level or working with Family Policy Councils in the states. If you want to help ensure religious freedom for generations to come, please partner with us. We take care to steward each gift well to help advance our vision of a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished.

And, stay in prayer. Our nation is at a critical juncture. Even as the Biden Administration and its allies use federal policy to advance radical agendas, across the states family values are gaining traction like never before. Please pray for the continued success of these efforts.

Prayerfully,

Autumn Leva,
Sr. VP, Strategy

 

 

 

 

We all may still be eating turkey leftovers, but today Chuck Schumer’s Senate returns to DC where they plan to restart—and take the next vote on—the same-sex marriage bill.

It is stunning to think that with the many real issues concerning American families, this bill that codifies the Obergefell definition of same-sex marriage into federal law, opens the door to legal polygamy, and paints a target on the backs of faith-based charities during the holidays is what Schumer’s Senate is choosing to prioritize. We surveyed social conservative voters earlier this month, and the number one issue for families was inflation and the economy. The Schumer Senate decision to prioritize this bill reveals the depth of the tone-deaf problem in Washington D.C.

Tell your Senator to oppose this bill!

Here’s our recap of the biggest concerns in the bill:

In addition to targeting charities and ministries around the holidays, Sen. Schumer is pushing forward this bill as a major case heads to the Supreme Court in early December. Our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom are defending small business owner Lorie Smith, owner of 303 Creative in Colorado. Lorie designs websites for her clients, but the same Colorado government that targeted cake artist Jack Phillips now seeks to punish her for designing only those websites that celebrate weddings consistent with her religious beliefs.

If Sen. Schumer gets his way with this bill, the full weight of the federal government could be used to punish Lorie and every other business or ministry like hers.

Please take action today. As the Senate returns from Thanksgiving, they desperately need to hear from you urging them to oppose the bill—and calling on them to tell Senator Schumer to stop this harmful bill from being made top priority.

We only have a few days to stop this bill during the lame duck session—be sure to take action now!

Thank you!

Autumn Leva,
Sr. VP, Strategy



The first step in the fight to stop a radical sex education bill in the Colorado legislature came to an end late Wednesday night. The House Health & Insurance Committee voted to advance the bill.

But the real story throughout the 10-hour hearing was the overwhelming turnout and opposition to the bill from the people of Colorado.

A joint effort between Family Policy Alliance and our state ally, Colorado Family Action, resulted in nearly 95,000 email messages of opposition being sent to committee members! During the hearing, legislators commented on the overwhelming volume of messages in opposition.

And the response to our joint call to attend the hearing was phenomenal. Not only was the large hearing room packed, but six overflow rooms were needed. More than 300 people signed up to testify, and the vast majority were opposed to the bill.

Stephanie Curry, an attorney and Policy Manager for Family Policy Alliance, testified at the hearing.  Our close partner, Focus on the Family, also spoke against the bill, as did another ally, Centennial Institute.

“This bill would allow the state to indoctrinate children on state sexual values, while censoring others – those of parents,” Curry told the panel during her testimony. “We oppose the state’s unconstitutional attempt to take over parental rights.”

While the result is disappointing given the overwhelming opposition to the bill, it’s not shocking. That’s because this is a committee that was put together by Democrat leadership to pass liberal social bills like this one. It even included the state’s only transgender legislator, Brianna Titone.

But the enormous outpouring of opposition was powerful and noticed by all, including the media. FPA’s Curry was interviewed by multiple TV news channels, and media reports expressed amazement at citizen turnout.

Your response was truly a “shot across the bow” that will give us a fighting chance to defeat this bill at the next committee or on the floor. That next chance starts now, as the bill is headed to the House Appropriations Committee. Please take a moment to send your message to that committee today!

Thank you for making your voice heard! Please continue to do so by clicking here to send your message to the next committee, the House Appropriations Committee.

The Family Policy Alliance Team

 

How They Voted

If one of the members who voted for this bill is your representative, please hold them accountable.

Voting YES:

Janet Buckner (D – Arapahoe)
Yadira Caraveo (D – Adams
Sonya Jaquez Lewis (D – Boulder)
Susan Lontine (D – Denver/Jefferson)
Chris Kennedy (D – Jefferson)
Kyle Mullica (D – Adams)
Brianna Titone (D – Jefferson)

 

Voting NO:

Mark Baisley (R – Douglas/Teller)
Susan Beckman (R – Arapahoe)
Marc Catlin (R – Dolores/Montezuma/Montrose/San Miguel)
Matt Soper (R- Delta/Mesa)

 

By Stephanie Curry, Policy Manager

 What do Bermuda, California, and Colorado have in common?

Even though the media didn’t really cover them, three recent stories were big victories for families—coming from three very different parts of the world.

Bermuda

Last week, Bermuda became the first country in the world to repeal same-sex marriage. Although Bermuda’s Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage last May, the overwhelming majority of Bermudians opposed it. The legislature—the branch of government that should be enacting (or rejecting) laws, not the courts—responded by repealing the judgment! This should stand as a great encouragement and reminder to Americans that the people we elect into office do have the power to uphold the beliefs of the people, even if that means changing the law or fixing a court’s bad decision.

California

In a surprising show from the California Superior Court, Judge David Lampe ruled that Tastries Bakery could decline to create a custom wedding cake for a same-sex wedding ceremony. Judge Lampe ruled, “The right to freedom of speech under the First Amendment outweighs the State’s interest in ensuring a freely accessible marketplace. . . The right of freedom of thought guaranteed by the First Amendment includes the right to speak, and the right to refrain from speaking. Sometimes the most profound protest is silence.” If the creation of a wedding cake is a form of speech, silence—declining to create the cake—is just as much a protected right under the First Amendment. Judge Lampe even wrote that the creation of a wedding cake is one of the greatest symbolic expressions in our culture and should be adamantly protected.

Colorado

Finally, in Colorado, a Joint Budget Committee decided to defund the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Normally, a Senate budget committee decision would be about as exciting as waiting in line at the DMV, but this decision actually is exciting—and matters to families in Colorado and across the country.

You may remember the infamous Colorado Commission from its involvement in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, now at the Supreme Court. The Colorado Commission said that Jack, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, had to design custom wedding cakes for same-sex weddings (regardless of his religious or moral beliefs) or else give up that large portion of his business altogether. The Commission’s decision forced Jack to take his case to courts.

The Supreme Court will likely release its decision in June, and the Court will decide the same question Judge Lampe just decided in California, “Can a baker be forced to create a wedding cake?”  We hope and pray that the Supreme Court agrees with Judge Lamp in California and upholds artistic expression as a fundamentally protected right.

So, the Colorado Budget Committee’s decision to cut funding from the Colorado Civil Rights Commission because of how they targeted Jack and his faith is great news! The members of the Budget Committee are elected by Coloradans to represent Coloradans, and Colorado families believe that what the Commission did to Jack was wrong. Thankfully, these Colorado legislators listened to the voice of Colorado families who are fed up with our First Amendment freedoms being trampled. With a vote to strip the Colorado Civil Rights Commission of its funding, Colorado sent a loud and clear message: freedom of religion and freedom of speech are worth protecting.

We hope this “Bermuda Triangle” of great news encourages you as the family of believers. The work of restoring a nation where God is honored is hard work, and the results don’t happen overnight. But, it is work believers are each called to with a unique role to play, and as you can see, partnering together to protect and advance our basic freedoms—life, religion, speech—does make an impact.

Alicia Berry Graphic

Attorney Alicia Berry, who formerly represented a florist in a religious freedom case, has announced she’s running for Superior Court Judge in Position 3 in Washington state. The seat is currently held by a judge who ruled against religious freedom.

In 2013, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued Barronelle Stutzman and her business after she declined to create custom arrangements for a longtime customer’s same-sex wedding.

Judge Alexander Ekstrom ruled in favor of the government. Since Stutzman was sued in a personal and professional capacity, she is in danger of losing her business and her home if she is unsuccessful in her appeal.

“Religious motivation does not excuse compliance with the law,” Ekstrom wrote.

The Washington Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case. Berry said people have lost trust in the judicial system.

“This loss of trust in a fundamental government system,” she said in a statement, “designed to protect the people from oppressive government oversight and regulation needs to be addressed.”

 

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Family advocates are likely to make some big gains in state legislatures in 2016.

Family advocates are likely to make some big gains in state legislatures in 2016. At the same time, harmful legislation is threatening families and biblical values in other states.

That puts CitizenLink and our Family Policy Alliance in the center of the action. Here’s a look at the battles that will be decided over the coming weeks and months.

Thanks to political gains in state legislatures in recent elections—made possible through your support of CitizenLink—a number of states stand ready to pass important pro-family measures.

Prospects are especially strong for passing pro-life bills. Following the release of the Planned Parenthood videos last summer, some states, such as Wisconsin, are working to stop taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. Others are working to ensure that aborted babies are handled humanely, which helps focus attention on the humanity of each preborn baby.

With the growing attacks on religious freedom, CitizenLink and our state family policy allies are also advancing religious liberty protections. Some, such as in West Virginia, would give broad religious freedom safeguards, while others provide very specific protections. With a strong lobbying effort, several have a good chance of passing.

The bulk of the Left’s attacks at the state level are coming in two areas. First, the homosexual lobby is pushing hard to advance their agenda even further, following the Obergefell same-sex marriage decision. At the top of their agenda is forcing more states—among them Idaho—to give special protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. These laws are at the cutting edge in the assault on religious freedom. Gay activists are also looking to ban counseling that would help lead minors away from homosexuality. Similar bills have already been signed by Gov. Chris Christie in New Jersey and in three other states, with Massachusetts among several targets this year.

Meanwhile, euthanasia zealots are trying to build momentum off of their lone victory last year—an assisted suicide bill that had to be rammed through a special session to get it passed in California. CitizenLink and our state allies are part of a strong and diverse coalition that is looking to build on last year’s successes in exposing and defeating these threats to the sanctity of life. Dozens of such bills could be introduced this year, with New York and Maryland facing especially tough battles.