In the recent election in Virginia, issues like parental rights and abortion took center stage, which drew the interest of many social conservatives around the country. This was one of the most shocking off-year elections we’ve seen in a long time, so we invited an expert to break down the results and offer potential insight for future elections nationwide.

Joining the SoCon Report Podcast live today is Victoria Cobb, President of The Family Foundation of Virginia, to help us break down what happened. With a remarkable seventeen years of experience fighting for pro-family values in Virginia, she is a valuable resource for dissecting this election. Ask her your questions in the comments of our livestream!

TUNE IN Thursday, November 30^th on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
SoConReport or the Family Policy Alliance Website
9:00am PT / 10:00am MT / 11:00am CT / 12:00pm ET

At Family Policy Alliance, our vision is a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished. To stay up to date on the fight to protect families and learn how to take action, follow us on social media!

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See you in the comments section!

Emma Rarden
Communications Specialist – Producer

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it’s only going to get wilder 

In Colorado, hundreds of people packed the State Capitol Wednesday to oppose a bill aimed at requiring the teaching of LGBTQ “sexual experiences” in public schools. Across the country, there was immense backlash by pro-life advocates when Virginia’s new governor, Ralph Northam, supported a late-term abortion bill and further advocated what is clear to several conservative leaders as infanticide – physician-assisted death of babies AFTER they are born.

What a wild week. But take a breath – it’s only going to get crazier. And just because you don’t live in Colorado or Virginia doesn’t mean the fight isn’t coming to your state soon. We’re seeing a well-organized campaign by abortionists and LGBTQ activists to infiltrate state legislatures to advance their harmful agendas.

The Colorado sex-ed bill would force the state’s viewpoint on sex and sexuality on every school, family, and child. It requires children to be exposed to explicit sexual content that teaches lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender sexual behaviors are a “normal” and “healthy” option for all our youth. If that isn’t enough, the state will also ban all views and content that contradict this ideology. This means sex-ed curriculums focused on only the scientific and biological aspects of sex and its consequences would be illegal. Curriculums promoting abstinence would be illegal. As we’ve seen in states like California and New Jersey, these comprehensive sex-ed bills are used to indoctrinate our children through graphic photos, language, and ideas that encourage our youth to explore their sexuality in ways most families believe are harmful and directly contradict their values.

Make no mistake: These bills masquerade as “comprehensive sexual education” bills, but they unlawfully censor foundational views of sex and sexuality, oppress parental rights, and advance a radical social agenda at the expense of our children.

Meanwhile, in Virginia, the controversy surrounding the most barbaric abortion laws we’ve seen prompted Governor Northam to state that even after a woman was dilating, she could have an abortion. He responded this way: “So in this particular example if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen, the infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physician and the mother.” The discussion would be whether or not they would let a newborn live. The discussion would be whether or not to end that baby’s life.

This is infanticide, which is the crime of killing a child within one year of his or her birth. This is what radical leftists want. It’s the next step for the pro-abortion lobby who aren’t satisfied with late-term or partial-birth abortions.

Although it can be easy to grow tired or frustrated at the liberal “leadership” of governors like Ralph Northram or Colorado’s Jared Polis, we see God doing some wonderful things in the midst of what can seem like a relentless attack on His truth: 

1. People are Taking Action. We are seeing an awakening of churches, Christ-followers, and conservatives to the very real threats our country and our faith face. And they are no longer silent! Thousands took action in Colorado this week. And conservatives aren’t letting Gov. Northam’s remarks go unchallenged. We have the opportunity now to work to “un-elect” these politicians in 2020 – with your help!

2. Truth is Coming Out. There are many who have been “on the fence” or chose to stay silent about radical social issues like abortion and sex-education. No longer! People who have never spoken-up before are feeling a sense of urgency to speak truth for the sake of our children in schools and children in the womb! It’s far more difficult to censor biblical truths when those who believe in them speak publicly.
   

3. Light Always Shines Brighter in the Darkest Places. When you start talking about aborting children while the mother is dilating, and openly talking about infanticide after delivery, we see how far from God our country has fallen. As those who are called to be Light in the darkness (John 5:14-16), we know that darkness cannot overcome Light (John 1:5). We, the Church, are the ones called to light up the darkness, and our country is at a point where believers are being called to shine even brighter—to speak truth even more boldly. And that is a good thing!

None of this is possible without your continued prayers and support. Be encouraged to shine your light in love, to speak truth, and to stand firm and take action! Our country needs the Church now more than ever.

Please check our ACTION CENTER to see if there’s an issue where you can help speak truth in your state or at the federal level.

Turning the Light back on with you,

Stephanie Curry
Policy Director

 

by Paul Weber, President & CEO

What last week’s elections tell us about what’s ahead for 2018

Full disclosure: I grew up in Jersey.

And while it breaks my heart to see the Garden State continue its liberal slide, it’s not surprising that the Left ran the table last week. Outgoing Governor Chris Christie has only a 14-percent approval rating — proof that political scandal (Bridgegate), constant cross-party fighting, and undermining your voter base has consequences.

But the election outcomes in Virginia, Georgia and Washington should cause Christians alarm.

Here’s why:

• Virginia: The liberal candidate won the open governorship, winning with higher than expected margins. But the real surprise was that liberals appear to have picked up at least 15 seats in the state House. And this is not just a partisan change. Several defeated conservative legislators were strong family advocates, while the liberals who won ran in the opposite direction – including the nation’s first openly transgender lawmaker.
• Washington: Liberals also won a special election giving them control of the state Senate. Now, the House, Senate and Governor’s office are controlled by the Left.
• Georgia: In special elections, liberals won three state legislative seats that were previously held by conservatives.

Nationwide in 2017, Democrats have now won 30 legislative seats that had been held by the GOP.

Is this a preamble to what will happen in 2018? To listen to the media, it certainly is! But it doesn’t have to be that way if you — and friends like you — determine to take a stand and generously support Family Policy Alliance, today!

 Yes, we could try to justify that these gains are explained by the natural pendulum swings following presidential elections. Or — as the establishment media would have you believe — that this is a referendum on President Trump’s policies.

But remember, conservatives added more than 900 state legislative seats during the Obama era. That demonstrates that when we stay engaged and activate voters to the polls, we can impact the leadership of our nation.

Still, Tuesday’s elections should set off alarm bells for those who care about life and religious freedom.

• A deeper dive in Virginia shows that, although conservative areas of the state voted just as conservatively as usual, or even more so, turnout in those areas was down. That reveals a lack of engagement is a significant problem. This will continue in 2018, unless we get engaged, today.
• On the other hand, the widely reported voter enthusiasm on the Left was evidenced by Democrats’ claim that they doubled the number of voter contacts in Virginia compared with four years ago. That only happens as a result of two things: more donations and more volunteers.
• The results of the last three mid-term elections illustrate how voter engagement makes a difference. In 2006, Democrats took control of the U.S. House, gaining 31 seats. In 2010, Republicans reclaimed control of the U.S. House, with a net gain of 63 seats. And in 2014, Republicans took control of the U.S. Senate by adding 9 seats, the largest gain in the Senate in decades.

You and I can help shape what happens in 2018.  Your support of Family Policy Alliance will motivate pro-family voters to be engaged in key races throughout the nation.

Since 2009, our targeted and strategic election work has provided a measurable and significant lift to pro-family voter turnout.  That will be more important than ever in 2018. Can I count on your support today?

True — I grew up in Jersey. But I – and our alliance of state organizations – will never give up on serving and protecting the family and the values we hold dear nationwide.  Won’t you stand together with us today with your financial support?

Yes, it’s the first Tuesday of November in an odd-numbered year.  That means, for the most part, elections that are dominated by local bond measures, county commissioner contests and other lower-profile races.  All are good reasons to get out and vote—and these races, especially for school board, can make the most difference right in your area for your family—but most are not headline grabbers beyond their local area.

Still, Election Day 2017 does offer some nationally impactful races to keep an eye on as election results roll in on Tuesday evening.

Most of the national limelight is on Virginia, where voters will choose a new governor.  With liberal Gov. Terry McAuliffe on his way out, voters will choose between Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie.  Northam fashions himself as a moderate, though his record as Terry McAuliffe’s Lieutenant Governor would say otherwise.  And, in the final days of the campaign, Gillespie has closed within striking distance by pointing that out.

Virginia is also home to a high-profile Attorney General race that has attracted major outside spending.  In the final weeks, Family Policy Alliance’s allied organization in Virginia, The Family Foundation Action, has focused voters’ attention on the scandalously pro-abortion record of the Democrat incumbent, Mark Herring.

Herring stunned many observers by issuing an opinion that set aside Virginia’s statutory rape and mandatory reporting laws when it came to abortion clinics. That allowed Virginia abortion centers to avoid reporting many likely statutory rapes of 13- and 14-year-old girls.  Even worse, the abortion center that precipitated the opinion is located in an area that has major problems with sex trafficking – meaning that, in many cases, sexual predators are the ultimate beneficiary of Herring’s pro-abortion ruling.

Elsewhere, voters in New Jersey will elect a new governor to replace outgoing Gov. Chris Christie.  And voters in Utah’s Third Congressional District will choose a replacement for the retiring Jason Chaffetz.

Among the most important local races is the school board election in Douglas County, Colorado, which has become ground zero in the nationwide fight for parental choice in education.

A six-year effort to enact a modest voucher program has been stuck in the courts, but a U.S. Supreme Court directive this year gave new hope that the program will survive the legal challenge.  Yet even with a favorable legal outcome, the survival of the school choice program is likely to be determined by the results of Tuesday’s school board elections.

So what’s the point? The point is..during an election year where there’s not a big, showy presidential race driving everyone to the polls, these local elections give voters who care about the value of life, family, and religious freedom an opportunity to shape what their school, city, state and ultimately country look like for their families!

Please join our team in wearing your “I voted” sticker proudly today!

Voters need to know when a candidate is pro-life and when one is not.

Victoria Cobb, president of Family Foundation Action in Virginia, wants everyone to understand where the state attorney general stands on the life issue.

Family Policy Alliance has been assisting her organization in reaching voters who, if they knew, might make an extra effort to vote.

If you appreciate our work, please join with us in informing voters where candidates across the country stand on the issues you care about.

 

What do we say about Charlottesville?

Racism, protests, murder. This is clearly not what God desires for our nation. But it’s definitely what everyone is talking about this week.

Eric Teetsel, president of Family Policy Alliance of Kansas, says a person can be a follower of Jesus Christ or a white supremacist – but not both. He offers a biblical perspective connecting the dots from your pro-life beliefs to what should be preached in your church.

With all that’s going on in the culture, you’ve probably felt like giving up. Maybe you’ve even said these words, “What difference can one person make?”

One mom in Virginia may have said those words, but instead of giving in, she decided to do something about it. When she found out about President Obama’s bathroom decree, she began talking to friends and family. Those conversations birthed an idea – United We Stand.

On July 12^th, we’re asking you to call President Obama at 1pm eastern and tell him, “No” on his bathroom policies. Family Policy Alliance, Family Research Council and other national groups are all backing this effort.

Make it a point to call. You can make a difference and together we can protect the privacy and safety of our children.