Tony Perkins Washington Update
While the press is busy magnifying our countrys problems FRC is taking an inventory of encouragement. This week there are a number of positive reports coming from the states that you probably havent heard or read in the news.
In Washington State parents who homeschool their children may finally get the privacy they deserve to educate their kids as they see fit. H.B. 1228 would make the 20000 homeschooled students exempt from public disclosure laws which would keep any sensitive information about these children from being shared.
Another bill H.B. 1110 would bar public school districts from bombarding homeschooling parents with mail and marketing campaigns. Both proposals sailed unanimously through the Senate.
On the opposite coast where counterfeit marriage is making a mess of the legislative calendar one small state is making a big statement on traditional unions. Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri whose state is smack dab in the middle of this controversy says unequivocally that he will fight to keep same-sex marriage out of the Ocean State.
Leaving no doubt where he stands Carcieri said What I dont want to see happen with this issue is whats happening in courts that are deciding things or legislatures deciding things. This is such an important issue I think it should be put to voters he told reporters. Knowing that Rhode Island is on the homosexual hit list the Governor went on to say that he would throw his weight squarely behind pro-family efforts in his state.
To the West groups in two states have gone on the offensive to advance a culture of life--and won! This week four pro-life demonstrators who were arrested for peacefully protesting at a local Nebraska abortion clinic were vindicated in federal court. Although the police jailed them several times Judge Richard Kopf ruled that the plaintiffs had never broken the law. Instead he ordered Bellevue City to pay $125000 in attorneys fees for these wrongful arrests and warned local officials to stop filing criminal charges under an obscure picketing ordinance.
Finally Oklahoma state leaders proved to be smarter than Congress by passing legislation banning research that destroys human embryos. The bill would make it illegal for any business to experiment on these tiny human lives. Whats more the vote was overwhelmingly positive in both chambers passing 38-9 in the Senate and 82-6 in the House.
