ACTION ALERT MARCH 6, 2013
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3)
Dear CWA of Washington Member,
Need I say more than God’s Word above? We are watching the Biblical heritage of our nation being destroyed before our eyes. We are called to build the wall and stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30), and in Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul exhorted us to put on the spiritual armor in order to stand on the battlefield and then to pray. Paul’s words should be heeded today as we stand with God against the secular progressivism so rampant in the surrounding culture. God knows our needs, and we need to heed His Word!
On October 24, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower stated:
“IN GOD WE TRUST’ … Let us make sure that familiarity has not made (these words) meaningless for us … Atheism substitutes men for the Supreme Creator and this leads inevitably to domination and dictatorship … Our Government is servant, not master, our chosen representatives are our equals, not our czars or commissars.”
CWA’s three goals: PRAYER, EDUCATION, ACTION!! Please join us in our effort to preserve and promote Biblical principles in our nation among all its citizens in order to reverse the severe moral decline we have witnessed for the past fifty years.
We are searching for more prayer warriors! Contact the state office if you are longing to pray for the nation and its people. You can join a local Prayer/Action Chapter or Home Team or become a Prayer/Action Leader or Home Team Captain. Please call or fax 425-869-1923 or e-mail director@washington.cwfa.org. YOU can make a difference through prayer and action!
LEGISLATION
Important dates: March 1, 2013 – Cut off date for House Fiscal Committees, Senate Ways & Means, and Transportation committees.
March 13, 2013 – Last day to consider bills in house of origin (5:00 p.m.)
Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000 Make your voice heard!
*** indicates active bills
SANCTITY OF LIFE
SB 5156 Requiring notification to parents or guardians in case of a minor daughter’s abortion
There has been no further action on this bill which means it will likely not proceed to a Senate vote. Parents should always be notified and give consent before any medical procedures for underage children. Our parental rights have been sold out to political correctness for the sake of an adult-driven agenda to destroy family as the most important and vital institution any culture has.
Please be in prayer that we are able to stop this sickening abortion agenda and restore wholesome families as a high priority. Government can and should never take the place of good, loving families.
It is highly likely that Sen. Benton will re-introduce this bill in 2014. If you live in Legislative District 17, thank Sen. Benton for his efforts to protect our children and our families.
HB 1257 Establishing parental notification requirements for abortion
This bill never even received a hearing in the Committee on Health Care & Wellness due to the fact that Chairman Eileen Cody will not consider any bills that interfere with full access to abortion for any reason and at any age. Pray for Cody’s mind to be opened to God’s love for all people from conception and for her salvation. If you reside in Legislative District 34, go to her district meetings and talk to her about your convictions regarding the life issue.
***SB 5009/HB 1044 Concerning health plan coverage for the voluntary termination of a pregnancy
SB 5009 is not being used in favor of HB 1044 which passed the House on February 22 on a 53-43 vote and is now in the Senate. It is scheduled for a public hearing on April 1 at 10:00 a.m., subject to change. This is the time for us to pray and to contact our state senators to persuade them to vote against this bill. To force all citizens who want maternity coverage in their insurance policies to also pay for abortions is a huge attack on the freedom to practice our religious and moral values and on freedom of conscience.
URGENT: Call 1-800-562-6000 TODAY and ask that your senator represent you and oppose this attack on individual religious liberty and freedom of conscience.
FAMILY/PARENTAL RIGHTS
SB 5614 Encouraging reconciliation and nonadversarial approaches to marriage dissolution
This “second chances” bill appears to have died in the Senate Committee on Law and Justice. SB 5614 sought to help married couples to repair rather than to easily destroy their marriages with an allowance for unusual circumstances.
Again, Sen. Benton needs to be thanked for his efforts to support the traditional family of one woman plus one man and their children for a lifetime. In order to protect the family structure, we need to encourage and support our marriage vows. Watch for SB 5614 in the 2014 legislative session and encourage your district senator to sponsor it.
***HB 1506 Concerning third-party visitation is now HB 1934 – 2013-14 and has a new title: Concerning visitation rights for persons, including grandparents, with an ongoing and substantial relationship with a child.
HB 1934 has passed to the House Rules Committee for a second reading which means it is headed to the House floor for a vote where it is likely to pass. Please contact your two state representatives and explain why this bill puts our families at risk.
CWA of Washington is opposed to this bill as it threatens all families with outside interference. For one thing, the phrase “substantial relationship with a child” is open to interpretation by the courts. While on the surface it appears to allow grandparents who are in bad relationships with their children or in-laws to file for visitation rights, it also allows situations such as in Virginia when an ex-partner filed for visitation rights with a child born to her former partner. The consequences of that situation have been disastrous and are ongoing for the biological mother as well as for the child. Please go to Concerned Women for America’s national website for details on Lisa Miller’s story: https://concernedwomen.org/articledisplay.asp?id=13543&department=CFI&categoryid=family
URGENT: Call the Hotline: 1-800-562-6000 or contact your representatives personally at their Olympia offices. You may find your district’s three legislators at http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
HB 1168 Adopting the Washington State Health Care Freedom Act
This is another good bill that has been stopped in a House committee. What about allowing individual freedom to make one’s own decisions about health care don’t our legislators like?
Clearly, this is a frustrating year for conservative Christians in this state! Please be in prayer for Washington State, its citizens and its leadership. Stand fast, educate yourself and others and then come together in prayer. There is still time to sign up to pray for a state legislator, so consider signing up for our Encourage-A-Legislator Campaign on the attached form and return it to CWA’s state office.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9
In His Service,
Maureen Richardson
State Director
P.O. Box 143
Woodinville, WA 98072
Tel/fax 425-869-1923
E-mail Maureen today!