State legislatures are ringing back in session, and with that, Concerned Women for America (CWA) is providing expert testimony across the country. Here’s where we’ve focused our attention in recent weeks:
Sex-Separated Spaces
The Kansas State Legislature passed a House Substitute for SB 244 that requires public buildings to offer multiple-occupancy sex-segregated private spaces. This includes places like locker rooms in public schools, bathrooms in libraries, and more. The bill sits on Gov. Kelly’s desk awaiting her final signature.
Nebraska Senators heard a similar bill last week, and Nebraska State Director Mary Meininger was there to testify in support of LB 730. She told the Senate;
For our daughters, granddaughters, and our future generations of females, we must not blur the lines between male and female spaces. This is not fair to our females. When these lines are ignored, it sets up a dangerous reality where young girls’ instincts are thwarted, privacy is removed, policy is compromised, rule of law is ignored, and truth is rejected.
Protecting Kids Online
The App Store Accountability Act is a necessary bill to protect kids online and bolster family rights. Concerned Women for America LAC has worked to advance the legislation in Congress and state legislatures nationwide. Macy Petty, CWA’s State Legislative Strategist, testified to committees in Kansas, Florida, and New Hampshire. “New Hampshire laws protect children from purchasing inappropriate products in their local corner stores, but such protections do not exist in one of the most dangerous marketplaces of them all: mobile application stores,” she explained. The App Store Accountability Act would:
– Require parental consent for age-registered materials,
– Provide clear age ratings and descriptions of the apps available for download,
– Allow parents to filter what their children can access on these markets.
Lisa Gennaro, a CWA leader in South Dakota, also testified in support of HB 1116, which prohibits age-inappropriate ads during children’s TV programming. “As a mom, it truly weighs on me to see what children are exposed to on the internet,” she said, “Traditional TV has had rules in place for years to shield young viewers from inappropriate ads. But with streaming, it has been a bit like the Wild West with very few safeguards.”
Protect Women’s Sports
Just before the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for two women’s sports cases, Young Women for America and Women for America leaders gathered in the Virginia State Capitol to make the case to keep women’s sports for women only. YWA ambassador Halli Gravely stated,
Protecting women’s sports and spaces is not hateful. It is honest. It is compassionate. And it is necessary. Girls should not have to compete with biology stacked against them. They deserve a category built for their bodies, their strengths, and their futures.
Likewise, during the week of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, two more states heard similar bills to prohibit men from competing in women’s sports. I was able to share my personal story of competing against a man to the Delaware Senate Education Committee. And just beyond state lines, Maryland heard a similar bill but would not accept public comment. Therefore, I, alongside other female athletes provided written testimony to all members of the Committee for their consideration.
From coast to coast, CWA is making big waves in state legislatures, boldly defending Biblical truth and promoting strong families. Join us in praying over these bills and more as legislative sessions continue to kick into high gear. From education, to life, to national sovereignty and beyond, Concerned Women for America is ready with prayer and action.
