Dear Concerned Women for America of Washington Partner,
Mighty prayer and action warriors, will you join with Concerned Women for America (CWA) of Washington to take back the Evergreen State for God’s glory? More and more people are ignoring the Bible’s moral teachings, but Scripture cannot be dismissed. In Matthew 24:35, Christ says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” God’s principles and values are clear in His Word, and it is our responsibility as individuals and the Body of Christ to believe and do what He says – even when it is inconvenient. Acts 5:29 says, “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than man.’” I don’t know about you, but there are many other things I would rather be doing than standing up for Biblical principles in the public square. But I know the Lord calls us to obedience – not comfort. As the people of Christ, we need to ask ourselves regularly if we are willing to obey, regardless of the cost.
ENCOURAGE-A-LEGISLATOR
It is not too late to start praying for a state legislator! The 2018 session runs through March 8, and our senators and representatives continue to need prayer for God’s guidance. I recently spoke with a state senator’s aide and asked if her senator was receiving the weekly prayer cards. She confirmed that they were and how they were so appreciated. So, please sign up for our Encourage-A-Legislator Campaign and help us cover all of our legislators with prayer this session! It is a simple commitment to pray every day for your assigned legislator and to send them an encouraging postcard once a week until the end of the session. Please contact the state office by emailing us, calling 425-869-1923, or taking a minute to mail the form. We will then assign you to a legislator and mail you the pre-printed postcards and a prayer guide.
LEGISLATION
There are many good bills and bad bills in Olympia right now. As you may know, due to the current composition of the legislature, the good bills are unlikely to be heard in committee, much less be voted on, and the bad legislation is likely to easily pass.
With that said, we are still calling on you to take a stand on a handful of bills by contacting your legislators and challenging them to thoughtfully consider our position. Regardless of what we think they will do, they need to be held accountable. They need to know that everybody is not with them. If we stay silent, it empowers them as they only hear from those who agree with their positions. Let us do all we can to defuse their enthusiasm and possibly bring them one step closer to accepting the truth.
“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
Note: When taking action on these bills, you simply need to call the Legislative Information Center Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 with your comments, give them your address, and they will be sure your message goes to the correct legislator. During your conversation, be sure to let your legislators know that you are a participant with Concerned Women for America of Washington. If you prefer to e-mail your legislators, click here to find their names and contact information.
Family
SB 6037, Uniform Parentage Act (aka contract surrogacy): OPPOSE
This is the response I got from one senator’s office: “Thank you for writing in about SB 6037 on contract surrogacy. The Senator is against this bill as it stands because he too believes in the dignity of the human person. He does not want women and children to be trafficked and treated like commodities, but respected like they should be.” We thank the Lord for such senators.
Status: SB 6037 passed out of the Senate Committee on Law & Justice, and it has yet to be assigned to the next committee. Click here to read and track it.
Wouldn’t it be better for the state to promote adoption of the multitude of children in foster and state care rather than promote a baby-making business? How can we take legislators seriously when they promote abortion at any point of a pregnancy, claiming the pre-born child is not a human being with the right to life, then turn around and claim it is okay to rent a woman’s body to produce a child and set a price on that life? Where is the logic in that perspective?
Action: Please call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and ask your senators to oppose SB 6037, and express your opinions on paid contract surrogacy for human beings. If we do nothing, we pave the way for the opposition to succeed and further destroy God’s plan for His creation.
SB 5722, Restricting the Practice of Conversion Therapy on Patients under Age Eighteen: OPPOSE
This bill makes it “unprofessional conduct” for a licensed health care provider to perform conversion therapy on a patient under the age of 18.
This is dangerous legislation. Just last September, the American College of Pediatricians warned: “Endorsing gender discordance as normal via public education and legal policies will confuse children and parents, leading more children to present to ‘gender clinics’ where they will be given puberty-blocking drugs.” Further, they note that as many as 88% of girls and 98% of boys will naturally outgrow any gender confusion by the end of puberty.
Status: SB 5722 passed out of the Senate and is now in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee. Click here to read and track the bill.
In addition to being dangerous for the child, this bill is a threat to our family, parental, and religious rights. There are many parents who are grief-stricken about issues related to their children’s sexual identity. This bill would shut down any options other than affirming therapy and lead us down the slippery slope of restricting parental rights and religious liberty. Parents love their children and want the very best for them. Shouldn’t parents be guiding their children rather than government officials?
While public education and culture are embracing and promoting sexual “freedom” of all sorts to our children, may we stand for and adhere to 1) the Word of God (“male and female He created them” – Genesis 1:27) and 2) biological facts – not feelings.
Action: Please call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000 to ask your representatives to oppose SB 5722.
Sanctity of Life
SB 6219, Abortion Insurance Mandate: OPPOSE
This bill requires every insurance policy bought and sold in Washington to cover abortion procedures as well as drugs that cause abortions (abortifacients). In addition it prohibits cost-sharing with the insured in the form of copays or deductibles for contraceptives and abortion. It would enhance existing contraception coverage requirements and promote abortions while violating constitutionally-protected conscience rights of individuals, churches, businesses, and others. It would forcibly compel many of our state’s citizens to act against their consciences. In addition to this being a life issue, it is a religious liberty issue as well.
Status: An amendment that would have protected conscience rights was rejected in committee. SB 6219 passed in the Senate yesterday, and now the battle moves to the House. Click here to read and track this bill.
Action: Please call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and ask your representatives to oppose SB 6219, and express your opinion.
Please join us in prayer concerning these bills. Pray that legislators will be convicted by their consciences and that the issues of sanctity of life, parental rights, and religious liberty will be supported.
This is why elections matter. In order for our values and principles to be well represented, we must put like-minded people into office. Please pray for Christians to take this responsibility seriously by voting for people who respect our foundational documents, and even running for office, if the Lord leads.
God bless you for your faithfulness in prayer and action. Remember to educate others on these issues and pray they too will be obedient to the Word of God in all things.
Standing with you,
Maureen Richardson
State Director
CWA of Washington
director@washington.cwfa.org