Dear Concerned Women for America of Washington Member,
I have had several encouraging responses to last week’s alert, and we’ve added more prayer warriors to our Encourage-A-Legislator (EAL) campaign. Thank you for your participation in our goal of covering every state legislator in prayer. James 5:16 says, “The effective, fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much.” It’s not too late – sign up for our EAL campaign today! Click here to sign up to encourage and pray for one or more legislators this legislative session.
CWA LEADERSHIP
Please consider becoming a Prayer/Action Chapter Leader or Home Team Captain. Just find one or more concerned citizens whose hearts are breaking about the increasing moral decay in our culture, then gather once a month to pray together as a chapter. Or, you can form a home team through social media to disseminate prayer and action items. We are called to be watchmen on the wall (Ezekiel 22:30) to protect the culture from danger. Now is the time to take this responsibility seriously! Pray about this opportunity, then, if you feel led, contact me for more information. I would love to hear from you!
LEGISLATION
Prayer, education, and action have always been Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) three guiding principles for protecting Biblical values. Remember what James told us, “faith without action is dead” (James 2:20) and that our faith proves itself by our good works.
Note: When taking action on the bills below, you simply need to call the Legislative Information Center Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 (Hours: M-F, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) with your comments, give them your address, and they will be sure your message goes to the correct legislators. If you prefer to email your legislators, click here to find out who they are and how to contact them.
BILLS TO OPPOSE: Last week’s alert gave you information on these three bills that need to be defeated in the legislature. Thank you for contacting your legislators with your insights on these bills. The first two bills have passed out of the Senate and are now in the House. Therefore, please call your representatives concerning these bills. The third bill is still in the Senate; therefore, you only need to call your senators on that one if you haven’t yet.
1. SB 6037, Uniform Parentage Act (a.k.a contract surrogacy)
This Senate bill would promote paid contract human surrogacy. Simply put, human beings would be bought and sold! 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’s 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?
Status: On February 7, SB 6037 passed the Senate. It is now headed to the House. It has not yet been assigned to a House committee. Click here to read and track it.
Action: Please call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and ask your representatives to oppose SB 6037 and express your opinion. Be sure to let them know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Washington.
Prayer: Pray that our representatives have more respect for women and motherhood than our senators have shown.
2. SB 5722, Restricting the Practice of Conversion Therapy on Patients under Age Eighteen
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 bill would shut down any options other than affirming therapy and take us down the slippery slope of restricting parental rights and religious liberty. Why is it okay for a minor to choose to get an abortion, yet not choose to have conversion therapy? If choice is discriminatory, it is not choice.
Status Update: This bill passed in the Senate and is scheduled to be heard in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on February 16. Click here to read and track the bill.
Action: Please call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000 to ask your representatives to oppose SB 5722 and express your opinion. Be sure to let them know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Washington.Prayer: Ask the Lord to enlighten the representatives to the dangerous effects of this legislation on the child, parental rights, and religious liberty.
3. SB 6219, Abortion Insurance Mandate
SB 6219 requires every insurance policy bought and sold in the state of Washington to pay for abortions and drugs that cause abortions (abortifacients). 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.
Status: SB 6219 passed in the Senate and is now scheduled to be heard in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on February 16. Click here to read and track this bill.
Action: If you didn’t already contact your representatives due to last week’s prayer/action alert, please do so now. Call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000 to ask your representatives to oppose SB 6219 and express your opinion. Be sure to let them know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Washington.
Prayer: Please pray that SB 6219 would be thwarted.
BILLS TO SUPPORT: In addition to the first three bills to oppose, I have added three more bills which need our hearty support. These three deserve to be heard but have been buried in committees.
1. Sanctity of Life/Family: HB 1003 and SB 5320, Requiring parental notification for abortion except in a medical emergency. Parental rights with regard to their minor children must be respected and upheld in order for God’s family structure to survive and flourish. When our children must have our permission to take any medications at school, isn’t it logical to respect the same level of parental responsibility and accountability for all medical decisions?
Status: HB 1003 was first introduced in the House in January of 2015 and has been stalled in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee since January 2017. Click here to read and track HB 1003. SB 5320 was first introduced in the Senate in January of 2015 and has been stalled in the House Rules Committee since January 2017. Click here to read and track SB 5320.
Action: Please call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000 to ask your representatives to support HB 1003 and your senators to support SB 5320. Ask them to use their influence to move these bills forward. Be sure to let them know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Washington.
Prayer: Please pray that our legislators will re-consider their position on the sanctity of life, or at the least, parental rights.
2. Religious Liberty: HB 1178, Protecting the rights of religious freedom and conscience of individuals in their beliefs and practices from government discrimination
This bill restates the First Amendment, thus ensuring the protection of the rights of religious exercise and conscience from government discrimination, particularly in regards to the definition of marriage.
Status: HB 1178 was introduced in January of 2015 and has been stalled in the House Rules Committee since April 2015. Click here to read and track HB 1178.
Action: Please call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000 to ask your representatives to support HB 1178 and ask them to use their influence to move this bill to a vote. Be sure to let them know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Washington.
Prayer: Pray our legislator realize our vulnerability without this legislation.
3. Support of Israel: House Joint Memorial 4009, Condemning the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel
Support for Israel is one of CWA’s core issues. This bill would stop the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement against Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East and “the greatest friend and ally of the United States in the Middle East” (p. 1, line 21-22 of the bill).
Status: HJM 4009 was introduced February 2015 and has been stalled in the House Judiciary Committee since January 2017. Click here to read and track HJM 4009.
Action: Please call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000 to ask your representatives to support HJM 4009 and ask them to use their influence to move this bill to a vote. Be sure to let them know that you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Washington.
Prayer: Pray the plans of the BDS movement would be thwarted by the passing of this bill.
Let’s pray together that our legislators will be convicted by the Holy Spirit, and that sanctity of life, parental rights, religious liberty, and Israel’s welfare will be supported.
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.
Praying with you,
Maureen Richardson
State Director
CWA of Washington
director@washington.cwfa.org
wa.cwfa.org