FROM THE GALLERY
State Legislation
Protection of Marriage (HCR 5033)
CWA of Kansas testified last week in the Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of HCR 5033 the resolution calling for amending the Kansas Constitution to define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. Some in the Senate have said this is unnecessary, because Kansas already has a Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in place. However, in the twelve states that are now in litigation over this issue, seven have DOMAs in place. During the testimony of opponents, one man who is in a relationship with another man said that he would challenge Kansas law by obtaining a license in another state, marrying and returning to Kansas to have his marriage legitimized under the full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution. Many are also claiming equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. In any case, a constitutional amendment will offer more protection for marriage than a statute.
The vote in the committee was to have been on Friday, March 19th but was abruptly postponed by the committee chairman, Senator John Vratil of Leawood. He re-scheduled it for Monday, March 22nd at 9:30 a.m. It passed favorably out of committee on a voice vote.
Action: Contact the Senate leadership and urge them to schedule a vote on this soon. PRAY that the bill would pass the Senate without amendments and that the people of Kansas would have a chance to vote on this important issue. Hold your senators to the line on this. WATCH FOR MORE ALERTS ON THIS ISSUE.
Pro-life:
Thursday, an amendment was added to the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, a bill that gave unborn children status under law when a violent act was perpetrated on the mother that caused injury or death. This amendment, sponsored by Rep. Cindy Neighbor (R-Shawnee) changed the bill so that instead of the fetus being recognized as an unborn child, the fetus would be defined as �a product of conception.� According to the amendment if both mother and child were killed in a criminal act, the law would not recognize that a crime had been committed in killing the unborn child. Only the death of the mother would be recognized. Again, deception reigns supreme in the Kansas legislature. Pro-life advocates, after realizing the intent of the amendment which passed the House on the first pass, killed the bill because it was unrecognizable to the original bill.
The Clinic Regulations Bill (HB2751) passed the Kansas House Tuesday. This bill enforces minimum standards of safety in abortion clinics. The bill now goes to the Senate.
Action: Call your senators and ask them to support this bill as it places abortion clinics under supervision of the Department of Health, giving women who do choose abortion protection.
Governor Sebelius has vowed to veto the bill.
Bio-Science Bill (HB 2647):
This bill easily passed the House and is presently in the Commerce Committee in the Senate, chaired by Senator Karin Brownlee. This bill promotes the development of the bioscience research industry in Kansas. The authority created by the bill would work with educational entities in Kansas to nurture and promote research. There is currently pro-life language in the bill that would prevent research on embryos. It is essential that the language stay there to prevent researchers from cloning human embryos and using their stem cells (after the embryos are killed) for research. Some researchers in Kansas are pushing for "research freedom" that would allow for "somatic cell nuclear transfer" which is another word for cloning.
Action: call your senators and tell them you do not want any human cloning to be allowed. Capitol Switchboard: 785-296-0111
Gambling (HB 2053):
According to Glenn Thompson, executive director of Stand Up for Kansas, the governor�s bill for expansion of gambling in the state, SB 499 (amended on to HB 2053), that was approved by the Senate Federal and State Affairs committee puts the state in the gambling business. It even expands the governors bill by extending the gambling opportunities to any �recreational and sports activities� facilities that offer the lottery game, and club keno. This could expand gambling into bowling alleys and pool halls. A second change increased the total number of lottery machines permitted at the five pari-mutuel tracks from 2500 to 4000. Thompson urges you call these key senators:
Donald Betts (D), Wichita, 785-296-7387
Mark Buhler (R), Lawrence, 785-296-7364
Bill Bunten (R), Topeka, 785-296-7374
David Corbin (R), Towanda, 785-296-7388
Christine Downey (D), Inman, 785-296-7377
Jay Emler (R), Lindsborg, 785-296-7354
Greta Goodwin (D), Winfield, 785-296-7381
Henry Helgerson (D), Wichita, 785-296-7355
Phillip Journey (R), Wichita, 785-296-7367
Stephen Morris, (R), Hugoton, 785-7378
Kay O'Connor (R), Olathe, 785-296-7382
Jean Schodorf (R), Wichita, 785-296-7391
Dwayne Umbarger (R), Thayer, 785-296-7389
Some of these senators have voted no on gambling expansion bills in the past, but they are going to get a lot of pressure from the governor and others to vote yes this time.� They need encouragement from citizens to continue to hold the line on gambling expansion.
Internet Filters (HB 2420):
A bill to require public libraries to install filters for the computers accessed by children passed the House this week. This bill would apply to city, county or township libraries but not those in schools and universities. To implement this law, libraries would have to check identification of young people before they are allowed to use computers in the adult sections of the library unless they have a signed permission slip from their parents. Kim Borchers, a mother of two children, 3 years and 5 years has worked diligently on this bill for several years after she discovered that predators often use the library to access pornography and that children could access that same pornography. She is an example of what one person can do if they see a problem and are diligent to follow through by contacting legislators to write the bill and then testifying and applying grass roots pressure.
Congratulations Kim, on a job well-done!
Action: Contact your senators and ask them to support HB 2420. Ask them to do it for the children.
Protection of Women and Children (SB 469):A recent article from Oakland California states that a sex offender who had sexually molested children, who had been recently released into community supervision had moved to a home across the street from a school. This kind of story adds a sense of urgency to SB 469� a bill requiring that the sheriff notify schools and day care centers about a sexual predator living within 1000 feet of those facilities.
Action: Call your representatives and ask them to support this bill. Do it for the children.