CONVERSION THERAPY PROHIBITION:
L.D. 912, the conversion therapy prohibition bill, if passed, would NOT allow a licensed professional to counsel a child under the age of 18 away from homosexuality. You say, “That’s impossible.” NO, it’s not. Rep. Ryan Fecteau (D-District 11) is an openly homosexual legislator, author of this bill, and the House Chair of the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development (LCRED) Committee, the committee tasked with this bill.
Don’t let our Maine legislators take away our religious freedom! L.D. 912 is working to do just that. We still live in a country that “allows” religious freedom. Don’t we? Note that I didn’t say “welcomes.” More and more I see our religious freedoms being taken away from us piece by piece. If we don’t show strong opposition to these types of bills right from the start, it lays the groundwork for them to go after other professionals and businesses in Maine. One thing leads to another. Who do you think they will go after next?
The bill is out of committee with a divided report and now moves to the House and Senate for their votes.
Take Action:
- Ask your pastor to speak out about this to your congregation. Give him this link to the bill for him to read it himself and to track it. Here to review it’s journey through the committees. Encourage him to contact me for talking points and additional information.
- Contact your lawmakers, both your representative and senator. Politely ask them to protect religious freedom and oppose L.D. 912. You may find your lawmakers by the town you live in here. Be sure to tell them you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Maine.
- Pass this information to your e-mail list.
We’ve believed the lie that religion and politics don’t mix, yet our founding fathers established the 1st Amendment, something worthy of protection.
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) PROHIBITION:
The 3rd work session on L.D. 1819 was held last week before the Criminal Justice Committee with still no consensus. Two bills were issued on FGM, and the committee was tasked with combining the two into one. However to do that, the committee will either adopt the republican or democrat version. Essentially the difference is whether or not to make the parent or guardian of the child responsible and charge with a crime for allowing the abuse. CWA of Maine wants language in the bill to be able to charge the parent/guardian with the crime. Anything less is just an empty suit, a nothing burger.
Take Action:
- There is still time to contact members of the Criminal Justice Committee and urge them to adopt Rep. Heather Sirocki’s (R-Scarborough) bill, L.D. 1819 as originally submitted and reject Rep. Barbara Cardone’s (D-Bangor) bill, L.D. 1822. Be sure to tell them you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Maine. Their e-mail addresses are as follows:
Senate Chair: Kimberley.Rosen@legislature.maine.gov
Scott.Cyrway@legislature.maine.gov
William.Diamond@legislature.maine.gov
House Chair: Charlotte.Warren@legislature.maine.gov
Patrick.Corey@legislature.maine.gov
Karen.Gerrish@legislature.maine.gov
Martin.Grohman@legislature.maine.gov
Skip.Herrick@legislature.maine.gov
Thomas.Longstaff@legislature.maine.gov
Don.Marean@legislature.maine.gov
Catherine.Nadeau@legislature.maine.gov
Lois.Reckitt@legislature.maine.gov
Rachel.talbotross@Legislature.Maine.gov
- You may also call the committee clerk, Nikolette Alexander, at 287-1122 and ask her to convey your message to the committee members if you are short on time. However, it is much more effective to contact committee members individually, and please don’t forget to tell her you are a member of Concerned Women for America of Maine.
We must protect our kids from this child abuse and make sure it never happens in Maine.
PRAY: “Heavenly Father, give us wisdom to engage in public policy in a manner pleasing to You. May we stop the ban on conversion therapy and maintain our parental rights and religious freedom. May we never allow female genital mutilation to happen in our state, a horrible form of child abuse. Grant Your favor in these issues before us during this second session of the 128th Maine legislature, we pray, In Jesus’ Name. Amen”
Penny Morrell
State Director
CWA of Maine
director@maine.cwfa.og
me.cwfa.org