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Concerned Women for America Archives – Concerned Women for America

Aug 22 2019
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Girls Sports Now in Jeopardy in North Carolina

By | North Carolina | No Comments

High school students are heading back to school in a couple of weeks, and those participating in high school sports, especially girls’ sports, are facing a new rule change by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA). In their May 2019 board meeting, the NCHSAS voted in favor of allowing high school students to participate in athletics based upon their preferred gender identity.

Stated on the NCHSAA website, “It is the intent that all students are able to compete on a level playing field in a safe, competitive and friendly environment, free of discrimination.  The following rules and regulations are intended to provide every student-athlete with equal opportunities to participate in athletics.” The NCHSAA office claims that they receive “a couple” phone calls or emails a month regarding transgender and gender identity issues. This is Commissioner Marilyn Que Tucker and the Board’s justification for voting unanimously for this disruptive policy change.

An athlete in North Carolina desiring to participate as a transgender is required to submit a “Gender Identity Request” form as well as the individual’s written statement, documentation from others, list of medications and/or treatment, and necessary health care professional’s written verification. The form is referred to the NCHSAA Gender Identity Committee for consideration; the Committee approves the request if the student is found to be genuinely identified as the gender indicated in the request. Nothing in the policy requires testing for levels of testosterone.

Without question, boys competing against girls results in an unfair, unsafe, and aggressive advantage for women now competing in sports and for athletic scholarships. How can there possibly be any equal playing field? Indeed, almost 50 years ago, Title IX closed that gap when it became a federal law in 1972 when passed by Congress to establish that women and girls have equal opportunities in education and athletics.

Concerned Women for America has written about this threat to girls’ sports here and here.

Action Item:
Your voice is needed today to speak out against the NCHSAA policy. If allowed to continue, it will set back all the advances and opportunities of female athletes.

Please take the following actions:

  1. Contact Marilyn Que Tucker, Commissioner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, and urge her to reverse the policy. Phone: 919-240-7375 | E-mail: que@nchsaa.org
  2. Contact your child’s school district superintendent and athletic director, along with your child’s school principal. Let them know you support Title IX as it was intended in 1972 and not to insert gender identity into women’s sports. Urge them to contact Commissioner Marilyn Tucker and request she reverse course on this discriminatory policy.

Please pray that Christians will be emboldened with a great outcry to stand up for our children, especially our girls. “Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:9)

For Truth and Righteousness,

Jill Coward
State Director

Aug 22 2019
1

Progressive Propaganda on College Campuses – Penny Nance

By | Family Issues, News and Events, Religious Liberty, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

Our CEO and President, Penny Nance, discusses the liberal indoctrination of our children on college campuses paid for by our tax dollars. Penny recently talked with Issues, Etc. host Pastor Todd Wilken about her personal experience at Virginia Tech’s freshman orientation described in her article: My Son’s Freshman Orientation At Virginia Tech Was Full Of Leftist Propaganda.

Listen to the Penny Nance Issues, Etc. Interview with Pastor Todd Wilken here:

Send Your Stories About Progressive Propaganda and Liberal Indoctrination on College Campuses to UniversityWhistleblower@cwfa.org

Aug 20 2019
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Doreen Denny: Planned Parenthood Chose to Give up Federal Funding – It wasn’t Forced out of Title X Program

By | News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

CWA’s Senior Director of Government Relations, Doreen Denny, wrote an op-ed featured on FoxNews.com about Planned Parenthood’s recent decision.

“Planned Parenthood claims it was “forced out” of the federal Title X family planning program by the Trump administration. Hardly. The choice to exit was Planned Parenthood’s alone.

Title X is the federal program that provides access to contraceptive services, supplies and information. Priority goes to serving low-income individuals.

When the law was enacted in 1970, Congress prohibited funds from going to promote or perform abortion as a “method of family planning.” That requirement has never changed.

Rules prohibiting abortion were bent and unenforced under previous administrations. President Trump determined to realign Title X regulations to uphold federal law. The new rules were finalized in March after a public comment period that gave Americans the chance to weigh in.”

Read Doreen Denny’s Entire Piece Here:

See other Content Featuring Doreen Denny Here:

Aug 20 2019
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Conservative Leaders Call on Google to Explain Claims the Site Is Blocking Conservatives

By | News and Events, Religious Liberty, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

CWA’s CEO and President Penny Nance signed on to this letter to Google to explain their treatment of Conservatives.

“On Tuesday, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell and other conservative leaders released a letter calling on Google to explain reports and allegations that the search engine is attempting to block conservative sites and exclude voices that don’t fit the liberal narrative. (A similar letter has also been sent to members of Congress, asking them to investigate.)”

See Media Research Center’s Article and the Letter Here:

Aug 20 2019
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Preferred Pronouns and More: What a Mom Saw at Her Son’s College Orientation

By | News and Events, Religious Liberty, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

Penny Nance, our CEO and President, sat down with Kat Trinko and Daniel Davis of The Daily Signal to discuss her experience with liberal intolerance on college campuses.

Listen to and see the Entire Interview Here:

Send Your Stories About Progressive Propaganda and Liberal Indoctrination on College Campuses to UniversityWhistleblower@cwfa.org

See other Articles Featuring Penny Nance:

Aug 19 2019
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Penny Nance on The Todd Starnes Show: Political Correctness on College Campuses

By | Defense of Family, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

CWA’s CEO and President, Penny Nance, was featured on Fox News Radio today on The Todd Starnes Show over the backlash she received after writing about political correctness on campuses after her recent article in The Federalist titled My Son’s Freshman Orientation At Virginia Tech Was Full Of Leftist Propaganda

Watch the Entire Clip Here of Penny and Todd’s Discussion:

See More from Penny Young Nance:

Aug 19 2019
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Planned Parenthood Withdraws From Title X Program Over Trump Rule

By | Family Issues, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

CWA’s Senior Director of Government Relations, Doreen Denny, was featured on NPR discussing Planned Parenthood’s withdrawal from Title X family planning program.

“Planned Parenthood is leaving the federal Title X family planning program rather than comply with new Trump administration rules regarding abortion counseling.

The new rules issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year prohibit Title X grantees from providing or referring patients for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or medical emergency.”

Read and Listen to the Entire Piece Here:

See other Content Featuring Doreen Denny Here:

Aug 19 2019
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Young Women for America (YWA) responds to VT College Republicans on Leftist Indoctrination on College Campuses

By | News and Events, Religious Liberty, Social / Cultural Issues, Uncategorized, YWA | No Comments

YWA is CWA’s collegiate initiative with chapters all across the country. YWA is this generation of Christian, conservative women fighting to protect and promote Biblical values and conservative principles on campuses and in the community. These young women on college campuses around the country educate themselves on current issues, they gather to pray for our country, and they act to influence society.

Addressing Virginia Tech College Republican’s response to Penny Nance’s recent article in The Federalist, YWA released the following statement:

 

Aug 16 2019
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CWA to Planned Parenthood: Choice is in Your Court, Not 9th Circuit’s

By | Feminist / Women's Issues, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Press Releases, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, August 19, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must receive plans from Title X grantees, including Planned Parenthood, proving how they will comply with new rules to uphold long-standing federal law. These rules require full financial and physical separation of Title X funds from abortion services and bar abortion referrals in order to fulfill Congressional intent prohibiting abortion as “a method of family planning.” The rules also require grantees to report any evidence of sexual abuse or sex trafficking in accordance with state law, rules that are needed to combat documented cases of Planned Parenthood’s complicit actions shielding sexual abuse and sex traffickers.

Doreen Denny, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee’s Senior Director of Government Relations, responded to Planned Parenthood’s high-profile threat to pull out of the Title X program barring a court-ordered injunction:

“Planned Parenthood has no entitlement to federal funding, and they apparently have no plans to comply with federal rules either.  For years, Planned Parenthood has skirted federal law to promote its abortion business on the backs of the American taxpayer. If Planned Parenthood truly cared about promoting health, it would stop peddling abortion and start supporting women. Planned Parenthood’s threat to withdraw from the Title X program proves one thing: health care is not their primary business; abortion is. The choice to comply is in Planned Parenthood’s court, not the Ninth Circuit’s.”

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Aug 16 2019
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Teen Vogue Gonna do its Thing but will Parents do Parenting?

By | Family Issues, News and Events, Sanctity of Life, YWA | No Comments

CWA’s National Coordinator for Young Women for America (YWA), Kelsey Good, was interviewed by One News Now about a recent article in Teen Vogue.

“A teen magazine known for its outrageous left-wing articles is at it again but a family advocacy group says parents are ultimately responsible for pushing back.

OneNewsNow has reported how Teen Vogue is seemingly obsessed with promoting abortion to impressionable teen girls, and the latest abortion apologetics story advises them on how to hide a life-altering abortion from their parents.”

Read the Entire Article Here:

Read more From Kelsey Good:

Aug 14 2019
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Penny Nance: My Son’s Freshman Orientation At Virginia Tech Was Full Of Leftist Propaganda

By | Family Issues, News and Events, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

Our CEO and President Penny Nance wrote an op-ed featured this week in The Federalist.

“Are taxpayers funding academic institutions to indoctrinate our kids? That disturbing and irresistible question plagued me during the long drive home last week from college orientation. I doubt I am alone in this wake-up call. 

Like many other women, I just sent my youngest child to college. I am so proud of him and his decision to join the Army ROTC and study engineering. He will be attending a revered Virginia institution known for its military Corps of Cadets program.”

Read Penny’s Entire Op-Ed Here:

See Additional Op-Eds by Penny Here:

Aug 09 2019
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Women are Vital to Fighting Extremism, Keeping Peace

By | International, News and Events, Uncategorized | No Comments

CWA’s Dr. Shea Garrison, our Vice President of International Affairs was interviewed on One America News Network about her recent article featured in The Washington Times on Women, Peace, and Security Strategy.

Click here to see Dr. Garrison’s entire interview on One America News Network:

Click here to read Dr. Garrisons recent article in The Washington Times:

See other articles from Dr. Shea Garrison:

Aug 08 2019
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Time is Running Out. Take Action Now. Comment Period ends August 13 on Conscience Care Rule. That is next Tuesday!

By | News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

The Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule surrounding section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This rule rolls back previous action taken by President Obama that wrongfully interpreted the word “sex” to include “gender identity” and “termination of pregnancy” and prohibited so-called discrimination against these classes. This means that doctors who do not want to perform gender transition treatments would be forced to and doctors who don’t want to participate in abortions would be forced to participate, even if they have objections on moral or religious grounds.

This new rule clarifies that Section 1557 of the ACA cannot force a recipient of federal funding to provide or pay for an abortion. It will also be consistent with the First Amendment, the intent and language of civil rights laws, and consistent with pro-life provisions, conscience provisions, and religious liberty protections in current law. This rule is a timely clarification that the federal definition of sex discrimination in the ACA does not include abortion or gender transition treatments and thus aligns with existing civil rights laws. For many healthcare providers, performing abortions or gender transition treatments is a violation of conscience and sound medical practice.

We need your help commenting on this proposed rule so that it will move forward. You may remember that these proposed rules go through a public comment period, and then the issuing agency has to take public comments into account crafting a final rule. President Trump needs you to submit a comment praising this rule. Although these Obama-era rules never went into effect, HHS needs to uphold the biological definition of sex in civil rights laws. This proposed rule is now open for a public comment period that will close on August 13, 2019. After the comment period closes, HHS must then review each comment and issue a final ruling based on feedback. Therefore, our voice on this matter is crucial.

We’ve made it easy for you! Simply Click here to be taken to a page where we further explain what this rule is, provide a sample comment, and a place for personalization. You can submit an official comment with just one click!

Please join us and use your voice to tell President Trump to continue to protect religious liberty! Take action by next Tuesday, August 13.

Aug 08 2019
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Groups Unite to Support the U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights

By | International, Press Releases, Religious Liberty | No Comments

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently announced the U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights to ground U.S. foreign policy on human rights in America’s founding principles of individual dignity and freedom. A letter, signed by forty-six of the most influential human rights, women’s, and religious freedom organizations and leaders applauds Sec. Pompeo for his leadership in creating the Commission.

Concerned Women for America’s CEO and President, Penny Nance, and Vice President of International Affairs, Dr. Shea Garrison, had this to say:

“We applaud Secretary Pompeo for creating the U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights. This is a significant moment in our history as we refocus U.S. foreign policy on the
principles of America’s founding—that all people are created with unalienable rights such as “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Many activists today promote their objectives as “human rights,” confusing government-given social and economic goals with God-given fundamental or unalienable rights. This
waters-down the essence of human rights, leading to less individual freedom, not more. Dilution of human rights takes the focus off of real victims of abuse and gives
authoritarian governments cover to promote economic or social benefits as fundamental human rights, all while oppressing religious liberty, censoring the press, or
imprisoning political dissidents.

But, when our fundamental or unalienable human rights are protected, we then have the freedom to advocate for our goals, ideologies, and political preferences.

We are grateful for Sec. Pompeo’s leadership in creating the U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights. We believe the Commission can do more than secure unalienable rights and
remedy human rights abuse, it can reassert the right kind of American leadership in our world today.

The world is freer when America leads.”

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Aug 06 2019
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Groups Unite to Support the U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights

By | International, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

WASHINGTON, DC – Concerned Women for America, Family Research Council, The Heritage Foundation, American Values, Independent Women’s Forum, Forum for Religious Freedom-Europe (FOREF), and many more joined together to send a clear message of support to Secretary of State Pompeo on his announcement of the U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights.  Click here to read the official letter sent to Secretary Pompeo (pdf version).

August 6, 2019

The Honorable Mike Pompeo
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, DC, 20520

Dear Secretary Pompeo:

So many people advocate today in the name of “human rights” that social goals are often confused with God-given fundamental or unalienable rights, a problem leading to less individual freedom, not more. Clarification of human rights is the first step in an effective strategy to protect human rights around the world. For this reason, we welcome your announcement of the U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights which will ground U.S. foreign policy on human rights in America’s founding principles of individual dignity and freedoms, later reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

As America’s founders state in the Declaration of Independence, unalienable rights are based in natural law and include “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Rights like freedom of conscience, speech, and belief are “natural” or “God-given” because they’re inherent to all human beings—we are born with them. These rights are to be protected by the government, not given by the government, as demonstrated in the U.S. Bill of Rights.

In like manner, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) recognizes man’s inherent dignity and that “the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” Human rights are the foundation of our common dignity, and when we protect this foundation, we then have the freedom to advocate for our goals, ideologies, and political preferences.

However, the foundation of human rights is being watered-down by activists around the world promoting political ideology and identity group goals as “human rights.” Examples of this type of activism include:  the right to a clean environment, the right to free university education, the right to internet access, the right of access to abortion as healthcare, and even the right to not be offended (in direct conflict with the clear right to freedom of expression). This dilution undermines fundamental principles, including the fact that all people are equal and have common dignity. While many such activists are busy furthering their policy preferences as “rights,” they ignore clear and expressed human rights like that protected by Article 18 of the UDHR—the right to choose and change one’s faith—which is still heavily suppressed in far too many countries around the world.

Ideological activism presented as “rights” distracts from the fundamental purposes of protecting human rights. This critically undercuts the focus on the real victims of human rights abuse such as—a pregnant Sudanese woman imprisoned for her Christian faith and forced to give birth with her legs in shackles, men in Syria and Iraq being thrown off buildings to their death, a girl being shot in the head for simply wanting to go to school, and the millions of Uyghur Muslims detained, imprisoned, and oppressed because of their faith.

A diluted human rights narrative allows totalitarian and authoritarian governments the guise of promoting social or economic benefits as “human rights,” while simultaneously becoming egregious violators of fundamental human rights themselves as they censor freedom of the press, oppress religious minorities, or imprison political dissidents. The UDHR called for “the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear…”

Fundamental human rights are for all people—regardless of their background, socio-economic status, or beliefs, and we believe the U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights can bring focus back to protecting needful victims of human rights abuse. For these reasons everyone—including the most prominent human rights organizations—should get squarely behind this commission.

We applaud you and your staff for your “fresh thinking” approach to U.S. foreign policy. Thank you for committing the time, resources, and effort to protecting the fundamental human rights of all people.

The U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights can do more than clarify and help remedy human rights abuses; it has the potential to reassert the right kind of American leadership on the world stage. We have seen this before: Eleanor Roosevelt led and chaired the Universal Declaration of Human Rights drafting committee. We are grateful for your leadership in creating the U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights to continue America’s legacy in defending universal human rights around the world.

The world is better and freer when America leads.

Sincerely,

Penny Nance
CEO and President
Concerned Women for America

Tony Perkins
President
Family Research Council

Carrie Lukas
President
Independent Women’s Forum

The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell
Former, U.S. Ambassador
United Nations Human Rights Commission

Kay Coles James
President
The Heritage Foundation

Gary L. Bauer
President
American Values

Ralph Reed
Founder and Chairman
Faith & Freedom Coalition

Anne Schlafly Cori
Chairman
Eagle Forum

William L. Walton
President
Council for National Policy

Peter Zoehrer
Executive Director
Forum for Religious Freedom-Europe (FOREF)

Mr. Kelly Shackelford, Esq.
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty

Mark Tooley
President
Institute on Religion and Democracy

Heather R. Higgins
CEO
Independent Women’s Voice

Wendy Wright
President
Christian Freedom International

Gary Marx
Former E.D.
Faith & Freedom Coalition

Rabbi Pesach Lerner
President
Coalition for Jewish Values

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director
Priests for Life

Art Ally
President
Timothy Partners, Ltd.

John Stemberger
President & General Counsel
Florida Family Policy Council

Frank Wright, Ph.D.
President & CEO
D. James Kennedy Ministries

Catherine Glenn Foster
President and CEO
Americans United for Life

James Bopp, Jr.
General Counsel
James Madison Center for Free Speech

Austin Ruse
President
C-Fam

David Nammo
CEO & Executive Director
Christian Legal Society

Eunie Smith
President
Eagle Forum

Mark Fitzgibbons
President of Corporate Affairs
American Target Advertising, Inc.

Janet Morana
Co-Founder
Silent No More Awareness Campaign

Dran Reese
President
The Salt & Light Council

Steve Berger
Sr. Pastor
Grace Chapel

Marlo Tucker
State Director, California
Concerned Women for America

Ruth Smith
Area Director, California
Concerned Women for America

Terri Johannessen
State Director, Florida
Concerned Women for America

Barbara Ferraro
State Director, Hawaii
Concerned Women for America

Tanya Ditty
State Director, Georgia
Concerned Women for America

Deborah Leininger
State Director, Illinois
Concerned Women for America

Tamara Scott
State Director, Iowa
Concerned Women for America

Barbara Saldivar
State Director, Kansas
Concerned Women for America

Penny Morrell
State Director, Maine
Concerned Women for America

Haven Howard
Area Director, Missouri
Concerned Women for America

Jill Coward
State Director, North Carolina
Concerned Women for America

Linda Thorson
State Director, North Dakota
Concerned Women for America

Linda Schauer
State Director, South Dakota
Concerned Women for America

Kori Peterson
Area Director, Texas
Concerned Women for America

Beverly Roberts
Area Director, Texas
Concerned Women for America

Toni DeLancey
State Director, Virginia
Concerned Women for America

Maureen Richardson
State Director, Washington
Concerned Women for America

 

cc:    Senate Foreign Relations Committee
House Foreign Affairs Committee

 

Click here for a printer-friendly version (PDF) of the letter

Aug 04 2019
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CWA of California August Legislative Update

By | California | No Comments

FAITH Can Move MOUNTAINS
Matthew 17:20

We pray you are having a wonderful summer. Perhaps a family vacation or getaway to refresh!

Speaking of vacation, the California legislature began its summer recess on July 12 and will reconvene on August 12 to complete the year’s legislative business. Right now, is a great time to visit your assembly member or state senator in his or her district office or at local events. You may wish to share your concerns about the pending bills that they will be voting on next month. Let them know you are a Concerned Women for America (CWA) of California member and are praying for them.

Here is the updated status of several bills we have been actively opposing, with current action:

SB 24 – Medical Abortions on Public University Campuses
Early abortions should not be part of the mission of California’s public universities. SB 24 (Sen. Connie Leyva’s, D-Chino) will require campus clinics to provide chemical abortions up to 10 weeks of pregnancy to college students on the University of California and California State University campuses. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the previous version of this bill as unnecessary. It still is, but Gov. Gavin Newsom has vowed to sign it. Help us stand for life!

SB 132 – Transgender Prison Bill
Under SB 132, inmates could be moved from men’s to women’s detention facilities based on their desired “identity” and “with or without a diagnosis of gender dysphoria or any other physical or mental health diagnosis, and regardless of anatomy.” The text states, “At any time, [an inmate] may inform facility staff of their gender identity, and facility staff shall promptly repeat the process of offering the individual an opportunity to specify the gender pronoun and honorific most appropriate for staff to use in reference to that individual.” They may then be housed in a single or double cell, dorm, in protective custody, or the general population based on that individual’s perception of health and safety.

SB 132’s author, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), says this law is required for safety. We, too, believe it is important that no one be harmed in the course of his or her incarceration, but that safety should extend to women in female facilities who may be at risk when forced to share facilities with biological males who perceive themselves to be women – and without diagnosis or surgery.

Please Take Action: SB 24 and SB 132 will both be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee in August, and then likely head to the Assembly floor. Call your assembly member and ask a “no” vote on both bills. Be sure to let him/her know you are a member of Concerned Women for America of California. Find your Assembly member here.

AB 175 – Children’s Rights in Foster Care
Asm. Mike Gipson’s (D-Compton) foster care bill, AB 175, would allow 10-year-olds to review their foster care plans and require that all foster kids have prompt access to “reproductive and sexual health care,” including “gender-affirming health care and gender-affirming mental health care.” It also gives these at-risk children the right “[a]t any age, to consent to or decline services regarding contraception, pregnancy, and perinatal care, including, but not limited to, abortion services and health care services for sexual assault without the knowledge or consent of any adult.” The bill also requires foster parents to participate in training for cultural competency and sensitivity involving LGBTQ issues and to use names and pronouns preferred by the child – regardless of how it may conflict with their closely held religious beliefs or conscience.

AB 493 – LGBTQ Teacher In-Service Training
California schools are already required to have anti-bullying policies in place to respect all students.  Teachers are currently receiving such training. AB 493, sponsored by Sen. Todd Gloria (D-San Diego), requires all California public schools, including charter schools, to provide online in-service training to all teachers and certificated staff in grades 7-12, and adopt strategies to increase support for LGBTQ students. This will likely become on-site training if funding is provided for grants outlined in the bill and many schools are already implementing such training K-12.

The California Department of Education will develop the training materials, and active participation is required. Staff attendance will be tracked by the state. Teacher testimonies of their experiences in the training that is already occurring include shaming of traditional beliefs regarding sexuality and gender by the instructors. How pervasive this is will depend upon the school district.

CWA of California does not support the bullying of any student for any reason, and, we do not support requirements that teachers participate in training that conflicts with their closely-held religious beliefs or conscience and requires them to affirm such behavior. These two are not at odds, nor should they be seen as such.

ACR 99 – Resolution Denying Change Is Possible
Last year, CWA of California opposed AB 2943, which would have prohibited “sexual orientation change efforts” (SOCE) for adults (such therapy for minors was banned here in 2012 by SB 1172.) AB 2943 was pulled from consideration by the author, Asm. Even Low (D-San Francisco), before its final floor vote. He indicated he wanted to work with pastors and other members of the faith community who objected to the bill’s premise that counseling for unwanted same-sex attraction is deceptive or even harmful and hoped to find “common ground.”

This year, Asm. Low has introduced a resolution, ACR 99, that does not have the force of law, but makes untruthful claims—and may pave the way for stronger legislation next year. SOCE, or restorative therapy, generally involves talk therapy for unwanted desires, yet ACR 99 makes broad statements about the pejorative term “conversion therapy” being “ineffective, unethical and harmful.” Practices associated with that term have not been utilized by any professionals for decades. ACR 99 denies that thousands have experienced change using restorative therapy, essentially denying the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives.

Please Take Action: AB 175 and AB 493 will be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee in August, and then likely head to the Assembly floor. Call your state senator and ask for a “no” vote on AB 175 and AB 493. Be sure to let him/her know you are a member of Concerned Women for America of California. Find your state senator here.

ACR 99 will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on August 12. Please contact members of the committee (find them here) and ask them to oppose ACR 99. If passed, it will proceed to the Senate floor, so please also call your state senator and ask him or her to oppose the resolution.

Please pray with me!  We know prayer is a powerful force!
Please pray that the hearts of our California lawmakers would be open to Biblical truth, that they would vote not to further these efforts, but to stop them in their tracks. In so doing, they would save lives, protect precious children, preserve rights of conscience, and not oppose the work of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives.

Thank you for making a difference with your prayers, action, and donations to our work in California!

Marlo Tucker
State Director
CWA of California

Aug 02 2019
0

Born Alive Social Media Action-Join Us!

By | Family Issues, House Legislative Updates, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Eighty! That’s how many times House Republicans have asked Speaker Pelosi to bring  the Born Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act up for a vote on the House floor. #LetUsVote and #EndInfanticide have been the social media rallying cry for supporters seeking to protect the unborn – and the born.

This bill, H.R. 962, merely requires, under criminal penalty, that medical professionals provide the same standard of care to a baby born alive after an attempted abortion that they would provide any other child born at the same gestational age. Doctors who allow babies to die without such care are committing nothing short of infanticide. Many Americans were horrified by the words of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam early this year who made statements on a public radio broadcast defending the practice of neglecting a baby born alive in order to end her life.

Eighty-two percent of Americans support this legislation, including 77% who identify as pro-choice – yet Speaker Pelosi continues to block this potentially life-saving legislation. So far, we have 201 signatures on the House discharge petition, a way to force a bill to the floor that is otherwise being blocked by the Speaker. We need a simple majority of the House of Representatives (218) to  sign this petition. We are currently 17 signatures short of the number needed to trigger a vote. Meanwhile, members keep asking for unanimous consent to bring the bill to the floor for a vote every day they are in session.

The House and Senate are now in recess for the next six weeks, meaning your representatives will be home holding town halls and going to events to listen to the concerns of their constituents. We are working hard to bring the Born Alive bill to the floor for a vote, but we need your help. If your representative has not signed the discharge petition, go to one of their town halls this August and ask them why they have not signed it. To find out if your representative is holding a town hall near you, visit their website and look for events or call their office and ask if they are holding a town hall in August.

Also, join us on Monday, August 5, on Twitter from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EST for a Tweetfest where we will talk about the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and why it is so necessary. Tweet @ your representatives (click here to find their official Twitter handle) and ask them to sign. Tweet at @SpeakerPelosi and tell her you want this bill on the floor for a vote. Use the hashtags #LetUsVote and #EndInfanticide and make sure you’re following CWA LAC’s official Twitter account, @CWforA, and retweet our tweets and tag us in your tweets so we can retweet you, too!

Thank you for partnering with us to keep pressure on Congress to end infanticide.

Aug 02 2019
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Trump Plays his Hand while Dems Overplay Theirs

By | News and Events | No Comments

CWA’s Dr. Shea Garrison was featured on One News Now and American Family Radio weighing in on the feud between President Trump and the congressional freshmen known as “The Squad.”

“No end appears in sight in the war of words between President Donald Trump and four radical freshmen congresswomen who call themselves “The Squad.”

They’re just as likely to train their sights on fellow Democrats, but lately Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (New York), Rashida Talib (Michigan), Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts), and (in the example below) Ilhan Omar (Minnesota) have been taking shots at the president:

Omar: “He’s spewing his fascist ideology onstage, telling you, as citizens, to go back because they don’t agree with his detrimental polices for our country.”

Trump, of course, refuses to let something like that pass and is firing back:

Trump: “These are people that, in my opinion, hate our country. Now, you can say what you want, but if they’re not happy here, they can leave.””

Read the entire article here:

Listen to Dr. Garrison’s portion of the interview here:

Click here to see more from Dr. Shea Garrison.

Aug 02 2019
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Judges by the Numbers

By | Legal, News and Events | No Comments

As the U.S. Senate gets ready to go on its August recess, we must highlight once again one of its most successful efforts: the confirmation of judges. Just this week, the Senate confirmed more than double (15) the nominees it did last summer (7). This year the Senate has confirmed 61 judges: 13 judges to the circuit court, 46 district court judges and two to the Court of International Trade (CIT).

Great credit goes to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) whose focus on judicial nominations has remained consistent throughout President Donald Trump’s time in office. Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) has also shined, even after following one of the most successful Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). The Judiciary Committee has reported 88 judges to the floor in his short time as chairman.

Here are the overall numbers which are most impressive of all. Since President Trump took office, the Senate has confirmed a total of 146 judges. They break down as follows: two Supreme Court justices, 43 circuit court judges, 99 to the district court and two CIT.

The quality of nominees has been very high, as most readers will know. President Trump has committed himself to the nomination of judges who are in the mold of Justice Clarence Thomas and the late, great Antonin Scalia. Judges who will follow the Constitution and laws as written, instead of re-defining terms to reach the conclusions they personally prefer. This approach is essential to the preservation of liberty, and we are grateful to the president for this commitment.

This success has been possible because of several reforms in the judicial confirmation process. There is no more filibustering of judicial nominees, the blue slip process (which required home state senators to return a blue slip before the nomination can move forward) has been greatly adjusted also for circuit court nominees, and the amount of time that can be consumed on each nominees has been tampered, too.

But it is worth noting that things will get tougher going forward because the blue slip process for district court nominees is in full force still. This means that both senators from a state must after the president nominates someone to the district court must “return the blue slip” before the nomination can move forward. This is meant to encourage compromise between the White House and the state where the nomination is being made.

Practically, this means that where there are two liberal senators, the President will have to be more strategic in order to get the vacancy filled with a constitutionalist. Traditionally, some bargaining will be required here where, for example, if there are four vacancies, the president will name three nominees and the home state senators will get to name the other. This has the potential of allowing some less than desirable nominees getting through.

We must, therefore, remain diligent in our monitoring of nominees. We have already identified some troubling ones that we have been able to stop, but much discernment will be required going forward.

Let us continue to pray for the President, the Senate and the CWA legal team as we continue to engage in this important area.

Click here to read additional posts from Mario Diaz, Esq.