News Release from Hawaii Family Forum, April 21, 2023

Today, April 21, 2023, is the deadline for any proposed constitutional amendment’s final form must be provided by written notice to the Governor prior to passing final reading by a 2/3 vote in each chamber. 

Once adopted by the Legislature, the proposed amendment is submitted to the voters, in the form of a ‘yes or no’ question on the ballot, for ultimate decision.

SB 1167, the proposed amendment that would enshrine "reproductive freedom" into Hawaii's constitution, passed the Senate with a 2/3 vote but it was not heard in the House.  The House did send written notice to the Governor of the amendment on March 13, 2023.

This bill, could pick up right where it left off next session.

Upcoming Legislative Deadlines

APR 24– SECOND CROSSOVER FOR CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS – Deadline for adopting amended concurrent resolutions in the non-originating chamber in order to “cross back” to the originating chamber. (Measures must be filed by Friday, April 21.) 

APR 27 – FINAL DECKING OF NON-FISCAL BILLS – Deadline for submitting non-fiscal bills for final reading by both chambers. 

APR 28 – FINAL DECKING OF FISCAL BILLS – Deadline for submitting fiscal bills for final reading by both chambers. Fiscal bills include appropriation or spending bills, tax credits, etc., or any bill with a House Finance (FIN) or Senate Ways and Means (WAM) referral. 

MAY 4 – ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE –The end of session is the deadline for Final Reading of bills and adoption of resolutions. Adjournment sine die occurs on the last day of a Regular Session and indicates a suspension of the business of the legislature indefinitely. Next, the Legislature will certify the bills whose form both chambers have agreed to and will transmit or “enroll” those bills to the Governor.

WEEKLY RECAP

Resolution to block the Biden Administration’s rule authorizing abortions at VA healthcare facilities fails

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate held a procedural vote on U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville’s resolution to block the Biden Administration’s rule authorizing abortions at VA healthcare facilities. 

The resolution had 35 Senate cosponsors and 51 cosponsors in the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives. The resolution has been endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro Life-America, Heritage Action for America, National Right to Life, Catholic Vote, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, Family Research Council, Family Policy Alliance, and March for Life Action.
The vote was 51 to 48 to reject a Congressional Review Act resolution that would overturn an interim final rule from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) which added abortion to veterans’ and dependents’ health benefits packages.

Last year, On September 9, 2022, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced its intention to begin providing abortion services for veterans and their dependents through the taxpayer-funded VA healthcare system. This seemingly blatantly violates Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, which explicitly prohibits the VA from providing abortion services.

Tuberville joined a letter with 38 colleagues following that announcement, denouncing the decision.

Honoring the achievements of Native Women!

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution led by Senators Schatz and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Chair and Vice-Chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs respectively, honoring the achievements of Alaska Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian women throughout the history of the United States.

“Native women help shape our communities and our country, and their impact should be recognized,” said Chairman Schatz. “I am proud to partner with Vice Chairman Murkowski on this resolution honoring their contributions and sharing some of their stories, including the legacy of Native Hawaiian language and cultural practitioner Edith Kanakaʻole who is featured on a 2023 commemorative quarter.”

The full text of the resolution is available here.

Triple "F" Show: Faith and Family First

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Originally aired: April 19, 2023

It can be easy to lose sight of what's really going on in the world these days due to the prevalence of sensationalized and flashy headlines. As Christians, it's important that we remain vigilant and stay grounded in truth. Tune in to this week's episode of the FFF Podcast to learn how to avoid being misled by sensational headlines.