CALL TO ACTION

From Hawaii Family Advocates, February 7, 2014

There are two things happening right now that need your immediate attention: Pono Choices and Religious Freedom Restoration.  By clicking the links below, you will be directed to our VoterVoice system which will EASILY allow you to send a personalized message.  You don't have to cut and paste or do any research on who or how to send an email.  Our system will do that for you.

So, here are the two items in detail:

PONO CHOICES - UPDATE

On Wednesday evening, Representative Bob McDermott presented his review (to hundreds of concerned people) of the Pono Choices sex ed curriculum.  It is shocking!  It is medically inaccurate, age in appropriate and violates several Hawaii legal standards that public school curriculum must comply with.   It is also only the tip of the iceberg based on the presentation by Phil Lees after McDermott.

The day before, on Tuesday afternoon, the Board of Education held a hearing on the Pono Choices curriculum and has decided to re-review it to determine wither it is appropriate for our keiki.   In the meantime, it is currently withdrawn for the second time in a couple of months.   However, when it was last withdrawn for review, within a couple of weeks it was again approved.  That means we need to know several pieces of information that I want everyone to request from the Board of Education.

I am asking that you CLICK THIS LINK to send an email to Don Horner, Chairman of the Board of Education to ask several questions.  (The link will give you all the information you need to make connection.)

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM NOT A PRIORITY FOR THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIR

The Hawaii Religious Freedom Restoration Act ("Little RFRA") of 2014 would restrict government actions against people of faith by applying the "compelling interest" test to withstand legal challenges against religious liberties.   A bill was introduced (HB 1624) in the House which would provide for that and the House Judiciary Committee Chair has not scheduled the bill for hearing.

After all the public outcry and concern expressed during the special session, we are outraged that this issue has NOT RECEIVED as much attention as legislative bills like HB 744 and HB 1789 which would have RESTRICTED our religious freedom.

If you CLICK THIS LINK, you will be able to send an email not only to Rep. Karl Rhoads, but also your own elected official.  As we stated above, you will not have do any research to look up the email addresses of Rep. Rhoads and your own Representative.

If you take just five minutes of your time and do these two things, you will hope show this legislature that people of faith were not just interested in one issue. Quite the contrary, people of faith need to ensure that our rights are not trampled upon in this great state.

Mahalo for your time.