Hawaii Family Forum Weekly Recap
From HFF, March 30, 2017
14K and Rising!
The petitions against assisted suicide are still coming in but we wanted to let you know that over 14 thousand people have signed on. We collected almost 800 signatures through our online voterVOICE petition.
When we sent our call to action this week alone, almost 300 people have sent a message to their Representative asking them to stand with the decision of the House Health Committee in the deferral of SB1129.
That's a lot of island voices! Mahalo for standing with us!
* * * * *
HFF Signs onto SBA Letter to Congress Redirecting Taxpayer Funding from Planned Parenthood
(March 31, 2017) This morning 77 national and state pro-life groups sent a letter to pro-life Members of Congress urging them to enact a new reconciliation bill that redirects taxpayer funding from Planned Parenthood to community health care centers. Yesterday's successful passage of H.J.Res. 43 - a Resolution overturning former President Obama's regulation forcing states to fund Planned Parenthood under Title X - demonstrates that Congress has the votes necessary to take immediate action using Reconciliation.
Spearheaded by Susan B. Anthony List, the letter reads, in part:
"The grassroots we represent expect you to stop funding this abortion giant [Planned Parenthood]. For years promises have been made, and the time has come to deliver. We urge you to pass a reconciliation bill that redirects Planned Parenthood funds to community health centers before the April recess. There are no excuses for inaction."
Read full article here.
* * * * *
What's Coming Up?
Bully Bill Silent For Now
April 7th (Friday) is the deadline for submitting bills that have been amended by the non-originating chamber to the clerk of that chamber. This allows for delivery of the amended bills in their final form to the chamber's members at least 48 hours prior to third reading. That means if SB 501 HD1 (the bully bill) is not scheduled for hearing within the next few days, it may be done for this session. The bill, however, is still very much alive and could start up right where it left on in January of 2018. We will keep you posted if the status changes in the next few days.
The current version of the bill was expanded to broaden its applicability to include all facilities that advertise or solicit clients with offers to provide prenatal sonography, pregnancy tests, or pregnancy options counseling, including contracted providers with the Med-QUEST Division or a Medicaid health plan.
Action: Support our Pregnancy Resource Centers! They need your prayers and kokua more than ever. Here is our list of the centers if you want to contact them to find out how you can help.
* * * * *
Day of Dialogue
Wondering what the Day of Dialogue's all about? In short, it's a free-speech initiative that creates a safe place for public school students to exercise their religious freedoms and express their deeply held Christian beliefs in a loving and respectful manner.
As a student at a public school or college, do you wish your classmates and friends could hear more of the story-like the truth about God's deep love for us and what the Bible really says about His redemptive design for human beings and relationships? Wouldn't it be nice if a deeper and freer conversation could happen when current-day topics-especially subjects that delve into faith and God's design for us-are brought up in your school? The good news is, it can-and that's where Day of Dialogue comes in.
Day of Dialogue happens every year in April, and this year's event is on April 28, 2017.
Click here for more information
* * * * *
Upcoming Legislative Dates:
April 6, 2017
FIRST CROSSOVER FOR CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS - Deadline for passing the single floor vote for adoption required for resolutions in order to move from the originating chamber to the other chamber.
April 7, 2016
SECOND DECKING (BILLS) - Deadline for submitting bills that have been amended by the non-originating chamber to the clerk of that chamber. This allows for delivery of the amended bills in their final form to the chamber's members at least 48 hours prior to third reading.
April 13, 2017
SECOND CROSSOVER (BILLS) - Deadline for bills to pass third reading in their non-originating chamber in order to "cross back" to the originating chamber.
April 13, 2017
LAST DAY FOR THE ORIGINATING BODY TO DISAGREE WITH BILL AMENDMENTS - The deadline for the originating chamber to disagree with changes made to its bills by the other chamber. When the Senate and House disagree on a bill, members from each chamber can meet in a "conference" committee to reconcile their differences.