Weekly Recap
From Hawaii Family Forum June 7, 2019
Take Action!
Ask Governor Ige to Veto the Marijuana Decriminalization Bill
HB 1383 CD 1 was sent to the Governor on May 1st. Our understanding is that he may have reservations about the bill so now is the time to send him a message asking him to VETO the bill. HB 1383 CD1 decriminalizes the possession of three grams or less of marijuana and replaces that violation with a monetary fine of $130 and establishes a marijuana evaluation task force to make recommendations on changing marijuana use penalties and outcomes in the State.
Why should you get involved? If the bill is signed by Gov. Ige, Hawai`i will become the 25th state to decriminalize cannabis. Because the Governor has indicated his discomfort with the bill, we believe that if the community raises its voice, there is a chance he could veto it. Use the link below to send a message to the Governor asking him to VETO HB 1383 CD1.
REQUEST A VETO
Assisted Suicide Update
The Honolulu Star Advertiser printed an article on May 26th reporting on the tragic suicides of three people because of Hawaii's new assisted suicide law. On Sunday, June 2, 2019, an editorial was submitted on behalf of many pastors. It is signed currently by 53 pastors in Hawaii. The list continues to grow to this day.
Across the nation, Maine lawmakers narrowly approved a bill to legalize doctor-assisted suicide on June 4th, 2019. If their Governor Janet Mills signs the bill, Maine will be the ninth jurisdiction in the U.S. to legalize the life-destroying procedure. New Jersey passed a similar law in April.
Currently, Assisted suicide is legal in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Washington D.C.
Legal doesn't mean that's it right and moral so we will continue to raise our voices to support end-of-life care (access to good palliative care and hospice) that does not include suicide.
Human Fetal Tissue Research: STOPPED!
Wednesday, June 5, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will discontinue research conducted within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) involving the use of human fetal tissue from elective abortion and it will ensure that efforts to develop ethical alternatives are funded and accelerated.
"Promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death is one of the very top priorities of President Trump's administration." - From HHS Statement
Abortion Continues to Split Blue and Red States
While red states throughout the country have recently passed abortion restrictions, Illinois decided to go in a different direction. The state officially passed a bill that would establish a woman's "fundamental right" to an abortion. It is a step in the wrong direction, but unsurprising for a state dedicated to endorsing abortion on demand. On May 31, 2019, the State Senate voted 34-20 to pass a bill that is even more extreme than New York's infanticide law. The "Reproductive Health Act" repeals the state's ban on partial-birth abortion, allowing abortions through nine months, and requires insurance companies to provide coverage.
In California, State senators recently voted to force colleges to provide free chemical abortions on campus. According to our counterpart in California, the California Board of Education appears "hellbent on imposing its radical view of sexuality and gender on K-12 students." The bill, Senate Bill 24, the College Student Right to Access Act, mandates that student health services clinics at all 34 public university campuses in California provide women access to "abortion by medication techniques" in early pregnancy, according to the bill's text. If passed, the legislation would give $200,000 to each student health center to pay for necessary training and equipment, and an additional $200,000 to set up a 24-hour hotline. The service would come at no cost to the woman seeking an abortion. In other California news, Governor Newsom just signed a proclamation inviting women to visit California to kill their unborn children!