2013 Legislative Session Opens
by Eva Andrade, Executive Director, Hawaii Family Forum
Last week the legislative session opened and along with our community partner, Hawaii Family Advocates, we spent the day visiting with legislators to show our appreciation for their commitment to serve the community. For the first time in several years, food and fellowship was plentiful. It was a great opportunity to do nothing more than show Aloha. Even to those with whom we disagree.
If you haven't taken a moment to contact your own legislator, please do so. This first touch is not to ask them to vote for, or against, anything. It is simply to let them know that you appreciate them and look forward to working with them in the next few months.
As always, we will continue to monitor legislation that affects LIFE, FAMILY and RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.... Hawaii Family Forum will continue to do what we can to help educate people in the community on these, and other, important issues.
We are expecting continued attempts to legalize same-sex marriage, gambling and physician-assisted suicide. In fact, we are already seeing a lot of attention focused on these very issues. During the session we will let you know when any of these issues come up.
Be encouraged! No matter what happens this legislative session, we must always remember to face every challenge with hope, faith and conviction - doing so with great love and compassion.
Please let us know if we can provide you, or your church, with any information on the legislative process. And do pray for us as we continue to pray for you and our great state.
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Click here for a listing of Senate and House Members
Click here for a timetable
Also, please contact us if your church would like a presentation on the legislative process in Hawaii. This excellent workshop will easily guide through you the steps a bill takes to become law in Hawaii.
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The plans we have moving forward showcase our determination to rebuild (not restructure or redefine) family, life & religious freedom in Hawaii.
As we stated in our last enews, we will be reenergizing our base by ongoing education and strengthening our network of community partners. Did you know that Hawaii Family Forum is unique in its relationship with our various church partners? No other state in the nation has a group like ours that works so closely with other like minded organizations dedicated to the same purpose - restoring the PONO to this place we call home.
We will make a difference with your help.
Right now there are major year-end efforts to flood Hawaii with big money from mainland donors determined to force legalized gambling, physician-assisted suicide and same-sex "marriage" on us. We cannot allow the promises of "big" money to turn politicians away from the hearts of their constituents, scare people of faith with threats of frivolous and unjustified lawsuits, or spread false information about our constitution through media and social networking campaigns.
Will you be part of this work with a generous tax deductible gift today?
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Marriage Arguments Scheduled at the Supreme Court
by Bruce Hausknecht | Article from Citizenlink
We’re finally getting to one of the most important legal milestones in the cultural conflict over marriage. The Court has announced the oral argument schedule for the two marriage cases it has accepted, Hollingsworth v. Perry (the California marriage amendment case – a/k/a Prop 8 ) and United States v. Windsor (a Defense of Marriage Act challenge from New York). Hollingsworth will be argued on March 26 and Windsor the following day. Don’t expect a decision before sometime in June.
The precise questions to be argued to the nine Justices are set forth in: Supreme Court to Address Marriage
If you’d like to take a look at all of the CitizenLink articles and blogs written about the Prop 8 case over the last several years, try here.
Similarly, everything we’ve written about the legal challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act can be accessed here.