MISSOURI GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSES PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION BAN . . .Missouri State Senators and Representatives overwhelmingly passed a partial-birth abortion ban (PBA) before adjourning on May 14, 1999. This legislation creates the crime of “infanticide” for performing a partial-birth abortion, punishable as a class A felony. The Senate passed the bill after more than 38 hours of debate, by a veto-proof majority of 27-6 -- 23 votes are needed to override a veto by Governor Carnahan. The House also passed the PBA by a veto proof majority of 127-29 – 109 votes are needed to override a veto. Governor Carnahan has threatened to veto the PBA because it does not contain a “health” exception. However, a “health” exception renders the bill useless and unenforceable. In addition, medical experts contend that a partial-birth abortion is never medically necessary. If the Governor vetoes the PBA, legislators will try to override his veto at their annual veto session, which starts September 15, 1999. Rep. Bill Luetkenhaus (D-12th – 573/751-2176) sponsored the bill in the House and Senator Ted House (D-2nd – 573/751-8437) carried the bill in the Senate. Let them know you appreciate their efforts to pass the PBA. [Columbia Missourian, 5/12/99; The KC Star, 5/12/99] GAMBLING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS MORATORIUM . . .The nine-member National Gambling Impact Study Commission recently issued a final recommendation, approved 5-4, which calls for a moratorium on the spread of casinos, lotteries and slot machines around the nation so that state and local governments will have time to form their own commissions to study the effects of gambling in their respective states. The Commission members were sharply divided on this recommendation between pro-family leaders, such as Chairman Kay James and Focus on the Family president Dr. James Dobson, and pro-gambling representatives such as casino worker union president John Wilhelm and MGM Grand Chairman J. Terrence Lanni. Mr. Lanni has said he will submit a minority report, since he disagrees with the Commission’s final recommendation.[Washington Times, 4/29/99] POLITICALLY CORRECT DIPLOMAS . . . .The faculty at Swarthmore College will vote in the fall on whether the phrase, “in the year of our Lord” should be removed or changed on the college’s diplomas. Although diplomas from Swarthmore College have included the words “in the year of our Lord” to identify the date since the 1860’s, the phrase could be removed in order to conform to the tenets of diversity and political correctness. The college's registrar, Martin Warner, said, "One of the things to remember is that many of us don't use the phrase A.D.[Anno Domini] or B.C. [before Christ] any more. We say either C.E. for Common Era, or B.C.E. for Before the Common Era.”[NEWS & NOTES, 5/14/99] MISSOURI FAILS TO PASS A BAN ON HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE . . .The Missouri General Assembly adjourned on May 14, 1999 without passing a ban on homosexual marriage. Although a ban on homosexual marriage (SB 266) was passed by the Senate, Speaker of the House, Representative Steve Gaw, would not allow the bill to reach the House floor for debate. Without a state ban on homosexual marriage, Missouri will be forced to accept homosexual marriage licenses issued in other states, if and when other states do validate homosexual marriages. At this time, there are not any states that legitimize homosexual marriages; however, the Vermont Supreme Court could rule by this summer that their state constitution allows for homosexual marriage. Hawaii and Alaska are also embroiled in homosexual marriage controversies. Please be in prayer about the Vermont case.MADALYN MURRAY O’HAIR RUMOR PERSISTS . . .For more than twenty years, a false rumor about Madalyn Murrary O’Hair has circulated through churches and pro-family individuals approximately 3-4 times a year. This rumor, which is distributed through a photocopied petition, warns that “Madalyn Murray O’Hair, an atheist whose efforts successfully eliminated the use of Bible reading and prayer from all public schools fifteen years ago, has been granted a federal hearing in Washington, D.C. … The petition, #2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the Gospel on the air waves of America.” Readers are urged to sign and mail the attached petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and to make 10 copies of the flier to give to friends. As a result of this flier, phone and letter campaigns have been launched by the Christian community around the country and petitions have been circulated and mailed to the FCC. Since 1975, the FCC has received over 30 million pieces of mail about this rumor and their consumer assistance office continues to receive 200 to 300 phone calls per month.BACKGROUND INFORMATION: In 1974, two gentlemen petitioned the FCC (Petition #2493), requesting that the FCC temporarily freeze the awarding of TV and FM channels to religious and government institutions so that the FCC could investigate whether existing non-commercial stations were fulfilling their obligations to broadcast educational programming On August 1, 1975, the FCC denied Petition #2493, ruling that the First Amendment required the FCC “to observe a stance of neutrality toward religion, acting neither to promote nor to inhibit religion.” In 1975, although Petition #2493 was officially dead, the rumors began to circulate that Petition #2493 was still active and that Madalyn Murray O’Hair had initiated the original case. CHECK IT OUT: |