KEEPING THE FAITH ACTION ALERT
January 26, 2007
REGISTER BY MONDAY, JANUARY
29 IF YOU WANT TO ATTEND THIS IMPORTANT LUNCHEON!
Monday is the
deadline to register for "Georgia's
Tax System: A Factual Foundation for Fundamental Reform,"
a Policy Briefing Luncheon on Tuesday where Tax Foundation experts
Jonathan Williams and Chris Atkins report on the state's tax
climate. This luncheon will include an update on federal No Child Left
Behind legislation by
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.
Luncheons are at noon at Atlanta's Commerce Club. E-mail
reservations@gppf.org; call Benita Dodd at
404-256-4050 or fax to 404-256-9909 the registration form available at
www.gppf.org/pub/gallery/Taxfoundation.pdf.
*****
LET US HEAR FROM YOU!
Earlier this week, we
sent out an action alert about Bible seminars in your area. The purpose
of these seminars is to equip you to get the Bible taught as history and
literature in your local, public high schools. The Bible will be used
as the text book and the curriculum that we will use is from the
National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (NCBCPS). If you
want to participate in one of these seminars, please send all your
contact info (including county) to
sadie@gachristianalliance.org.
If you want to know
more about the good work NCBCPS is doing around the country on this
project, you can visit their web site at
http://www.bibleinschools.net/scm.asp.
*****
GA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
- If you want to read these bills in their entirety go to
www.legis.state.ga.us - click on legislation (Senate or House) and
put in the number of the bill.
HB 147
Yesterday, Representative
James Mills (R-25) introduced HB 147 that would amend the "Woman's Right
to Know" act that passed last year. This bill requires physicians or
other qualified agents to require that pregnant females undergo an
ultrasound or sonogram prior to having an abortion. It does not require
the woman to view the ultrasound or sonogram, but does require the
doctor to offer her the opportunity to view the results. This bill also
provides for criminal penalties for failure to comply with the "Woman's
Right to Know Act". The penalties were taken out of last year’s
“Woman’s Right to Know Act.” GA Right to Life has taken the lead on
this bill and we are working closely with them to ensure passage.
The bill has been placed in
Rep. David Ralston's committee (Chairman of the Judicial - Non Civil
committee). The members and contact info of that committee are:
Chairman David Ralston -
404-656-5125 * Vice Chairman Robert Mumford (R-95) - same number *
Secretary Timothy Bearden (R-68) - same number
With changes in offices all
the numbers are not yet posted on the legislative web site. Here is
what we could find - for all others with no number you can call
404-656-5125 to get the respective legislator's contact info.
Reps. Roberta Abdul-Salaam
(D-74) - 404-656-0325 * Jim Cole (R-125) - 404-651-7737 * Melvin Everson
(R-106) - 404-656-0188 * John Lunsford (R-110)- 404-656-7146 * Charlice
Byrd (R-20) * Sharon Cooper (R-41) * Tom Knox (R-24) * Randal Mangham
(D-94)* Stacey Abrams (D-84) * Kevin Levitas (D-82) * Nikki Randall
(D-138) * Stephanie Benfield (D-85) * Doug Collins (R-27) * Bobby
Franklin (R-43) * Ed Setzler (R-35)
Please contact them and
encourage them to allow HB 147 out of committee for a vote in the House.
*****
HB 11
Introduced by Rep. Judy
Manning (R-32), this bill would require insurance companies to cover
vaccinations for the HPV virus that will help prevent cervical cancer.
The bill was prefiled in the House on November 29, 2006. It has not
been assigned to a committee.
Rep.
Manning’s bill does not require the vaccination to be mandatory for
children (legislation in other states does require mandatory
vaccinations), stating in part (b) of the bill, “Every health benefit
policy shall provide coverage for federal Food and Drug Administration
approved vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer and the human
papillomavirus in such frequencies and at such ages as recommended by
the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and deemed
appropriate by the attending physician after conferring with the patient
or his or her parent, if the patient is a minor.”
We commend Rep. Manning for
recognizing the rights of parents to be involved with their minor
children in this major decision, and while we support the effort to
protect women against cancer in any form, the HPV vaccine does not
prevent all cervical cancer and does not protect against other Sexually
Transmitted Diseases.
The American College
of Pediatricians has an excellent article posted on their web site
regarding the HPV virus and the vaccine. Go to
http://acpeds.org and on the right hand side
of their web site under “Current News” click on “College States Position
on HPV Vaccine.”
*****
SB 59
Senator Cecil Staton (R-18)
has introduced SB 59 that would make it illegal for the owner or
operator of a social networking website to allow a minor using a
protected computer to create or maintain a profile web page on a social
networking website without the permission of the minor's parent or
guardian and without providing such parent or guardian access to such
profile web page. The bill also includes penalties if the social
networking website does not comply.
Current GA law does not
provide this protection to minor children or access to the web sites to
parents. The bill will remedy that, and we support this legislation.
As the parent of a minor
child, if you have had an experience with inappropriate activity on
internet based networking sites, please call Sen. Staton's Chief of
Staff Seth Millican at 770-715-2657 and leave a message.
*****
HB 21
Introduced by Rep. Tim
Bearden (R-68), this bill designates English as the official language of
the State of Georgia and provides that public entities provide forms and
documents only in English. The bill enjoys bi-partisan support. You
can contact Rep. Bearden at 404-656-5125 and thank him for taking the
lead on this legislation. The bill has been assigned to the Judicial
Committee chaired by Rep. Wendell Willard (R-49) at 404-656-5125.
*****
SB 15
Introduced by Senator John
Wiles (R-37), SB 15 would require the same penalty for driving as an
unlicensed driver as is currently in place for driving on a suspended
license. It also provides for determination of nationality of person
convicted of driving without being licensed.
GA law requires anyone
applying for a driver's license to take a test to ensure they know how
to competently drive on our roads. Unlicensed drivers have had no
vetting as to what degree they are competent to drive safely on GA’s
highways. We support this bill.
Senator Wiles can be
reached at 404-657-0406 for comment.
*****
SB 23
Introduced by Senator John
Douglas (R- 17), this bill allows sentencing judges to investigate
whether prisoners are in this country legally. Prisoners that entered
the country illegally or failed to leave when a visa expired could be
deported or detained to serve their sentences in the U. S. This bill
would also authorize the State board of Pardons and Paroles to access
information that would equip them to consider the citizenship status of
prisoners when making parole decisions. We support this bill.
Sen. Douglas can be reached
at 404-656-0503 for comment.
Thank you for
Keeping The Faith.
Sadie Fields
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