THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Last week was a busy one for us.

On Monday, we hosted a press conference at the State Capitol with featured speaker, Bay Buchanan who is touring the country with “Secure America Now.” This tour is to call attention to the fact as citizens of this country we have every right to demand from our leaders swift action to secure our borders from the vast influx of illegal aliens.

There are currently three bills in the State Senate that address the issue of illegal immigration and benefits. Senator Chip Rogers has introduced all three. Below is a synopsis of these bills. If you would like to read them in their entirety go to www.legis.state.ga.us and put in the bill number.

S. B. 169 “Contracts for Public Works; include provisions; prohibit retaliation”

This bill would prohibit any department, agency, or instrumentality of the state or any political subdivision of the state from entering into a contract for the performance of services within the State of Georgia unless the contract provided that only persons who are citizens or nationals of the United States shall perform the services under the contract or any subcontract thereunder….”

S. B. 170 “Motor Vehicle, Department; legal residence; valid identification; create procedures”

This bill relates to the administration of the Department of Motor Vehicle Safety, so as to create a procedure for verifying any claim of legal domicile or residence in for any purpose for which legal residence or domicile is required by law…..”

S. B. 171 “Georgia, University System; unauthorized noncitizens from enrolling”

This bill would prevent unauthorized noncitizens from enrolling in the University System of ….”

We will keep you apprised of the progress of these bills as they make their way through the Senate. No action at this time is necessary.

Judy Craft was at the Capitol today monitoring the Banks and Banking Committee on H. B. 1238 “Illegal Immigration Fees.” This bill would charge an extra 5% tax on wire transfers from “Money Transfer’s Organizations” (MTO’s) to other countries. It will only apply to those who are sending money out of this country who are here illegally.

This bill is expected to make it out of committee, so no action for now is necessary.

TUESDAY….saw us at the Capitol where I testified before the Senate sub-committee on education regarding S. B. 425 “The Georgia, Family, Children and School Protection Act.” This bill would essentially act like the “Do Not Call Registry” in that you can register your email address in order not to have objectionable material coming into your home. Anyone that has a computer that a minor has access to could register. It would also give a school the opportunity to register their entire domain so that no computer a minor has access to in their school could receive such information. It is strictly voluntary.

This bill passed unanimously out of committee and has 56 signatures on the bill. No action for now is necessary.

WEDNESDAY….I testified before the House sub-committee on Education regarding

H. B. 661 the bill that would require public schools to inform parents as to what clubs are forming on school campuses, what the mission statement is, and who is sponsoring a particular club.

The bill was altered somewhat with the “opt-in” (parental permission required) language taken out – but with the “opt-out” language remaining in the bill. We will keep you informed as to the progress of this bill as it moves through the committee on Education, and then to the Rules Committee before it goes to the floor of the House for a vote.

There is a companion bill S. B. 149 in the Senate. No action is necessary right now, but we are going to be watching this bill closely and will keep you informed.

FRIDAY….We hosted a press conference on S. B. 79 “The Bible Bill.” This bill would give public schools the right to teach the Bible on campus. It will be the first time students did not have to leave campus in order to study the Bible.

We had to fight back a challenge from some who wanted to use the Bible Literacy Project’s (BLP) textbook “The Bible and It’s Influence” as the one used for this course. “The Bible and It’s Influence” is rife with false assumptions, and encourages children to doubt the wisdom and truth of God’s word. It has also been enthusiastically embraced by such groups as the American Civil Liberties Union and People for the

American Way

– two groups who have been riding their secular horse around the country for decades attempting to expunge God from the public square which speaks volumes as to why we do not want this book taught.

Thanks to our conservative Senators, this challenge was handled and the Bible will be used as the textbook complimented by a lesson plan written by biblically based scholars.

I interviewed with several members of the press – print and media -- on these issues…and tomorrow will be interviewing with National Public Radio on the Ten Commandments bill that recently passed out of the House. This bill will allow the Ten Commandments to be posted, along with other historical documents, in public buildings. It is not what we would prefer, but the best we can get right now.

Oh, in case you wonder what I did on Thursday, I was in the office taking care of business here!

*****

NATIONAL NEWS

Senator Johnny Isakson is sponsoring a bill (S. 2155) that would allow adults whose images have been used for child pornography on the Internet to sue for damages. The bill, dubbed “Masha’s Law” for a Russian orphan who was sexually exploited by her American adoptive father, would also boost civil damages from $50,000 to $150,000.

Masha was five years old when she was adopted from in 1998 by Matthew Mancuso, a divorced engineer from the Pittsburgh area. He started sexually abusing Masha soon after she arrived, and during the next five years he posted hundreds of explicit pictures of her on the Internet. Although Mancuso was located, convicted and imprisoned for child sexual abuse and for producing and for possessing child pornography, lewd pictures of Masha remain on the Internet.

Current law allows child-exploitation victims under age 18 to sue pornography purveyors for $50,000 in damages in federal court. This bill would change the law to allow child-exploitation victims to sue for damages that occur after they become adults and would raise civil damages to $150,000 – the same amount allowed for infringement of federal copyright laws.