Kentucky Baptist Convention Committee on Public Affairs

Two Important Alcohol Votes Set For Tuesday

Site Administrator — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:22:57 -0400

Two important local-option votes to expand alcohol sales go before voters this Tuesday. In Boyd County, voters will decide if Sandy Creek Golf Course should be allowed to sell beer to its patrons after a judge on Friday denied an 11th-hour attempt by the Greenup Baptist Association to halt the election on legal grounds. At the same time, voters in Lancaster (Garrard County) will decide whether to allow the legal sale of alcohol.

Click here to read details about the vote in Boyd County.

Click here to read details about the vote in Lancaster.

Abortion Death Count Continues to Rise

Site Administrator — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:26:32 -0400

The organization, Right to Life of Louisville, tries to keep track of the number of abortions occurring in Kentucky by monitoring the number of women visiting the EMW Woman's Surgical Center, which performs most of the abortions in the state. This doesn't provide an exact count of all abortions because it does not include abortions performed at area hospitals or take into account that a woman visiting the center might have possibly change her mind about having the procedure. Still, the statistics are sobering if you consider that the number is at least in the ballpark.

For the month of July, that number was 378. The total for the year thus far is 2,392.

Please pray:

for the women having abortions;
for our American culture that can tolerate what would be considered an atrocity if these deaths occurred after these children were born;
four our courts, which seem to have the only real power to bring about change.

House To Vote on Tobacco Regulation

Site Administrator — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:38:03 -0400

The U.S. House of Representatives is poised to take a vote to have tobacco regulated as a drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is supporting the bill and asking Southern Baptists to contact their congressmen to urge passage.

Here's the story from Baptist Press:

WASHINGTON (BP)--The House of Representatives is expected to vote soon on a bill that would authorize the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, H.R. 1108, would grant the FDA authority over the manufacture, promotion and sale of such products as cigarettes and chewing tobacco.

The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has worked with other religious organizations for several years in advocating for FDA regulation of tobacco. The ERLC distributed a message July 28 from President Richard Land via e-mail and on its website urging support for the measure.

Saying the House vote may take place the same week, Land wrote, "This common-sense bill would end special treatment of tobacco companies, empowering the FDA to subject the products to similar scrutiny required of foods, drugs and safety devices.

Click here to read the full story.

Suddenly, Slots Don’t Need Amendment

Site Administrator — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0400

After preaching "let the people decide" throughout this past Kentucky General Assembly session, gambling proponents are now talking about passing legislation to allow expanded gambling without a constitutional amendment. Rep. Tom Burch, a Louisville Democrat who regularly puts forth gambling expansion legislation, says he will file a bill in January's legislative session to authorize up to 18,000 slot machines in the state.

Burch's announcement is just the latest of the political moves on behalf of big gambling. Gov. Steve Beshear is currently on a listening tour around the state during which he continues to tout his support for bringing casinos to the state. Meanwhile, Rep. Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, who has suggested bringing in slot machines on a "trial" basis, is using the failure of the House to pass a casino bill during the last session as part of his campaign to replace Rep. Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, as House speaker.

Although they know that any attempt to expand gambling without a constitutional amendment will send the issue into the courts, the gambling politicans' calculus on these latest proposals seems to be based on the fact that the current bills do not have to passed by the General Assembly with a three-fifths super majority as constitutional amendments do. After the governor failed to wrangle the needed votes to get the bill out of the House this spring, the strategy seems to be to adjust the math by taking a route that requires fewer votes.

Citizens concerned about the devastating impact that expanding gambling will have on families and our state's economy will need be especially vigilant come January.

Here's the story about Burch's proposal from the Louisville Courier-Journal:

LOUISVILLE - Rep. Tom Burch said yesterday he will file a bill for next year's legislature to allow up to 18,000 slot machines across the state, including at eight licensed racetracks.

The Buechel Democrat, who in previous years filed bills for video lottery terminals at tracks, said his proposal would not seek to amend Kentucky's constitution.

If it had, the earliest it could be submitted to voters for ratification would be November 2010. Without an amendment, the proposal wouldn't need a statewide vote and could be decided next year by legislators and Gov. Steve Beshear.

Under Burch's proposal, any county could have slot machines if its voters approved it -- including those with racetracks. Counties with racetracks also could have some slot machines off-track.

One third of the slot machines -- 6,000 -- could be available to racetracks, with a minimum of 500 at each and more for some on a pro-rated basis determined by the number of live racing dates. For instance, Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., with six days of live racing could have 500, while Churchill Downs in Louisville with 78 days could have 1,080.

Click here to read the full story.

Should Faith Impact Your Voting?

Site Administrator — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0400

Should your faith impact your voting? Dwayne Hastings, vice president for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, takes a look at what Americans said about this topic in some recent research.

Here's his opinion column from Baptist Press :

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--If the results of a recent study are at all accurate, most Americans don't consider the precepts of their faith when they make their decisions on which political candidates to support.

In a recent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey, fewer than one in six respondents (14 percent) mentioned their religious beliefs as having the most influence on their political views. If an individual's faith has an impact, it apparently is indirect and is wrapped up in the amalgamation referred to as "personal experiences" by the pollsters. Most of those who were surveyed (34 percent) said it was those personal, life experiences that most informed their choices. The news media was cited by 19 percent of those who were asked about the primary influence on their political thinking.

Yet the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission's iVoteValues.com initiative holds that not only should an individual's faith drive their Election Day decisions, it should also compel a person to be involved in the nation's civic affairs.

Click here to read his entire piece.

Groups Appeal Children’s Home Ruling

Site Adminitrator — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0400

Although a federal court dismissed as groundless a suit against Sunrise Children's Services (formerly Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children) that claimed the Kentucky Baptist children's agency uses government funds to promote religion back in March, two liberal civil-liberties groups are appealing the decision to a higher court.

Here's the story from the Associated Baptist Press:

CINCINNATI (ABP) -- Two civil-liberties groups are asking a federal appeals court to stop state funding for a Kentucky Baptist agency, saying the agency uses the money to promote its religious beliefs to the detriment of employees and children.

On July 17, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the American Civil Liberties Union asked the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to take another look at Pedreira v. Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children, Inc.

In the suit, which a lower federal court dismissed in March, a group of Kentucky taxpayers asked that state funding for the agency (which has since changed its name to Sunrise Children's Services) be halted. Like many of the dozens of child-care agencies affiliated with state Baptist conventions, Sunrise has long contracted with Kentucky officials to house and care for children who have been taken into state custody.

Click here to read the full story.

Governor Questioned On Moral Issues

Site Administrator — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:25:19 -0400

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear fielded a number of questions on moral issues ranging from expanded gambling to domestic partner benefits at state universities in the second stop of his 12-stop listening tour of Kentucky in Somerset Monday night.

Here's the governor's schedule for the remaining meetings. All of the meetings are scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. Check your local news media for specifics about the meeting location in your area.

July 28: Ashland
July 31: Madisonville
Aug. 5: Shepherdsville
Aug. 6: Bowling Green
Aug. 11: Owensboro
Aug. 12: Hazard
Aug. 14: Covington
Aug. 18: Henderson
Aug. 19: Murray
Aug. 20: Paducah

Here's coverage of the Somerset meeting from The News and Tribune:

SOMERSET — Gov. Steve Beshear got perhaps a warmer welcome here Monday night than a Democratic governor may have anticipated at a town hall meeting in the heart of Republican country. But he faced a few adversarial questions and filibustering from opponents of casino gambling and domestic partner insurance benefits at state universities – and he said Kentucky must raise more revenue.

Beshear, who was accompanied by most of his cabinet, was making the second stop on his “Beshear About Kentucky” tour which he characterizes as an opportunity to “listen to the people of Kentucky.” More than 350 people turned out to hear him. Questions ranged from health care for teachers and state retirees to supporting the posting of the Ten Commandments and opposition from some in the audience to allowing universities to extend health care insurance to unmarried domestic partners.

Click here to read the full story.

Marriage Amendment To Stay on Calif. Ballot

Site Administrator — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:42:26 -0400

Californians will get their opportunity to vote this November on a state marriage amendment to reverse a court decision to allow homosexual marriages. The ballot initiative had been challenged by homosexual activist groups but the California Supreme Court ruled last week that all is in order with the proposed amendment to the state constitution so that balloting can move forward.

Here's the Baptist Press story on the court decision:

SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--Two months after issuing its landmark "gay marriage" decision, the California Supreme Court handed conservatives a victory July 16, allowing a proposed constitutional marriage amendment to stay on the November ballot.

Without comment the justices denied to hear a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and other liberal and homosexual activist groups that sought to prevent the initiative -- which easily qualified for the ballot with 1.1 million submitted signatures -- from going before voters.

Some of the legal arguments were viewed as long shots, but pro-family attorneys -- having lost confidence in the justices after the May ruling -- remained at least somewhat concerned about what the court might do. The liberal groups argued that the amendment would "revise" the constitution and take away constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights; such fundamental revisions cannot be placed on the ballot via voter initiative and must be approved by two-thirds of the legislature.

The amendment is known as Proposition 8 and, if passed, would reverse the 4-3 decision that made California only the second state to recognize "gay marriage."

Click here to read the full story.

Gay Marriage Colliding With Religious Liberty

Site Administrator — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:23:31 -0400

Some experts in religious liberty are beginning to feel that the extension of marriage rights to homosexual couples is putting the nation on a philosophical collision course with the principle of religious liberty. Speaking at a recent forum sponsored by the conservative Family Research Council, the experts expressed concern that even the tax exempt status of churches or other religious organizations could be affected by the culture's move to legitimize same-sex unions.

Here's the story from Baptist Press:

WASHINGTON (BP)--Same-sex unions and religious liberty are destined to collide in this country in ways that could prove costly for the free exercise of religion, legal experts said in a Washington panel discussion.

The event, convened by the Washington-based Family Research Council, brought together law professors and legal advocates to discuss the impact on religious expression of the California Supreme Court's May decision in support of "gay marriage."

Benjamin Bull, chief counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said the conflict is inevitable, although the extent of the damage is yet to be determined.

"I do think ... there is one thing that we can agree on, and that is that this whole attempted institution of same-sex marriage is on a collision course with traditional Christian views and values in virtually every institution that one can think of," Bull said at the close of the 90-minute discussion. "And I can't tell you whether or not it's going to be a nuclear bomb-type collision or just a train wreck, but it's coming."

Click here to read the full story.

Massachusetts Moving to Expand Gay Marriage

Site Administrator — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:11:34 -0400

As part of the the ongoing erosion of the definition of marriage in our country, the Massachusetts legislature took a step last week toward allowing homosexual couples from other states the privilege of "marrying" in the state. Massachusetts already recognizes homosexual unions formed between state residents.

Here's the Baptist Press story with the details.

BOSTON (BP)--When Massachusetts redefined marriage in 2004, some feared the state would become "the Las Vegas of same-sex marriage" by attracting homosexual couples from all over America. Thanks to a bill going through the state legislature, that now appears on the verge of happening.

The Massachusetts Senate by voice vote unanimously passed a bill July 15 that would repeal a 1913 law that has been used in recent years to prevent out-of-state same-sex couples from "marrying." The bill could pass the state House by the end of the month and be signed by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick. Patrick and House leaders support the bill.

The impact on other states could be significant, as same-sex couples could "marry" in Massachusetts and sue their home states to have those marriage licenses recognized.

Click here to read the full story.

Governor Out Talking Casinos Again

Site Administrator — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:40:10 -0400

Gov. Steve Beshear is traveling the state over the next few weeks conducting "town hall" meetings and one of his messages appears to be that he's contemplating another push to bring casinos to the state. With the economy in the doldrums and state officials struggling to deal with a very tight state budget, he still seems to think the answer is to allow the gambling industry to suck even more money out of the economy and send it to Las Vegas and other points abroad.

Those who oppose bringing in casinos need to show up at the meetings. Attendees are encouraged to speak up respectfully to let the governor know that while creative efforts to build and strengthen the Kentucky economy are definitely needed, adding casinos will be counterproductive.

Here's the governor's schedule for the remaining meetings. All of the meetings are scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. Check your local news media for specifics about the meeting location in your area.

July 21: Somerset
July 28: Ashland
July 31: Madisonville
Aug. 5: Shepherdsville
Aug. 6: Bowling Green
Aug. 11: Owensboro
Aug. 12: Hazard
Aug. 14: Covington
Aug. 18: Henderson
Aug. 19: Murray
Aug. 20: Paducah

Here's the story about the governor's first meeting from the Lexington Herald-Leader:

VIRGIE — Gov. Steve Beshear said Thursday that legalizing casinos remains a possibility in Kentucky even though lawmakers rejected the idea earlier this year.

”I don't think that issue is dead,“ Beshear told about 400 people gathered in a small school auditorium in the heart of the Appalachian coalfields. ”I think we will be talking about it a lot more.“

Beshear began a series of 13 town hall meetings Thursday that will take him to communities across the state during the next five weeks.

Click here to read the full story.

Signs Pointing Toward Renewed Gambling Push

Site Administrator — Sun, 6 Jul 2008 18:37:36 -0400

Although it's only July, there are strong signs beginning to surface that Kentucky legislators may once again be asked to deal with the issue of casino gambling when its short session begins in January.

Here are some of the indicators:

State Rep. Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, has said he will propose a bill next year to temporarily allow electronic gaming machines at Kentucky's racetracks as a test run. This would be a move to give the racetracks what they have wanted all along -- slot machines (which are the most profitable and addicting of the casino games) without competition from free-standing casinos. This is simply another maneuver in the ongoing push for expanded gambling.
The Ellis Park racetrack in Henderson is in deep financial trouble and very nearly canceled its current meet. Watch for the threat of racetrack closures to be used as "evidence" that expanded gambling is necessary in order to "save" Kentucky's signature horse industry.
Indiana continues to take actions to expand gambling. The state recently authorized bars to offer small-stakes wagering and more than 200 establishments across the state have obtained licenses to offer paper pull-tabs, tip boards and other paper-based gambling. On the high-stakes end, the Indiana Gaming Commission, at the request of Harrah's Entertainment, has approved a new rule that encourages and enables "junketeers" to direct high-stakes gamblers to Indiana. Junkets refer to casino trips that target the wealthy and often include free meals, rooms transportation and other special amenities. The trip organizers are typically paid based on how much their customers are expected to lose at the casinos. Expect these moves to be used to further increase pressure on legislators to expand gambling here in order to "save all of the gambling money that is going across the border."

The gambling industry, with the sparkle of the dollars it hopes to extract from Kentucky citizens always in view, will never give up in its relentless pursuit of expanded gambling. People of conscience and common sense will have to continue to be equally diligent in opposition to prevent the "big lie" that expanding gambling will solve our problems from doing devastating harm to our families and economy.

Here are some articles related to the points above:

Euthanasia is Barbarism By Another Name

Site Adminstrator — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:12:13 -0400

Baptist Press recently ran a disturbing story about an Oregon woman with cancer who discovered that her state sponsored health plan would not cover her cancer treatment but would cover the costs of doctor-assisted suicide. This is a prime example of how far our nation has fallen in some places in regard to valuing life. It also demonstrates the slipperiness of the slope once compromises on the sanctity of life begin to be made.

We used to think that such customs from past centuries as abandoning unwanted babies to die in the elements or requiring widows to burn on the funeral pyres of their husbands to be barbaric and unfathomable in a modern society. Yet, the only real difference between those practices and today's practices of abortion and euthanasia is that the latter have been been made sterile by modern medical technology.

Here's the story from Baptist Press:

EUGENE, Ore. (BP)--Barbara Wagner discovered recently her state would not cover chemotherapy for her lung cancer but would underwrite her death by physician-assisted suicide.

Wagner, 64, received notice in May that the Oregon Health Plan, which provides health-care coverage for about 380,000 low-income residents monthly, had refused to cover the drug prescribed by her oncologist when her cancer recurred, according to The Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard. She was told, however, it would cover assisted suicide as part of palliative, or pain relief, care.

The notification the health plan would cover assisted suicide especially disturbed Wagner. "To say to someone, we'll pay for you to die, but not pay for you to live, it's cruel," she told The Register-Guard. "I get angry. Who do they think they are?"

Bioethics specialist Wesley Smith said this should come as no shock in Oregon, where assisted suicide has been legal since 1997.

Click here to read the full story.

Kentucky Baptists Being Called to Prayer

Site Administrator — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:30:00 -0400

The prayer gatherings are open to the public with everyone invited to attend.

At each location, Baptists and other Christians will gather for approximately one hour of concerted prayer. In most cases, the prayer time will be introduced with a brief service of welcome and worship, but the vast majority of the time will be dedicated to praying, both corporately and in small groups.

“We will pray for people we know who do not yet know Jesus, for spiritual awakening in our community, for a movement of God in each church and for Kentucky Baptist ministries across the commonwealth,” said Dr. Bill Mackey, executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

The Sept. 10 prayer services will mark the fourth consecutive year that the KBC has promoted a special time of united prayer. Last year, Kentucky Baptists gathered as local groups of churches for simultaneous prayer events.

The two previous years, a team of KBC leaders traveled the state to lead prayer gatherings. In 2005, the team traveled the perimeter of the state, making more than 30 stops for prayer gatherings of Kentucky Baptists. In 2006, the leaders’ travels focused on the interior of the state.

It is hoped that the prayer emphasis will spark large numbers of Christians to participate.

“Baptists are a people of prayer so it is certainly not something out of the ordinary for us to come together to pray,” Mackey said. “But I do believe it helps us all to focus in on the importance of prayer and on the importance of the issues we are praying about when we come together with a special emphasis like this. It is significant when we pray knowing that other churches are also gathering on the same day to pray about the same things.”

Visit www.kybaptist.org/onevoice for more information about the prayer services and to download materials that can be used in promoting a particular prayer gathering.

Gay Activists Want Heat Turned Up Slowly

Site Administrator — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:51:16 -0400

In the wake of California's decision to legalize homosexual marriage, major gay rights groups are calling on gay couples to refrain from suing their states or the federal government to have their marriages recognized in their home states. Instead, they are advocating a "go slow" approach to avoid setbacks in the courts of less receptive states and buy time to allow the culture to grow more accustomed to the idea of homosexual marriage before pushing for full approval across the nation.

Here's a story from Baptist Press on the homosexual groups' official strategy statement followed by a link to the document itself.

SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--If the major homosexual activist groups have their way, there won't be an outbreak of "gay marriage" lawsuits nationwide now that California has legalized such unions -- at least not yet.

Nine of the nation's largest homosexual activist organizations have issued a joint six-page statement urging couples not to sue in their home states or in federal court. The reason? Losses in such lawsuits could set the "gay marriage" movement back for years.

The joint document, called "Make Change, Not Lawsuits," was signed by, among others, the American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal and the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD).

For years the groups have worked together to put forth a unified effort on the issue of "gay marriage" and "gay rights." The statement, though, is the first time they have jointly put their strategy on paper for the entire nation to read.

Click here to read the full story.

Click here to read the joint six-page statement from nine homosexual activist organizations.

California to Allow Gay Marriage June 17

Site Administrator — Mon, 9 Jun 2008 13:17:23 -0400

California will be moving forward with allowing homosexual marriages on June 17 after the California Supreme Court ruled against delaying the weddings until citizens had the opportunity to weigh in on a constitutional amendment on the issue in November. The state will join Massachusetts as the only states that recognize marriages between partners of the same sex.

The ruling is sure to renew efforts to pass an amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining marriage and may push the issue to the forefront of the presidential race.

Here's the story from Baptist Press:

SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--The California Supreme Court turned back pro-family groups June 4 by refusing to delay its "gay marriage" decision from going into effect, giving the green light for same-sex couples statewide to get "married" June 17.

The 4-3 margin ruling -- identical to its earlier decision -- came without comment and was a serious blow to social conservatives who had hoped the justices would stay their ruling until citizens consider a proposed constitutional marriage amendment on the November ballot. Some amendment opponents believe they have a greater chance of defeating the amendment if "gay marriages" already are taking place, a scenario which now will be the case.

Two Christian legal groups, the Alliance Defense Fund and Liberty Counsel, had filed legal briefs requesting the delay.

California now will become the second state, after Massachusetts, to legalize "marriage" between homosexuals. The amendment promoted by the group ProtectMarriage.com would reverse the court's ruling, although there will be some legal debate as to what happens to the licenses if the amendment in fact passes.

Click here to read the complete story.

NKU Defies Kentucky Marriage Amendment

Site Administrator — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:02:33 -0400

Northern Kentucky University last month became the third state university to defy Kentucky's marriage amendment by voting to allow the extension of employee health benefits to unmarried domestic partners. NKU’s new benefits program is set to begin on Jan. 1, 2009.The University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky have already adopted similar plans.

The marriage amendment, as approved by more than 75 percent of the voters in 2004, says the state recognizes only unions between one man and one woman as marriages and prohibits the extension of marriage-like status to any other kind of union. The text of the amendment states:

"Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Kentucky. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized."

Allowing the legal recognition of domestic partnerships is seen as an effort to weaken the practical application of the amendment and set a precedent for further erosion in the future. It is likely that the courts will eventually have to get involved in ruling on the constitutionality of the plans. An effort to pass legislation specifically banning state universities and state agencies from creating domestic partner benefits failed in this year's General Assembly session.

California Marriage Decision Sparks Concern

Site Administrator — Sun, 18 May 2008 18:33:17 -0400

A decision last week by the California Supreme Court to order the state's legislature to legalize "gay marriage" has many concerned that such recognitions will spread to other states. Massachusetts already recognizes homosexual marriages but California has no residency requirement which means people from other states can travel to California to obtain marriage certificates. This is sure to spark lawsuits across the country as gay couples seek to have their home states recognize the California marriage licenses.

The decision strikes down the will of California voters who had previously passed a referendum defining marriage as being only between one man and one woman. The court struck down Proposition 22, a law passed in 2000 to prohibit "gay marriage" and protect the natural definition of marriage. Voters approved it by a margin of 61-39 percent.

The court decision is expected to give renewed impetus to calls to amend the U.S. Constitution to clearly define marriage in heterosexual terms.

Below is an analysis of the California decision from Baptist Press:

SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--For years, conservatives have bemoaned the fact that California is a sort of cultural trend-setter -- setting trends that eventually spread east and reverberate nationally.

It helped spark the sexual revolution, adopted the nation's first no-fault divorce law and helped launch the modern-day "gay rights" movement. And while it has broken ground that both conservatives and liberals can applaud –- it, for instance, was the first to overturn bans on interracial marriage -– few conservatives were celebrating May 15 when the California Supreme Court, by a slim 4-3 margin, ordered the state to legalize "gay marriage."

California's high court isn't the first to hand down such a ruling -– Massachusetts' court owns that distinction –- but its impact has the potential to be far more significant, for at least four reasons: The decision was issued in the nation's most populous state; the court is one of the most, if not the most, influential high courts in the country; the justices placed sexual "orientation" alongside race, sex and religion in protected class status; and, unlike Massachusetts, California has no residency requirements, meaning that same-sex couples from every state can travel to the Golden State, get a marriage license, and then go back to their home state and sue for recognition.

Click here to read the full analysis.

Survey Shows Primary Candidates’ Positions

Site Administrator — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:23:31 -0400

With the May 20 primary elections for Kentuckians fast approaching, readers may be interested in checking out the Kentucky Candidate Information Survey which shows candidates' positions on a variety of issues.

The survey is a non-partisan project of the Family Trust Foundation, the non-profit parent organzation of The Family Foundation of Kentucky. It has been published since 1993 to reliably report candidates' views to voters. The survey is available to be downloaded and printed from the website in order to hand out copies to neighbors, fellow church members, friends and family.

Click here to access the survey results.

A Thank You to Kentucky’s Legislators

Site Adminstrator — Mon, 5 May 2008 16:08:40 -0400

Serving in public office is often a thankless job. No decision made is ever going to please everyone and those who are displeased are much more likely to be vocal than are those who are happy. KBC Committee on Public Affairs Chairman John Chowning recently wrote to all Kentucky legislators to thank them for their service during the recently ended General Assembly session.

Here is the text of his letter:

Dear Legislator:

I am writing on behalf of the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s Committee on Public Affairs to say “thank you” for your service to our Commonwealth during this just-ended legislative session. I know that the economic downturn and many difficult issues you were facing contributed to making this an especially challenging session. We appreciate your commitment to being an active part of our democratic process.

From our particular point of view, we were pleased with the session results in a couple of areas. First, we were very pleased that efforts to move expanded gambling legislation forward were not successful. We are very grateful to all of the legislators who stood firm despite heavy pressure in opposing an expansion that would have brought long-term economic harm to our state.

We were also pleased to see House Bill 211 approved to increase the penalties for those in authority who sexually abuse children. This is a positive step in helping to protect precious, young lives.

There were, of course, other pieces of legislation that would have benefited Kentucky that did not receive an opportunity to go before the full legislature. Senate Bill 40, which would have allowed a woman to see an ultrasound of her baby before making a final decision about an abortion, is one such bill that we are hopeful will be reintroduced in a future session.

Once again, thank you for your work during this session. We know that we will not always agree on every issue but please know that your service is appreciated and that you continue to be in our prayers. May the Lord bless you and your family in the days ahead!

Sincerely,
John Chowning, Chairman