CHRISTIAN COALITION OF IOWA

LEGISLATIVE REPORT

Norm Pawlewski – Lobbyist

February 6 – February 17, 2006

If you go to our web site, http:IowaChristian.com , you can click on “Bills We Are Following” and get an updated list of bills of interest to people of faith, and to conservatives who have not as yet joined the family of God.  If that’s who you are, what are you waiting for?  “God after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (Heb. 1:1-3)  “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?  After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard.” (Heb. 2:3)

There are just too many bills to mention all of them; but I will point you toward a few that are of particular interest.  Senate File 2103 and House File 2132 are identical bills that would prohibit disturbing or being disorderly at a military funeral.  You would think that most people would show some respect for the family of a fallen soldier. Evidently there are some people who are uncouth to the point of disrespecting a military funeral.  My daughter is singing at a military funeral in Lincoln, Nebraska.  She says they have experienced disruptions at these funerals by a “Christian” group from the state of Kansas.  Their reasoning for doing so is too ridiculous to mention.

Senate Study Bill 3126 and House Study Bill 692 require school districts to establish anti-harassment and anti-bullying policies, provide for data collection and reporting requirements, provide immunity and other related matters.  On the surface you would think these are bills we should support, but we don’t.  Why?  Because these study bills are more about getting sexual orientation and gender identity defined as a characteristic or trait than they are about bullying.  The House version was submitted by the Governor, the Senate version by a Democrat Senator.  The same bills with nearly identical language were submitted several times last year.  Senate and House Republicans said last year that they could support the bullying requirements if the sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as all the other “traits and characteristics” itemized in the bills, were removed.  Neither the Governor nor the Democrat legislators were willing to do that.  The bills would be just as viable and enforceable without that language. 

Senate File 2010 and House File 2286 are identical “death penalty” bills.  We are still studying those and will take a position on them in the near future.

Look up the bills we are following and send me an e-mail at rmpaw@msn.com if you want to comment on them.  Leave me your phone number if you want to discuss any legislation listed or unlisted.  Feel free to contact your legislators, House and/or Senate, to let them know your thoughts about any of these bills.

Finally, if you want to know the meaning of  “Christophobia,” read my article in the next CCI Newsletter when it comes to your home or when it’s posted on our web site.