SB791 The SAFE Act "Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act" to be Presented tomorrow by Senator Amanda Chase

Prohibits permanent, irreversible and experimental radical gender transition medical procedures for minors by "Woke" Doctors

CHESTERFIELD, VA - Tomorrow, Tuesday January 31, Senator Amanda Chase will present SB791 the SAFE Act, otherwise known as the Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act, to prohibit permanent and irreversible experimental gender transition procedures on minors. Similar legislation sponsored by Arkansas Representative Lundstrum HB1570, which passed in 2021 and has been introduced in 21 other states.

The bill will apply to minors only and prohibits experimental, permanent and irreversible sterilization and mutilation on minors in the name of "gender transition" procedures.

It also prohibits the use of public funds for "transition procedures" for minors and establishes enforcement procedures for "woke" healthcare providers who chose financial gain over their Hippocratic oath to "do no harm."

Finally, the bill prohibits insurance companies from being forced to cover the tremendous cost of these experimental procedures and passing the cost along to the consumer.



"Public school children, who still believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny, are being allowed to make permanent irreversible medical decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives. This is outrageous given students can't even legally get tattoos or take aspirin on their own on school property. "

"Trusting parents are seeking help from trusted doctors only to find out these "woke" doctors are encouraging these experimental procedures and coercing parents into going along with expensive transition surgeries that they are falsely told will save their child's life. Ultimately many of these children detransition when they become adults and regret the decision."

"It's time to put an end to "woke" doctors taking financial advantage of vulnerable parents and their children. "

Bishop E.W. Jackson says Al Sharpton Preaching Tyre Nichols Funeral Makes Mockery of the Tragedy

Bishop E.W. Jackson, President and Founder of STAND - Staying True to America's National Destiny [standamerica.us] - says Al Sharpton should not be allowed to preach the eulogy for Tyre Nichols.

Jackson says, "If the facts as we now know them are proved in a court of law, the former police officers deserve life in prison for their callousness and depraved indifference to human life." He adds however that this is clearly not a racial issue, but one of "humanity," which should unite rather than divide us.

The Bishop argues, "Al Sharpton is one of the most divisive figures in America. He is a racial demagogue, a liar and a Democrat partisan. Nobody thinks of him as a man of decency, honor or compassion. He is a con-man who would elbow his mother out of the way to get in front of a camera. He brings nothing but distrust and destruction in his wake. The black community needs leaders to bring police and the community together to stop the epidemic of crime that is taking thousands of black lives annually."

Jackson laments the 315 children murdered in inner city violence since 2020, which he alleges "has gotten no attention" because "they aren't being killed by police or 'white supremacists.'" Data shows murders of black victims increased by 25% annually since 2019. Jackson criticizes the establishment black leaders and the discredited Black Lives Matter organization: "The only time black lives matter to these people is if a cop is involved in the death. Forty times more black adults and children are killed by black criminals who mostly get away with it. The lives of these black victims apparently don't matter."

Jackson is the author of a new book, "Sweet Land of Liberty - Reflections of a Patriot Descended from Slaves." He calls his book a blue print for securing America's future as a nation of unity, peace and prosperity for all as opposed to the racial tribalism being pushed by the Democrat Party and their leftist allies.

Family Research Council, 13 Pro-life Groups Send Letter Urging Walmart To Decide Not to Sell Chemical Abortion Drugs

January 27, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Family Research Council, along with a coalition of thirteen other pro-life organizations, sent a letter addressed to the leadership of Walmart Inc. calling on them not to seek certification to dispense chemical abortion drugs, as well as a letter to the leadership of Rite Aid Corporation calling on them to stop acting as de-facto abortion centers by seeking certification to dispense abortion inducing drugs.

In particular, the letter to Walmart acknowledges that, at this time, the company has not formally sought FDA certification to dispense chemical abortion drugs and urges them to formally decline dispensing the abortion pill regimen:

"We are grateful that Walmart Inc. has not declared that it will seek a certification that would essentially make the corporation an abortion facility--forcing every employee and customer to wrestle with its radical association with the abortion industry. We urge you to hold fast to this position."

Mary Szoch, Family Research Council's Director of the Center for Human Dignity, released the following statement:

"We are grateful that, so far, Walmart Inc. has not followed the path of CVS and Walgreens in becoming, in effect, an abortion facility. As long as Walmart pharmacies remain pharmacies--not abortion drug dispensers--Americans will know that there is a place where they can have their prescriptions filled without unwillingly subsidizing abortion.

"In addition, we are saddened and disappointed to learn that Rite Aid will be seeking a certification to transform the company into an abortion facility. From this point forward, no one can have their prescription filled at a Rite Aid, CVS, or Walgreens without contributing to the death of innocent, unborn children.

"Chemical abortion drugs are extremely dangerous--they take the life of an unborn child, and they can put the life of that child's mother in jeopardy. Pharmacies across the country should recognize that distributing these drugs is antithetical to their mission of providing medications that allow life to flourish," Szoch concluded.

Earlier this month, Family Research Council, along with the same thirteen other pro-life organizations, also sent letters addressed to the leadership of CVS Health and Walgreens Boots Alliance pharmacy chains asking them to stop dispensing the chemical abortion drug regimen.

FRC Action, FRC's legislative affiliate, also gathered 53,016 signatures from constituents calling on the Walgreens and CVS to stop selling chemical abortion drugs in their pharmacies, to keep their pharmacy businesses, a pharmacy business - not an abortion business.

Read the full Rite Aid Corporation letter.

Read the full Walmart, Inc. letter.

Free Speech Under Siege

Thursday, January 26, 2023

By Gary Bauer

 

Yesterday's announcement by Meta, otherwise known as Facebook, that it is lifting its ban on Donald Trump and allowing him back on the platform is long overdue. How in the world do these American social media giants justify banning conservatives from their platforms? 

 

When Facebook banned Trump, he was the sitting president of the United States! They kept him off as a private citizen for two years, while all kinds of bad actors are still on. 

 

Seriously, Iran's Holocaust-denying dictator is allowed on Facebook, but not Donald Trump.  Antifa is allowed on Facebook (here and here), but not Donald Trump.

 

In a country built on free speech, this is totally outrageous!

 

It shouldn't matter whether you like Trump or not. The right of free speech doesn't depend on whether we like the person who is speaking or what they are saying. That's the only thing that allows you to speak when people don't like you or what you're saying.

 

Mark Zuckerberg banned Trump after the conflict on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021. He claimed Trump could have stopped the violence but didn't. Really? Well, here are some of Trump's final posts on Facebook before he was banned:

 

"I am asking everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! We are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue."

 

"Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!"

 

That's as clear as you can get. Yet while Trump was sending out these messages, Facebook shut him down.

 

I could list a hundred things Joe Biden has said that are provable lies and deliberate attempts to stoke racial division. His repeated lies about the Charlottesville riot, his smears against brave Border Patrol agents and attacks on commonsense voter integrity laws are just a couple of examples. 

 

Yet none of those things Biden routinely says are banned by Big Tech. 

 

It's obvious what's going on. The intolerant, totalitarian left is increasingly at war with fundamental American values. It wants to silence populist conservatives to shutdown debate, making the neo-Marxist "fundamental transformation of America" that much easier.

 

We must resist the left's efforts to undermine free speech because any attack on free speech is ultimately an attack on religious liberty. 

 

There's a reason the Founding Fathers included both rights in the First Amendment. Our ability to worship freely and live out our faith is directly related to our rights of free association, free expression and free speech. 

 

That's what the Coach Kennedy case was all about. That's what the Jack Phillips case is all about. That's what the current dispute involving a Georgia police officer is all about. 

 

Will the Supreme Court Make it Legal to Cause Illegal Immigration?

January 26, 2023

IRLI protects free speech and law enforcement

WASHINGTON—Yesterday, the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court calling on the Court to protect First Amendment rights while enforcing immigration law.   Human trafficking is a crime. Federal law prohibits bringing illegal aliens across the border, transporting them within the United States, harboring or shielding them from law enforcement, or inducing them to break American immigration laws.   But one individual charged with defrauding illegal immigrants by selling them a bogus path to citizenship says the First Amendment protects him from prosecution for this scam.   Helaman Hansen was charged with taking fees from aliens for helping them seek citizenship through fraudulent "adult adoption." This inducement made the aliens illegally overstay their visas. The United States government prosecuted Hansen, but his lawyers claim the law under which it did so violates the First Amendment.   IRLI disagrees. The First Amendment is our most cherished constitutional right, protecting Americans' core freedoms: speech, religion, and petition. It does not, however, protect criminal enterprises that rely on speech. Just as it is illegal to commit false advertising or blackmail, or to run pyramid schemes, so it is illegal to trick people out of their money and induce them to break immigration law. Properly interpreted, the law against encouraging or inducing aliens to break immigration laws does not penalize First Amendment-protected speech, but only crimes carried out by speech.   "This case is a cynical use of the First Amendment," said Dale L. Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of IRLI. "The defendant did not even claim that his own speech and actions were protected by the First Amendment. Instead, he attempted to show that the law against inducing may violate the free speech rights of other people. We hope the Court adheres to an interpretation of the law that forecloses his argument, and protects Americans while fully recognizing their right to free speech."   The case is United States v. Hansen, No. 22-179 (Supreme Court).

Senator Mark Obenshain: Week 2 Update from the General Assembly

With the conclusion of the second week of the 2023 General Assembly Session, one thing is becoming increasingly clear – Republicans need to retake control of the Virginia Senate! This week, the Democratic leaders in the Senate showed just how partisan they have become and have demonstrated their unwillingness to put good policy ahead of politics.

 

      Last Monday, the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, upon which I sit, considered the repeal of 2021 legislation that ceded to California authority to control the timeline for banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in Virginia. The liberal elite wants to require working Virginians to spend upwards of $75,000 for an electric vehicle as their next car or truck. Unless repealed 35% of all new vehicles sold in Virginia by 2026 must be electric vehicles and it will impose a complete ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. In what must have been an accidental moment of candor, one Democrat on the Committee admitted that these goals are aspirational and cannot be met, but on a party line vote (15 Democrats to 3 Republicans) the Committee rejected this commonsense measure.

 

      Last week, the Privileges and Elections Committee heard multiple election integrity bills. Notwithstanding broad bipartisan support, the Committee refused to reinstate the photo ID mandate. The Committee also rejected a bill that would have ended same day voter registration – allowing persons to show up on Election Day, register and vote at the same time.  Finally, the Committee killed a bill that would have criminalized intentional efforts to register non-citizens to vote.

 

      As most are aware, I have been working to restore integrity to Virginia's Parole Board and its operations. The scandal-ridden Northam-appointed Parole Board found itself in the midst of a media firestorm when it was caught releasing convicted murders, rapists and kidnappers without properly notifying victims, their families or law enforcement in the communities where the crimes were committed. On Friday, a Senate committee killed my transparency bill to require Parole Board members to actually show up, and meet in person, require current interviews of inmates and allow victims to offer input via virtual means. Americans are sick and tired of having legislators or government officials not showing up to do their jobs. If a friend or family member of mine were preparing for a parole hearing, I would certainly want parole board members to take it sufficiently seriously that they would actually meet in person, discuss the case and have a current interview of the inmate before making a parole decision. Finally, the bill would have allowed victims to provide input virtually. Nobody testified in opposition to this bill, yet Democrats on the committee killed it on a party line vote. Attorney General Jason Miyares pledged to investigate the misconduct by the Northam parole board and I hope that he will get to the bottom of the scandal-ridden conduct of that panel. For the sake of safe communities across Virginia and for the sake of fairness from the perspective of everybody involved in the process, it is essential that integrity and public confidence be restored in the process.

 

      Finally, on Friday, a Senate subcommittee considered bills protecting innocent human life. First was a bill introduced by Senator Travis Hackworth, limiting abortion from conception with exceptions for medical emergency and rape or incest (before 20 weeks and with a police report). The Governor's bill, patroned by Steve Newman would limit abortions after 15 weeks of gestational age with exceptions for medical emergency, rape or incest. Senator Siobhan Dunnavant introduced a bill that would limit abortions in the third trimester, with exceptions for medical emergencies and nonviable pregnancies. The Senate Education and Health Committee, controlled by Democrats recommended defeating all of those bills. Surveys show that more than 80% of Americans, across all racial, ethnic and political lines oppose late-term abortions, but not a single Democrat on the Committee was willing to vote even for those very limited restrictions. Innocent human life needs to be protected. It is clear that those Senate Democrats want no restrictions whatsoever on abortion.

 

      You can look here for a full list of the bills I am carrying this session.    I will endeavor to provide weekly updates on significant developments during the course of Session. If you have opinions (pro or con), questions or concerns about any legislation before the General Assembly, please do not hesitate to share those with me. I can always be reached by email at mark@markobenshain.com and my office can be reached at either 804-698-7526 (Richmond Office) or 540-437-1451 (Harrisonburg District Office.)  Should you be in Richmond at any point during the General Assembly Session, please stop by my office (Room 502) and say hello and let us know if we can do anything for you during your visit.

 

 

      I always enjoy visiting with and meeting with groups and constituents from home. This week was very busy with visits from  Second Amendment supporters from the VCDL, local Credit Union leaders, Leadership Harrisonburg/Rockingham Chamber Class, Page County advocates for the Federation of the Blind, EMS representatives, Rappahannock Board of Supervisors member, Virginia Interfaith Council and students from Shenandoah County Central High School's Y Street program. 

Best,

Mark Obenshain

The Latest from Brother Craig The Hatchet Man

Love Them Both: Baby & Mother The Jubilee Year: The 50th March for Life Welcome to The REALLY Real Deal and our Sunday Message for January 22, 2023. It's called "Love Them Both: Baby & Mother." In light of the March for Life, I wanted to share a simple reminder with you all: we hold the ultimate victory in Jesus. He has given us a very … Read more.

EMET EXPRESSES ITS PROFOUND GRATITUDE TO THE US SENATE FOR REINTRODUCING S. CON. RES. 47

January 24, 2023

EMET EXPRESSES ITS PROFOUND GRATITUDE TO THE US SENATE FOR REINTRODUCING S. CON. RES. 47, a concurrent resolution commending the bravery, courage, and resolve of the women and men of Iran demonstrating in more than 80 cities and risking their safety to speak out against the Iranian regime's human rights abuses.

EMET would like to express our most profound gratitude to Chairman Robert Menendez, (Democrat, NJ)  and to Senator Marsha Blackburn, (D-Tennesee), for their leadership in introducing this important bipartisan concurrent resolution.

As EMET has previously noted, Iranian dissidents have been under severe threat for courageously speaking out against the brutal and repressive theocracy in Iran. The purpose of this resolution is to formally condemn the impossibly brutal behavior of Iran and "impose human rights sanctions on officials and entities that are responsible for the repression of current protests and involved in violating the human rights of the Iranian people."

EMET, along with the US Senate, commends the bravery, courage, and resolve of the women and men of Iran who are participating in the current protests to defend their fundamental human rights; and risking their safety to speak out against the human rights abuses committed by the Iranian regime. Importantly, this resolution also condemns the brutal beating and death of Mahsa Amini and the violent suppression by the Iranian regime of women and men participating in the current demonstrations, including children, and calls for transparent accountability for all killings of protesters by Iranian security forces.

Says Sarah Stern, EMET Founder and President, "This resolution is a necessary first step at a time when thousands of courageous Iranian dissidents have risked their very lives, demonstrating for basic human rights and for freedom from religious coercion; at a time when at least 20,000 of them have been arrested by the regime, 4 have been publicly hung, 500 have been shot in the street, including 58 children,(that we know of). This also is coming at a time when the Islamic Republic of Iran has been an active partner with Russia in their brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine. Our next step is to call for hearings with groups associated with the Iranian dissidents, to find ways to help the dissidents to overcome this brutal regime, and to develop an effective "Plan B" for dealing with Iran. In the meantime, we wish to express our most profound appreciation and support to Chairman Bob Menendez, and to Senator Marsha Blackburn, who represent the best of bipartisanship in Congress and are the co-sponsors of this very important resolution."

CCRC: Meet and Greet with Mike Allers

From the Mike Allers campaign:

Mike will be at the Culpeper HQ building (402 S. Main St)

Wednesday, February 1   Noon - 5 PM

Wednesday, February 8   Noon - 5 PM

for anyone who'd like to meet Mike and ask him questions regarding his upcoming primary bid for the State Senate seat.

Car-a-Lago Grows

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

By Gary Bauer

I'm sure you've heard the news that former Vice President Mike Pence recently discovered classified documents at his Indiana home. The National Archives was immediately informed of their existence, and the FBI quickly retrieved them. 

Donald Trump instantly jumped to Pence's defense, posting this statement on Truth Social, "Mike Pence is an innocent man. He never did anything knowingly dishonest in his life.  Leave him alone!!!" 

If anything good is coming out of all this, maybe it's that whatever breach existed between the two men is on its way to being healed.

Major Differences & Double Standards

That said, there are clear differences in all these cases. Let me just remind you of some truths here.

First, Washington has a serious overclassification problem.

Second, every president since at least Jimmy Carter has had disputes with the National Archives over certain documents in their possession. There is really nothing new about this.

But we now have four cases of prominent people accused of mishandling classified documents – Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Mike Pence, and you may have forgotten about the fourth, Hillary Clinton.

Hillary put classified material on a personal server in her home, likely in a deliberate effort to evade the law. She sent and received classified information through that server, some of which ended up on disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner's laptop. 

When the Clinton "Servergate" story broke, she engaged in a massive coverup, physically destroying cell phones, deleting tens of thousands of messages and then wiping her server with BleachBit. 

There were no raids on the Clinton estate in Chappaqua, and the FBI gave Hillary and everyone around her a pass. As a result, she's often left out of this whole conversation, yet she sits in judgment of Trump. 

In stark contrast, Trump was engaged in ongoing negotiations with the National Archives. He voluntarily gave up 15 boxes of material during those negotiations. Trump's documents were securely locked down at the FBI's request. 

But the FBI raided Trump's home anyway. And then leaked staged photos and lies to the media for days about the documents and what was in them.

Biden has had classified documents in his possession for well more than a decade – dating all the way back to his days in the Senate.  That's astonishing! I guarantee you senators don't have classified documents in their homes for years.

That jarring fact further underscores the necessity of opening up Biden's Senate papers  at the University of Delaware, which I called for two weeks ago when his "Car-a-Lago" scandal initially erupted. I am pleased to report that others are now joining that call.

Biden had classified documents all over the place, from an old office to his home and even in his garage! 

Sources say the information involved intelligence memos on China, Ukraine and Iran. In two cases, those were countries where Hunter Biden had major business dealings, and there are serious questions as to whether he may have used them to enrich the "Big Guy."

Now we have news that Mike Pence also found classified documents in his home. 

Pence is such an honorable man that he was mocked for not meeting alone with women. When he found documents in his house, he immediately turned them over. 

The differences here are extraordinary, but the media will never lay it out this way, and will instead do its best to sweep the whole thing under the rug.

1 Week!

Coming up this Saturday! Virginia Education Choice Event | Free

Americans for Prosperity is offering an advanced training session in association with the Virginia Education Opportunity Alliance coming up this Saturday in Charlottesville.  This is a session beyond your baseline knowledge of K-12 education reform.  You will receive real knowledge and skills to help advance education choice in Virginia.  Plus, we have a Strategic Director from AFP Headquarters coming to facilitate the event.

 

The January 28^th event is free and includes a complimentary lunch buffet at the English Inn.  Our goal is to ensure grassroots Virginians are prepared to move education choice legislation into law for Virginia families. 

 

Please reserve your seat today!  Contact Flint Engleman to register.  Simply email FEngleman@afphq.org or call/text (540)226-4591.

 

Here is a quick look at the key learning points for Saturday:

• The principles of the education freedom movement.  Including parental choice for K-12 students.
• Effective education freedom messaging.  Changing the narrative for choice in Virginia.
• Inside the General Assembly:  How education choice can win!
• How to effectively lobby legislators for education reform.
• Best practices for testifying to the General Assembly

 

Virginia Education Choice Training Event

Hosted by Americans for Prosperity-Virginia

Saturday, January 28^th 10:00am-2:00pm | English Inn of Charlottesville

2000 Morton Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903 

 

Friday, Feb. 3rd: Pastor John K. Amanchukwu, Sr., Author of ERACED

Uncovering the Lies of Critical Race Theory and Abortion

Friday, February 3rd

6:30-8:00PM

Reception Immediately Following

Novum Baptist Church

1629 Novum Church Rd.

Reva, VA

549-547-3414

Calling all Mama Bears-and Papas too!-on Feb 8

Victoria Cobb, President January 24, 2022   Calling all "mama bears" and those standing for our cubs! Yes, parents do have a say on what their kids experience at school—and that includes explicit content on the library shelves; counseling on social and personal issues; as well as the overall direction of your child's education. We've made that clear in multiple elections—and now it's time to make it clear again at the State Capitol. On Wednesday, Feb. 8, come join us to ask our representatives to affirm those rights in key legislation. We are stronger when we speak together!   What: Parental Rights Day (Mama Bear Day!) When: Feb. 8 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: The day begins at The Family Foundation of Virginia office and ends at the State Capitol. You'll have the chance to stand for parental rights at a press conference; meet with your elected officials; receive recognition from the floor of the House of Delegates; and get up-to-the-minute information from The Family Foundation's policy team on the status of key legislation affecting your parental rights! Click the button below to register now for this free event (no need to complete ticket section unless bringing a guest):

REGISTER NOW We need as many mama and papa bears—and supporting concerned citizens—as possible to join together on this day and visually demonstrate support for policies that protect parental rights. Come join us on Feb 8, wear the color blue, and get your mama bear day stickers (see sample below)! Share with friends: familyfoundation.org/mamabearday

SCHOOL CHOICE HEARING TOMORROW

HB 1396, Real and Complete School Choice will be heard in a subcommittee TOMORROW MORNING and you need to act right now! Delegate Marie March needs your immediate help! We need supporters of FULL AND REAL School Choice to call the subcommittee members RIGHT NOW! Here are the Members of the Committee you need to call right now and tell that they must support HB 1396 tomorrow morning!- Delegate Carrie Coyner (R-62)- 804-698-1062- Coyner has long opposed real School Choice, so she needs to hear from you right now! Delegate John Avoli (R-20)- 804-698-1020 Delegate Mike Cherry (R-66_- 804-698-1066 Delegate Anne Tata (R-82)-804-698-1082 You need to act right now and call them and tell them they MUST support HB1396 as written, not amended it or play other procedural games! I cannot stress how vital it is that you call the following legislators and demand they support Real and Complete School Choice in HB1396, not amend it or play other procedural games!   Here are the Members of the Committee you need to call right now and tell that they must support HB 1396 tomorrow morning!- Delegate Carrie Coyner (R-62)- 804-698-1062- Coyner has long opposed real School Choice, so she needs to hear from you right now! Delegate John Avoli (R-20)- 804-698-1020 Delegate Mike Cherry (R-66_- 804-698-1066 Delegate Anne Tata (R-82)-804-698-1082 If you support our effort to pass Real School Choice and not leave any students and their families behind, please click here to donate to our efforts. And if you'd like to become more involved in our work, join VEF's Rapid Response Team. This is a highly motivated group of individuals who help us with strategic actions on short notice. If you have a phone and email, then you can join our Rapid Response Team!

For Our Children, Natassia Grover Director Virginia for Educational Freedom