Victory Alert: Student, Parental Rights Bills Advance!

Victoria Cobb, President
The Family Foundation of Virginia

Today is “crossover,” the mid-point of the 2013 General Assembly session and the day when each chamber must complete work on its own bills.  It’s also a day that saw two substantial pro-family victories.

The Senate passed a priority for The Family Foundation, legislation that protects the free association rights of students on public college campuses.  SB 1074, patroned by Senator Mark Obenshain (R-26, Harrisonburg), ensures that the current practice on the majority of our campuses will continue and that religious and political organizations will not be discriminated against because of their beliefs and values.  The bill passed 22-18 with several Democrats joining Republicans to pass the legislation.  The House companion bill, HB 1617 patroned by Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-15, Woodstock), passed late last week. 
 
In the House, legislation protecting parental rights as fundamental passed 70-30!  The bill, HB 1642 patroned by Delegate Brenda Pogge (R-96, Yorktown), reflects the current position of state Courts that recognizes parental rights as fundamental.  However, 24 states have reduced parental rights from fundamental to “ordinary,” making it easier for government bureaucrats to interfere with families.  A similar bill has already passed the Senate, but because the bills are slightly different, we will continue to work with the patrons and representatives of parental rights groups to bring them into “conformity” for final passage later this session.
 
In the past two days, other legislation supported by The Family Foundation also advanced, including bills that combat human trafficking, help ease restrictions on the creation of charter schools, and provide a definition of bullying for the Department of Education as it works on guidelines to help schools combat that serious problem. 
 
Unfortunately, all news today wasn’t good news.  The Senate decided to send SJ 287, a religious liberty amendment, back to committee, effectively killing the bill for this year.  Based on an amendment that passed last year in Missouri, the amendment would have given Virginians the opportunity to vote to reestablish our right to pray at the start of government meetings and protect students’ religious liberty rights.  As we continue to watch the federal government infringe upon our God-given right to express our faith in the public square, Virginians want to be able to respond.  Our goal will continue to be to reinforce our First Freedom, through statute and if necessary, a constitutional amendment.
 
In the coming days we will again be contacting you to urge action on key bills.  Thank you to everyone who has sent emails to their legislators so far!  You voice does make a difference.

Video Pick of the Day

Not Everyone's Gunning for Combat Roles

Tony Perkins

Family Research Council

Some women may be ready for combat, but are their units? A new survey suggests no. Late last week, the Marine Corps released the findings of an internal poll that asked the troops how they felt about including women on the front lines. Of the Marines' 201,157 troops, more than 34,100 (17%) say they would leave the service if the Pentagon moves women into combat roles. Almost a quarter of the Marines would resign if females were given those assignments involuntarily. If the average size of a Marine battalion is 600 soldiers, the military would be losing about 57 battalions--all sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. The Pentagon itself has about 28,000 military and civilian employees, and more Marines than even that would be leaving the force because the President believes his radical agenda is more important than soldiers' safety. But, as we saw with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the Pentagon surveys the troops and then refuses to take their response into account. Defense officials are already racing to implement the new policy by mid-May.

Meanwhile, active-duty Marines still have plenty of concerns about the idea. Most men are worried about being falsely accused of sexual harassment or assault--or, in the heat of battle, feeling obligated to protect their female service members. Based on their responses, they're also uneasy about the complications of pregnancies or personal issues that could affect the females in their unit. Women, on the other hand, have other problems to worry about--like being targeted by the enemy as prisoners of war. Enemies will exploit this weakness, writes former intelligence officer Earl Tilford. "Al Qaeda might target women for capture. Imagine these women being tortured, sexually assaulted, and mutilated--live on the Internet." It's a sobering prospect for the Marines, 7% of whom are women.

For now, Congress--which wasn't consulted first--is weighing its options. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) is planning to wade into the debate with a measure that would block women from joining certain units like special operations. Congressman Duncan Hunter, Jr., a Marine veteran who served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is taking a subtler approach. Instead of an outright ban, he wants to ensure that the standards for all military specialties aren't watered down jeopardizing the military's mission. "Regardless of where anybody is on the policy, there seems to be a consensus far and wide that standards need to stay [gender] neutral. It is about the individual and the job they train to do, and especially for combat specialties. It's important that we continue maintaining high quality standards." That could, as the Army Times points out, have the same effect as a ban without feeding the Left's anti-woman lies about the GOP.

Rep. Robert Hurt Meets With 5th District College Presidents

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) today released the following statement after meeting with Dr. Tiffany Franks of Averett University in Danville and Dr. Jennifer Braaten of Ferrum College in Franklin County today.

"It is an honor to represent Averett University and Ferrum College, and all of our distinguished institutions of higher education in Virginia's 5^th District. Our colleges and universities play an important role in enriching our young people, bolstering our workforce, developing blue-ribbon research, and creating jobs in our local communities. I appreciate Dr. Franks and Dr. Braaten making the trip to Washington and sharing their insights with me today and I look forward to continuing to work with our 5^th District education leaders as we work to achieve our shared goals of  excellence, access, and affordability in higher education."

Sen. Obenshain's Student Group Protection Act Passes Senate

RICHMOND—Today, the Senate of Virginia passed SB 1074, legislation patroned by Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) regarding academic liberty and freedom of association on campus, on a 22-18 vote.

"Freedom of association is one of our most fundamental rights," said Obenshain. "Many student groups are organized around shared principles or goals. What's the point of having such a group if you can't even expect group members to share those goals?"

In recent years, several public colleges and universities in Virginia have adopted "all-comers" policies similar to the Vanderbilt University policy that made national headlines last year. Obenshain's legislation is restricted in scope to public institutions of higher education. In the words of one Vanderbilt student, an all-comers policy "attempts to create diversity within groups at the expense of diversity among groups."

"It's pretty simple: a Democratic club shouldn't have to accept a Republican as a member and members of a religious group should be able to expect that their leadership will share the group's core commitments. It's perfectly reasonable for an organization to expect its members to agree with, and be good examples of, the organization's mission," Obenshain added.

"This bill will protect free association and academic freedom on campus," said Obenshain. "Both are two-way streets, and they work in tandem. You can't have academic freedom without the ability of individuals to join together to advance a common cause."

"Today's vote was a victory for common sense and for the constitutional right of free association," said Obenshain. "The bill is is both content and viewpoint neutral."

Obenshain's bill won plaudits from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), whose Legislative and Policy Director, Joseph Cohn, wrote that the bill "champions the American tradition of pluralism by safeguarding the freedom of association of the Commonwealth of Virginia's public college and university students."

In addressing opposition to the bill, led by the ACLU, Obenshain commented, "If they are going to stand up for civil liberties, all I ask is that they start protecting all of them and not just the ones they like."

The bill now proceeds to the House, which has already adopted companion legislation patroned by Del. Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock). A vote tally will soon be available at http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?131+vot+SV0346SB1074+SB1074

Mark Obenshain has served in the Senate of Virginia since 2004, and is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Attorney General of Virginia.

ON THE WEB:

SB 1074: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=131&typ=bil&val=sb1074

Mark's campaign website: http://www.markobenshain.com
Mark's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/markobenshain
Mark's Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/markobenshain

“It Is Time That Washington Balances Its Budget”

Congressman Robert Hurt

Weekly Column 2/04/13

 

"It is an honor to serve Virginia's 5th District in Congress and I would like to start by welcoming those in Fauquier, Rappahannock, and Madison Counties to the new 5th District.

 

"After being sworn in on January 3rd, I had the pleasure of making stops in the new parts of our district as we kicked off our first district work week of the 113th Congress.  Though we have entered a new year, the same challenges persist. Virginians all across the 5th District remain concerned with our nation's fiscal health as our economy continues to be plagued by out of control spending and minimal job growth.

 

"A new Congress gives us a renewed opportunity to work together and I am optimistic that we will meet these challenges head on.  As President Obama was sworn-in for his second term, we were reminded of the blessings we enjoy as Americans and we were reminded of how that which binds us together is far greater than that which pushes us apart.

 

"For over two hundred years, no matter the differences of opinion on the issues of the day, we have seen a peaceful transfer of power from one Administration to the next. We owe our blessings to those who came before us – great Virginians like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe – to those like Dr. Martin Luther King, who labored in the name of liberty – and to our service men and women who sacrifice to protect our freedoms today. And while it is those before us who paved our way, we must remember that it is our responsibility to preserve this great nation and its opportunities for those who will come after us.

 

"Part of that responsibility is balancing our budget. That is why the first bill that I have cosponsored in this new Congress is the Balanced Budget Amendment. The fiscal cliff debate was a stark reminder that the 'spend now, cut later,' Washington business as usual is unsustainable and it is time that Washington balances its budget just like families and small businesses across the 5th District do.

 

"In the coming months, the House remains committed to ensuring that Washington works toward a path of fiscal sustainability. We adopted a measure just last week that suspends pay for members of the House or Senate if they fail to adopt a budget.  And as we put forth our own budget, we remain steadfast in our commitment to meaningful deficit reduction that strengthens and preserves our health and retirement programs and pays down our debt.

 

"While there are different ideas on how to restore economic growth, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike all agree that it is our duty to pass our children a stronger and more prosperous nation than was passed to us, and I look forward to working with the Senate and the President to ensure that we do just that.

 "Finally, I am pleased to announce that I will be serving my second term on the House Financial Services Committee. I look forward to serving as Vice Chairman of the Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee. In this role, I will continue to work on behalf of our 5th District family farms, our small businesses, our Main Street banks, and our families as we work to protect the American people from federal over-reach and foster an environment that encourages private investment and job creation.

 

"Again, thank you for tuning in to our monthly video address. I encourage you to sign up for more frequent updates at our website at hurt.house.gov and at our Facebook page."

 

If you need any additional information, please visit my website at hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434) 395-0120.   

A Positive Proposal on Transportation

Victoria Cobb, President
The Family Foundation of Virginia

Much of the discussion and attention of session thus far has been surrounding how to fund transportation.  Governor Bob McDonnell initiated the discussion with a bold plan to eliminate the archaic gas tax and replace gas tax revenue with numerous other tax and fee changes. 
 
Today, state Senator Steve Newman (R-23, Lynchburg) introduced a plan that would replace the gas tax with a sales tax of 5.5 percent on gas, but keep the state sales tax at 5 percent.  This proposal is a very positive development in the debate surrounding how to fund transportation. 
 
To this point, we have been monitoring the various proposals and debates in committee, knowing that the initial offers from Governor McDonnell and others would not be the final package.  Unfortunately, liberals in Richmond have their own plans – and they include massive tax hikes in the billions of dollars that would cripple our economy and rip money from our families during some of the most challenging economic times we’ve ever faced.
 
Senator Newman’s plan offers legislators an opportunity to address the needs of transportation – and there are needs – without increasing the tax burden on Virginia families.  There is no doubt that the General Assembly has an opportunity this year to address an issue that has been challenging our elected officials for years.  Senator Newman’s plan at this point is the best proposal we’ve seen.
 
The House and Senate will vote tomorrow on various plans, but the final outcome likely won’t be known until the final days of session and will be worked out in a conference committee.

A Compromise?

Gary L. Bauer
VISIT AMERICAN VALUES

After more than a year of heated debate, the Obama Administration issued a "modification" late on Friday to the Obamacare mandate requiring employers to pay for their employees' contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs. The administration is under court order to revise its rules, and the new regulations supposedly expand the number of religious organizations that can opt-out of the mandate. But it offers no exemptions for private businesses owned by committed Christians—such as the craft store Hobby Lobby—that don't want to pay for their employees' birth control or chemical abortions.

The Constitution grants freedom of conscience to all Americans, not just church groups. As the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which has filed several lawsuits challenging the mandate, stated about the rules change, "Today's proposed rule does nothing to protect the religious liberty of millions of Americans."

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is pouring over the new regulations now. But I already see a bright red flag: the new rules are 80 pages long. That likely means that the administration may be trying to obscure who is paying for birth control.

Let's wait and see what the Bishops have to say. But the administration's "modification" makes me skeptical that it has seen the light. The Obama administration is losing in court, and this change may be an attempt to cut its losses.

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, responded to the new ruling by saying, "This policy delivers on the promise of women having access to birth control without copays no matter where they work." Judging by how happy abortion advocates are about the new rule, it seems clear that little if anything has changed.

Obenshain Bill to Keep Voter Rolls Clean Passes Senate

Would Aid in Removal of Non-Citizens from Voting Rolls

RICHMOND—Today, the Senate of Virginia approved SB 1077, legislation patroned by Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), which authorizes the State Board of Elections to enter into an agreement with the federal government for use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement (SAVE) Program database as an additional tool to keep Virginia voter rolls clean, accurate, and up-to-date.

"Keeping our voter rolls clean is a constant challenge, and one that is necessary for our electoral system to work," said Obenshain. "Registrars, working with the State Board of Elections, use all of the tools at their disposal to keep these rolls accurate, removing deceased voters, those who have moved, and others who should no longer be on the rolls. This bill provides one more way for them to keep the rolls clean."

The SAVE Program, designed to screen applicants for entitlement programs for eligibility purposes, maintains a record of the status of non-citizens lawfully in the United States, and can be used by the State Board of Elections to remove from the rolls any legally present non-citizens who may be listed as registered voters.

"Due to 'Motor Voter,' many people wind up registering to vote without even knowing it," said Obenshain. "It's easy to check one extra box inadvertently when applying for a driver's license, and that registration can remain on the rolls for years. Senate Bill 1077 will make it easier for election officials s to keep our voter lists clean and ensure that those on the rolls are legally eligible to vote."

Under the provisions of the bill, any registered voter whose registration is challenged due to the screening will receive a notice and have the opportunity to sign a statement affirming that they are, in fact, entitled to vote, which will keep them on the rolls.

"This is a common sense measure to ensure the integrity of elections in Virginia," said Obenshain. "The SAVE database will assist us in ensuring that we only have eligible voters on our voter rolls. Just as we make efforts to remove residents from other states, the deceased, and convicted felons who have not had their rights restored, we should also remove those we know to be ineligible because they are not citizens. It's just plain common sense."

Senate Bill 1077 passed 23-17; a vote tally is available at http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?131+vot+SV0302SB1077+SB1077

Mark Obenshain has served in the Senate of Virginia since 2004, and is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Attorney General of Virginia.

ON THE WEB:

SB 1077: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=131&typ=bil&val=sb1077

Mark's website: http://www.markobenshain.com
Mark's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/markobenshain
Mark's Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/markobenshain

Rep. Robert Hurt's Office To Hold Local Office Hours In Mecklenburg County

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Staff members from Congressman Robert Hurt’s (R-Virginia) office will be holding Local Office Hours in Mecklenburg County on Friday, February 8^th, to meet with constituents who need assistance with federal agencies. For more information, please visit our Local Office Hours Interactive Map.

Friday, February 8, 2013

9:00 – 11:00 AM

Local Office Hours In Mecklenburg

County Administrator’s Office

Goode Bank Building

Conference Room

350 Washington Street

Boydton, VA

Video Pick of the Day

Photo of the Day

Updated HHS Mandate Continues Attack on Religious Freedom

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Responding to a new proposed regulation today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Family Research Council (FRC) expressed strong opposition to HHS and the Obama administration's continued violation of religious freedom through its "contraceptive mandate."

The mandate forces all health insurance plans to include abortifacient drugs (drugs with abortion-causing properties), sterilizations and contraceptives. The new proposed regulation to implement policies from the March 2012 Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would simply continue to provide a fig-leaf of religious accommodation that does nothing to change the underlying discriminatory mandate.

Anna Higgins, J.D., director of FRC's Center for Human Dignity, made the following statement:

"Family Research Council strongly opposes the new regulation that continues to mandate that life-ending drugs and contraceptive services be covered by health plans of organizations that have serious moral and religious objections. The accounting gimmicks HHS is now proposing under the latest regulation fail to satisfy the religious freedom protections that exist in other current laws and in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

"The proposal does not expand religious freedom to all organizations and does nothing to change the current policy that forces religious entities to pay for insurance plans that include abortion-inducing drugs, sterilizations and contraception. The mandate continues to force religious non-profit institutions as well as companies guided by a well-articulated and longtime moral code, such as Hobby Lobby, to violate their faith, threatening serious fines in the millions of dollars if they refuse to comply.

"Regardless of whether insurance companies or third party administrators use their dollars for an employee's free abortifacients and contraceptives, the provision of these drugs and devices still necessarily depends on the religious employer's health insurance plan. They remain the gateway for drugs and services to which they object. Therefore, the HHS mandate still violates the Religious Freedom Act, and the Weldon conscience amendment which bans HHS from engaging in precisely this type of discrimination.

"The mandate does not protect women's health. Rather, it threatens it by forcing religious employers into the untenable choice of violating their consciences or dropping health coverage for families and the women they employ. Since HHS and the Obama administration appear to be unwilling to protect religious liberty despite numerous court decisions against their violations, Congress must act again to preserve the constitutional right of religious freedom. Until Congress or the courts solve this problem, institutions must decide between civil disobedience coupled with large fines or violating their faith." concluded Higgins.

To read FRC's comments from last June filed with HHS opposing the proposed regulations, click here: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF12F18.pdf

To read the letter from last February signed by more than 2,500 religious leaders from across the country opposing the HHS mandate, click here: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF12B47.pdf

Obenshain's Student Group Protection Act Clears Committee

RICHMOND—Today, Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) thanked the members of the Senate Committee on Education and Health reporting his Student Group Protection Act (SB 1074) to the full Senate on a 9-6 vote. The bill is a response to so-called "all-comers" policies adopted by some universities which prohibit student groups from conditioning membership or leadership roles on sharing the organization's core beliefs.

"Freedom of association is one of our most fundamental rights," said Obenshain. "Many student groups are organized around shared principles or goals. What's the point of having such a group if you can't even expect group members to share those goals?"

In recent years, several public colleges and universities in Virginia have adopted "all-comers" policies similar to the Vanderbilt University policy that made national headlines last year. Obenshain's legislation is restricted in scope to public institutions of higher education.

"It's pretty simple: a Democratic club shouldn't have to accept a Republican as a member and members of a religious group should be able to expect that their leadership will share the group's core commitments. It's perfectly reasonable for an organization to expect its members to agree with, and be good examples of, the organization's mission," Obenshain added.

The Senate Committee on Education and Health reported the bill on a 9-6 vote. "Today's vote was a victory for common sense and for the constitutional right of free association," said Obenshain.

In addressing the ACLU's opposition to the bill, Obenshain commented, "If they are going to stand up for civil liberties, all I ask is that they start protecting all of them and not just the ones they like."

The bill will come before the full Senate for a vote on Tuesday. A committee vote tally can be found at http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?131+vot+S04V0109+SB1074

Mark Obenshain has served in the Senate of Virginia since 2004, and is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Attorney General of Virginia.

ON THE WEB:

SB 1074: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=131&typ=bil&val=sb1074

Mark's campaign website: http://www.markobenshain.com
Mark's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/markobenshain
Mark's Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/markobenshain

Rep. Robert Hurt Statement On January Unemployment Report

"We Are Headed In The Wrong Direction"

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement after the Department of Labor issued the January unemployment report:

 

"With the unemployment rate again ticking upward, it is clear that we are headed in the wrong direction. We have entered a new year, but the challenge of getting 5^th District Virginians and Americans across this country back to work still remains. In the final months of 2012, we saw our economy contract for the first time in three and a half years, and today's unemployment report brings more bad news, demonstrating just how devastating last-minute, backroom deals in Washington are to all Americans.

 

"That is why the House of Representatives will continue to act to move us toward fiscal sustainability without putting the American people at risk of an economic collapse. The House remains committed to job creation and deficit reduction and, on behalf of Virginia's 5^th District, I look forward to taking meaningful steps towards these goals to get us moving us in the right direction."

 

 

Obenshain Blasts Senate Democrats' Deprioritization of Transportation Funding

Democratic Amendment Would Block Use of Surplus for Roads

RICHMOND—Today, Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) marveled at the novel theory of the purpose of the General Fund advanced by Senate Democrats in opposition to securing funding set aside for transportation projects.

"With all due respect to my friends across the aisle, they seem to be a little confused about what the General Fund is and why we have it," said Obenshain. "And for all the talk about transportation this session, Senate Democrats sounded distinctly opposed to making transportation the priority most of us know it to be. After all, how can they possible claim to be for better roads when they try to block spending even surplus money on transportation?"

Members of both parties have long called for a transportation "lockbox" protecting the Transportation Trust Fund from raids for unrelated expenditures. The General Assembly created a trust fund to collect transportation-specific revenues, including the gas tax, but unlike other trust funds on the books of the Commonwealth, this one has never been secured against raids, something Senator Obenshain sought to accomplish with SJ 275, the Transportation Lockbox Amendment.

Democrats responded by amending the resolution to simultaneously prohibit any general fund revenues – and even surplus dollars – from being spent on transportation projects, with Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax) asserting that funds "borrowed" from the General Fund for transportation projects are never repaid and Senator Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) going so far as to characterize the application of any portion of a budget surplus to needed transportation projects as a "de facto raid on the General Fund" in comments delivered on the Senate floor.

"It is a General Fund. It is there to fund our priorities, whether they are transportation, education, or law enforcement. If we need to do those things, that's what we have a General Fund for," said Obenshain. "Those are the basic priorities of government, and it's absurd to leave transportation out of the equation."

Addressing Senator Petersen's opposition to using surplus dollars for transportation projects, Obenshain said, "If we have money left over at the end of the year, we ought to put it toward our top priorities, and anyone who thinks that transportation doesn't count as a top priority really hasn't been paying attention."

Commenting on Senator Saslaw's assertion that monies expended from the General Fund should be repaid, Obenshain observed, "It is a General Fund, not a General Trust Fund. We don't pay back the General Fund every time we pay for schools at the expense of health care, or health care at the expense of law enforcement, or law enforcement at the expense of anything else. That's not how it works. The General Fund is the basic operating fund for state government, and if transportation isn't enough of a priority to justify an expenditure – especially from a surplus! – I don't know what is."

The Democratic floor substitute was adopted on a 22-17 vote, at which time Senator Obenshain moved to have the bill stricken from the calendar. Said Obenshain, "Instead of working to ensure that the necessary funds flow to transportation, Dick Saslaw and his Democratic allies tried to hijack the Amendment to cut off existing funding. We've heard a lot of talk from all sides about how urgent a priority transportation is. I would submit to my Democratic colleagues that it's well past time for them to show that they mean it."

Mark Obenshain has served in the Senate of Virginia since 2004, and is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Attorney General of Virginia.

ON THE WEB:

SJ 275: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=131&typ=bil&val=sj275

Mark's website: http://www.markobenshain.com
Mark's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/markobenshain