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News
E-Alert 3.17.10
Wednesday March 17, 2010 - 06:48 AM
Inside this Issue: Judiciary Committee fails to take action, bathroom bill vote delayed; Healthcare vote looms for weekend, keep pressure up; New England Notes; Online registration now available for Truth Project in May; Connect with MFI. Be sure to click on eForce to receive our MFI eForce E-Alert in your Inbox every Wednesday.
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Judiciary Committee fails to take action, bathroom bill vote delayed
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The Judiciary Committee, facing a deadline to take action on bills, voted to recommend several hundred proposals for extension orders, including the so-called "bathroom bill." The executive session actually lasted less than 10 minutes. Though the committee's roster is 17 legislators, only five members were in attendance for the session. The extension could delay action on the bathroom bill until May.
Thanks to all of you that made the urgent calls. Though a vote was not taken, these legislators absolutely know that many people are opposed to this radical legislation. Your calls were effective, and we are most grateful for your active participation.
This development makes our Lobby Day next Tuesday, March 23rd, all the more important. Please take a moment to RSVP for our Lobby Day by clicking HERE. The event will be held in Room B-2 at the State House in Boston starting at 10:30 AM. You will hear from legislators, learn how to lobby, and then go and visit the offices of your representative and senator.
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Healthcare vote looms for weekend, keep pressure up
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Whether the House actually votes on the Senate's healthcare bill this weekend is still a question, but it looks like some kind of action will take place to move the bill forward and closer to President Obama's desk. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), who is head of the House Rules Committee, has proposed a lesser known procedural move that would seemingly allow Democrats to pass a rule and declare the Senate's health bill passed in the House without voting on the actual bill. The unusual, and perhaps unconstitutional, application of this rule would allow members of Congress to tell voters that they didn't actually vote for the language of the bill, instead they voted for just a rule.
"You can't pass this health care bill the right way," said Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), "so now your pass it the Washington way. We are not governing here today; we are greasing the skids."
There are many reports about where different representatives stand on the bill and on the Slaughter proposal, but the situation remains extremely fluid in Congress. We must make our stand now more than ever on this bill. The Senate bill, which is what the House would be passing to avoid the need for 60 votes in the Senate, allows for taxpayer funding of abortion, calls for federal regulations that would expand access to abortion and provides federal subsidies to help people purchase private insurance that covers abortion.
Call your United States Congressman or Congresswoman today. Tell them you do not want funding for abortion in the healthcare bill. Tell them you do not support the U.S. Senate healthcare bill. Tell them you want the unconstitutional maneuvering to stop, the bill scrapped and work to get started for genuine reform and a bipartisan solution to the healthcare problems in this country.
John W. Olver (D-01), 202-225-5335
Richard E. Neal (D-02), 202-225-5601
James P. McGovern (D-03), 202-225-6101
Barney Frank (D-04), 202-225-5931
Niki Tsongas (D-05), 202-225-3411
John F. Tierney (D-06), 202-225-8020
Edward J. Markey (D-07), 202-225-2836
Michael Capuano (D-08), 202-225-5111
Stephen F. Lynch (D-09), 202-225-8273
William D. Delahunt (D-10), 202-225-3111
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New England Notes
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- New Hampshire - A bill that would allow the establishment of full-blown casino gambling in New Hampshire may soon pass muster in the state Senate, reports The Citizen newspaper. The state House, however, could reject the proposal as it has in years past. A commission is currently studying the pros and cons of expanded gambling for the Granite State and a report is due in a few months, but the Senate appears ready to act before the report is finished. Reports say the Senate proposal would allow up to 17,000 video slot machines at the state's horse and dog racing tracks, two other locations and a proposed luxury hotel-casino in Hudson. Table games, such as roulette, blackjack and craps, would also be allowed at all six locations. (Citizen)
- Vermont - Homosexual activist groups are opposing a $7,500 appropriation to the Boy Scouts that is in the the FY'11 budget proposed by Gov. Jim Douglas (R-VT). The appropriation has been in the budget since at least 2003 and has been approved by the legislature each year, though it was originally $15,000 before being cut in half in FY'09. The homosexual activists claim that the organization's "discriminatory" policies of prohibiting homosexual adults from volunteering as troops leaders should exclude them from receiving taxpayer money. The head of the Vermont scouts says the funding goes towards an annual Veterans Day parade that takes place in a different part of the state each year and draws thousands of people and not towards salaries or operating expenses. (Times Argus)
- Rhode Island - The number of charter schools permitted in Rhode Island could increase under legislation that Gov. Don Carcieri (R-RI) signed Tuesday to boost the state's chances of winning millions of dollars in federal education aid. The bills approved by lawmakers yesterday raise the cap from 20 charter schools to 35 charter schools, and eliminate a law preventing the schools from serving more than 4 percent of the school-age population. "The bottom line is that this is an investment well worth making to improve and expand education opportunities for our children," said Carcieri in a written statement. Charter schools are public funded institutions, but they have more freedom over their curriculums, the length of their school day and year and, in some cases, greater authority to fire teachers than regular public schools. (Boston Globe)
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