Welcome to the Friday Five! Every Friday we share our top five
articles, stories, and quotes for you to read and share with your
friends and church families. We would be very grateful if you
could make
a donation of $100, $50, $25, or $10 today towards our work
producing these Friday Fives and fighting for your values on the
public square!
1. TOWNHALL: North Carolina one year
post Dobbs, and other related stories
Editor's note: This piece was authored by Marjorie Dannenfelser
and Tami Fitzgerald:
Pro-life momentum is on display in
North Carolina and across the nation just one year after the Supreme
Court gave abortion policy back to the people and the democratic
process. Americans, even in battleground states, are taking advantage
of the ability to make their voices heard through their state
legislators to protect unborn children at key stages of development in
the womb."
Read more: https://townhall.com/columnists/marjoriedannenfelser/2023/06/24/north-carolina-one-year-post-dobbs-n2624915
This week has been a big one for news related to our state’s recent
pro-life legislation, given it is set to go in effect tomorrow,
July 1st. In response to passage of the bill, NC Attorney
General Josh
Stein announced he would not defend it; Planned
Parenthood asked the court to delay implementation of it
for two weeks; and lawsuit-anticipating amendments were
moved through the General Assembly.
2. NC VALUES: 🩺 We’re
protecting minors from medical mutilation
This week, the NC House voted to concur with the Senate and passed
the "Gender Transition/Minors" bill (H808; or as we've called it
before the "Youth Health Protection Act"). It now heads to the
Governor’s desk to be either signed or ignored into law; or
vetoed.
H808 is compassionate legislation. It gives minors the benefit of
becoming an adult before making life-altering, irreversible changes to
their bodies just to make them appear more like the opposite sex.
We’re grateful for every call, text, email, and conversation you
shared with your legislators to help us get H808 passed. We’re honored
to be part of this effort to shield children from permanent suffering
caused by gender transitioning, and we urge Governor Cooper to sign
the bill and choose children over activists.
Read more: https://ncvalues.org/were-protecting-minors-from-medical-mutilation
3. NC VALUES: 👨👩👧👦
Parents bill of rights has passed
We’re excited to share with you the news that yesterday, the NC
General Assembly completed passage of the “Parents Bill of Rights”
(SB49), a bill we have fought years to get passed. It now joins the
“Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” (HB547) and the “Gender
Transition/Minors” (HB808) in awaiting response by the Governor.
Parental rights form the brick and mortar of the wall protecting
the family from government intrusion, and since 1923 the U.S. Supreme
Court has recognized parents’ rights as fundamental. Recent polling
shows 80.8% believe parents should have access to curriculum,
materials and resources being used in their child’s classroom and 71%
believe they should play a significant role in the curriculum
development process. At least 26 states have taken action to support
the rights of parents, and it is time for North Carolina to stand up
and do the same.
Read more: https://ncvalues.org/parents-bill-of-rights-has-passed/
4. NORTH STATE JOURNAL: Fairness
in Women’s Sports Act heads to Cooper; veto, override
expected
"In a concurrence vote, the House passed House Bill 574, The
Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, by a vote of 62-43. A single Democrat
voted in favor, Rep. Michael Wray (D-Northampton).
The governor has signaled he will veto the bill, but that veto will
likely be overridden as both chambers hold veto-proof
majorities."
“'Today the General Assembly affirmed the rights
under Title IX of female student athletes in North Carolina. Women and
girls who train for countless hours and years in their sports will
have a level playing field, and their opportunities will be protected
if this legislation becomes law,' said NC Values Executive Director
Tami Fitzgerald in a statement."
Read more: https://nsjonline.com/article/2023/06/fairness-in-womens-sports-act-heads-to-cooper-veto-override-expected/
5. NEWS & OBSERVER: NC obscenity
bill progresses despite criticism that it bans drag shows
"Sen. Buck Newton, a bill sponsor from Greene County, said that the
bill 'is a simple, clean way to get the attention of the public as
well as our prosecutors that they are empowered to deal with'
obscenity. As an example of what the bill would address, Rep. Jeff
Zenger referenced a case in his district in which a dancer in drag
gave a lap dance to a teenage student at Forsyth Technical Community
College. The school has students as young as 14." NC Values' Director
of Government Affairs, Sebastian King, provided testimony at the
hearing.
Read more: https://www.newsobserver.com/article276839566.html
Weekly Prayer: NC Officials
LORD, you also have instructed us to pray for our governing
officials, and we come to you in the spirit of this petition. We pray
for our state government and its executive, legislative, and judicial
servants. May they indeed be servants unto the people, and govern in a
manner that protects liberty and virtue. In the same spirit, we pray
for public servants across our local governments. May they all heed
your mandate in Romans 13:4 to be in positions of authority as "God's
servant" and for the "good" of the public. They govern in what we
confess are difficult times. May they plead with you to give them
wisdom, and may your grace to govern wisely be poured out on them.
Protect us from the oppression and loss of freedoms that other
countries have experienced, and help us to value and preserve freedom,
which we know comes only from You.
"I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have
heard their groaning and have come down to set them free." Acts
7:34
Amen
Will you chip in $100, $50, $25, or even $10 to help
the NC Values Coalition continue to fight for your rights? You can
donate by clicking here.
Sincerely,
Tami & Team
NC Values
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