Was your state the most pro-family state?

And the winners are…

It can be easy to focus on all the things that need fixing – and there’s a lot that needs our attention, given today’s woke Left agenda! But the truth is, there’s also so much good to celebrate – especially in the states! In fact, much of what is happening at the state level is directly responding to the issues that concern us most – and protecting families in the process.

That’s why every year, Family Policy Alliance awards the states that did the most to protect families. Our 2023 “Craig’s List” results are in! (And no, this has nothing to do with the website where you sell your old couch – it’s named after our CEO, Craig DeRoche!)

We just announced the awards LIVE online – you can still watch the full awards show on-demand on YouTube, Facebook, Family Policy Alliance’s website, or SoConReport.com. Watch to hear from the people who made the victories possible in their states and walk away encouraged!

Prefer to read? All the winners are listed below – read all the way through to see who won the top award, Most Pro-Family State of the Year!

Cutting Edge Award:

Florida

Florida has truly been on the “Cutting Edge” of protecting children and families, paving the way for other states to do the same. This year, Florida passed a law protecting children from exposure to sexualized performances (such as drag performances), a law protecting children from dangerous and irreversible transgender procedures, a law expanding their well-known “Parental Rights in Education” law, and a bill protecting the lives of children in the womb from the time a heartbeat can be detected. This was a banner session that set the standard for states around the nation – a victory due in no small part to Family Policy Alliance’s state ally, Florida Family Policy Council.

Honorable mention: Virginia

This year, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin established model policies for Virginia schools that affirm parental rights by preventing a school from “transitioning” a child without parental consent. The model policies also remove aspects of dangerous gender ideology from schools. This is an important step that other states should consider emulating. Family Policy Alliance is grateful to its state ally, The Family Foundation, for their bold leadership in Virginia that makes wins like this possible.

Best Team Effort:

Nebraska

This session, Nebraska lawmakers introduced two bills that protected children at different stages of life. The first protected some of the youngest Nebraskans in the womb from the tragedy of abortion, while the second protected children young and old from the dangerous and irreversible effects of transgender procedures. Family Policy Alliance’s state ally, Nebraska Family Alliance, worked together with courageous lawmakers to bring both bills through the legislative process.

But, as Nebraska’s legislative session came toward a close, neither bill had yet crossed the finish line – and the pro-life bill had failed to pass by just one vote. It was then that conservatives in Nebraska had an idea: what if they paired the bills together? Both bills were aimed at protecting children and allowing them to grow up unharmed – and the name of one was even, “Let Them Grow.” In a bold team effort, the lawmakers paired the bills and passed them together with just minutes left on the clock till the session ended – gaining not one, but two victories for families through an all-out team effort.

Life-Saver Award:

Idaho

Idaho was among the states with a law in place that protected babies from abortion in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s overturn. But what really set Idaho apart? The Abortion-Trafficking Act, which prevents Idahoans from driving kids out of state to get abortions. This comes at a time when many states are advertising their abortions for out-of-staters – serving as a sort of advertisement for traffickers or others who may want to cover up a teen pregnancy, or who simply see a minor’s new baby as an inconvenience to be quietly killed. Idaho’s law takes a bold stand for both the lives of those babies, and for the wellbeing and safety of their mothers, by preventing such “abortion trafficking.” Family Policy Alliance’s state ally, Idaho Family Policy Center, played an important role in making this law a reality.

Victory of the Year:

Kansas

While the title of this award is “victory” of the year, it could easily be “victories” of the year in Kansas. This year, Kansas passed two key laws, overriding their governor to do both. The first was the Women’s Bill of Rights, making Kansas the first state in the nation to pass such a law. Importantly, this law defines “sex” as a person’s biological sex, which stands as a stark contrast to the woke Left’s agenda of allowing men to gain privileges and opportunities meant for women simply by claiming a female identity (or vice versa). Additionally, Kansas joined the ranks of the states with a Save Girls’ Sports law, ensuring that girls’ sports are reserved just for female athletes. This victory was long- and hard-fought. Kansas legislators had to override their governor to achieve this win.

But the victories don’t stop there. Kansans also managed to get a Democrat vote for every pro-life bill in Kansas – sending a strong message that life is not and should not be a partisan issue. Each of these victories was made possible through the work of Family Policy Alliance’s state ally, Kansas Family Voice.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Connecticut

While it’s easy to see and understand pro-family wins on the offense, it’s important to also recognize defensive victories where they happen. This year, Family Policy Alliance’s state ally in Connecticut, Family Institute of Connecticut, opposed 17 dangerous pieces of legislation. Of those, they were able to completely stop 14 and partially stop 2 – meaning the pro-family side won in nearly every instance. Among the bad bills were an assisted suicide bill, major pro-abortion bills, anti-religious freedom legislation, a bill establishing comprehensive sex-education, and even a bill that defined single males as being “infertile.” That’s a lot of “bad” that the citizens of Connecticut won’t have to face thanks to courageous pro-family warriors in their state!

Help Not Harm Award:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah

Transgender procedures leave children sterile, missing healthy organs, and often facing years of regret. That’s why states across the country have worked to pass Help Not Harm laws, which protect minors from these procedures until they reach the age of majority. Help Not Harm also offers victims of childhood transition an opportunity to sue the surgeons or other professionals who harmed them.

This year marked a major milestone for Help Not Harm, with the law being passed in its 20th state! The first Help Not Harm law was passed just two years ago in Arkansas, and most of the 20 states passed their laws in 2023 – making this a true watershed year for protecting children. In recognition of that, Family Policy Alliance is honoring all 20 states with some version of a Help Not Harm law, and extends special thanks to the many Family Policy Councils and alumni of Family Policy Foundation’s Statesmen Academy who made these victories possible.

Most Pro-Family State:

North Dakota and Montana

For the first time in Craig’s List history, Family Policy Alliance is awarding two “Most Pro-Family State” awards. It’s a testament to what an incredible year 2023 was for the pro-family movement around the nation: it was impossible to choose just one winner! Both North Dakota and Montana had exceptional pro-family victories throughout the year.

In North Dakota, Family Policy Alliance’s state ally North Dakota Family Alliance supported 50 bills. Of those, an astonishing 83% were put into law. Many of the bills were focused on protecting families from the effects of radical gender ideology. For example, North Dakota passed a law that prohibits drag shows in public where children could see the event, and another law prohibits obscenity in children’s sections of public and school libraries. The state also joined the ranks of those protecting children from transgender interventions and female athletes from competing against male competitors. North Dakota also made important strides in protecting life, religious freedom, and more. It was a phenomenal year for North Dakota!

In Montana, Family Policy Alliance’s state ally Montana Family Foundation supported 34 bills and opposed 11 bills. Overall, they had a 77% success rate (including both bills they wanted to pass and bills they wanted to fail). Among the bills they successfully defeated were a bill that would have introduced comprehensive sex education into schools, and a bill that would have allowed partial-birth abortions and undone decades of pro-life work. On the offensive, Montana’s wins covered a sweeping variety of issues, from education and adoption tax credits, to religious freedom protections, to pro-life and parental rights protections. Montana was also among the states that passed a Help Not Harm law (protecting minors from transgender procedures). This was a well-earned award for Montana!

Congratulations to these states, and to all those around the nation who have made a difference to protect children and families! If you’re inspired and want to know how to get involved in your state, you can connect with your state’s Family Policy Council at www.familypolicyalliance.com/allies.

And, if you don’t already, be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our emails. We’ll keep you abreast of the latest wins, issues, and opportunities for action. Just use the buttons at the bottom of this email to connect.

That’s a wrap on Craig’s List 2023.

Thanks for joining us!

Meridian Baldacci

Director, Strategy

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