It is time for Georgia to pass RFRA.
In reality, it is past time, but there really is no excuse for further delay.
In the wake of a pandemic where churches were shut down, vaccines were mandated, and freedoms were stripped away, we see the need.
As states like Iowa, Nebraska, and Utah join the growing number a states - a number likely to reach 40 within the next couple of years - with RFRA protections, we see the momentum.
With a general lack of media firestorm and phony outrage as the bill has moved through the process, we see that the path will never be clearer.
It is time for Georgia to pass RFRA.
The Left, in all their hostility directed at Donald Trump, will already be motivated to head to the polls in November. No intensely partisan voter will have their minds changed based on a vote on SB 180.
For many faith voters, however, RFRA could be the catalyst they need to vote, rally their church, and pound pavement for the candidates bold enough to take a stand.
It is time for Georgia to pass RFRA.
SB 180 now sits ready for a hearing and a vote in the House Judiciary Committee. The language has buy-in. The arguments have been made. The issue is known. The importance is clear. And, the timing is right.
The only thing left to do is hold a vote, move the bill, settle this issue, and restore the religious freedom rights of all Georgians.
In the closing days of legislative session, NOW is the time.
CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION AND URGE SWIFT PASSAGE OF RFRA!
Last week… I shared a few thoughts on SB 233, the School Choice Bill…
I shared about the hard work that went into it by the sponsors. The following pictures of Sen. Greg Dolezal were shared with me recently - one from 2019, his initial effort at a school choice bill that failed, and then another after its recent success this year.
It is always interesting to me when criticisms fly from those on the sidelines - those who were not in the fray.
Few can understand the magnitude of the shift that our state has seen on the school choice issue, the significance of this win, the labor that went into it, and the deals that needed to be made along the way.
Legislating is hard. Sometimes it is REALLY hard. For any who may be inclined to point out the flaws of SB 233 instead of embracing the positive change it brings and momentum created, I urge you to consider the six years of work that went into this particular initiative - six years that was built on years of work ahead of that.
I’m reminded in times like these of the Teddy Roosevelt “Man in the Arena” speech, and I’m grateful to have had Sen. Dolezal in this arena from the moment he stepped foot in the State Senate:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Leaders like Greg Dolezal and Todd Jones have been in this arena, and I am incredibly grateful for their courage, willingness to persist past the losses, and sacrifice with the end goal in mind.
Sine Die is approaching Thursday…
We have a lot up in the air as we head toward the close of session (on Thursday). RFRA, as mentioned, needs movement. Gambling remains a looming threat. Bills to ban puberty blockers, protect girls sports, stop sex education in elementary, protect kids from pornography and online targeting, and more are all still in limbo. Here is your one-stop shop for Action Alerts:
TAKE ACTION TO PASS RFRA
TAKE ACTION TO STOP GAMBLING EXPANSION
TAKE ACTION TO PASS HB 1104 (Banning Sex Ed for Elementary, Saves Girls Sports, Protects Bathrooms and Changing Rooms, etc.)
TAKE ACTION TO PASS HB 1170 (Banning Puberty Blockers, etc.)
TAKE ACTION TO PASS SB 351 (Age Verification for Social Media and for Pornography)
TAKE ACTION TO PASS SB 390 (Separating Georgia from the ALA)
One closing thought…
After being alerted to bad news, there is always an initial rush of prayers and well-wishes. There can be a tendency to let those slow to a trickle as time passes.
I want to encourage everyone to remember my friend Bruce Thompson.
As you know, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is battling that now. He posted THIS VIDEO on social media.
Please keep him in your prayers. This is a good man, husband, father, and public servant, and he is a dear friend. Do not let the passing of time remove him from your thoughts as he urgently fights this dreaded disease.
For His Glory,
Cole
-----------------------------------------------------------
Email Marketing By CharityEngine ([link removed])
To be removed from this list, copy the following address into your web browser [link removed]
