1. YOU'RE INVITED: 🐻 Calling All Mama Bears (and Papa Bears too!)

Just because a parent sends their child to public school doesn’t mean they lose their fundamental right to know and have a say in what their child is being taught. Parents have always maintained local control over government schools for that very reason—so their court-recognized right to oversee the education and upbringing of their children is honored by the public schools. Unfortunately, progressive activists have targeted schools as a primary conduit of social change. After all, children represent our future. The values that are instilled in them will become the culture that shapes tomorrow.

That's why we're excited to announce that in April we will be hosting three Mama Bear Workshops across the state to help Mama Bears—and Papa Bears, Grandma Bears, and Grandpa Bears too!—protect their children and grandchildren from harmful curriculum and indoctrination in schools.

The workshops run from 6:30-8:30pm in Charlotte on April 5th, Kernersville on April 6th, and Raleigh on April 7th.

The learn more or register for one of these events, visit: mamabearmanual.com/workshop.

2. CAROLINA JOURNAL: Democrats’ ‘no’ votes on Free the Smiles veto override follow common pattern

"Neither state Senate Democrat who initially voted for the Free the Smiles legislation last month was willing to stick with that “yes” vote this week. Both of their “yes” votes turned into “no” when they had a chance to help override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the school masking measure.

The flip from “yes” to “no” fits a common pattern for legislative Democrats’ veto override votes during Cooper’s administration. The pattern has become especially pronounced since 2019."

3. THE DAILY SIGNAL: What we learned from Democrats' failure to pass an extreme abortion bill.

"This stunningly progressive legislation is 'a radical proposal to mandate unfettered abortion access in federal law,' warned Melanie Israel, policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation’s DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society. (The Daily Signal is Heritage’s multimedia news organization.)

Although the abortion bill failed, it’s important to see why Democrats crafted such legislation and what the measure would have done if enacted into law."

4. NORTH STATE JOURNAL: US Supreme Court denies Republicans motion to stay congressional map

"The U.S. Supreme Court denied a motion to stay the court-drawn congressional map that will now be used in the state’s 2022 elections.

The court voted to deny the application by a 6-3 decision, with Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining the court’s three Democrats to deny the motion."

 

5. WRAL: Should the laws be updated to track progress of homeschool students?

"Homeschooling in North Carolina saw a big jump during the pandemic, with about one in 10 students now schooled at home.

A law designed decades ago sharply restricts state oversight when it comes to homeschooling. However, with some 112,000 families now homeschooling their students, some lawmakers say it might be time to revisit that."

. . .

"Bazemore said the law needs to be updated to track more data.

Homeschool parent Matthew McDill, who leads advocacy group North Carolinians for Home Education, disagrees. The group encourages homeschool families to share information the state requests, but he doesn’t believe the state should require any more data.

'The bigger question, of course, is, what do they need to know and why?' McDill said. 'Our interest primarily is to protect the rights of parents to homeschool. And so we are not generally interested in more regulations.'"

LORD, we cry out to you as Father. You are a model of the love, mercy, and authority of the perfect parent. We thank you for modeling for us what every parent should strive for, and for creating this wonderful institution called family. 

LORD, we thank you for creating us with a basic nature designed to not be alone. You made us to desire the intimacy of relationships, and it is here where we experience joys indescribable: the joys of marriage, the joys of having children; the joys of seeing our children have children. What a blessing and mercy you gave us in the family! In it we find our first teachers, our first guardians, and our first authorities. 

LORD, we recognize how deeply you love your children, and how deeply it pains you when they go astray. Alongside our adoration and thanksgiving, we pray in confession—as individuals and as members of larger communities—over any sins we may have committed that undermine your beloved institution. Forgive us when we endanger your institution through selfishness and arrogance. Forgive our communities and nation for attempting to redefine some of the most basic and deepest parts of being human—being made male and female, having lifelong marriage vows and responsibilities, and having parental rights over educating one's children. 

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:12-17)