| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/6/2007 4:26:51 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Washington--Your Voice Crucial in Preserving Traditional Family! |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== March 6, 2007 Washington--Your Voice Crucial in Preserving Traditional Family! Dear HSLDA members and friends, There is a bill currently in the House that would provide same-sex couples many of the same benefits and rights reserved for married men and women. This bill has already passed the Senate and will be debated soon in the House. Your calls are vital to let your elected representative know where you stand and help stop a bill some believe will become law. Senate Bill 5336 would create "domestic partnerships" for same-sex couples and men and women over the age for 62 who do not want to get married. The bill would grant the same rights of a spouse to same-sex couples in health care, employee benefits, probate (wills), death and burial. While the bill defines this relationship as a "domestic partnership," its purpose is to recognize same-sex relationships as equal to a marriage in above mentioned areas. If this bill passes, "domestic partner" will be the same as a "husband" or "wife" and will be defined as a "family" in these respective areas. Even more troubling is that Senate Bill 5336 also implies that the goal is full same-sex marriage with all benefits and privileges. In this bill a domestic partnership is automatically terminated when same-sex marriage becomes valid in Washington. Why is Home School Legal Defense Association opposed to this bill? Our freedom to educate our children is based upon "Western civilization concepts of the family as a unit with broad parental authority over minor children." Same-sex marriage or domestic partnerships attack the traditions of the family in Western civilization upon which the foundation of parental choice in education and basic parental rights are based upon. Senate Bill 5336 is the first step in recognizing same-sex relationships as marriage in Washington. Please call now to help preserve the traditional family and help defeat this legislation. While this issue has been highly polarized, if you speak with conviction in a kind and loving manner you will be the most effective advocate. ACTION REQUESTED: 1) Please call and email your Representative and give them this message in your own words: "Please oppose Senate Bill 5336. This bill elevates same-sex and unmarried persons to that of married men and women. The rights and benefits can be obtained through private agreement and the State does not need to endorse such an agreement. Senate Bill 5336 is just a short step away from recognizing same-sex marriage." If possible, continue to call and email your Representative each week until you get assurances that they will oppose this bill. You do not need to identify yourself as a homeschooler. Instead please let you representative know that you are a constituent. Though this bill does affect homeschoolers, it also affects every family in Washington. To find the name and contact information for your Representative, visit HSLDA's Legislative Toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox . You can also send a brief message to your Representative through the in-state toll-free Hotline number: 1-800-562-6000. 2) Please call and email each of the members of the Judiciary Committee and give them this message in your own words: "Please oppose Senate Bill 5336. This bill elevates same-sex and unmarried persons to that of married men and women. The rights and benefits can be obtained through private agreement and the State does not need to endorse such an agreement. Senate Bill 5336 is just a short step away from recognizing same-sex marriage." You do not need to identify yourself as a homeschooler. Though this bill does affect homeschoolers, it also affects every family in Washington. House Judiciary Committee Members General Judiciary Committee phone number: (360) 786-7122 or 1-800-562-6000. Rep. Patricia Lantz - Chairman (D) Phone: (360) 786-7964 Email: lantz.patricia@leg.wa.gov Rep. Roger Goodman - Vice Chair (D) Phone: (360) 786-7878 Email: goodman.roger@leg.wa.gov Rep. Jay Rodne - Ranking Minority Member (R) Phone: (360) 786-7852 Email: rodne.jay@leg.wa.gov Rep. Judy Warnick - Asst Ranking Minority Member (R) Phone: (360) 786-7932 Email: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/memberemail/MailForm.aspx?Chamber=H&District=13 &Position=1 Rep. John Ahern (R) Phone: (360) 786-7962 Email: ahern.john@leg.wa.gov Rep. Dennis Flannigan (D) Phone: (360) 786-7930 Email: flannigan.dennis@leg.wa.gov Rep. Steve Kirby (D) Phone: (360) 786-7996 Email: kirby.steve@leg.wa.gov Rep. Jim Moeller (D) Phone: (360) 786-7872 Email: moeller.jim@leg.wa.gov Rep. Jamie Pedersen (D) Phone: (360) 786-7826 Email: pedersen.jamie@leg.wa.gov Rep. Charles Ross (R) Phone: (360) 786-7856 Email: ross.charles@leg.wa.gov Rep. Brendan Williams (D) Phone: (360) 786-7940 Email: williams.brendan@leg.wa.gov BACKGROUND How does defining marriage as being between one man and one woman potentially affect your right to homeschool your children? Here is what the Supreme Court said in 2000 in the case of Troxel v. Granville: "Our jurisprudence historically has reflected Western civilization concepts of the family as a unit with broad parental authority over minor children. Our cases have consistently followed that course." Thus, parental rights are based on "western civilization concepts of the family." When those concepts are no longer the legal definition of the family in this nation, then the foundation upon which parental rights are based is completely removed. Therefore, HSLDA will continue to fight against same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage attacks the traditions of the family in western civilization. This is an attack on parental rights. This is a battle the homeschooling movement cannot afford to lose. To see the entire bill text you can go to: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3866 . The bill states that unmarried relationships, such as same-sex unions, "are important to the individuals involved and their families; (that) they also benefit the public by providing a private source of mutual support for the financial, physical, and emotional health of those individuals and their families." Senate Bill 5336 also declares that "[t]he rights granted to state registered domestic partners (same-sex couples) in this act will further Washington's interest in promoting family relationships and protecting family members during life crises." The bill also falsely states that "[t]his act does not affect marriage or any other ways in which legal rights and responsibilities between two adults may be created, recognized, or given effect in Washington." Senate Bill 5336 was introduced on January 17, 2007. The bill passed the Senate on March 1, 2007. The following Senators voted in favor of the bill: Senators Berkey, Brandland, Brown, Eide, Fairley, Franklin, Fraser, Haugen, Hobbs, Jacobsen, Kastama, Kauffman, Keiser, Kilmer, Kline, Kohl-Welles, Marr, McAuliffe, Murray, Oemig, Poulsen, Prentice, Pridemore, Regala, Rockefeller, Spanel, Tom, and Weinstein . The following Senators were opposed to the bill: Senators Benton, Carrell, Clements, Delvin, Hargrove, Hatfield, Hewitt, Holmquist, Honeyford, McCaslin, Morton, Parlette, Rasmussen, Roach, Schoesler, Sheldon, Stevens, Swecker, and Zarelli. Senators Pflug and Shin were excused from the vote. There are some who believe that this bill will sail through the House, see: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3867 . However, with prayer and hard work, this bill can be defeated. Please call now in support of traditional family values. Thank you for your support of traditional marriage in Washington! Sincerely, Thomas J. Schmidt, Esq. HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Can you look at the clouds and tell the direction of the wind? An interesting phenomenon of wind is that it can blow in multiple directions at the same time, at different heights from the ground. But usually there is a prevailing wind. HSLDA watches the gusts and monitors the prevailing trends of change in the legal climate of home education. So no matter which way the wind is blowing, we're there to protect your family. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1938 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
