HOMOSEXUAL CIVIL RIGHTS BILL IN LIMBO

Senate File 427, which amends Iowa Code 216 to include sexual orientation and gender identity as civil rights, has stalled in the Iowa House of Representatives. The bill, which passed the Senate and a House Committee, thereby staying alive through the April 6^th funnel date, faces an uncertain future. The “grape vine” reports that there are not enough Democrat votes to pass it and until there are, SF 427 will stay off of the House debate calendar. Iowa business lobbyists joined traditional values lobbyists to denounce the bill as unnecessary and creating a variety of potential threats to the viability of small businesses by opening the door to frivolous law suits. Had the Senate Democrats accepted Republican amendments to SF 427, it would have been a more palatable bill. ICA will continue to monitor the status of SF 427.

House File 611, Planned Parenthood’s sex education bill has also survived the funnel. It has passed the House (with the help of five Republicans) and cleared a Senate Committee. It’s interesting to note that HF 611 was introduced and processed through the House Education Committee but was sent to the Senate Human Resources Committee. Senator Nancy Boettger and other Republicans on the Human Resources Committee wanted to know why. Senator Ragan, the Democrat chair, offered no explanation. Other Democrats on the Committee gave some circuitous logic for the switch, but none really satisfied the Republican questioners. The scuttlebutt has it that Democrat Senator Brian Schoenjohn, chair of the Education Committee, did not want his fingerprints on HF 611. This bill, Planned Parenthood’s unabashed effort to take sex education programming away from local school districts and give it to the State Department of Education, may not be popular in some parts of his District (i.e., Buchanan, Clayton, Delaware and Fayette). Senator Schoenjohn, serving his first term in the Senate, will be up for re-election in 2008.

Speaking of Planned Parenthood, they recently declared their support for the “fair share act II,” which would require public employees to either join s public service union (i.e., ASFME, ISEA, etc.) or pay their “fair share” for services the union determines they have received from the union. That bill has also stalled in the House. It also cleared the April 6^th funnel and sits in limbo. That may be the reason that the unions called Planned Parenthood and requested their support. After all, the unions signed on to the sex education, bullying and other Planned Parenthood priorities. I wonder how many union members really support the left wing agenda of Planned Parenthood and the Iowa ACLU? Are any card -carrying union members also card-carrying members of the ACLU?

As soon as we can sort out what bills, in which we had an interest, are still viable and could remain viable in the next legislative session, we will let you know. Until then, keep praying for God’s blessing on our government leaders and decision makers.

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:5-8