Monday, April 20, 2009

CAP: Is the “Religious Right” Dead?‏

Over the past few months, media members have reported that the "Religious Right" or "Values Voters" coalition is finally dead. Unfortunately, the media has been trying to say this for the past thirty-some years. Focus on the Family's Tom Minnery writes, "In their haste to pronounce us dead, reporters routinely ignore the most profound grass-roots uprising of our era, the writing of marriage definitions into 30 state constitutions. That's 30 victories in all 30 states that have put this question to voters, and many of those victories have been landslides. This has been a continental phenomenon, from the Midwest, through the South, the Intermountain West, and the Left Coast states of Oregon and (shudder!) sophisticated California."
Read more about this on our blog.

Mike Huckabee Defends Marriage!
CAP Family Dinner keynote Mike Huckabee is a strong defender of marriage and timeless family values. He is so confident of his beliefs that he's willing to put himself on the "Hot Seat" to answer the tough questions about marriage, divorce, and same-sex adoption. We really hope that all of you can join us on May 19th, but table sponsors are filling up quickly. Register now to hear from Mike Huckabee at the CAP Family Dinner.

It's Never Too Early to Prepare

In the past few weeks, the CAP Policy Team has participated in a number of meetings with representatives from the medical community to discuss Jesse's Law, Part 2. The comments at these meetings have really reminded me how important it is for every person, young and old, to prepare the appropriate legal documents to provide for their future medical care. The reality is that if you do not have something in writing, others may make medical decisions for you based on high costs or their own values about "quality of life." If you want your values to be respected and carried out, a written document is your best protection. CAP recommends that you fill out a durable healthcare power of attorney appointing a trusted family member or friend to make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable. You also need to let your close family members know as specifically as possible what you believe about "end of life" care, including food and fluid. Only the Lord knows the number of our days, and we shouldn't wait until tragedy strikes to get our house in order.
Governor Brewer Halts Lottery Expansion
When Gov. Jan Brewer took office in January, she issued an executive order suspending all administrative rulemaking. Many government programs like the Arizona Lottery require the executive branch to issue "rules" to implement the program. Because these rules can carry additional costs and burdens to state government, the Governor suspended rules in progress so her staff could evaluate the costs and benefits of any proposed rules. Well, one of the new administrative rules being proposed would have expanded the Arizona Lottery by adding a definition of "on-line lottery game." This new definition would have allowed video gaming also described as analogous to video poker. Thank you, Gov. Brewer, for catching this significant expansion of Lottery games. For now, at least, the Arizona Lottery proposed expansion under the Napolitano administration has been halted. Let's hope it stays that way.
CAP Growing on Facebook!
Over 200 million people (which would be the 5th most populated country) are now users on the social-networking site Facebook. In only one week, CAP tapped into that number by gaining over 400 "fans." As CAP looks for new ways to promote timeless values, we hope that you, too, will join us on Facebook.
CAP Legislative Briefing Next Week in Flagstaff!
On April 24th, join Cathi Herrod at Christ's Church of Flagstaff for a free dessert buffet at 7:30 p.m. Register by e-mail at rsvp@azpolicy.org or call 800.FAMILY.1. Christ's Church of Flagstaff is located at 3475 E. Soliere Avenue. The next day, attend our Truth Project Training in Flagstaff.

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