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Parental rights are evaporating…

by | Apr 20, 2021 | Updates from John

Dear Friend,

I’m writing to you from Tallahassee, where we’ve witnessed a series of impactful events take place – ones that should protect Floridians and their rights for decades to come.

In the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen the governor and legislature take a strong position on preventing government overreach by blocking the use of vaccine passports.

We’re also watching the legislature move on new sex education legislation that will restore some important parental oversight in public schools.

Our supporters are standing up and speaking out about these important initiatives, and our elected leaders are listening.

As the legislative session ends at the end of this month, things are about to pick up in a major way as they reach the final days.

Florida Family Policy Council’s presence at the Capitol is no doubt making a difference on some key legislation. Our Florida Capitol Project is injecting pastors into the Capitol to advocate on behalf of your worldview and values.

Plus, Pro-Family Days was as well attended as ever before – and gained even more attention because no other associations had their day at the Capitol and Governor DeSantis attended and was our keynote speaker.

You would be amazed how many legislators and government officials were excited to join us in our outdoors, safe, and socially distanced meetings with around 200 supporters. They wanted and needed support and prayer, and our supporters brought it!

We have a few critical initiatives that we will NEED your help on in the final stretch.

We’re continuing to work with allied legislators to carry important legislation on YOUR behalf – things like:

Parental Bill of Rights, HB 241 by Grall and SB 582 by Rodrigues This bill emphasizes the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children, which includes the right to be notified of anything affecting the health, well-being, and education of their child while the child is in the custody of the school district.

Promoting Equality of Athletic Opportunity, SB 2012 by Stargel and HB 1475 by Tuck This bill would require that athletic teams sponsored by educational institutions be designated on the basis of a student’s biological sex. It would prohibit males from competing on female teams and females from competing on male teams. The bill specifies conditions under which a person who transitions from male to female is eligible to compete on the female team.

Safety of Religious Institutions, HB 259 by Byrd and SB 498 by Gruters This bill would allow people with concealed carry permits to carry firearms on the property of religious institutions like churches and synagogues. Such a measure would provide much-needed security and protection for church attendees.

Moment of Silence, HB 529, by Fine and SB 282 by Baxley This simple but powerful bill would require a moment of silence and reflection before every public-school class. The bill which failed at the final hour last year has gotten a good start this year.

These bills, if we can get them across the finish line together, are going to have a huge impact on Florida. We have great legislative sponsors who are willing to go to the mat for our families, for our businesses, and most importantly, for our kids.

More on that in a moment.

And speaking of stepping up, Florida’s pastors are engaging like never before through our Florida Capitol Project program – a hands-on opportunity for pastors to pray with and for legislators and staff directly, and to learn a little bit more about how they and their flocks can be engaged stewards of God’s authority on the earth.

The Florida Capitol Project is a two-day program for pastors and ministry leaders who want to make an impact.

I really want to encourage you to prayerfully consider pitching in to sponsor a pastor to participate in this program – we know it makes a HUGE difference. A full sponsorship cost is $500 per pastor; that cost covers travel, food, lodging, and materials for their time with us in Tallahassee.

Courtney, If you’re in a position to help pay for a pastor to attend, or even pitch in a little bit to make a dent in the cost, please give here to make an investment. 

And, if you have a few extra seconds, please write a little note of encouragement I can share with our pastors at the event.

Getting back to what I mentioned earlier, FFPC has felt a real mandate over the last couple of months in the area of protection for our children.

More and more, we’re seeing pop culture, the entertainment industrial complex, liberal political revolutionaries, and radical sex activists targeting our kids – from the seemingly innocent placement of same-sex couples kissing in television commercials to new sex education curriculum in public schools presenting children with a list and asking them to make a decision on which gender pronoun they want to use.

We can’t afford to disengage or become passive in our protection of innocent kids. We must aggressively defend them in policy, culture, and in schools.

Apathy and neutrality will grant us a loss, and we can’t afford to lose the next generation. That is why FFPC is so focused on passing child-first legislation like the sex-education opt-out bill, HB/SB 545/410 sponsored by Representative Linda Chaney and Senator Anna Marie Rodriguez.

We believe strongly that parents are the best equipped and duly authorized decision-makers for their children. Parents should always have the option to opt their kids out of sex education classes at school – or any other controversial class, for that matter.

But right now, they can’t do that in all Florida schools.

If we keep our foot on the gas, we know we can get this commonsense legislation across the finish line and to the desk of Governor DeSantis. But we need your help.

FFPC’s lobbyists are engaging every day at the Capitol to lay the foundation for legislative success. Your generous support makes it possible for us to be there daily, answering questions, encouraging legislators to vote the right way, and ensuring the final product is a great piece of legislation.

Without your help, the other side – Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, Equality Florida, Freedom From Religion Foundation, and others – would be the only side in the building advocating for change.

We’re focusing on children, in part, because, despite the lack of unity in our country, protecting children is one thing that we can all agree on. And that’s why we’re optimistic we can make great strides here in the closing weeks of the legislative session.

Every dollar that we raise in pursuit of good public policy in Florida is a dollar that competes for the hearts and minds of the next generation. Think about that and read it again:

Every dollar invested in good public policy is a dollar that competes for the hearts and minds of the next generation.

To me, that’s worth sacrificing a Starbucks, or a trip to the movies, or maybe even a vacation – knowing that the next generation of Floridians will grow up in an environment that is truly a safe place for them and for their kids.

I’m asking all of our supporters this month to make an extra investment as we race towards the end of the legislative session.

Maybe you’ve never given before – and that’s okay! We serve a God who has a history of multiplying everything that is surrendered to His causes – to the things that honor his design for the human experience. Whether your gift is $5, $500, or $5 thousand, we know that every dollar, every breath, and every effort we put towards these pursuits will be honored.

I’m asking you to consider what sort of impact you’d like to have on Florida’s future generations. The legislative session ends on April 30th, so please don’t delay.

Thank you, as always, for your loyal and generous support.

In His Service,

 

John Stemberger
President & General Counsel
Florida Family Policy Council

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