Wisconsin Family Council

... Victory for religious freedom at UW-Superior
The state of Wisconsin has agreed to pay $20,000 in legal fees to Alliance Defense Fund lawyers who filed suit against UW-Superior last October on behalf of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (InterVarsity) for the university's refusal to recognize InverVarsity as a student group because it required its leaders to be Christian. The settlement includes recognition of InterVarsity and $1,564 in student fees for this school year. Read more... ...Alliance Defense Fund press release

... National Day of Prayer in Wisconsin
This year's National Day of Prayer is May 3, 2007. A number of groups in a number of cities in Wisconsin will be among those observing this day of prayer and repentance for our nation. Dr. Charles Swindoll is this year's honorary chairman. Read his prayer for our nation.

... Anti-constitution statement to overturn Wisconsin's Marriage Protection Amendment resurfaces in Dane Count
On Thursday, April 19, the Dane County Board will consider a resolution to allow county officials to sign an optional statement with their oath of office promising to work to eliminate the Marriage Protection Amendment from the Wisconsin constitution. (Wisconsin citizens voted in November 2006 in favor of the amendment 59 percent to 41 percent.) The anti-Constitution statement would read as follows: "I take this oath of office today under protest to the passage of the constitutional amendment creating article XIII, section 13, of the Wisconsin Constitution. This amendment besmirches our Constitution with these words: Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state.' I pledge to work to eliminate this section from the Constitution and work to prevent any discriminatory impacts from its application." Read more... The Madison City Council passed a similar resolution in January and earlier this week Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and half of the new City Council members signed an anti-Constitution statement after taking their oath of office. Read WFC's press release regarding the City of Madison's action.

... US Supreme Court upholds federal partial-birth abortion ban
On Wednesday, April 18, the US Supreme Court issued a decision that upholds the constitutionality of the federal partial-birth abortion ban on a vote of 5 to 4. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samual Alito, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas voted to uphold the ban; Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, John Paul Stevens and David Souter dissented. Attorney Jordan Lorence with Alliance Defense Fund, one of the organizations that submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in this case, stated, "Today's decision...is a reasonable restriction on abortion. This is a welcome sign of judicial restraint from the Supreme Court. It allows legislators to deal with the complexities of the abortion situation rather than having courts impose rigid rules that block sensitive and moral-based solutions to the abortion controversy." Wisconsin Family Council press release ... Pro-Life Wisconsin press release ... Wisconsin Right to Life press release

... Pro-family coalition files suit against FDA to overturn FDA's approval of over-the-counter sales of "Plan B" or "emergency contraception" to young women 18 years and older
Late last week a pro-family coalition consisting of Family Research Council, Concerned Women For America, Association of American Physicians & Surgeons, Inc. and Safe Drugs for Women filed a lawsuit against the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and FDA Commissioner Andrew C. Von Eschenbach asking that FDA approval of over-the-counter (OTC) sales of "emergency contraception" be overturned. Read more...

... Connecticut gay "marriage" bill passes state judiciary committee; heads to House
Late last week the Connecticut House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. The Connecticut legislature passed a civil unions bill two years ago that made civil unions equivalent to marriage. The proposed bill not only allows same-sex couples to marry, it transforms existing civil unions to marriages and allows people to get out of a civil union before it becomes a marriage. Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell has stated she believes marriage is between one man and one woman and will veto the bill if it comes to her desk. Read more... and more...

... Family Bulletin Board

1. On Sunday evening, April 22, the Medical Focus Group of Elmbrook Church is hosting a Bioethics seminar entitled "Artificial Reproductive Technolgogies: An Introductory Bioethics Seminar for Christians." The event will be held at Elmbrook Church from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Elmbrook Church is located at 777 S Barker Rd, Brookfield, WI. For more information, contact Ellen Klandrud at 262-784-9495 or via e-mail at eklandrud@wi.rr.com.

2. Calvary Memorial Church in Racine will be hosting a parenting seminar on Friday, May 4 from 6:45-8:30 pm and Saturday, May 5 from 8:45 am-12:30 pm. The seminar, entitled Cooperation, Consequences, and Keeping Your Sanity, uses biblically based parenting principles from the National Center for Biblical Parenting and will be led by NCBP-trained presenter, Sheri Fettes. A free children's program (ages 3-12) will be held simultaneously that will complement the adult presentation. Cost is $25 per couple or $15 per individual. Call Sue @ 262-884-8787 or Linda @ 262-637-7226 for registration information.

3. Above The Clouds, Inc. will hold a spring concert on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. at 3229 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Dr. (Heartlove Place Inc) featuring students' "art/movements in ballet, drama, music, cheerleading, stepping and works of fine art." Rep. Jason Fields (D-Milwaukee) will be the featured speaker. Refreshments will be served and seating is limited. Admission is free but a freewill offering will be received. For more information or to RSVP, please call Linda Wade at 414-344-3019 or email abovethecloudsinc@msn.com.

[NOTES on the Family Bulletin Board: Email the article to familyeconnection@wifamilycouncil.org at least two weeks in advance. Please include the name, phone number and email address (if available) of a contact person. You may also fax the information to 608-256-3370.
[All submissions are subject to editing and will be posted at the discretion of Wisconsin Family Council. Posting on WFC's Family Bulletin Board does not necessarily imply endorsement of events.]

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