Call Now to Stop
UN Children’s Treaty
Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,

Monday in a Harlem middle school, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told a group of 120 students that administration officials are actively discussing “when and how it might be possible to join” (that is, ratify) the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). As before, she also communicated what a disgrace it is that the U.S. would stand with only Somalia against such a widely accepted treaty.

This is the first direct public statement by the Obama administration that it will seek ratification of the UN CRC.

In my 30 years of political involvement, I have learned to recognize this as what is called a “trial balloon.” Like in World War I trench warfare, our opponents have “sent up a balloon” to see if it will draw fire. If things remain quiet, they will proceed with their plans to push for ratification of the CRC in the U.S. Senate. To discourage them from doing so, we need to make sure that our voices are heard with unmistakable clarity. We must let the Obama administration know that we oppose this anti-family, anti-American treaty.

Action
Here’s what we need you all to do:

1. Call the White House comments line at 202-456-1111. Tell them you heard the administration wants to ratify the CRC, and you strongly oppose this giving away of U.S. sovereignty to the UN. Also, keep in mind that this treaty gives the government jurisdiction to override any decision made by any parent if the government thinks that a better decision can be made—even if there is no proof of any harm.

2. Call the Ambassador Susan Rice’s office at the United Nations. Tell her that you want her to represent the United States to the world rather than trying to get the United States to go along with international law initiated by the UN. Her office number is 212-415-4000.

3. Contact your senators and urge them to oppose ratification of this treaty. (Find your senators’ contact information by using HSLDA’s Legislative Toolbox.) Ask them also to defeat it once and for all by cosponsoring SJRes 16—the Parental Rights Amendment.

It is very important that we speak up right now. Please call before you close this email!

Michael Farris
HSLDA Chairman

First, be encouraged. From reports we have received, we have kept the White House phone lines very busy this morning. We have also had an impact at Susan Rice's office.

However, some of you are having trouble getting through to her. It turns out Susan Rice's name is not in the automated directory. However, there are three options to fix this. Please dial ONE of them, and deliver the message that you oppose the CRC, and that she should represent Americans to the United Nations rather than push a UN agenda on our country.

1. Dial the main line at 1-212-415-4000, and dial 6 to leave your message; OR

2. Dial the Public Diplomacy Office at 1-212-415-4050 and leave a message; OR

3. Dial her office directly at 1-212-415-4404. Again, you will need to leave a message.

This is not a message they want to hear, so do not expect a cordial reception. The important thing is to get the message through.

Thank you so much, and keep up the great work!

Michael Ramey,

Director of Communications & Research

HSLDA: Delegation at UN Disconnects Phone--Update

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

Congratulations!

The office of UN Ambassador Susan Rice has been inundated with calls!
The first phone line we sent out has been completely shut down, and
the voice mail system for all of their lines has been crashed.

This means you can't likely get through, so what do you do?

You no longer need to call the U.S. office at the UN. Instead, please
contact the White House comment line at 202-456-1111. It may be
busy--we have kept it busy all day--but keep trying. It is only open
from 9 to 5 EDT, so time is limited. However, you can also send them a
message online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/.

Also, contact your senators. Find their contact information by using
our Legislative Toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox .
Congressional offices also close at 5 (EDT), so try to get to them
quickly--or call tomorrow!

Please visit www.ParentalRights.org for more up-to-date information on
this campaign before calling our office.

Thank you so much, and keep up the great work!

Michael Farris
HSLDA Chairman

Dear Champion of Parental Rights,

Let’s keep the momentum going! Yesterday we warned you about the Obama administration’s “trial balloon” to consider ratifying the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and your calls had a huge impact. Ambassador Susan Rice’s office even had to disconnect their phone line! You also tied up the White House comment line all day, and many Senators got a loud and clear message.

All we left out was the Congress – and today it is their turn. As of now, we have more than 100 cosponsors on H.J. Res. 42, the Parental Rights Amendment introduced by Rep. Pete Hoekstra. This is a huge milestone, and one many thought we would never reach. It is amazing that we reached it this fast!

We are excited to have topped the 100 mark, but many congressmen are still on the fence, uncommitted, or just plain opposed to the Parental Rights Amendment. Today, we will let them know in no uncertain terms that the American public wants to see this Amendment passed.

Recently, the CRC has been used to challenge the US Army’s recruiting practices, threaten educational choice in Great Britain, discourage corporal punishment in Guatemala, and the list goes on. To protect U.S. sovereignty, states’ rights, and parental liberty, continue the fight for the Parental Rights Amendment.

Here is what we need you to do today to press our advantage and protect parental rights:

1. If your congressman is not a cosponsor yet, call them today and ask why they are not one of more than 100 congressmen who are. Tell them the Parental Rights Amendment will protect the current American system of family law from judicial erosion and international law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It will protect the rights of the states to continue to make family law as they do now, instead of transferring that power to the federal bureaucracy.

2. If your congressman is on our list of cosponsors, do not call them! If you want to thank them, a note or card sent by mail would be the politest way to do so. Additionally, you can do one or more of the following:

i) Contact the media. Parental Rights is not a “media darling”, so they will try to overlook our efforts and triumphs. Don’t let them! If you can write, write a letter to the editor of your local paper. If not, call your favorite radio or t.v. news and commentary program – whether it’s Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh or Jon Stewart and Al Franken – and urge them to contact parentalrights.org at 540-751-1245 for an interview.

ii) Pass along this email to as many friends as you can. The movement has begun, but must continue to grow if we are to see these things through.

iii) Visit parentalrights.org and parentsrights.us for more information on the Parental Rights Amendment. Parentalrights.org also contains a host of information on why we must oppose ratification of the CRC if future generations of Americans are ever to know freedom.

For updates of this email online, click here.

Dear Friends,
Here are more updates on the federal "Hate Crimes Bill" S 909 and on the Parental Rights issue. I know some of you are on the PRA email list but many are not. Please forgive any duplication of information.
-Treon

UN Treaty Jeopardizes Homeschool Freedom in Britain

The following is a press release published by Home School Legal Defense Association yesterday:

Purcellville, VA – Last week the Children’s Secretary of Britain accepted a report in full by Graham Badman which argues for an end to homeschool freedom. “While it’s disgraceful that the British government would even entertain this report it’s particularly troubling for American parents because the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was used as the justification for this action,” said Michael Farris, Chairman of HSLDA and President of ParentalRights.org.

The Badman report uses Articles 12 and 29 of the UNCRC to justify registering the estimated 80,000 homeschooling families in Britain, forcing them to provide annual reports regarding their homeschool, granting government officials the right to enter the home and interview the children alone as well as reserving the choice of curriculum to the state.

HSLDA has been warning that the UNCRC could bring an end to homeschool freedom in the U.S., if the treaty was ever ratified by the U.S. Senate because Article VI of the U.S. Constitution says that treaties become the supreme law of the land.
For the UNCRC to be ratified it must gain a two-thirds vote in the U.S. Senate. If this happens then the UNCRC will automatically supersede all state laws and U.S. judges will be obligated to follow the provisions of the treaty. Currently, family and education laws are state-based; however, ratification of the UNCRC would transfer the jurisdiction for making family and education law to the U.S. Congress. Congress would, in turn, be obligated to follow the UN mandates contained in the CRC. The only answer at this point would be to add a Parental Rights Amendment (PRA) to the Constitution.

The Badman report is a stark reminder of how government officials in an English-speaking democracy have interpreted the UNCRC. It’s clear that the right to homeschool in America will be negatively impacted if the U.S. Senate ever ratifies the UNCRC.

To read the full United Kingdom report, click here.

To find out more about the Parental Rights Amendment, visit www.parentalrights.org.

Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a 26 year old, 85,000 member non-profit organization and the preeminent association advocating the legal right of parents to homeschool their children.

In light of this news, we urge you to encourage family and friends to join our email network. We also encourage you to give as you are able to the vital work of stopping these intrusions from coming to America.

Find this story on-line.

International Law versus Army Recruiters

A U.S. District Court in Oakland last week declined to hear oral arguments in a case pitting international law against U.S. military policy. Judge Saundra Armstrong announced Tuesday that she would decide the case based on briefs and other documents presented to the court for that purpose. “No matter the outcome,” Arcata counsel Brad Yamauchi says, “we’re going to appeal to the 9th Circuit and possibly the Supreme Court.”

At the heart of the case are local ordinances from Eureka and Arcata, two northern California cities, which would prohibit U.S. armed services recruiters from initiating contact with youths under 18, anywhere within city limits. The U.S. Department of Justice first filed suit against the towns, claiming that these Youth Protection Acts fail under Article VI of the Constitution, which makes federal law supreme over contradictory state or local legislation.

In response, the cities filed countersuits claiming that current military policy violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child’s Optional Protocol on Children in Armed Conflict, which the U.S. ratified in 2002. (This is a separate but related treaty to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC); the U.S. has not ratified the main CRC.) “When the government enters into an international treaty or protocol, that becomes the law of the United States,” says Yamauchi, also citing Article VI. The cities claim that the U.S. military is in violation of the Protocol’s prohibition on the recruiting of children for military service. Current federal law allows representatives of the armed services to educate high school and college students on military career options, alongside other educational and vocational recruiters at job fairs and the like. To actually enlist, however, one must be 18, or close to 18 with parental consent. This countersuit constitutes the first time since the 2002 ratification of the protocol that the federal government’s compliance with the treaty has been legally questioned.

Judge Armstrong’s decision to forgo oral arguments is widely considered favorable to the federal government’s case. “[I]f anything, it is a negative sign for us because we obviously have the steeper hill to climb,” admits Eureka City Attorney Sheryl Schaffner. However, Armstrong’s decision, which could come at any time, is not likely to be the end, nor is it safe to guess how the 9th Circuit might rule if the case is appealed.

That this case exists at all is evidence of the threat that international law presents to our American way of life. Should the full CRC be ratified, not only federal law, but even state, local and individual family decisions will come under the authority of the United Nations when children are involved. The Parental Rights Amendment is the only guaranteed method to permanently stop international law from interfering with family and state laws.

Find this story on-line.

From the American Family Association:

The Obama administration has signaled that it plans to secure passage of S.909, the "Hate Crimes" bill, this week. The House has already passed and the Senate is expected to vote this week on legislation that would create a new class of crimes based on the victim's "actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity." Even more troubling is that S.909 could create special protections for pedophiles. Democrats voted down an amendment to the bill that would have excluded pedophilia and other "sexual orientations" from the definition of "sexual orientation."

"If a mother hears that their child has been raped, and she slaps the assailant with her purse, she is now gone after as a hate criminal because this is a protected class," said Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas.

For years, AFA and other pro-family groups have issued warnings about federal Hate Crimes legislation. The reality is that the purpose of this bill is to silence those who speak out against homosexuality. If the legislation passes, pastors could be prosecuted under the federal inducement statute for preaching the biblical view of homosexuality. For example, a person could commit an act of violence against a homosexual individual and blame it on the pastor's sermon. Similar laws have been used to prosecute religious speech in the U.S. at the state level and abroad.

The Senate is poised to pass S. 909, the "Hate Crimes" bill, unless there are an overwhelming number of phone calls today.

Take Action!
Click here to get the direct telephone number for your two senators, along with suggested talking points for your call. Call your senators today to demand politely, but firmly, that they vote against S.909. Congress has refused to define the term "sexual orientation," which means that all sexual orientations are protected.

From CitizenLink.com on S.909:

6-16-09

Hate-Crimes Vote Promised by August

by Josh Montez

Family advocates worry about "chilling effect" such a law could have on religious free speech.

Majority Leader Harry Reid has reaffirmed his plans to have the Senate take up a so-called hate-crimes bill before Congress' August recess.

In a Monday news conference, Reid, D-Nev., called hate crimes "a unique brand of evil."

"A violent act may physically hurt just a single victim and cause grief for loved ones," he said. "But hate crimes do more. They distress entire communities."

Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said Reid has it backwards. A hate-crimes law, she said, could distress entire communities – particularly Christian churches.

"As we've seen in other nations where such laws are passed, they can have a chilling effect on the free speech of those who would simply share from the Bible God's views on issues such as homosexuality," she explained. "Hate-crimes laws are unnecessary in a civil society like ours based on the rule of law.

"All crimes are hate crimes," she added, "To give special status to certain groups of people allows courts to reach beyond punishing people for the illegal acts they commit and judge them for what they may or may not be thinking as they commit those acts."

As for Reid's pledge to push for a vote on a hate-crimes bill before the end of summer, Horne said it's old news.

"That's nothing new," she said. "What we do see here is that Democrats in Congress who are pushing this legislation forward really just have a solution looking for a problem."

She said the most recent FBI statistics do not back up the alleged epidemic of hate crimes against people in the gay community.

TAKE ACTION
The Senate will take up hate-crimes legislation as an amendment very soon. Please contact your senators and urge them to vote "No" on hate-crimes legislation. If you cannot get through to your senators, contact their state offices.

Visit Focus on the Family Action's hate-crimes Web page for more information.

Dear Friends,
Here are some updates for you concerning the Parental Rights Amendment. I hope you are enjoying your summer. I appreciate all of you.
-Treon

Amendment Reaches Senate
The Parental Rights Amendment as proposed by Rep. Pete Hoekstra in House Joint Resolution 42 has now been introduced in the U.S. Senate as well. The companion bill, Senate Joint Resolution 16, was introduced by Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina in May. Currently, Senator DeMint is the only sponsor.

Our efforts in the House have been quite successful, securing 93 sponsors to date. So now is the time to contact your senators and urge them to sign on as cosponsors to S.J.Res. 16, the Parental Rights Amendment, in the U.S. Senate. To find their contact information, enter your zip code in the box at Congress.org.

Bigger News Coming!

The introduction of the Amendment in the Senate is actually not nearly the biggest news of this week. We will be posting a new story to our website each day throughout the week, and we will be emailing them to you, as well. We do not intend to increase the frequency of emails overall – generally, we understand that once a week is enough – but this week’s news demands more than the usual attention. So be on the look-out for news each day, including some really big news on Wednesday of this week. Until then, though – it’s time to get to work on the U.S. Senate!

Treon Goossen
Home Education Legislative Analyst/Liaison, CO
www.ro828.com
www.hearthfund.org
www.parentalrights.org

Hello Friends,

I hope everyone is enjoying this summer season. It has been an unusual one but very enjoyable. I have taken some time to step away from all of the rat race for a few weeks. I am working with medical professionals who treat naturally for some issues related to simply stress and exhaustion. I am focusing on getting my body back to 100% and I am already feeling much better. Thanks for your prayers. It will take a few months for me to get fully back on track. I am still keeping an eye on things and will send emails out with pertinent updates.

I am also scheduling speaking engagements at support groups, events, etc. and will include this summer as well. If anyone is interested just email me and I will get back with you. I have no limitations for the size of the group. I also want to thank all of you who have faithfully supported the work I do. I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends and supporters.

Getting down to business. I think we will be facing some immunization issues in the 2010 legislative session. Colorado currently has 3 exemptions for immunizations: parental, medical, and religious. Judging by what I have been reading there could be a challenge to one or more of those exemptions. Parents who choose not to immunize or partially immunize their children are looked upon more and more as guilty of neglect and even abuse. The liberal media and pharmaceutical companies lead the charge with "medical experts" thrown in. Here is some reading pertaining to this subject.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12448293

The Colorado study, which spanned 12 years and included more than 700 children, is expected to become a weapon in the medical community's fight against a growing number of parents refusing vaccines for their children.

California schools' risks rise as vaccinations drop - Los Angeles Times

The NVIC is holding an International Public Conference on Vaccination near Washington D.C. this October 2-4 with lobbying on Capitol Hill October 5th.
NVIC’s International Vaccine Conference About Vaccine Safety – National Vaccine Information Center
I would love to be able to go and help represent CO and get informed for our upcoming battles on vaccines and immunizations in the state legislature. If this is an issue that deeply concerns you maybe you should consider going or help me get there. Please read about the conference at the link provided.

Here are some updates on the Parental Rights amendment.
The Parental Rights Amendment (H.J. Res. 42) is gaining support in Congress with 92 co-sponsors currently. Passing this Amendment will require the dedicated support of citizens across the country. Please join ParentalRights.org in this effort by voicing your support!
Here are five action steps you can take right away to support the Parental Rights Amendment:

1) Contact your Congressman and urge him to co-sponsor the Parental Rights Amendment. You can find your Congressman’s contact information here and see a list of current co-sponsors here.

2) Spread the word to your family and friends and encourage them to support the Amendment by taking these five action steps.

3) Sign the Petition.
4) Join the Parental Rights Amendment Facebook and Twitter pages.

5) Sign up as a PRO volunteer.

If you have any questions or would like to become more involved in the effort to protect parental rights, please contact the ParentalRights.org Regional Director, Joanna Griffith, at joanna@parentalrights.org.

Upcoming Events:

1. Tea Parties - One of our volunteers in TX brought it to my attention that there are hundreds of Independence Day Tea Parties being planned across the country. These events are similar to the Tax Day Tea Parties held last month. They are sponsored by the American Family Association, but each one is being planned locally. One of our TX supporters is looking into ways to spread the word about the Parental Rights Amendment at the Dallas tea party. These events offer a great opportunity to gather signatures, recruit volunteers, and increase public awareness regarding the Parental Rights Amendment. I would like to see ParentalRights.org represented at as many of the tea parties as possible. Please take a look at the web site and consider representing PRO at a tea party in your area. Please don't feel overwhelmed by the thought of managing all of the event planning details yourself. Our office is here to help you plan and staff events such as these! I will personally work with you to gather the volunteers and resources needed. If you are willing to help represent Parental Rights at one of the tea parties, please e-mail me and I will be more than happy to provide you with additional information.

2. Parent's Day - Parent's Day is coming up on July 26th and we hope to have events across the country, on or around the 26th, to support the Amendment. Possible events include BBQ's, 5k runs (use them as fundraisers), fund raising dinners, block parties, etc. As with the tea parties, our office is here to assist you in planning these events. If you are willing to organize or help with a Parent's Day event, please contact me ASAP.

3. Homeschool Conferences - ParentalRights.org is being represented at a number of large homeschool conferences nationwide but we would love to increase the number. If you are planning to attend a homeschool conference and would be willing to represent Parental Rights there, please let me know.

Social Networking:
We are using a variety of social networking sites. You can see a list of them here (this is updated as we join more networks) and I would encourage you to use them to support the Amendment and connect with other supporters. As you plan events, take advantage of these networks and event planning sites (such as MeetUp) to spread the word.

An Important Note about our Volunteer Opportunities:
The various volunteer positions (such as the 10-2 program) featured on our website are designed to support our volunteers but are by no means a limit on what you can do as a volunteer. You are welcome to support the Amendment by any means, provided that it is safe, legal, and accurately represents ParentalRights.org. Take a look at our website to see some of the ways volunteers across the country are supporting Parental Rights!

The Next Five Minutes

This week we return to the Action Email with this question: What will you do with the next five minutes? If you could invest the next five minutes – or three, if you’re quick – in changing the world for generations to come, would you do it?

That’s exactly what we’re asking you to do. Invest just the next five minutes in telling your friends about the Parental Rights Amendment. Below is a message you can use. Send it to your entire email list, post it on Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter (see the attached Tweet). It won’t take long, but the results of passing the Parental Rights Amendment will last beyond our lifetimes, to our children and our children’s children. Protect the freedoms of our next generations – with the next five minutes of your time.

The Message

A parent’s right to raise their children as they see fit is a time-honored American tradition, but today it is being threatened. The Supreme Court’s Troxel v. Granville decision in 2000 undermined a 75-year heritage of Constitutionally-protected, fundamental parental rights, which 8 of the 9 justices abandoned. At the same time, a growing body of international law fuels activist judges to legislate foreign standards from the American bench, while treaties such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child would subject parental decisions to government oversight and international review.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (MI-2) has proposed HJR-42, the Parental Rights Amendment, to stop the erosion of parental rights in American courts while simultaneously defending our laws from international invasion. Please, visit parentalrights.org to learn more about the Amendment, and to join their email network by signing the petition to protect parental rights.

Tweet

http://tr.im/lmoH Parental rights are at risk from our courts and international law. HJR 42 amends the Constitution to protect these rights.

(A “Tweet” is a message of 140 or fewer characters, for use on Twitter.)

Now, Go!

You’ve got the message. Now, take five minutes to pass it on. If you’re sending an email, cut and paste the content under “The Message” into the body of your email and send it on. For Twitter, just cut and paste our Tweet into your Twitter account. You might also call your friends and loved ones by phone – but get the message to as many as you can. You’ve got five minutes – starting now!

End of Legislative Session Comments:
From State Senator Greg Brophy:
The Last Day of the Session

I’ve spoken about this many times, but have failed to write about it. I thought you’d like to know what the last day of the session was like.

We cast votes on four significant pieces of legislation:

The death penalty
Use of cell phones in cars
Capital gains taxes
Jessica’s law
The day was really a microcosm of the year. The Democrats ignored the will of the people and advanced their agenda of higher taxes, less freedom, and placing the interests of criminals over citizens.

The vote on repealing the death penalty failed by one vote 17-18! It was one of the best debates I have ever heard in the Senate, with real passion and decent points on each side of the debate, but it is hard to overcome the sense of right and wrong in a clear statute that allows for the ultimate penalty in rare cases. What’s also interesting is that while this was essentially a 50-50 issue in the Senate, in the general population it is a 70-30 issue with 70% wanting to retain the death penalty.

The Democrats fired their first of many shots in blatantly increasing taxes by removing a credit on capital gains for Colorado investments. They passed this on the last day of the session. I am sure that they will be coming after more of our hard-earned money in a special session or early next year. The activist State Supreme Court gave them permission and they will increase taxes until they get the money that they want.

It will now be illegal for you to dial your phone while you are driving. That’s right, the cell phone ban applies to “manual data entry” as well as an out and out ban on anyone under the age of 18 using a phone while driving. And it is a primary offense which means the police will be able to pull you over if they see you doing it even if you are doing nothing else wrong. I am convinced that this bill will make a lot of people really mad. I just hope the folks remember that it passed 18-17 with no Republicans voting for it.

Finally, the Democrats stripped Jessica’s Law, or most of it, out of a bill dealing with crimes against children. They should be ashamed, but they aren’t. We really need to pass this law and protect kids from violent sexual predators, but the Dem’s just won’t vote for it.

There you have it; higher taxes, less freedom and less security. I’m glad the session only lasts 120 days.

From State Senator Kevin Lundberg:

Lundberg Legislative Report

Here are my final observations of the 2009 general session:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am pro-free market, pro-taxpayer, pro-limited government, pro-life, and pro-family.

Unfortunately this year’s legislature was not, and it was a tough year for advocates of life and liberty.

This is my seventh year in the legislature and my first year in the Senate. Despite the difficult political terrain, l very much enjoyed working in the Senate. The smaller numbers allow for more flexibility and greater opportunity to dig deeper into the issues.

On the Republican side of the isle we have a great team. We are on the same page and work well together. It is an honor to be a part of the Republican caucus in the Colorado Senate.

This year I had some success with my own legislation as two bills were signed into law. One requires readable signs for photo-radar traffic enforcement systems and the other essentially allows drill team prop rifles to be stored in student’s vehicles. I also co-sponsored 82 bills and resolutions and got a Memorial passed in the Senate calling for Congress to end the earmarking process. This was the final measure the Senate passed in this year’s general session. Bills I introduced that did not make it through included an educational tax credit bill, a transparency in new school construction measure and a bill to encourage new job production in the oil shale industry.

As chairman for the Republican Study Committee of Colorado I held several informative study sessions on economics, immigration, the budget and other issues that emphasized core Republican principles for good government. In March I helped organize a Pastor’s Day that brought about 150 church leaders to the capitol.

I supported policies that promote Northern Colorado businesses and my voting record proves it. For the second year in a row I was rated as 100% by the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance (a coalition of the Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley Chambers of Commerce).

Much of what we do in the legislature is not very controversial and consequently does not get much attention in the media. However, there are issues over which we battle and this year the over-all agenda was clearly for more taxes, bigger government and radical social changes. The constitution was ignored, unions obeyed and, even in this economic recession, next year’s budget is the biggest in history.

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the 2007 legislature’s property tax increase was legal, despite the constitutional requirement for the people to vote on all increases. This year the legislature added more new taxes and some taxes they called “fees,” all without the people’s constitutionally required vote. These included a $41 car tax, a hospital bed tax, an increase in certain capitol gains taxes and so many more new taxes for living in Colorado that I cannot list them all here. In all, nearly a billion dollars in new taxes and fees were piled onto the people of Colorado. For a more complete picture of what happened this year go to the “Freedom Watch 2009” page on my website: www.kevinlundberg.com.

The rush to ignore the constitution also stretched beyond tax increases. The legislature violated the people’s requirement to directly approve spending increases by removing the six percent limit on the growth of the general fund. This will choke off hundreds of millions of dollars from highway construction and open the floodgates for even more government programs. In the Senate we filibustered this bill for 14 hours, but in the end, by a party-line vote, it passed and the governor signed it.

When it came time to create next year’s budget, instead of really cutting back, like everyone one else is having to do, the legislature took $250,000,000 from cash funds, increased taxes and fees and spent all of the one-time Federal “stimulus” dollars they could get their hands on. We are entering the next year with virtually no reserves. Incredibly, even though this year everyone saw that we should have done this years ago, the legislature rejected my rainy-day fund proposal, again.

In addition, the governor’s industry-busting oil and gas regulations were approved, and medical insurance mandates were passed that, according to the legislature’s own fiscal estimates, will cost families thousands more in medical insurance premiums every year. The expressed will of the people was defied with the passage of the same-sex benefits for state employees and the designated beneficiary bill. These bills essentially put into law the domestic partnership concept that the voters rejected in 2006.

Also glaring in state policy is a troubling obedience to global warming alarmists. I believe we should support renewable energy development, but not because carbon dioxide is a pollutant that is destroying the planet. Renewable energy makes sense and it can be a bright part of our future where it is cost effective. Unfortunately the legislature is following the governor's lead by assuming we have to cripple our economy with fiscally irresponsible measures that are focused on minimizing and trapping CO2.

I know that as we look forward, with all of the challenges we face in promoting good, limited government principles, it can seem daunting. However, I am still confident that most Colorado citizens, especially here in Larimer County, understand that personal responsibility and individual liberty are still essential principles for a free and prosperous land.

I believe we must defend life and liberty and I will continue to fight for your freedom to pursue your happiness and the happiness of your children and their children as you have determined, not as so many are trying to dictate down in Denver.

I will, as long as the people of Senate District 15 allow, continue to fight for pro-free market, pro-taxpayer, pro-limited government, pro-life, and pro-family principles.

From State Senator Dave Schultheis: Yea Dave!!!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:Lori Brown

May 19, 2009 (303) 866-2638


COLORADO

STATE SENATE

STATE CAPITOL

DENVER

80203

Schultheis vows to shore Coloradans' right to arms—and Colorado's rights—with Montana-style ‘Firearms Freedom Act'

Veteran Colorado Springs Republican Sen. Dave Schultheis—a longtime champion of the right to arms as well as of states' rights—has announced he will sponsor a bill in the 2010 legislature that will safeguard both.



Inspired by recently enacted legislation in Montana, Schultheis's Colorado Firearms Freedom Act would make sure that only Colorado laws—not a labyrinth of regulations arbitrarily imposed by Congress and federal bureaucrats—govern any firearms, accessories or ammo that are manufactured and sold in the state. 



Not only would the effort create a buffer against federal encroachment on Colorado-made guns, Schultheis said, but it also would reassert an oft-overlooked provision in the Bill of Rights—the 10th Amendment—which was intended by the nation's founders to preserve states' authority over wide-ranging policies.



“It's not simply a gun issue, it's a states' rights issue,” he said. “This is not a radical idea. We're not saying anything that the 10th Amendment didn't say over two centuries ago.” 



Schultheis said Montana's legislature and Democrat governor enacted a similar measure not long ago, and a number of other states, including Texas and Utah, are considering following suit.



Schultheis said the proposal prevents federal laws from restricting guns, ammo and accessories manufactured and bought in Colorado because such items would not be introduced into interstate commerce. Congress long has used interstate commerce as a premise to justify expanding its regulation of various goods and services, including guns. 



The senator also noted that removing federal controls hardly would result in unregulated firearms in the state. 

“Colorado can and does have many of its own laws governing firearms rights now, and it would continue to ,” he said. “My proposal is simply about getting the federal government to mind its own business.”

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For a Better Colorado,
Senator Dave Schultheis

Sincerely,

Treon

Treon Goossen
Home Education Legislative Analyst/Liaison, CO
www.ro828.com
www.hearthfund.org
www.parentalrights.org

Dear Friends,
Well, the state legislative session is finally over. I will be sending out wrap-ups from various legislators as I receive them. As I previously reported to you - home school freedoms remain intact on the CO home front. There are serious issues on the federal level which could directly/indirectly impact your home school. These include the hate crimes legislation and the battle to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Parental Rights Amendment has been introduced in Congress which would greatly deter the impact of the UNCRC on American families. I will pass on to you action alerts as they happen to garner support for the PRA. Please visit www.parentalrights.org to stay fully updated on this issue.

FYI - Here is Governor Ritter's list of legislative successes for the 2009 session:

The 2009 legislative session will be remembered for its historic successes at developing the economy, strengthening our communities, protecting the vulnerable and creating opportunity across Colorado. Specifically, lawmakers enacted my administration's proposals to:
Initiate the most aggressive economic-development legislation in decades, establishing new incentives for companies to create jobs and providing businesses with access to credit;
Pass the most significant healthcare reform in 40 years without raising taxes, providing coverage to 100,000 uninsured Coloradans;
Create the first new sustainable funding source for transportation in nearly two decades;
Advance Colorado's globally recognized New Energy Economy, creating new jobs and making renewable energy and energy efficiency more affordable for all Coloradans;
Allow students to simultaneously earn high school and community college degrees;
Maintain our investments in K-12 education and historic levels of higher education funding;
Prevent double-digit college tuition increases;
Give families more time to avoid foreclosure by working out equitable solutions with mortgage lenders; and
Take major steps toward long-term budget reform.

Here is another federal bill which could possibly impact any email, etc. that expresses an opinion. It is all in how you interpret it.

1ST AMENDMENT ON TRIAL
Hostile bloggers facing fines, jail?
Proposal 'comes close to making it federal offense to log onto Internet'
Hostile bloggers facing fines, jail? www.worldnetdaily.com
Wrote a contributor to the Wired forum page, "If passed, this legislation could be easily abused with the effect of criminalizing all criticism. You probably [couldn't] even criticize the legislation itself because it would cause Sen. Sanchez emotional distress or possibly be considered a form of intimidation."

Here is more info on the hate crimes legislation just passed by the House of Representatives along with matching legislation introduced in the Senate sponsored by Senator Ted Kennedy (D) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D).

'Bestiality, pedophilia ... pick your poison' New hate crimes legislation shocks the conscience. www.wnd.com

Hundreds FedEx senators on 'Pedophile Protection Act' www.wnd.com

'Hate crimes' bill is full of swill (OneNewsNow.com) Commentary by Matt Barber - very good.

-Treon

Treon Goossen
Home Education Legislative Analyst/Liaison, CO
www.ro828.com
www.hearthfund.org
www.parentalrights.org