Family Council Signs Letter Opposing Abortion Coverage in Obamacare Funding

Abortion, , ,

This week Family Council joined more than 60 pro-life leaders from across the country in urging the U.S. Senate not to authorize any Obamacare funding that covers abortion.

Recent proposals by Senators Alexander (R – TN) and Murray (D – WA) would give federal tax dollars to insurance plans that cover elective abortions. The proposals ignore longstanding traditions in Congress, like the Hyde Amendment, that prevent taxpayer-funding of elective abortions in most cases.

As we wrote last year, the Hyde Amendment has long been viewed as a delicate compromise. However, that compromise has recently come under attack. In 2016 the Democratic National Committee put language in its party platform saying, “We will continue to oppose — and seek to overturn — federal and state laws and policies that impede a woman’s access to abortion, including by repealing the Hyde Amendment.”

Prohibiting the public funding of abortion saves lives. According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, more than 2 million lives have been saved by the Hyde Amendment since in was first enacted in 1976.

Simply put, our senators should not authorize any federal spending that subsidizes abortion.

You can read the entire letter to Congress here.

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Arkansas A.G. Rejects Two Recreational Marijuana Proposals in 24 Hours

Marijuana

Last week Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office rejected two different recreational marijuana proposals in just 24 hours of each other.

The A.G. rejected both proposals — one for being vague and the other for failing to acknowledge that marijuana would still be illegal under federal law even if the amendment passed.

The amendments would have let adults and companies grow, buy sell, and use marijuana for any reason.

By our count, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office has rejected seventeen recreational marijuana proposals since May of this year.

To put it simply, marijuana’s proponents are not content with so-called “medical marijuana.” As we have said before: “Medical marijuana” is just a stepping stone. The endgame for marijuana’s supporters is — and always has been — full legalization.

You can read the A.G.’s full opinions here and here.

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Target Stores Continue to Suffer Amid Boycott

LGBT,

You may recall in April of last year Target announced on its website that customers and employees at its stores would be able to use the changing areas and restrooms of their choice rather than their biological sex.

Many people expressed public safety concerns about Target’s decision to let men enter women’s restrooms and changing areas.

As a result, more than a million people signed agreements to boycott Target.

Target has suffered financially since, with its stock prices falling nearly 23% — from $82.76 per share to $64 per share — since April of last year.

Some argue that stores like Target are simply having a tough time in this economy. However, Target’s competitor Walmart has seen its stock value rise from $69 per share to nearly $98 since April of 2016.

Last month Target announced it will close 12 of its larger stores next year. According to CNBC, the stores are located in Minnesota, Kansas, Michigan, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Illinois, and Texas.

Even Target’s management has acknowledged that letting men enter the women’s restrooms and changing areas at its stores has been bad for business. Last spring Target’s CEO admitted, “Target didn’t adequately assess the risk [about publicizing the policy], and the ensuing backlash was self-inflicted.” However, he stopped short of saying the policy itself was bad.

Target has not changed its policy as of today, and over 1.5 million Americans are still boycotting the retail chain as a result, but at least the company admits the boycott is affecting its bottom line.

You can sign the pledge to boycott Target here.

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