JPMorgan Chase Changes Policy That Led to Politicized Debanking of Conservatives

Religious Freedom, , , ,

On Tuesday Reuters reported that JPMorgan Chase changed a policy that had contributed to politicized debanking of conservative organizations.

Family Council has written repeatedly about how politicized debanking by JPMorgan Chase and others has hurt charities and people of faith.

In 2021, our credit card processor, WePay — a company owned by JPMorgan Chase — canceled our account with virtually no notice and no explanation. We eventually learned WePay had designated us a “high risk” client.

The only conclusion we could draw was that our conservative principles prompted the cancelation.

Reuters reports that JPMorgan Chase has changed WePay’s policy, writing,

An archived webpage shows that as recently as August, merchants using JPMorgan’s WePay service had to agree to not accept payments or use the service in connection with “social risk issues.” The bank defined those as “subject to allegation and impacts related to hate groups, systemic racism, sexual harassment and corporate culture.”

That language no longer appears on the WePay terms of service

This language about “social risk issues” and “hate groups” likely could have been used by WePay to debank legitimate, conservative groups.

Corporate shareholders, state attorneys general, congressmen, and news outlets all have expressed concerns over conservatives being wrongly labeled as “high risk” or “hate groups” and subsequently debanked as a result of policies like this one. This policy change by JPMorgan’s WePay is a remarkable step forward.

Banks that are too big to fail should also be too big to discriminate. Nobody should have their bank account closed for what they believe.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Nine Pro-Life Advocates Face Prison: Guest Column

Abortion, , ,
Photo Credit: File Photo, LifeNews.com.

Last week, pro-life advocate Lauren Handy was sentenced to four years and nine months of prison time. Two others received lesser sentences, and nine in all have been convicted for obstructing “reproductive health services” in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. They were arrested during a protest at a notorious late-term abortion clinic in Washington, D.C., in October 2020. 

Terissa Bukovinac, founder of the protest’s sponsoring organization, Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, called the arrest and conviction “a new level of tyranny,” pointing out:   

There is no other social justice movement in our nation [whose] activists are subject to years in federal prison for nonviolent resistance. This blatant viewpoint discrimination has incalculable consequences for babies, their parents, those who defend them, and for peaceful activists across movements worldwide. I continue to stand by Lauren and the other 8 defendants who risked their freedoms to stand in defense of the least of us.

Copyright 2024 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.

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Planned Parenthood Criticizes Arkansas Legislature for Providing $2M to Support Pregnancy Centers, Maternal Wellness

Abortion, , , ,

On Tuesday the organization Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) criticizing the Arkansas Legislature for providing $2 million to support pregnancy help organizations and maternal and infant wellness in Arkansas.

In April the Arkansas Legislature passed — and Gov. Sanders signed — S.B. 64 by Sen. John Payton (R – Wilburn). This good budget measure provides $2 million in state grant funding for pregnancy help organizations.

The $2 million will be disbursed as grants to pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and other organizations that provide material support to women with unplanned pregnancies.

This funding helps serve families at the local level without creating new government programs. The State of Arkansas is expected to start accepting grant applications from pregnancy help organizations in the coming months.

In 2022 and in 2023 Family Council worked with lawmakers and the governor to create this grant program for pregnancy help organizations. Since then more than two dozen good organizations across the state have applied for funding and used it to give women and families real assistance when faced with an unplanned pregnancy.

S.B. 64 makes improvements to the grant program. It increases state funding from $1 million per year to $2 million. This puts Arkansas’ funding on parr with funding in other states.

The law also clarifies that “pregnancy help organizations” include nonprofit organizations that promote infant and maternal wellness and reduce infant and maternal mortality by:

  • Providing nutritional information and/or nutritional counseling;
  • Providing prenatal vitamins;
  • Providing a list of prenatal medical care options;
  • Providing social, emotional, and/or material support; or
  • Providing referrals for WIC and community-based nutritional services, including but not limited to food banks, food pantries, and food distribution centers.

S.B. 64 also includes language preventing state funds from going to abortionists and their affiliates.

However, Planned Parenthood criticized the funding measure, posting,

There simply shouldn’t be anything controversial about the State of Arkansas awarding taxpayer funds to organizations that provide material support to women and children and that promote maternal wellness.

Fortunately, Arkansas’ lawmakers and governor don’t agree with Planned Parenthood.

Family Council is grateful to the General Assembly for passing S.B. 64, and we appreciate Governor Sanders signing it into law. We look forward to seeing the state implement S.B. 64 in the coming fiscal year.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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