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Legislative NewsClick here to go to the "Current Issues" page for additional information regarding gambling.  For Email Marketing you can trust
Alabama State Legislative Session 2010 To read all pending legislation go to the Alabama Legislative Information System Online (ALISON).
Note: House bills are identified as "HB" and Senate bills are identified as "SB"
Click here to find the names and contact information of your state legislators.
Click here for a printable copy of the Alabama Legislative Directory
Important Dates for Election 2010
Find your Polling Location: Click Here
BEFORE YOU VOTE, BE SURE YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CANDIDATE(S) STAND ON THE ISSUES YOU CARE ABOUT!
The pro-gambling forces will be running candidates in each election, so it will be imperative that we research where each candidate stands on this issue!
November 2, 2010 - General Election
Friday, October 22 - Voter Registration Deadline
Thursday, October 28 - Last Day for Voter to Apply for an Absentee Ballot
Monday, November 1 - Last Day for Voter to Hand-deliver or Postmark an Absentee Ballot
Update From The State House
April 27, 2010
My schedule has not slowed since the 2010 Legislative Session ended April 22, so I am just now finding the time to give you a final report on what transpired the last week of the legislative session. I am sorry to report that Senate Bill (SB) 98 passed both houses, was vetoed by the Governor, but in the end, the Governor’s veto was overridden. This bill raises the level of alcohol in a container of wine that can be sold in grocery and convenience stores from 16.5% to 24%! Previously, any wine with a 16.5-24% alcohol level (called “fortified wine”) had to be sold in a package store, but now it will be much more accessible to young people and even children in local super markets and neighborhood convenience stores! “Big Alcohol” (the alcohol industry) continues to push itself on the people of Alabama!!! To see how your Senator and House member voted concerning the override of the Governor’s veto, for the Senate vote click here and click here for the House vote.
Of course, the big news is that the “slot machine legalization” bill (a.k.a., “bingo or gambling bill”—Senate Bill 380) never received a vote in the House of Representatives! Representative Marcel Black (D-Colbert), who was the sponsor of SB380 in the House, on the last day of the 2010 Session, moved to “carry the bill over.” This ended debate on the bill before it even started. He acknowledged that they did not have enough committed votes (they needed 63 votes in the House) to pass the bill. Some reported that the pro-gambling forces were as many as ten votes short of having the 63 votes they needed.
There are a lot of people who deserve a word of congratulations in this team effort. I will attempt to give credit where credit is due, but I’m sure I will probably leave someone out of the list—I offer my sincerest apology up front!
Now we must turn our attention to the June 1 Primaries and the November General Election. The pro-gambling forces will be running candidates in each election, so it will be imperative that we research where each candidate stands on this issue!
Update From The State House
April 20, 2010
TOMORROW (Wednesday, April 21) THE LEGISLATURE GOES BACK INTO SESSION AT 1:00 PM. WE ARE EXPECTING THE “SLOT MACHINE LEGALIZATION BILL” (a.k.a., “bingo or gambling” bill) TO COME UP AS SOON AS THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONVENES. EVEN IF YOU HAVE CALLED YOUR HOUSE MEMBER (AND, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE NOT), WE NEED FOR YOU TO CALL HIM/HER AGAIN (OR FOR THE FIRST TIME) AND ASK THEM TO VOTE “NO” ON SB380 - THE “GAMBLING BILL”! (When you click on SB380 - click "OK" that the session has expired.)
They may try to tell you that this bill is a “straight up or down vote” on gambling (meaning that if the constitutional amendment fails at the ballot box in November it would get rid of all gambling in Alabama once and for all)—IT WILL NOT!!! The bill clearly states that if the amendment fails at the ballot box, it will not “rescind” any of the constitutional amendments that now exist which allow for charity bingo. That means we will be right back where we are today with “task forces,” court cases and gambling bosses “thumbing their noses” at the laws that already exist!
If the bill is amended in the House of Representatives, it will have to go back to the Senate for them to “concur” and then vote on final passage of the amended bill. IF that happens, we will send out an alert immediately and ask you to begin calling your State Senator again. However, we are hopeful that the bill will not pass in the House even though tremendous pressure is being placed upon House Members to pass the bill. That’s why we need for you, during these last two days of the 2010 Regular Legislative Session (Wednesday and Thursday), to contact your House Member and tell him/her to vote “NO” on SB380!!!
It is the ninth inning, the bases are loaded, there are two outs and the count is 3 balls and 1 strike! Two more strikes (Wednesday and Thursday in the House) and the game is over for this Session (we will then need to make sure that anti-gambling candidates are elected in the June Primary and the November General Election)! We need for every individual and every church family to remain engaged and alert! We need to be ready to “field the ball” for the next two days so that we can end this push by the gambling bosses to force their agenda on the citizens of Alabama!
IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE TO COME TO THE ALABAMA STATE HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY AND/OR THURSDAY TO WALK THE FIFTH FLOOR AND TALK TO HOUSE MEMBERS, ASKING THEM TO VOTE “NO” ON SB380, PLEASE LET US KNOW. AFTER GOING THROUGH SECURITY AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE, TAKE THE ELEVATOR TO THE FIFTH FLOOR AND WE WILL TRY TO MEET YOU THERE ABOUT NOON. WE WILL GIVE YOU INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO DO AND WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICES OF HOUSE MEMBERS ARE LOCATED.
If you are unable to come to the State House, please call all your friends and church members and ask them to call their House Member, encouraging them to vote “NO” on SB380! As always, be courteous and Christ-like when talking to the switchboard operator and your Representative. To find your individual House Member’s contact information, click here, scroll down in the left-hand column and type in your 9-digit zip code. Or, you can call the House of Representatives switchboard at 334.242.7600 and ask for your House Member’s phone number or leave a message that you want your Representative to vote “NO” on SB380.
Please do not put off this important matter! Call today!!!
Update from the State House
April 14, 2010
The House of Representatives in Montgomery delayed a vote on the “Slot Machine Legalization” bill (SB380) (a.k.a., the “bingo or gambling” bill) until next Wednesday (April 21). The gambling bosses and pro-gambling forces are pulling out all the stops to try and convince House Members to vote in favor of the bill. We desperately need for the faith community to call, e-mail and send personal letters to the individual House Members, asking them to vote “NO” on SB380.
Proponents are arguing they just want to give the people a right to vote. I have two responses to that: 1) We live in a representative republic and we DO vote every four years for men and women to represent our interests in Montgomery; and 2) the gambling bosses, machine manufacturers and software firms will pour more money than Alabama has ever seen into a campaign to spin their side of the story while churches will have to scrape together missions and ministry money to try and fight it. Also, consider this: If this constitutional amendment gets to the ballot in November and passes, it will be local churches that will be pressured (by our compassion) to help the individuals and families whose lives are destroyed by gambling addiction—you can be sure that the casinos will not help pick up the pieces of broken lives and families!
Some legislators may try to convince you that this is a “straight up-or-down” vote on gambling. IT IS NOT!!! If the amendment fails in November, we will be right back where we are today with illegal gambling facilities operating and tying up the courts with cases while they continue to siphon money from the pockets of unsuspecting citizens who do not know that these machines are designed to take their hard-earned money! It is a “heads I win, tails you lose” scenario for the gambling bosses! The gambling bosses cannot lose with this bill, but the people of Alabama WILL lose if SB380 passes! (Why do you think the gambling bosses are pushing this bill so fiercely!?)
I know you are sick of hearing about “bingo” and may want to “just let the people vote” so you can settle this once and for all! However, that is exactly what the gambling bosses are wanting to happen! They want to make you weary concerning this issue! The citizens of Alabama who care about keeping our state a family-friendly place to live and raise a family need to understand that this issue will never go away! The states where casinos currently operate are struggling financially and all of them are now considering legislation to expand gambling in order to raise more revenues. However, in those states, the gambling bosses completely control the legislative process. If we don’t stand up to the gambling bosses NOW, they will take control of our state to an even greater extent than they do today and we will never overcome their influence!
Galatians 6:9 (KJV)
9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Please help us in this matter! Contact your House Member TODAY!!! Call 334.242.7600 for the House switchboard and leave a message if your House Member is not available, or click here to find your House Member and his/her contact information. Just scroll down in the left-hand column and type in your 9-digit zip code.
Update from the State House
March 31, 2010
Because I have already been working to defeat the “slot machine legalization bill” (a.k.a., “bingo bill”) in the House of Representatives, I have not had the time to update our ALCAP family on what happened yesterday. Though I’m sure most of you have heard that the bill passed the Senate by a 21-13 vote (the minimum number of votes needed to pass the legislation), I want to share with you the details of what I personally witnessed on the floor of the Alabama Senate yesterday evening. WHAT HAPPENED (March 30)
First, the Senate passed the Budget Isolation Resolution which allowed the gambling bill (SB380) to come up for a vote. Three individuals switched their vote from “NO” to “YES” since the last time the bill had come up—Sen. Bobby Denton, Sen. Jim Prueitt and Sen. Larry Means (who had not voted the first time). Then, Sen. Hank Erwin began a filibuster which the anti-gambling forces were prepared to support in order to try and kill the bill. At one point, Sen. Erwin asked Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom, Jr. if he could yield the microphone to Sen. Scott Beason for some comments. The Lt. Gov. then said that before Sen. Beason was to begin his comments, “I’d like to interject some comments of my own.” When he finished, instead of turning the microphone back over to Senators Beason and Erwin, the Lt. Gov. recognized Sen. Zeb Little, who began his own filibuster. (Yes. The pro-gambling side began to filibuster their own bill, but you will understand why if you will read on!] Senators Beason and Erwin began to call for a “point of order” to protest the fact that the Lt. Gov. had given away their time at the mic. The Lt. Gov. stated that he “didn’t hear Sen. Erwin ask to yield the microphone to Sen. Beason.” So, the pro-gambling forces filibustered and controlled the microphone for the next couple of hours until someone from their own side called for a cloture vote to end debate. By doing this, they never gave the anti-gambling side an opportunity to speak against the bill and when the vote on the final passage was taken, the bill passed by the same 21-13 vote. SOME OBSERVATIONS
The rallying cry of the pro-gambling crowd is, “Let the people vote!” But, this same group continues to prove that they do not want the people to know the truth about gambling! At our anti-gambling rally on the State House steps in February, the pro-gambling forces bussed in hundreds of people to shout down the Governor, the First Lady and everyone else that tried to speak out against gambling. Then, yesterday in the Senate, they again prevented anyone who is opposed to their agenda from speaking out. Do you think they will let us address the people of Alabama in an open debate should this bill pass the House and be on the ballot in November as a Constitutional Amendment?—THEY WILL NOT!!! As I have stated before, the gambling bosses in Alabama and the out-of-state slot machine manufacturers and software companies will spend tens of millions of dollars to spin their story and present their twisted view of gambling, they will control the media and, based on their actions at the State House in February and their actions on the Senate floor this week, they will shout down or attempt to silence those of us who oppose gambling in this state. Also, the pro-gambling forces keep telling us that this latest version of SB380 calls for a “straight up-or-down” vote of the people on gambling. It does not! If the people of Alabama were to vote down this amendment in spite of the best efforts of the gambling bosses, the situation in Alabama would not change from its current status. We would still have to deal with the illegal operations that are taking place today, we would still need a “Governor’s Task Force” and there would continue to be court cases to try and define “bingo!” WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
Our attention must now turn to the House of Representatives! The gambling bosses and out-of-state gambling interests will do everything they can to influence House Members to vote “YES” on SB380. The Christian community MUST be engaged in this battle!!! Please contact your House Member and ask him/her to oppose SB380! The bill will be transmitted to the House tomorrow (April 1), it will be passed out of committee next Tuesday (April 6) and the earliest it can be brought up for debate will be next Thursday (April 8). When you call your House Member, be courteous and respectful, but encourage him/her to vote “NO!” Write e-mails, personal letters and make phone calls! The pro-gambling folks are already calling and writing! The faith community must let their voices be heard!!!Click here for a copy of the vote. Any "Yes" vote was the deciding vote for passage!
Procedural Vote on SB380 Comes Up Three Votes Short!
March 3, 2010
GREAT NEWS!!! Yesterday, March 3, 2010, the pro-gambling forces in the Senate called for a procedural vote that would allow SB380 to come up for debate. When the votes were counted, they were three votes short of what was needed! So, for now, the "electronic slot machine legalization" bill has been stopped!
Before discussing what might happen next, let me take a moment to thank everyone for their prayers and for all the phone calls, e-mails and letters you sent to your senator, asking him/her to oppose this gambling bill! This was truly a great victory for the people of Alabama! IF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING 16 SENATORS WHO VOTED AGAINST THE "ELECTRONIC SLOT MACHINE LEGALIZATION" BILL SERVES AS YOUR SENATOR, PLEASE CONTACT HIM/HER AND THANK THIS INDIVIDUAL FOR HIS/HER STAND! (If listed, click on the e-mail address to send a thank you note right now!)
Scott Beason (District 17 -- Blount, Jefferson and St. Clair Counties)
Charles Bishop (District 5 -- Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston Counties)
Ben Brooks (District 35 -- Southern Mobile County) benbrooksiii@aol.com
Tom Butler (District 2 -- Limestone and Madison Counties) senbutler@aol.com
Bobby Denton (District 1 -- Colbert and Lauderdale Counties) bobby@bobbydenton.com
Larry Dixon (District 25 -- Elmore and Montgomery Counties)
Hank Erwin (District 14 -- Bibb, Chilton, Jefferson and Shelby Counties) senatorerwin@aol.com
Steve French (District 15 -- Jefferson and Shelby Counties)
Rusty Glover (District 34 -- Mobile County)
Del Marsh (District 12 -- Calhoun and St. Clair Counties)
Arthur Orr (District 3 -- Limestone, Madison and Morgan Counties)
Trip Pittman (District 32 -- Baldwin County)
Phil Poole (District 21 -- Hale, Pickens and Tuscaloosa Counties) poole@mound.net
Jim Preuitt (District 11 -- Calhoun, Coosa, Elmore and Talladega Counties)
Paul Sanford (District 7 -- Madison County)
Jabo Waggoner (District 16 -- Jefferson and Shelby Counties) waggonerjt@gmail.com
[Larry Means (District 10 -- Cherokee and Etowah Counties) did not vote]
[To get other contact information (phone numbers, fax numbers or office addresses), go to www.alcap.com, click on the "Legislative News" page, click on the link to find your legislator and type in your 9-digit zip code in the left-hand column.]
ALSO, IF ONE OF THESE 16 INDIVIDUALS IS YOUR SENATOR, PLEASE CONSIDER WRITING A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER, PUBLICLY THANKING HIM/HER FOR OPPOSING THIS DANGEROUS BILL (SB380)!
Now, what can we expect in the days ahead? First, there is still time for this bill to come back or another gambling bill to be introduced before the 2010 Legislative Session ends the middle of April. We must continue to call our Senators and House Members and encourage them to oppose ALL gambling bills! Your calls, e-mails and letters do make an impact! Rest assured that these legislators will continue to hear from the pro-gambling forces, so they need to hear from the gambling opponents, too!
Second, we must do our homework during the June primary elections and the November general election! The pro-gambling forces will be spending tens of millions of dollars to get pro-gambling legislators, constitutional officers and judges elected. Don't be fooled by slick ads that may describe a certain candidate as pro-family and an active church-goer, but find out where they stand on the gambling issue. If a certain candidate is an incumbant, check on his/her voting record during the last 4 years; if he/she is not an incumbant or does not have any record that might indicate how he/she might vote on gambling issues, then ask them personally or ask others who might know the character of this individual.
MOST OF ALL, PRAY!!! Remember, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (KJV)
THESE BATTLES FOR THE SOUL OF ALABAMA (AND FOR THE SOULS OF ALABAMA) WILL NOT BE WON IN THE HALLS OF THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE, BUT ON OUR KNEES BEFORE GOD AND AS WE SHARE JESUS WITH THOSE AROUND US!!!
Thank you for your continued support of ALCAP and our school program, American Character Builders! Without your support, we would not be able to accomplish all that we do!
Reflections and Action Items Related to the February 23 Anti-Casino RallyBelow, you will find a summary of the anti-gambling rally on the State House steps this past Tuesday, February 23rd, but let me first make some personal observations. Like everyone else who attended, I was stunned by the rudeness and total lack of civility on the part of the "rally crashers."
It was apparent that the pro-gambling forces had been instructed to come early so as to secure the "front rows" (they even attempted to crowd our speakers off the platform). It appeared that they had been instructed to shout down anyone who spoke in opposition to gambling and several of them even tried to commandeer the microphones. Some of their leaders were shouting that "this is the people's house and that they had a right to say what they wanted." We do not deny that, but they had their own rally at 2:00 p.m. We had reserved the steps of the State House for 12:30 p.m., so what they were telling us is that the State House ONLY belongs to people who support legalizing slot machines and no one else!
The news media portrayed the rally as a shouting match between the two sides of the gambling issue, but nothing could be further from the truth. The only side shouting was the pro-gambling forces!
This is another reason why Senators and House Members need to stop this legislation before it goes on the ballot in November as a constitutional amendment. Besides what I have stated on several previous occasions, that the pro-gambling forces will spend tens of millions of dollars spinning their story in TV, radio, billboard and direct mail ads, push-polling and attempting to buy the news media, we now see that they will try to intimidate anyone who speaks out against gambling at townhall meetings and other public forums that might take place in the months leading up to such a vote.
Please contact your Senator and House Member today and respectfully ask them to vote NO to ALL gambling bills and procedural votes that might advance these bills through the Legislature!
ON A PERSONAL NOTE: We learned yesterday (February 24) that Representative Warren Beck (R-Geneva), died unexpectedly in his hotel room in Montgomery. Please pray for his widow, Linda, his children and other family members during this time of sorrow. Also, pray for those who live in his district as they grieve together over the passing of this much-loved public servant.
Joe Godfrey
Update #3 on Legislature
January 22, 2010
House Tourism Committee passes HB154
On Wednesday afternoon a public hearing on HB154 was held in the House Chamber at the Alabama State House. Several bus loads of people were brought in from Country Crossing (and perhaps other gambling facilities from around the state) and they filled the gallery overlooking the House Chamber.
There were an equal number of those for and against the bill who were allowed to speak, however, all of the tourism industry representatives (who approve of gambling in Alabama) were allowed to speak since they serve in an advisory position to the House Tourism Committee. Representing the Christian community which opposes the bill were Eric Johnston (Southeast Law Institute and ALCAP Board member), Dan Ireland (Director Emeritus of ALCAP), Catherine Snow (Citizens for a Better Alabama), John Hill (Alabama Policy Institute), Shirley Jensen (Prattville First Baptist Church), Joe Bob Mizzell (Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions), several pastors (Ken Allen, Vince Lee and Danny Crosby), and myself.
Several of the Tourism Committee members also spoke and the vote to pass the bill out of committee was by a voice vote. For that reason, there is no recorded vote. The bill can now be brought up in the full House for a vote. Please contact your Representative and ask him/her to vote NO on HB154 if and when it comes up.
Attached to this alert, you will find an analysis of HB154. To read the entire bill, click here.
Representative Marcel Black (D-Tuscumbia), sponsor of HB154, indicated during the hearing that he plans to introduce another bill, a constitutional amendment, that will permanently legalize electronic bingo/slot machines in Alabama. HB154 is a temporary bill that, if passed, will expire in November of 2010 when the people of Alabama will have an opportunity to vote on the constitutional amendment (should such an amendment pass the Legislature this session).
REMEMBER, IF THE GAMBLING FORCES DO NOT GET THEIR PRO-SLOT MACHINE LEGISLATION PASSED THIS SESSION, THEY WILL BE PUMPING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO THE CAMPAIGNS OF PRO-GAMBLING CANDIDATES DURING THE JUNE PRIMARIES AND THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION!
DON'T BE FOOLED! FIND OUT WHERE THE CANDIDATES STAND ON THE ISSUE OF GAMBLING AND VOTE FOR THOSE WHO OPPOSE ALL GAMBLING EXPANSION IN ALABAMA! LET'S KEEP ALABAMA A FAMILY-FRIENDLY STATE!
Update #2 on Legislature
January 15, 2010
The Alabama Legislature kicked off its 2010 Session this week and the gambling interests are already trying to force their agenda on the House and Senate. Several bills have been introduced that would legalize electronic bingo/slot machines. Rep. Marcel Black (D-District 3) has introduced HB-154 (click on the link to view the bill)which allows all bingo facilities throughout the state to have the same electronic bingo/slot machines as those currently in use in Indian casinos in Alabama. The problem with this legislation is that the Indians are only able to have the kind of gambling that are allowed in other parts of the state, so many legal experts believe that if the Governor’s Task Force Against Legalized Gambling is successful in shutting down all of these non-Indian “bingosinos,” the Indians will have to get rid of their machines, too.
A PUBLIC HEARING ON HB-154 IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, IN THE HOUSE CHAMBER. An exact time has not yet been announced, but we will post that information as soon as we know. Please set aside that date and plan to meet us on the 5th floor of the Alabama State House (NOT the Capitol, but the building behind the Capitol) on the corner of Union and Washington Streets in Montgomery for this public hearing in the House Tourism Committee. We need some of you to plan to speak in opposition to the bill! Let me know if you will be available to speak and we will try to sign you up. Also, please bring as many people with you as you can. Last year, at a public hearing for the “Sweet Home Alabama” bill, Milton McGregor, Ronnie Gilley and other gambling moguls brought in a large number of people, all wearing buttons calling for a positive vote on that bill. We need to have a large contingent of voters present who oppose gambling at this year’s hearing!
Other gambling bills that have been introduced so far include: HB-234 by Rep. John Rogers (D-District 52) which calls for an Alabama Gaming Commission and HB-235 by Rep. Rogers that would legalize casino gambling in cities with a population of 100,000 or more.
Update #1 on Legislature
2010 Legislative Session begins January 12th
Pray for our legislators and constitutional officers!
We are anticipating a spiritual "dogfight" over the gambling issue as the Alabama Legislature kicks off its 2010 Regular Session on January 12. A federal judge in Madison County, two district judges ruling on separate cases in Walker and Jefferson Counties and the Alabama State Supreme Court have all handed down decisions within the last few months that clearly identify electronic bingo machines as slot machines. Slot machines are illegal in Alabama, even in counties and municipalities where constitutional amendments have permitted charity bingo games. However, the predatory gambling enterprise, involving local casino (or "bingosino") owners, electronic gambling machine manufacturers and out-of-state gambling moguls have been "thumbing their noses" at the Alabama Constitution and setting up illegal slot machine facilities throughout the state.
The Governor's Task Force on Illegal Gambling, headed by former Jefferson County District Attorney, David Barber, has been working with local DAs to shut down many of these illegal slots, but several of the bigger operations continue to be open. As recently as January 6, 2010, in the wee hours of the morning, the Governor's Task Force was preparing to raid the bingo pavillion at Country Crossings just south of Dothan until a district judge issued an injunction, stopping the raid.
State Legislators are going to be pressured by the gambling interests in our state (and be assured that a LOT of money is flowing through PAC-to-PAC transfers into the campaign coffers of many of these politicians) to legalize electronic bingo machines in Alabama. If they fail to get legislation passed during this session, these same gambling interests will be trying to get pro-gambling legislators and constitutional officers elected during the 2010 primaries in June and the general election in November.
FOLKS, WE ARE UNDER ASSAULT! . . . AND, IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME!!! In the 1950s Alabama fought the gambling issue and the corruption associated with it in Phenix City, AL. Click on the following link to watch a video that describes that dark day in Alabama history. After watching the first part, simply click on "Part 2" when it appears on the screen. (Remember, "those who do not study the past are destined to repeat it!")
[WARNING: The following documentary video includes graphic images that may not be suitable for young viewers.]
Because of the intensification of this spiritual battle over gambling, ALCAP has joined forces with other like-minded ministries and organizations in Alabama (such as the Alabama Policy Institute, Eagle Forum and the Southeast Law Institute) under the umbrella of "Citizens for a Better Alabama." Together we have employed Catherine Snow to help us coordinate our efforts. Catherine will be traveling the state, making phone calls and working with leaders from various regions throughout Alabama to communicate with and rally individuals, civic groups and churches to help make sure our voices are heard in Montgomery!
What can YOU do?
Below is a list of DOs and DON'Ts concerning what pastors and churches can and cannot do concerning moral issues. The gambling crowd will try to intimidate you into silence in the name of "separation of church and state." However, gambling is predatory in nature. It is a moral issue, not a political issue, and the church must speak out boldly! Families and individual lives are literally at stake in this issue!
The following article entitled, "Is That Legal?" was taken from the ivotevalues.com website. It provides pertinent information concerning what churches and pastors can and cannot do in order to maintain a local church's tax-exempt status. Is That Legal?Good question! Many are confused about what is and what is not legal given the IRS restrictions on political activity by tax-exempt organizations. While it is impossible to lay out a definitive list of do’s and don’ts since the IRS interprets what is and isn't legal, the resource below is offered for general guidelines: Churches may do the following:
Churches may not do the following:
Pastors may do the following:
Pastors may not do the following:
*Churches and other 501(c)(3) organizations may support or oppose legislation so long as such activity comprises an insubstantial part of the overall operation. 501(c)(4) organizations may support or oppose legislation without any limitations. **A church or any other 501(c)(3) organization may without limitation support or oppose legislation that directly affects the organizational structure and operation. For example, a church may without limitation oppose legislation attempting to repeal the tax exempt status of the church. Adapted from resources provided by: Jay Sekulow, American Center for Law and Justice; www.aclj.org.
The following statement came from the Focus on the Family's "Pastor's Weekly Briefing," dated October 4, 2007:
"This week, a coalition of five Christian organizations released a joint letter to help educate pastors and churches on how to speak on issues relevant to the 2008 elections while staying within the lawful boundaries set for nonprofit organizations. Focus on the Family — along with the Family Research Council, Alliance Defense Fund, Concerned Women for America, and the James Madison Center for Free Speech — is encouraging pastors and churches to become acquainted with their free-speech rights, and to not be intimidated by threats from liberal watchdog groups." [Click here to read the letter.] The following article originally appeared in the Baptist Messenger, a publication of the Oklahoma Baptist Convention, and was later adapted by the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention for one of their publications. It is reprinted here by permission of both the ERLC and the Baptist Messenger.
VIEWPOINT: Cowardly Clergyman?- May 13, 2008 - 6 Since when does a church or its pastor have to remain silent when addressing moral and social issues from a biblical worldview? There is no shortage on those who would like to squelch the voice of the church, especially during a political season. Now is not the time for the church and its pastor to turn passive with regard to addressing critical social and moral issues from the pulpit. The pastor must speak with conviction based on the authority of the Scripture, not with results from the latest opinion poll. The pastor must challenge his congregation with the truth of God’s Word without regard to the views and opinions of political parties or candidates. The pastor must do all he can to provide insight to moral and social issues based on God’s Word. Shying away from or avoiding certain issues for fear of offending a particular political candidate or political party member is acting as a cowardly clergyman. Pastors have every right to preach on moral and social issues and to encourage their congregations to become active in civic affairs. Pastors should never endorse a candidate on behalf of the church. Nor should they use church funds or services to contribute directly to candidates or political committees. The pastor should never distribute materials on church premises that favor any one candidate or political party. However, the pastor does have the right to address moral and social issues being addressed by candidates and political parties. The church has every right to encourage members to voice their opinions in favor or against legislative issues. A church should never endorse or oppose a political candidate or make contributions to a Political Action Committee. Nor should churches conduct fundraising for political candidates. However, the church is an excellent place for the community to learn more about the political process and legislative issues. Unfortunately, too many churches and pastors are standing on the sidelines allowing those with a secular worldview to dominate public affairs and critical legislation. Our silence has been perceived as agreement. We must clear our throats and be heard without concession. We are not skating on thin ice when it comes to taking a stand regarding moral and social issues. We must not be intimidated by those who desire to silence the church. We are called to proclaim the truth. May Joshua 1:9 serve as our guide as we seek to address the moral and social issues of our day. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” May the Lord find us strong and courageous as together we seek to make a difference within our culture. It is time to speak up, pastor. Take a stand with God’s Word as your guide! Churches, stand with your pastor as he proclaims the truth of God’s Word with regard to sensitive social and moral issues of the day. Church members, beware of allowing your political persuasions to compromise your biblical convictions. Know where candidates stand on the issues and support those who share your values as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. This editorial is adapted and reprinted with permission from the April 10, 2008 Oklahoma Baptist Messenger. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission works to educate Americans about the importance of voting, among many other moral and social issues we face in today’s society. To learn more about this important issue, please visit our Web site at iVoteValues.com. |
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