Today the Senate Committee on Children and Families and Workforce Development held a public hearing on SB 295.  SB 295, authored by Sen. Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn), would change current law to allow minors 14 and under to work as musicians or performers at roadhouses, cabarets, dance halls, night clubs, taverns or similar places.

Wisconsin Family Action President, Julaine Appling, provided testimony in opposition to this bill.  Read the testimony here.

We’re very concerned about the unintended consequences of SB 295, which is tailored toward a specific situation and does not take into account the irresponsible parents or tavern/roadhouse/etc., employers who might exploit children under this bill.  Why would we want to put minors, particularly children under the age of 14, in situations and environments that specifically cater to drinking and adult-oriented entertainment?  We can’t think of any reason good enough for the government to sanction such risk-taking with our children.

This week’s radio commentary…

To me the harbinger of spring is not the Vernal Equinox but Holy Week. Christ’s world-changing victory over death on Resurrection Sunday, when He rose from the grave after meeting a violent, sacrificial death on the cross, was the most radical event in the history of mankind.

This Sunday, we celebrate Christ’s resurrection and the new life we have been given in Him. That new life is meant to permeate every corner of our lives, to change our lives forever in every way.

Download the MP3 file here…

Read the transcript here…

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) succinctly explains the fundamental flaws with the health care bill passed last Sunday, and how it undermines the American ideal of government and freedom.

Since we have a federal government that is intent on trampling our constitutional freedoms and ignoring us, what can we do to protect our liberties at the state level?

Right now we have two answers:

1. Sen. Joe Leibham (R-Sheboygan) and Rep. Robin Vos (D-Racine) introduced a Health Care Freedom Amendment (HCFA) last month that would ensure:

The people have the right to enter into private contracts
with health care providers for health care services and to purchase private health care coverage. The legislature may not require any person to obtain or maintain health insurance coverage or to participate in any health care system or plan.

In order to incorporate this amendment into our state constitution, two successive legislatures must adopt the amendment and then we the people must ratify it through popular vote.  Right now, HCFA (SJR 62) has 8 Senate sponsors (8 of 15 Republicans in the Senate) and 25 Assembly sponsors (24 of 46 Republicans in the Assembly and one Democrat).

What You Can Do: WFA is circulating a petition urging legislators to support the amendment and pass it before this session ends next month.  Click here to sign the HCFA petition.

2. Rep. Roger Roth (R-Appleton), who is running against U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen (D-CD 8), has said he will introduce an Assembly resolution asking the State Attorney General to challenge the health care bill’s unconstitutional individual mandate (the first time the federal government would require private citizens to purchase a product).

AG Van Hollen is already seeking authorization from the Democratic leadership of the legislature and the executive to challenge the individual mandate in the health care bill.  State law requires legislative or executive authorization for the AG to file the challenge.  However, the word from Democratic leadership is that they’re not about to authorize the AG for the lawsuit.

What you can do: Contact your state legislators (find your legislators here) and urge them to support Rep. Roth’s effort!

WFA PAC’s 03/24/2010 press release:

Mark Gundrum, Waukesha County Circuit Court, & Judge Ed Leineweber, District IV Court of Appeals, receive endorsements

Madison—Wisconsin Family Action Political Action Committee (WFA PAC) announced today that it has endorsed two judicial candidates for the upcoming Spring General Election on Tuesday, April 6.
Mark Gundrum, candidate for the Waukesha County Circuit Court, and Judge Ed Leineweber, candidate for District IV Court of Appeals, have both been endorsed for their respective races.
“Rep. Mark Gundrum and Judge Ed Leineweber have both evidenced a profound respect for judicial restraint—the quality that keeps a judge focused on applying the law, not making the law,” said Julaine Appling, WFA PAC director. “We believe a fair and impartial judiciary is critical to our system of government. Judges need to rule consistent with the law, not their personal agenda, whatever that might be.”
Mark Gundrum is currently serving as a representative in the state Assembly and is challenging incumbent Judge Richard Congdon. Ed Leineweber is presently a judge on the Richland County Circuit Court and is opposed by Brian Blanchard, who is the Dane County District Attorney.

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Authorized and paid for by Wisconsin Family Action PAC, Judith Brant, Treasurer. Not authorized by any candidate or by any candidate’s agent or committee.

(click here for PDF)

This week’s radio commentary:

Will you forget, by this November, Sunday’s US House vote on health care? Will you be in favor of Obamacare within the next three months? House and Senate Democrats are banking on the predictions of Democratic strategists that the health-care debacle will blow over by the time Election Day comes this year and that, with the proper indoctrination, excuse me, education, you will actually be in favor of Obamacare in short order.

This is not just wishful thinking on the Democrats’ part. They’re already working hard to wipe the incidents of Sunday’s House vote from your memory and win you over to their side.  They’ve already started to sink millions upon millions of dollars into television advertising and grassroots efforts to vilify the Republicans and 34 Democrats who voted against Obamacare on Sunday, in hopes of keeping the Democrats in the majority.

Download the mp3 file here…

Read the rest of the commentary here…

From this week’s “Wisconsin Family Connection,”

Parents repeatedly say that laws against online predators should be fully enforced, that we need to do everything we can to protect children, who are going to be online, sometimes without the adult supervision they need, even though all efforts have been taken to prevent such a scenario.  Many think that local District Attorneys don’t take action quickly enough or bring charges as often as they should and that such predators aren’t punished severely enough.

Some of that perception may start to change here in Wisconsin.  Last week, a new bill was introduced in the state legislature that is attempting to tighten up Wisconsin’s online child predator law.  Recently Attorney General JB Van Hollen joined State Representative Tony Staskunas, a Democrat from West Allis, at the West Allis Police Department to publicly announce the introduction of Rep. Staskunas’s bill that will close some important loopholes. 

Read full transcript of this radio commentary
Listen to the mp3