Welcome to the Friday Five! Every Friday we share our top five articles, stories, and quotes for you to read and share with your friends and church families. We would be very grateful if you could make a donation of $100, $50, $25, or $10 today towards our work producing these Friday Fives and fighting for your values on the public square!
1. NC VALUES: Our “Fairness in Women’s Sports” bill passes NC House and Senate withbipartisan support
We had a very busy week at the NC General Assembly!
For three years, NC Values has been working on legislation that would protect school girls from being forced to competein sports against transgenders who are biological males.
This week the NC House and Senate passed a “Fairness in Women’s Sports” bill. However, the bills passed disagree onwhether to include colleges. We now wait to see whose bill they reconcile towards.
Per WRAL: “North Carolina lawmakers this week passed different versions of a bill to ban transgender women from playing girls’ sports in the state.
The Senate passed its version of the ‘Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” on Thursday, 29-18 with all Republican supporting and all Democrats opposing. The House passed its more expansive version on Wednesday with a veto-proof majority that included three Democrats.”
Read more: https://ncvalues.org/save-womens-sports-bill-passes-in-the-house/ and https://www.wral.com/story/nc-house-senate-have-passed-transgender-athlete-bills-here-s-how-they-are-different/20820849/
2. FOX NEWS: McCarthy celebrates House passage of bill protecting women’s sports, says votefulfills GOP promise
“The House passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act on a 219-203 vote without any Democrat support.”
3. NEWS & OBSERVER: NC Republicans are coalescing around a 12-week abortion ban, House speaker says
“North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said Thursday he believes Republicans in the House and Senate are “really close” to reaching a consensus on what new abortion restrictions should look like.
GOP lawmakers have been holding talks within their caucuses for months, and two proposals in particular had emerged as primary contenders: a 12-week ban that would prohibit abortions near the end of the first trimester, and a more restrictive ban that would only allow abortions up until around six weeks. On Thursday, however, Moore said that House Republicans had coalesced around a consensus position of banning abortion after 12 weeks, and effectively ruled out further consideration of a six-week ban.”
Read more: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article274540686.html
4. FOX NEWS: Riley Gaines rips Biden admin as Lia Thomas expresses support for Title IXchanges
“Riley Gaines slammed the Biden administration as former NCAA swimmer Lia Thomas backed the bill to amend TitleIX to bar states from banning transgender students from competing against the same gender they identify as.”
5. ABC 11: NC Republicans file bill to place restrictions on drag performances
“Tami Fitzgerald, Executive Director of NC Values Coalition, supports both pieces of legislation, and pushed backon concerns that HB 673 would infringe on adults rights of free expression. ‘We’re talking about children. And if adultswant to go and see adult performances, drag queen performances, strip clubs, they have that right to do so. But we shouldnot be inflicting these types of performances on children,’ said Fitzgerald.”
Read more: https://abc11.com/drag-show-nc-bill-law-what-is-a/13150459/
WEEKLY PRAYER: FREEDOM
LORD, you have blessed us with a spiritual liberty that is so wonderful and beyond description, that it can only be understood through experiencing a life-giving relationship with Christ. However, we also recognize that in your grace, you have blessed our country with a political liberty that enables us to openly proclaim the experience of a life lived in the freedom of the Gospel.
LORD, as individuals and as a nation, may we never take the inalienable right of religious freedom for granted. Right now our country has faced a rapid increase in the number of attacks made against this cherished right. We have seen groups across our public arena increase in boldness and frequency their smears against religious liberty. They claim it is bigotry, when we know it is the security of the greatest of all possible loves.
Be with your people and our country as it continues to protect the constitutional right protected by our nation’s Founders. Be with legislators and the Supreme Court, as they determine through their actions the protection of this particular and fundamental freedom.
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)
“Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.” (1 Peter 2:16)
Amen
Tami & Team
NC Values
