Christian Action League of North Carolina, Inc.
809 Spring Forest Road, Ste 1000
Raleigh, N.C. 27609
Phone: 919.787.0606
Email: calact@aol.com

The Christian Action League of North Carolina is a Christian public policy organization that addresses public policy and legislative issues from a Christian worldview. The Christian Action League has a full-time presence in the General Assembly of North Carolina and has garnered considerable respect from both the Republican and Democratic parties. The League’s purpose is to assist the church in fulfilling Christ’s command to be the “salt” and the “light” of the earth. The following report contains ministry highlights for 2006:

Advancing Kingdom Principles

• CAL continues to provide critical information regarding social and moral issues via its interactive website www.christianactionleague.org. The website seeks to keep the church abreast of the latest developments in the culture war — both from a national and statewide perspective. The website provides two daily national Christian newswires, one from Agape Press and the other from Baptist Press.  Moreover, for the sports enthusiast there is Baptist Sports. Most importantly, the web site includes up-to-date news coverage concerning the most important stories affecting the moral climate of the Tar Heel State. Also included are educational and research materials in the Issues File, guest commentaries from some of the best columnists in North Carolina, and a nationally syndicated editorial by CAL’s Executive Director, Rev. Mark H. Creech. Since June of 2003, CAL has had over 50,000 hits on its web site.
   
• Each week CAL publishes a Weekly Email Issues Alert. This alert is essentially an Email Magazine, which is quite comprehensive in covering issues of moral import in the State legislature, politics, and other concerns. The areas covered include: N.C. General Assembly, N.C. Politics, N.C. News, U.S. Congress, Courts, Christianity/Pro-family/Religion, Abortion/Pro-Life, Alcohol/Drugs/Health, Education/Sex-Ed/Children, God and Country/National Security/ Politics, Pornography/Homosexuality/Immorality, and Gambling. Currently, nearly 3000 persons in North Carolina have subscribed to this service. Those interested in receiving the Weekly email Issues Alert should go to CAL’s website at www.christainactionleague.org and click on “Sign Up To Be A Beacon of Light” or “Email Alerts” in the Menu section and follow the prompts.
   
• To promote Christian values in the home, church and the work place, CAL offers two beautiful prints of The Ten Commandments and God’s Covenant with America. For a small donation, these prints can either be secured separately or together, simply as a print or framed. Those interested in the prints should contact CAL at 919.787.0606.
   
• Rev. Mark H. Creech, Executive Director of the CAL, has advanced Christian principles throughout North Carolina and the nation in numerous speaking engagements that included denominational meetings, church worship services, political rallies, revival meetings, legislative chapel services, press conferences, conventions and seminars.

Lobbying Activity in the General Assembly

Legislative Successes

Listed below are matters that pertain to legislative successes supported by CAL in the 2006 Short Session of the General Assembly.

• Whenever an urgent legislative issue arises in the General Assembly of North Carolina, CAL typically responds by sending out an Urgent Action Alert. These alerts are designed not simply to inform Christians, but to mobilize them at the grassroots level. Their purpose is to encourage constituents to put pressure on their lawmakers to vote on legislation a certain way. This year, CAL’s Urgent Action Alerts have contributed to the success of a number of pieces of legislation considered by members of the N.C. House and Senate. Persons receiving the Weekly Email Issues Alert also receive Urgent Action Alerts.
   
• The most notable legislative success in 2006 was the General Assembly’s passage of SB-912-Phase Out Video Poker/Except by Compact - a bill to ban video poker in the state. The Christian Action League vigorously promoted a ban on Video Poker for more than seven years. Monday night, June 5th, our prayers and efforts came to fruition when the General Assembly finally approved a measure to phase out the industry. The legislation will phase out video gaming machines over the next year by reducing the number of machines currently allowed at a location from three to two machines by October 1 and from two to one machine by March 1, 2007.
   
• CAL was also successful in helping get through SB 700 ? Flag/Pledge of Allegiance in Schools - legislation that would require the display of the United States Flag and the North Carolina Flag in public school classrooms and require recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis. A Wake County organization, CALLED2ACTION spearheaded the legislation’s passage.
   
• This year CAL supported an overhaul of the State’s DWI laws that included limiting judges’ latitude in deciding cases. The bill, HB 1048 ? Governor’s DWI Task Force Recommendations, grew out of a task force on drunk driving that came from a Charlotte Observer investigation that found state judges acquitted more than a third of DWI defendants who went to trial and had a blood alcohol level above 0.08. The legislation essentially guarantees drivers who register a 0.08 blood alcohol level will be found guilty, regardless of whether they show signs of impairment. The legislation creates new crimes related to driving while impaired, imposes tougher penalties, creates a paper trail for beer keg purchases and makes it illegal for anyone under age 21 to consume alcohol. Before this legislation, the law only forbade the possession of alcohol by those under 21.
   
• CAL spent considerable time trying to defeat certain provisions in HB ? 1025 Various ABC Law Changes. The bill cleared the N.C. House in 2005 and was a relatively innocuous bill in that it didn’t significantly expand alcohol sales beyond the current parameters of control. But by the time the measure reached the N.C. Senate in 2006, it had been loaded with six additional provisions in a Proposed Committee Substitute, three of which the Christian Action League opposed. Fortunately, the Christian Action League was able to stop two of these provisions and nearly defeated all three. Those defeated were Sections 9 and 10:
   
  Section 7 of the bill, which allowed the sale of beer and wine at golf courses owned or leased by constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina was nearly defeated on the House floor during the closing night of the session.
   
  When House members first voted on this measure it failed by a 52-52 margin. The victory, however, was short lived. It appeared a number of lawmakers in the late hours of the night were not present when the vote was taken. Proponents were quick to round up those House members that had been absent and recruit a member from the prevailing side to offer a motion for reconsideration. The motion to reconsider passed, and then the measure was adopted by a 58-44 margin.
   
  Section 9 of the legislation, which actually contained the most egregious provision allowing for retail merchants to issue coupons or utilize discount or loyalty cards to provide a discount on the price of beer and wine ? was struck from the bill by a vote of 13-12 after Rev. Mark Creech, Executive Director, testified against the provision in a Senate Committee. Creech argued that numerous studies conclude that any time the two-pronged approach of appealing advertising with a lower price is utilized there is a rise in consumption levels. He said the measure had significant negative potential and should not be underestimated.  He also argued that customers could be tracked and targeted for alcohol sales with this provision, especially college students, where retail outlets surrounded university and college campuses.
   
  The North Carolina Retail Merchants Association, the primary lobbying group behind the measure, didn’t give up on the coupon provision. After the provision’s defeat in the Senate, the NCRMA went over to the House and convinced a lawmaker to put the same language in another bill, SB 828 - 2006 Viticulture/Enology Act, and got it through the House ABC Committee.  The bill remained on the House Calendar for consideration for four days. But when HB 1025 ? Various ABC Law Changes  was to be considered, it was to be taken up on the same night the campus provision in HB 1025 ? Various ABC Law Changes was considered. When it became clear the Campus provision was a struggle to pass, the House ABC Committee Chairman pulled SB 828 from the floor and sent it back to the House ABC Committee to die and avoid the serious controversy it would likely engender.
   
  The NCRMA still hasn’t given up on the measure. They have now taken their case to the ABC Commission, which can authorize the coupons provision by a change in the rules. A hearing is scheduled on the matter for November 8.  Rev. Creech is scheduled to speak against the rules change for coupons on that date.
   
  Section 10 of the bill, which would have allowed the ABC Commission to issue on-premises beer, wine, and liquor-by-the-drink permits to a restaurant on property contiguous to a Special ABC area that met certain conditions, was stripped from the legislation in committee after CAL contacted pastors, churches, and the Transylvania County Commissioners and informed them that liquor-by-the-drink was about to be foisted on them without a referendum. This precipitated numerous phone calls and emails, plus a resolution from the County Commissioners against the provision, which was sent to Sen. John Snow and Rep. Trudi Walend, who represent Transylvania County. Both Snow and Walend appeared before a Senate Committee and asked the provision be removed and their request was granted.
   
• CAL supported the General Assembly’s passage of SB 1311 ? No Alcohol on Polk County Rivers. The bill makes it unlawful to possess or consume alcohol within fifty feet of the banks of any river in Polk County, but would not affect landowners or a landowner’s guests and would not apply to a portion of the Green River that has been impounded to form Lake Adger. Violation of the law would result in a Class 3 misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of at least $50.00. The law would only apply to Polk County and would be enforced by the Wildlife Resources Commission and other general law enforcement. The bill was supported by two unanimous resolutions by the Polk County Board of Commissioners. Alcohol abuse had so badly escalated on the rivers in Polk County, citizens complained they were no longer able to enjoy a day of leisure there because of the fights, vandalism, and other problems.
   
• CAL supported the successful passage of HB 1311 ? Designate General Assembly Buildings Nonsmoking by the General Assembly. The legislation simply declares: “All areas of any building occupied by the General Assembly shall be designated as nonsmoking areas.” During debate on the House floor, Rep. Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), the bill’s primary sponsor, made an excellent argument for the legislation saying:  “We have an opportunity here to provide in this bill a smoke free environment for the 600 people who work in these buildings. They are one of the best, if not the best staffs in the country, and they have a right to be in a healthy environment where they are required to work. Our children have a right to have us set an example. We’ve declared smoke free buildings in prisons, public health centers, DSS centers, and now it’s time to do it in the most public of all buildings in the State ? the General Assembly.”
   
• CAL supported the successful passage of SB 1833 ? Disorderly Conduct/Funeral/Military Services that was aimed at protecting families from protest at military funerals. The federal government and states have been passing such laws in response to protests at military funerals by Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. The church claims military deaths are a sign God is angry at the United States for tolerating homosexuals. The legislation prohibits protest within 300 feet of a funeral, graveyard or funeral procession. The ban would begin one hour before the funeral and end one hour after the conclusion of the funeral. The first and second offenses are considered misdemeanors. Subsequent offenses would be felonies.

Legislative Failures

Usually, the Annual Report of CAL does not mention legislative failures. Nevertheless, some of the bills CAL supported that failed this year were of such significance they are worthy of reporting on. It is critical in future sessions of the General Assembly these measures be heard and approved.

• This year the General Assembly approved HB 1965 ? Eminent Domain Restrictions.  The legislation was a response to the Kelo v. City of New London decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the authority of cities to seize private property for economic development. Although passage of this legislation was important, it still doesn’t go far enough and leaves North Carolinians vulnerable to an activist Judge’s decision to rule the measure unconstitutional. Thus, Rep. Paul Stam (R-Wake) introduced HB 2213 ? Eminent Domain, which called for a State Constitutional Amendment to prevent Eminent Domain abuses in North Carolina. Unfortunately, Stam’s bill was never allowed to be heard, leaving North Carolinians vulnerable to the unlawful taking of private property by government.
   
• It was a matter of considerable disappointment for CAL and other pro-family advocates that for a third year in a row, both the State House and Senate refused to consider legislation calling for an amendment to North Carolina’s Constitution defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. (Example: SB 1228- Defense of Marriage)
   
  Despite the fact that 20 states in the union have approved state constitutional amendments to protect marriage and eight states will have such amendments on the ballot this November, North Carolina’s House and Senate leadership have dug in their heels and said no to this legislation. They contend there is no immediate threat to North Carolina’s marriage laws. Yet, without a constitutional amendment to protect marriage, North Carolina’s laws against homosexual marriage are as close to being struck down as the first sympathetic activist judge that homosexuals can find to rule in their favor.
   
• Both the House and Senate leadership have also steadfastly refused to allow for the hearing of any pro-life bills.

Possible Critical Legislation Forthcoming

The following is purely conjecture based on CAL’s lobbying experience. There is some concern, nonetheless, that critical legislation may be coming down the pike next session that would necessitate serious grassroots advocacy and resources to defeat. That legislation could include:

• Legislation to end local option alcohol referenda.  Local option alcohol referenda is the means by which cities, towns, counties and some rural sections of counties may decide their own destiny for alcohol sales by the ballot box. Local option has been amended so often, however, with special provisions, many lawmakers now contend North Carolina needs a more uniform approach to alcohol sales. The approach they suggest is ending local option by simply wetting the entire state. But this would be a serious blow to controlling alcohol consumption levels in North Carolina.
   
• Legislation to repeal the ban on Sunday Hunting.  For the last four years, the Christian Action League has been successful in staving off forces that want to repeal North Carolina’s 137 year-old Sunday hunting ban. Some hunters, however, have mounted an effort to lift the ban. The State Wildlife Resources Commission has issued a study on the matter and will report a recommendation to the General Assembly next session. CAL believes that repealing the ban would endanger rural churches, as well as recreational family activities on Sunday to rifle fire.

Local Option Alcohol Referenda

This year CAL sought to assist communities in defeating alcohol referendums in Jefferson, Franklin, Yadkinville and Jonesville, North Carolina. Unfortunately, only Jonesville prevailed.

For a Better North Carolina,

Reverend Mark H. Creech
Executive Director

Reverend Coy Privette
President