Weekly Issues Alert

Whitewater Falls, N.C.

January 26 - February 1

"We base all our experiments on the capacity of mankind for self government." --James Madison

NC General Assembly (RECONVENED ON JANUARY 24, 2007)

Lawmakers Come to Raleigh for New Legislative Year — Christian Action League

House elects new Speaker, bill for Constitutional Amendment to protect marriage filed on the first day Read
Income Tax Credit — WRAL

Financial help for low-income families is a big issue at the General Assembly, and an earned income tax credit and Medicaid will both be up for debate this legislative session. Read
Impending Budget Sites Housing Slow Down

For the first time this year, state lawmakers are seeing the financial forecast for the state and its impact on next year's budget. That forecast includes the housing market — a market that's been rock solid in past years. Read
Lawmakers Introduce 6 Bills Targeting Domestic Violence — WRAL

State lawmakers Wednesday introduced six bills aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence. Read
N.C. lawmakers getting hard lessons at ethics training — Herald Sun

After spending more than two hours Thursday learning about complicated new ethics laws, one legislator was so worried about knowing when it's OK to accept gifts he vowed to use one word: no. Read
Proposal Could Undermine Adoption — CAL

A proposal sent forward by a state legislative study commission last week could undermine adoption in North Carolina and place an undue burden on adoptive families. On Friday, January 19, the Joint Legislative Study Commission on Children and Youth voted to approve a recommendation to the 2007 North Carolina General Assembly that would make "post-adoption contact agreements" legally binding. Read
Google Demanded North Carolina Stay Quiet — Google

Google put pressure on legislators to stay quiet at WCNC-TV reports that during Google's negotiations with North Carolina to house a huge server farm, lawmakers in North Carolina were pressured to keep quiet about Google's tax break demands. State Commerce Secretary Jim Fain was told that if it was not kept quiet, Google would possibly end negotiations with the state. Jim Fain said it "bothered me" for having to "work in the dark" and that Google did not "respect the laws of the land" during the process. In the end, North Carolina did win Google's business and Google did get their tax break. Read

NC Courts

A Muslim Civil Liberties Union? — Townhall.com

A few weeks ago, remember how we were all a buzz about Keith Ellison (D-MN) choosing to make his oath on the Koran as the first democratically-elected Muslim to sit in Congress? We all agreed it would be unconstitutional to prevent him from doing so ("no religious test," Art. VI Sec. 3). Yet, something was deeply troubling about it even though we couldn't quite put our finger on it. Then, last Tuesday, this posting on the website of the North Carolina ACLU (here), "A unanimous North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled this ... that the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina (ACLU-NC) can proceed with its lawsuit, filed against the State in July 2005, which challenges North Carolina state courts' practice of refusing to allow people of non-Christian faiths to swear religious oaths using any text other than the Christian Bible." Read
Capital Punishment Process on Hold

The odd state of capital punishment in North Carolina continued, with a clemency hearing going as planned for a man whose execution was one of three blocked last week by a judge. Read
NC Supreme Court To Look At Restaurant Liability In Drunk Driving — AP News

The state Supreme Court says it will review a case in which a woman says bars and restaurants should be held legally accountable if they allow intoxicated customers to drive. Read
Ex-Supreme Court Justice Orr To Run For Governor — AP News

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A former state Supreme Court justice who'sfiled legal challenges to a tax incentive programs and the newlottery since leaving the bench is running for governor. Read

North Carolina Politics

Purdue Returns $13-Thousand In Checks — WPTF News

The campaign of Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue is returning four checks totaling 13-thousand dollars. Read

Other North Carolina News

Capital Punishment Process on Hold

The odd state of capital punishment in North Carolina continued, with a clemency hearing going as planned for a man whose execution was one of three blocked last week by a judge. Test Results Show Durham Fails To Meet Drinking Water Standards

The latest test results show the city of Durham has failed to meet federal drinking water standards. Read
Fort Bragg Sergeant Saves Man From Car Fire — WRAL

A car fire in front of the main post office in Fayetteville was how an amazing story of bravery ended Tuesday. Read
Church Employee Charged With Embezzlement

An employee of a Raleigh church was arrested Wednesday and charged with stealing more than $170,000 from the church, authorities said. Read
Biofuel research revs up in state — Herald Sun

As the Bush administration pushes for a nation free of foreign oil, North Carolina researchers are at work on the biofuel technology that could help make the goal a reality. Read
Moore says N.C. can take on $384M in new debt annually — Herald Sun

Strong revenue growth and low interest rates mean North Carolina can issue $384 million in new debt each year over the next decade, state Treasurer Richard Moore said Thursday in an annual report on the state's debt capacity. Read
Delta lured by $100,000 in incentives to New Bern — Herald Sun

Delta Air Lines received about $100,000 in incentives to offer roundtrip flights from New Bern to Atlanta, officials said. Read
Easley Grants Pardon to Man Jailed for Robbery — ABC 11 News

Governor Easley has pardoned a Sanford man who spent more than five years in prison for a 1998 armed robbery in Goldsboro. Read
Bishop Jugis, Bishop Burbidge Call on N.C. Catholics to Fight Embryonic Stem-Cell Research Legislation — CAL

Bishop Peter J. Jugis is asking Catholics in the Diocese of Charlotte to learn more about embryonic stem-cell research and to join him in defeating pending legislation that will likely recommend state funding. Read
A Christian Response to Death Penalty Issues — CAL

Within the next three weeks, North Carolina is scheduled to execute three death-row inmates on three successive Fridays. According to Associated Press: "Scheduling three deaths so close together irks execution opponents who plan to keep pushing during the coming legislative session for a death penalty moratorium. Perhaps three executions so close together will at least help them teach more people about the flaws in the state's judicial system, they said." [1] Read

Congress

Capitol vandalism investigation sought by lawmakers Onenewsnow.com

A U.S. senator is demanding to know why anti-war protesters were allowed to vandalize the Capitol building on Saturday. And the leader of the Family Research Council wants to know who actually gave the order to officers to "stand down" while the vandalism took place. Read
McCain assails top U.S. commander in Iraq — LA Times

John McCain, the leading Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, today took to task Gen. George Casey, the top American commander in Iraq, accusing him of being the architect of a failed strategy, and failing to take the correct steps to improve the security situation. Read
Senators Assert Right to Block Bush on Iraq — NYT

Senator Arlen Specter joined Democrats on a Senate panel in saying that President Bush cannot simply ignore Congressional opposition to his Iraq plan. Read
Oregon senator threatens filibuster — Boston Globe

By Matthew Daly, Associated Press Writer | January 30, 2007

WASHINGTON — An Oregon senator is threatening to filibuster a must-pass spending bill if Congress does not extend payments to rural counties hurt by cutbacks in federal logging. Read
Santorum slams Dems' healthcare proposals — Onenewsnow.com

Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum says government-run and -financed medicine is "socialism" and has no place in the U.S. He points to Europe where such approaches to healthcare have had disastrous results. Read
Democrat leaders run afoul of ethics law — Onenewsnow.com

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and two other Democrats who vowed to clean up a "culture of corruption" on Capitol Hill are under fire for violating federal ethics law. One pro-family leader describes the revelation as a "disappointing start" by the Democrat-controlled Congress but also "not a surprise." Read
Republicans Block Congressional Pay Hike — Townhall.com

When Democrats blasted Republicans last fall for taking annual congressional pay raises while blocking numerous attempts to raise the minimum wage, it was an effective campaign tactic. Democrats vowed not to accept the annual cost-of-living hike until Congress increases the minimum wage. Read
FBI investigates U.S. Rep. Miller — LA Times

The Diamond Bar Republican's eminent domain claim in land deals is scrutinized. Read
Congressional Bill May Disccriminate Against Disabled Unborn Babies (LifeNews.com)

A leading pro-life group is worried that a bill intended to protect the disabled may leave out disabled unborn children who could become victims of abortion simply because of their disabilities. The group is working with pro-life lawmakers to close the loophole. Read
Pro-Life Congressman Wants Adoption Tax Credit Made Permanent — Lifenews.com

A pro-life congressman has introduced a measure that would make the adoption tax credit permanent. Rep. Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, introduced H.R. 471, which would prevent that the current $10,000 tax credit for adoption expenses from expiring 2010. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

God's Purpose for Governing Authorities — Christian Action League of NC

As executive director of the Christian Action League of North Carolina, I rub shoulders with a lot of lawmakers and other political figures in our state. I deeply admire their commitment to public service. Nearly all genuinely want to make a positive contribution to society. But most, unfortunately, haven't the slightest clue concerning the purposes of God for their office. What is just as sad; their constituents don't know either. Read
Arrest for street preaching leads to lawsuit — Onenewsnow.com

When police officers in Grand Rapids, Mich., shut down a group of street preachers outside a pagan festival last fall, they infringed upon those preachers' constitutionally protected free-speech rights. That is the argument behind a lawsuit filed by the Allied Defense Fund against the city on behalf of one of the preachers. Read
San Francisco abuzz over mayor's reported affair — LA Times

Clouds darkened over San Francisco's golden boy Mayor Gavin Newsom today after reports that he had an affair with his reelection campaign manager's wife — a subordinate at the time — got the town's tongues wagging with concerns over judgment and character. Read

Courts

Jury: Seattle Violated Protester Rights — CBS News

A federal jury found Tuesday that the city of Seattle violated the constitutional rights of 200 protesters who were arrested during a demonstration during the World Trade Organization meeting in 1999. The jury found the city liable for violating the protesters' Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure, but did not find a violation against their free speech rights under the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman had already ruled that police had made the arrests without probable cause. Read
Court Reinstates Key Padilla Terror Charge

A federal appeals court has reversed a trial judge's order that stripped the key terrorist conspiracy charge against accused al Qaeda operative Jose Padilla. The ruling from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Tuesday means Padilla could again face a life sentence if he is convicted on all counts by a jury at a trial due to start later this year in Miami. Read
Serial child molester sentenced to 152 years — Boston Globe

California man had been abusing children for years Read
Michigan Court: No Same-Sex Benefits — WPTF News

Public universities and local governments can't provide health insurance to the partners of gay employees without violating the state constitution, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Friday. Read
Judge Explains His Decision to Dismiss Anthrax Libel Case Against N.Y. Times — ABC News

A New York Times columnist did not act with malice when writing about whether a former Army scientist was responsible for the 2001 anthrax attacks, a federal judge wrote in explaining his decision to dismiss a lawsuit against the paper. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

United Nations Committee Pressurs Colombia to Legalize More Abortions — LifeNews.com

The United Nations is pressuring another nation to legalize abortion after criticizing Poland earlier this month. The UN committee charged with overseeing implementation of the CEDAW treaty chided Colombia last week for legalizing some abortions but not making abortion legal in general. Read
Jack Kevorkian Prison Release Still Under Governor's ConsiderationLansing, MI (LifeNews.com)

Much of the country may have forgotten about assisted suicide crusader Jack Kevorkian, but Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm insists she hasn't forgotten about him. Granholm's office said Thursday she is still weighing a request from Kevorkian's lawyer to release him from prison before his scheduled parole in June. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

High School to Expand Alcohol Testing — WRAL

Some teenagers who drink over the weekend could be in big trouble come Monday morning: A New Jersey school district plans to institute random urine tests capable of detecting whether alcohol was consumed up to 80 hours earlier. Read
Miss USA Says She Dabbled in Cocaine — WRAL

Miss USA Tara Conner, who nearly lost her crown for hard-partying in New York nightclubs, says in the upcoming issue of People magazine that her recent stint in rehab was a wake-up call. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

ADF attorney claims major victory for FCA club at Kansas school — Onenewsnow.com

Members of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes club in the Sunflower State will now reap the benefits of being recognized as an official campus club after being told two years ago their club was being stripped of that status. Alliance Defense Fund says a preliminary injunction handed down by a federal judge on Friday is a victory for Christian students across the country. Read
Newark Teachers' Plea: Stop the Killings"Stop the Killings!": — ABC News

Advertisements by teachers unions typically feature smiling instructors leaning over fresh-faced youngsters. But a half-dozen new billboards in New Jersey's largest city offer a far darker message. "HELP WANTED," they read. "STOP THE KILLINGS IN NEWARK NOW!" Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics

Military Helicopter Downed in Iraq -ABC News

A U.S. military helicopter went down in Iraq on its way to a military base in Taji. This is the third military helicopter believed to have been shot down in two weeks, leading to speculation on new arms and tactics being used by insurgents in Iraq. Read
Critics seek to deflate hype surrounding global warming report — Onenewsnow.com

A global warming skeptic says a new United Nations assessment on climate change was not approved by scientists but rather U.N. bureaucrats. The report from the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change links burning fossil fuels to rising temperatures. Read
Dangerous World Fu els Conspiracy Theorists — CBS News

An increasingly dangerous world is fueling a rise of conspiracy theorists, who question the official explanation of virtually every major news story, reports CBSNews.com's Read
White House press center reopens after evacuation — ABC News

The temporary White House press corps headquarters near the U.S. presidential residence reopened on Friday shortly after its evacuation because of a security alert. Read
Bush assails 'income inequality' — Washinton Times

President Bush yesterday said there is a growing "income inequality" gap between rich and poor Americans, and told companies they should rethink the giant compensation packages they offer top executives. Read
Paulson: Social Security reform hopes slim — ABC News

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson conceded on Friday that chances were slim for agreeing on a way to reform Social Security financing but said he would keep trying to find bipartisan support for it. Read
Detainee Challenges U.S. Policy — LA Times

Attorneys for an immigrant the Bush administration calls an al-Qaida sleeper agent argued Thursday that their client is being detained unconstitutionally and should be allowed to challenge his imprisonment in court. Read
Iraq commander says no restrictive rules of engagement in Iraq — Onenewsnow.com

An Army commander in Iraq says there is no truth to reports that U.S. soldiers and Marines are hindered from doing their jobs because of restrictive rules of engagement. Read
2006 Personal Savings Drop to 74-Year Low — WRAL

People once again spent everything they made and then some last year, pushing the personal savings rate to the lowest level since the Great Depression more than seven decades ago. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that the savings rate for all of 2006 was a negative 1 percent, meaning that not only did people spend all the money they earned but they also dipped into savings or increased borrowing to finance purchases. The 2006 figure was lower than a negative 0.4 percent in 2005 and was the poorest showing since a negative 1.5 percent savings rate in 1933 during the Great Depression. Read
Boston mayor says Turner to pay costs of scare — ABC News

Turner Broadcasting has agreed to pay all costs of a security scare triggered by a marketing campaign that disrupted travel in the city for nearly a full day, a spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas Menino said on Friday. Read
Minn. Farmer Charged After Chasing Thief — WPTF News

A farmer who chased down a thief and held him at gunpoint until authorities arrived now faces a more serious charge than the thief himself. Kenneth Englund, 74, was charged with second-degree assault, a felony. The thief, who the sheriff said admitted stealing about $5 worth of gasoline from Englund's neighbor, was charged with misdemeanor theft. Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Immorality/Obscenity

Hollywood goes deeper into the sewer with sick films — AFA.net

12-year-old shown in disturbing rape scene, man and animal featured in other film. Pepsi, Blockbuster, Delta Airlines, and L'Oreal sponsor film festival Read
A cause worth fighting for — American Decency

As you know, ADA regularly urges supermarket chains throughout the country to remove such magazines from their checkout aisles — magazines that display pornographic images or titles. We welcome the support of Family Research Council in this campaign. Yesterday (January 30) FRC's president Tony Perkins urged listeners to his daily radio program to take a stand for decency and oppose pornographic magazines such as Cosmo in their grocery stores. Read
Ford Helps Sponsor Explicit, Sickening Homosexual Scene — AFA.net

Rather than backing down from its support of homosexuality, Ford Motor Company has apparently taken a "rub it in your face" attitude. Read
Fox Deliberately Displays the F-Word During Prime Time Football — AFA.net

Your complaint will be sent to and filed with the Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau. NOTE: To speed the process of your complaint, please include your local Fox station call letters (ex. WLOV) where indicated on the complaint letter text box below. It used to be that you could sit down and watch an evening football game with your children without fear of them being exposed to inappropriate material. Sadly, that's no longer the case as was proven Saturday night during the Fox broadcast of the NFL playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles. Read
Former porn addict says healing, hope available — Onenewsnow.com

Apathy and silence in the church, says Mike Genung, are Satan's greatest weapons in the battle against sexual addiction among Christians. That is why he is encouraging churches, for the sake of their families, to cease playing "ostrich" regarding the issue. Read
Survey: More social networking for 'alternative lifestyles' — Onenewsnow.com

Pro-family activist Peter LaBarbera devotes his efforts to monitoring the influence of the homosexual agenda on American culture. He says a recent study of social network website usage is proof that technology has been one of the primary tools used by the homosexual community to organize and to promote its immoral lifestyle. Read
Wal-Mart still dabbling in support of homosexual agenda — American Dencency

If an Internet user types the word 'gay' into the search engine for Wal-Mart's online bookstore, more than 1,000 titles turn up — including titles from 'Gay Power: An American Revolution' to 'The Gay Disciple: Jesus' Friend Tells It His Own Way'. ..." Read

Other News

Pakistan to Fence Border of Afghanistan — WPTF News

Pakistan will erect fencing to reinforce parts of its porous mountain border with Afghanistan, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Friday, while acknowledging for the first time that some outgunned Pakistani frontier guards have allowed militants to cross. Read
British police arrest 9 in plot — Washington Times

Counterterrorism police yesterday arrested nine men in a suspected kidnapping plot that reportedly involved torturing and beheading a British Muslim soldier and broadcasting the killing on the Internet. Read
Sanctions rattle Iran, spur talk of shake-up — Washington Times

The unanimous passage of U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran in December has shaken the nation's public and ruling elite, prompting talk of a shake-up of top officials and fears of a U.S. attack. Read
Diplomats: Iran Working on Uranium Plant — ABC News

Hundreds of workers in Iran have set up piping, control panels and electric cables for Tehran's underground uranium enrichment plant, diplomats said Friday the final step before installing equipment that countries fear could be used to make nuclear arms. Read
Shiite-Sunni conflict on the rise in Pakistan — Christian Science Monitor

Attacks on Pakistan's Shiites echo the rising sectarian strife across the Middle East. Read

Disclaimer: The Christian Action League of North Carolina does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article posted on this site.

Index of Weekly Issues Alerts

2007

2006