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TOPIC FOR TODAY

Analysis of Initiatives on the November 4, 2008 Ballot (10/4/08)   
CFC provides expert, insightful analyses of the 12 initiatives on the November 4 ballot.  Read our positions and analyses.      

Protecting Marriage to Protect Children (9/22/08)   
“I'm a liberal Democrat. And I do not favor same-sex marriage. Do those positions sound contradictory? To me, they fit together.     

“Many seem to believe that marriage is simply a private love relationship between two people. They accept this view, in part, because Americans have increasingly emphasized and come to value the intimate, emotional side of marriage, and in part because almost all opinion leaders today, from journalists to judges, strongly embrace this position. That's certainly the idea that underpinned the California Supreme Court's legalization of same-sex marriage.”  Read more of David Blankenhorn’s insightful op-ed in Friday’s Los Angeles Times.     

Policy Fact Sheet (9/13/08)   
Since its establishment in 2003 as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, a board of directors has governed California Family Council (CFC).  CFC’s board is currently comprised of nine members with meetings held on a quarterly basis.  The board of directors hires CFC’s chief executive officer, and the CEO is accountable to that board.     

An independent accounting firm provides monthly services to California Family Council, and an annual audit of income and expenses is accomplished at the request of the board of directors.     

CFC staff members are responsible for the professional management of the organization’s programs, events, and administration, and the vast majority of income is used for such costs.  All personnel costs are proportionately attributed in our accounting to the activities.  At the board’s request, past public reports will be reviewed with consideration given to reporting the division of expenses into categories.     

While California Family Council certainly supports the protection of marriage, ProtectMarriage.com – YES on 8 is a separate ballot measure committee registered with the Secretary of State and regulated as a campaign committee.  

Controlling Our Consciences:  An Rx for Tyranny (9/16/08)  
“A recent California Supreme Court ruling has significantly eroded our right to follow our consciences. According to the Washington Post, ‘The court ruled that physicians' constitutional right to the free exercise of religion does not exempt businesses that serve the public from following state law that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.’" Read more from today’s BreakPoint column.  

Congratulations Ron Prentice! (9/9/08)    
The staff and board of directors of California Family Council are pleased to congratulate Ron Prentice, CFC’s chief executive officer, who will receive the Family Champion Award at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., this week.  Read more.   

CFC’s Ron Prentice featured in Citizenlink (9/4/08)    
Ron Prentice, CFC’s chief executive officer, was featured in the Focus on the Family Citizenlink e-mail last week.  Read more about the man who oversees the ongoing work of California Family Council and is at the center of the Prop 8 campaign.

AB 2747 heads to governor’s desk!  (8/28/08)     
AB 2747 (Berg), legislation that would prescribe what must be covered in doctor-patient end-of-life discussions and opens the door to assisted-suicide advocates passed the Assembly  with a minimum 42-33 vote this afternoon.  Read more.

Budget Impasse: A Common Tragedy, Getting Worse? (8/19/08)    
On Sunday, the California State Assembly met for the first time in five years on this hallowed day.  They met specifically to debate and vote on the budget bill, Assembly Bill 1781, which is the conference report outlining the majority party’s plan to address the state’s $15.2 billion deficit.  After four hours of debate, in which almost 50 members of the Assembly spoke, the budget failed to receive the 54 votes needed for its passage.  By the end of the voting period, there were only 45 votes in support of the budget and 30 votes against.  Read more.    

California Supreme Court Says Rights Based on Sexual Orientation Trump Freedom of Speech and Religion (8/18/08)     
This morning the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a person’s “civil rights” based on sexual orientation trump the religious freedom and free speech of a physician.  A lesbian, upset by the refusal of two Christian physicians to artificially inseminate her, had sued the doctors, even though they had provided a referral to another practitioner who didn’t share their moral objections.  Read more.   

Court Rejects Christian Education  (8/14/08)    
On Friday, a federal court issued its final ruling, in which it rejected the lawsuit brought by private, Christian schools against the University of California.  Calvary Chapel Christian School (Murrieta) and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) charged that the UC system rejected college-preparatory classes taught by Christian schools solely because the classes are taught from a religious perspective.  Read more on the CFC Web site and in the San Francisco Chronicle.   

Victory for Home Schooling! (8/11/08)   
In a unanimous decision, the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District ruled Friday that “California statutes permit home schooling as a species of private school education.”  This stands in stark contrast to the trial court which in February had ruled parents had no right to home school their own children under California law.  Read more on the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) Web site.   

Supreme Court Deals a Blow to Opponents of Proposition 8 (7/16/08)   
Sacramento - Today, the California Supreme Court re-affirmed the right of Californians to decide if marriage should retain its traditional definition, between only a man and a woman.  By dismissing efforts to remove Proposition 8 from the ballot, the Court has protected the rights of voters to defined marriage in the November election.
Read more.   

McCain Supports Protect Marriage Initiative (6/26/08)   
United States Senator John McCain today announced his support for the California Protection of Marriage initiative on the state’s November ballot, leaders of the ProtectMarriage.com campaign announced. In an email received by the ProtectMarriage.com campaign, Senator McCain issued the following statement:    

"I support the efforts of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution between a man and a woman, just as we did in my home state of Arizona. I do not believe judges should be making these decisions.” 
Read more.   

What Is Truth? (6/26/08)  
Read more about a recent study on religion in America that says truth comes in many forms.     

California Supreme Court Ignores Will Of Californians, Chooses Nationwide Legal Chaos Instead (6/4/08)   
The California Supreme Court ruled earlier today to ignore the will of Californians and   allow same-sex “marriages” to start on June 17^th, despite the pending vote this November on the ProtectMarriage amendment. Read more. 

California Marriage Amendment Qualifies for November Ballot – The People Will Decide (6/2/08)  
Secretary of State Debra Bowen today certified the eighth initiative for the November 4, 2008, General Election ballot. The measure would amend California’s Constitution to define marriage as a union “between a man and a woman.”  Read more.      

Same-Sex Marriage: Giant Leap in the Wrong Direction  
The California Supreme Court has now legalized same-sex marriage, overturning the will of the people. In 2000, 61 percent of Californians voted for Proposition 22 which reads, simply and clearly, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” In November, voters will have the opportunity to write this identical language directly into the California Constitution and prevent future state courts from thwarting their will ever again.Read More

CALIFORNIA HIGH COURT OVERRULES PEOPLE (5/15/08)   
In a 4-3 decision, the Supreme Court of California today overturned Proposition 22.  In striking down Proposition 22, the initiative passed in 2000 – by 61.4% of voters – to define marriage in California as only between a man and a woman, the Court declared a right to “same-sex marriage” under the California Constitution.   Read CFC’s press release.  

California Decision Will Radically Change Society (5/20/08)  
Read columnist Dennis Prager’s insightful column on the radical cultural and societal ramifications without the passage of the Protect Marriage Initiative. 

ProtectMarriage.com submits over 1.1 million signatures to county election offices (4/24/08) 
California Family Council has been priviledged to be part of the ProtectMarriage.com coalition and is thrilled with the successful signature gathering campaign that will place a marriage amendment on the November ballot. Click here to read press release.   

RECENT PRESS RELEASES:   
Assembly Committee Approves Bill That Would Criminalize Spanking and Threaten Parental Authority (4/15/08)    
Click here to read the entire press release.    

CFC Responds to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Vow to Oppose the California Marriage Amendment (4/12/08)     
Click here to read the entire press release.  Click here to view the governor's comments.