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Protecting Human Life Promoting Family Life Pursuing Social Justice Practicing Global Solidarity
Catholic Conference Priority Legislation 2006 Information on this page reflects our effort to help you know not only what legislation is most important to CCK, but also to ask you to work on legislation which is actively under consideration. Some of our most important bills, therefore, may not appear on this page since there may be no hope of moving them. However, click on the links above to visit the other legislative pages and you will find detailed information about other bills and action you can take.
Protecting Human Life Life in the Womb CCK will support bills related to research and adult stem cells that would allow a donor of money to be used for adult stem cell research to receive a tax credit. The United States Bishops are urging greater attention be paid to this promising field of research because it produces results and leads to the discovery of effective treatments of disease. In addition, since embryonic human life is not involved, this method of research meet the moral criteria demanded by respect for human life and dignity. HB 347 protects embryonic human life by forbidding research that would destroy human life at its earliest stage. It also allows royalty income to be excluded for tax purposes for five years. Life after Birth
Promoting Family Life HB 270 sponsored by Rep. Mike Cherry requires school districts to have procedures in place to address student harassment, intimidation, and bullying.
Feb. 1 - HB 270 continued receiving overwhelming bi-partisan support on the House floor on February 1, passing unanimously by 96 YES votes and 0 NO votes. It now goes to the Senate. Take Action: Please begin calling 1-800-372-7181 and leaving a message for Senator Ken Winters, chair of the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Republican Leadership: Please give HB 270 a hearing and a vote in the Senate Education Committee. Jan 18 - HB 270 garnered strong bi-partisan support the in House Education Committee on January 18. Committee members present voted unanimously to recommend passage of HB 270. The bill will now go to the House floor for a vote by all the members. Committee vote: FOR: Representatives Cherry, Collins, DeCesare, Draud, Edmonds, Embry, Farmer, Graham, Harper, Moberly, Mobley, Nelson, Owens, Rasche, Riner, Shelton, Siler, Simpson, Stein, and Wuchner. Three members, who are co-sponsors, could not get to the meeting due to inclement weather. CCK is part of the Anti-Bullying Alliance: Keeping Kentucky's Kids Safe. The Alliance prepared an informational flier for distribution to legislators when you contact them. Click here to see the PDF file. Kentucky Youth Advocates has prepared an excellent "frequently asked questions" brief on this issue: School Bullying in the Commonwealth: Answering Common Questions About Legislative Proposals. Here is additional information regarding Why Kentucky Law Should Bullying Prevention.
Pursuing Social Justice HB 480 sponsored by Jesse Crenshaw is a bill to allow the citizens of Kentucky to change the Kentucky Constitution so that ex-felons will have THE RIGHT TO VOTE restored automatically after fully completing a sentence imposed by the court. The Constitution now does not permit this, but leaves the decision to restore this basic civil right up to the arbitrary whim of the governor. Kentucky is one of the last 3 states which do not restore this right automatically. Action: Please call 1.800.372-7181 before the end of the day on Wednesday Feb 8 and leave a message for the members of the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee: vote YES for HB 480 and send it to the House floor. In A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice: A Kentucky Call to Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration, our Kentucky bishops have urged the following: "8) Provide for timely restoration of voting rights to offenders. Ex-offenders should be welcomed back into society as full participating members, to the extent feasible, and have their right to vote restored automatically." More information is available in WITNESS, September 2005, and in a special brochure prepared to accompany the legislation.
Practicing Global Solidarity
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Catholic Conference of Kentucky 1042 Burlington Lane Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
502-875-4345
Last modified: August, 2008 |
Registrants
for Catholics @ the Capitol are welcome to preview the materials they will
receive on Tuesday, February 21. These documents focus on six bills, one of
which is yet to be introduced and does not have a bill number, the Conference
has targeted for passage or defeat. Even those not coming to this event will
find these documents helpful and CCK encourages you to use them when contacting
legislators. 
502-875-2841 Fax