Friday
5
Barry Sheets
Legislative Consultant
May 29, 2020
Our country is reeling from both the effects of the shutdown over Covid-19, and the senseless and unspeakably brutal death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. A culture that embraces death through the unspeakably brutal slaughter of defenseless unborn children becomes numb to respecting the image of God in those who are outside the womb as well.
NEWS AND VIEWS
1. This week saw no movement on any Pro-Life legislation in either chamber.
Little progress was made on the efforts to try to rein in the overreach of the Department of Health Director, as Senate Bill 1 still does not have conferees named from the Senate to get that bill done. However, some bills saw a LOT of action, as the House decided to send over to the Senate two measures, HB 194
and HB 282, which expand gambling options in Ohio (sports betting and electronic “bingo”, specifically). It’s really breathtaking to see that the Assembly thinks causing more addiction, financial stress and domestic problems for Ohio is a way to FIX our economic problems caused by the shutdown.
2. The ACLU and Abortion, Inc. are at it again.
On Wednesday, a federal
lawsuit
was filed in Maryland by the ACLU on behalf of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) to challenge requirement in law that a medical provider must meet with a woman in person before dispensing the abortion-causing drug mifepristone. The timing is suspicious, as just this week a new bill was introduced in the Ohio General Assembly by Republican House members Adam Holmes and Mark Frazier to expand Telehealth services (
HB 679
) which would allow, although it doesn’t directly address abortion as a stand-alone service, abortion providers to do just what ACOG is asking for. The bill was scheduled and had its first hearing Thursday in the House Insurance Committee, chaired by Rep. Tom Brinkman.
RTLACO is attempting to get language in the bill to Prohibit Abortion by Telemedicine, Please pray, as our initial contact with sponsors has not been responded to positively
.
3. I am sure most of us were unaware that the month of May has been the “Sex Ed for All” month,
as comprehensive (condom-based, practice makes perfect) sex-ed advocates now admit that part of their “training” of impressionable school children includes teaching how “pleasurable” sexual activity is, and are being
supported
in this by “reputable” public health organizations. This is pure indoctrination into the licentious politico-sexual cultural swamp. For a way to fight back as this is definitely in YOUR schools, download a great
manual
from the Family Research Council’s Cathy Ruse to understand more fully what’s actually being taught!
4. Maybe our friends holding the Biblical sexual ethics line in Hungary (see past issue Friday 5) are a great example to their neighbors.
This
week
, the German Federal Court of Justice ruled that those who want to change their gender identification to “non-binary” must have medical and other supporting documents to do so. Since ideological concepts such as “non-binary” and “transgender” are psychological not biological, it appears that another country is drawing the line against the politico-sexual anarchy rampant in this modern age.
5. The Ohio Senate this week added language to a bill (
HB 272
) that would ensure churches and places of worship cannot be shut down during a health emergency.
The language is as follows: “Sec. 9.57. (A) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of the Revised Code, no public official shall issue an order to close all places of worship in the state or in a geographic area of the state. B) As used in this section: 1) "Place of worship" means a building or grounds where activities of an organized religious group are conducted. (2) "Public official" means any elected or appointed officer, employee, or agent of the state or any political subdivision, board, commission, bureau, or other public body established by law.” Perhaps more language should be added prohibiting any official publicly trying to push for churches to not practice their faith and sacraments, as Dr. Anthony Fauci did recently in an
interview
with the journal
America: The Jesuit Review
.
PROFILES
Each installment of the Friday Five will bring thumbnail profiles
of key policymakers and committees.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit Senior Judge Alice M. Batchelder—
Alice Moore Batchelder, born in Wilmington, Delaware, and married to William G. Batchelder, a former state Court of Appeals judge and a state legislator who served more than 30 years in the Ohio House of Representatives and served as Speaker of the House from 2011 until 2014, is currently a Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She served as Chief Judge from 2009 until 2014. Batchelder earned her undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1964, her Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron School of Law in 1971, and her LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1988. She has been an attorney in private practice. She was also considered by President George W. Bush as a potential nominee for a United States Supreme Court seat that ultimately went to Justice Samuel Alito. In 1983, Batchelder was appointed a Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio. President Ronald Reagan nominated Batchelder in 1985 to a new district judge position on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 3 and received her commission on April 4. On June 12, 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Batchelder to the Sixth Circuit. She was confirmed by the Senate on November 27 and received her commission on December 2. On August 14, 2009, she became Chief Judge of the Sixth Circuit. She stepped down as chief judge on August 15, 2014, upon turning 70. Batchelder is widely known and considered to be a conservative jurist and an original intent judge.
Joint Committees of the Legislature
Ohio Controlling Board Committee—
The Controlling Board is a mechanism for handling necessary adjustments to the State Budget. Section 127.12 of the Ohio Revised Code establishes the Controlling Board as a body consisting of seven members: the Director of the Office of Budget and Management or an employee of the Office of Budget and Management designated by the Director, the Chair or Vice Chair of the Senate and House Finance Committees, a majority member appointed from both the Senate and the House, and a minority member appointed from both the Senate and the House. The legislative members of the Controlling Board are Senators Jay Hottinger, Bob Peterson and Vernon Sykes. The House members are Scott Oelslager, Shane Wilkin, and Jack Cera. Kimberly Murnieks is the seventh member as the Director of the Office of Budget and Management.
