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March 2, 2018 Radio Commentary

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S.B. 375 “Keep Faith in Adoption”

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, March 2, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Since it’s a good day when a good bill makes progress in the General Assembly, I declare February 23rd to have been a great day for adoption in this state.  That was the day the Georgia Senate voted 45 to 19 to pass Senator Ligon’s S.B. 375.  But, I’m amazed that 19 senators voted against the right of adoption agencies to exercise freedom of religion when deciding which place is best for a child.

That vote made me wonder who voted against it.  So, I went online and printed the February 21st machine vote for S.B. 375.  By comparing the votes with a list of Senate Republicans and Democrats, I learned that it was a straight party-line vote.  The two Republicans who did not vote had been excused.

In last week’s commentary I used two quotes from S.B. 375, and they’re so important, I’m using them again.  The first quote was from a 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision that stated: “Neither students nor teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”  The other quote reminded us that “[p]rivate religious speech is as fully protected under the Free Speech Clause as secular private expression.” Clearly, there’s no constitutional right for secular belief to supersede religious belief, in public or in private. Continue reading →

February 23, 2018 Radio Commentary

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Two Bills that Need to Pass

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, February 23, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Today’s topics are two bills: one about grade schools and the other about higher education. Senator Michael Williams’ S.B. 361 is about freedom of religious speech for students and faculty in public schools.  It starts with this quote from a 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision, “[n]either students [n]or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”

Then, follows with this: “Private religious speech … is as fully protected under the Free Speech Clause as secular private expression.”

To support freedom of religious speech, S.B. 361 would require the following: “A local school system shall not discriminate against students or parents on the basis of a religious viewpoint or religious expression.”  Also, it provides a sample policy for schools to implement.  Ask Senator Tippins to pass S.B. 361 out of his committee or it will die.  His number is 404 657-0406.  Continue reading →

CORRECTION: February 16th Commentary

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H.B. 652, Un-Accounted-For Voters
February 21, 2018

On February 16th I wrote about H.B. 652, and applied its contents to the Electoral College. Although everything I said about the Electoral College is accurate, the bill is not about the Electoral College.  It’s about Georgia voters in primaries and elections.

If the subject of the bill had been the Electoral College, it would have affected only 18 electors.  But, as it is written, it would repeal the law requiring the Secretary of State to find voters who have not up-dated their voter registration card when their names or addresses changed.

Current law requires the Secretary of State, during the first six months of odd-numbered years, to identify voters with whom there has been no contact during the preceding three calendar years, if they are not on a change-of-address list.

H.B. 652 would repeal that current law.  Therefore, H.B. 652 should be defeated, so the Secretary of State can continue locating voters and confirming their information long before Election Day.

H.B. 652 is much more far-reaching than it would have been had it targeted only the 18 electors in the Electoral College.  Call Representative Rynders at 404 656-6801 and ask him to keep H.B. 652 in committee.

February 16, 2018 Radio Commentary

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H.B. 652, Simple, but VERY Dangerous!

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, February 16, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

H.B. 652 might sound like a ho-hum bill about a ho-hum issue, but it’s not. It would remove Georgia law requiring the Secretary of State to keep up with Georgia electors to the Electoral College.

The Electoral College was part of the Great Compromise between big states and little states when the 13 colonies were transformed into a constitutional republic, and it’s as necessary today as it was then.

The Electoral College allows all states, regardless of size, to be players in the national process of electing the president and vice president. Each state is allotted electors in the Electoral College according to its congressional delegation, that’s comprised of two senators, plus the state’s allotted number of U.S. representatives. That process assures equal representation. Since Georgia has two senators and 16 U.S. House members, Georgia has 18 electors in the Electoral College and they vote every four years.

Having the Electoral College meant only Florida votes had to be recounted in the 2000 election. Without the Electoral College, other states could have demanded recounts. But, this might be thebest reason for having the Electoral College: The Electoral College is the only function of national government that is performed outside of Washington, and no senator, representative, or other federal official is allowed to be an elector in the Electoral College. Continue reading →