Session Ends
Liberal Senate Resists State's Move To Social Conervativism

The recently concluded session of the Minnesota Legislature showed that the liberal leadership of the Minnesota Senate has lost touch with the increasingly conservative views of the people they were elected to represent.

"The 1999 legislative session showed a continued shift towards cultural conservative positions on a wide range of issues," explained Tom Prichard, president of the Minnesota Family Council. "It also revealed that the liberal DFL leadership in the state Senate increasingly is out of touch with Minnesotans on important social issues of the day." CONTINUE...

How Did Your Legislators Vote?

To see what stand your elected representatives took on issues, check out the House Voter Guide or Senate Voter Guide.

Taxpayers Demand 'Tax Cuts Now'

Thousands of taxpayers gathered April 17 for the "Tax Cuts Now Rally" on the Minnesota State Capitol steps to demonstrate to the Legislature and Governor that Minnesotans want immediate permanent tax relief.

U.S. Senator Rod Grams, talk show host Jason Lewis, Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum and Minnesota Family Council (MFC) spokesman Aaron Hall were among the many speakers at the event.

"The mission of the rally is simple: tax cuts now," said Hall. The boisterous crowd of 5,000 chanted "Tax cuts now," and "Give it back."  CONTINUE...

Billboards Have Divine Message

A nationwide billboard campaign has come to Minnesota, bringing motorists face-to-face with a series of supposed "messages from God." The billboards use humorous slogans to make serious points. CONTINUE...

Ventura Refuses To Issue Prayer Proclamation

Gov. Jesse Ventura was criticized by the Minnesota Family Council for halting a Minnesota governor's tradition of issuing a prayer proclamation in conjunction with the annual National Day of Prayer on May 6.

Deviating from the pattern of past years, the governor refused to issue a proclamation for a day of prayer. Instead, Ventura issued a "certificate of recognition," acknowledging that the event is happening without declaring state support for it. CONTINUE...

MFC Introduces a New Tool for Your Church
Church Bulletin Insert Will Keep Your Congregation Up To Date On Important Family Issues

Are you looking for ways to inform and educate your congregation on the latest news in the pro-family movement? Well if you are, look no further. Minnesota Family Update is the new church bulletin insert from Minnesota Family Institute.  CONTINUE...

St. Paul Schools To Dispense Condoms
By Jennifer Johnston

Contraceptives soon will be distributed in St. Paul's public high school health clinics, following a recent decision of the St. Paul school board.

In a 5-2 vote, the school board on April 20 accepted a proposal to dispense birth control directly to students, a policy similar to one currently followed by Minneapolis public schools.  CONTINUE...

ALA Directs Teens to Sexually Explicit Site

The Minnesota Family Council criticized the American Library Association (ALA) recently for directing children to a sexually explicit web site. The ALA homepage's list of recommended teen web pages includes "Go Ask Alice," a site discussing many graphic sex-ual issues including bestiality, sadomasochism and group sex.  CONTINUE...

Thousands Rally Against The Profile Of Learning

(See how your legislators voted on the Profile.)

Thousands of children and adults gathered on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol April 24 to show their opposition to the Profile of Learning.  CONTINUE...

Planned Parenthood's Web Site Promotes Abortion For Teens

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PFFA) has created a web site geared toward teens called "Teen-wire." Billed as a "private, safe atmosphere where teens are provided uncensored, unbiased sexuality and sexual health information," teenwire covers topics ranging from abortion, to sexual orientation, to "The 10 Most Annoying Things About Condoms (and how to deal with them)." CONTINUE...

Howard Stern Program Fails In Twin Cities

After two years in the Twin Cities market, radio shock-talk personality Howard Stern has seen his ratings fall off sharply. The radio operations manager who once boasted that Stern would "be the number one radio show in the Twin Cities" is out of a job, despite overseeing a massive advertising campaign for Stern that included offensive and sexually suggestive billboards. CONTINUE...

MFC President's Perspective: Frustrating Politics Drive One Lawmaker Out
Jesse Ventura Flip-Flops, Schools Demand Even More Money Despite Big Increase

The deal cut by House Republicans - getting an across the board tax cut for substantial spending increases - left many conservatives frustrated but probably no one more so than Republican Rep. Doug Reuter from Owatonna. He resigned from the party and is now officially an independent. He felt the House leadership gave away too much for the upper bracket tax cuts.

To get the across the board income tax cuts, House Republicans agreed to $60 million for light rail, $900 million for a tobacco endowment, nearly $59 million more than they wanted in state agency/government spending, and at least $50 million more for K-12 education (a 14 percent increase over two years).  CONTINUE...

Commentary: Parents Must Fight Increased Access To Porn
Availability of Pornography Continues, Despite Growing Awareness of Dangers
By Ann Redding

Pornography is more accessible in the home today than ever before. With more Inter-net access at schools, libraries and homes, most children are just a few mouse-clicks away from online smut, even hard-core illegal material.  CONTINUE...

Court Lets Ban On Religious Ads Stand In Phoenix

WASHINGTON, D.C. (EP) - The U.S. Supreme Court refused to force the city of Phoenix to accept noncommercial advertising - including religious and political messages - on its city buses.  CONTINUE...

Upcoming Legal Seminar: Bias In The Legal Profession? What Bias?

The Northstar Legal Center, a project of Minnesota Family Institute, will host a Continuing Legal Education seminar on Tuesday, June 29, 1999 at the Radisson Hotel South. This seminar is approved for 2.0 credits for the Elimination of Bias CLE requirements.  CONTINUE...

Commentary: 'Safer Sex' Approach Isn't Really Very Safe
School Board Urged To Reject Condom Distribution Through School-Based Clinics
By Barbara Anderson

Editor's note: On April 5, Barbara Anderson testified before the St. Paul School Board in opposition to a plan to distribute condoms and other birth control through school-based clinics. The following is excerpted from her testimony.

I am a parent who has raised two teenagers, a concerned citizen and a teacher who has done extensive research for the past nine years regarding health curriculum materials-especially in the area of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). I know we have a shared concern for the health and safety of our young people. I hope we can take a common sense approach as we seek to set a standard for the young people with whom we come in contact. It is not about what we like best; it is about what is best for teens. Not about what we hope is safer, but about what is safe.  CONTINUE...

Commentary: Local Library Collections Reveal Liberal Bias
Liberal Sources Are Much More Likely To Be Stocked Than Conservative Sources
By Christine Hall

We're familiar with media bias. We've heard the statistics. Over 90 percent of the media are pro-abortion, over 75 percent don't believe that homosexuality is wrong, over 50 percent don't believe that adultery is wrong. And we can see evidence of these positions in the liberal slant of reports on such issues.

Many of us assume that if we want to know the other side of an issue, we have fair access to that information. Some of us might say, "So what if the media espouse liberal views? We don't have to agree with them." But if you're not exposed to another viewpoint, you may not realize that it exists.

It's the same in public libraries. However this form of bias is perhaps of more urgency for students and others who frequent libraries. When you enter a library to research an important issue you might assume that there is equal access to opposing viewpoints. However, libraries across America do not provide a balance of information. Library bias exists. CONTINUE...

Commentary: Why Happiness Eludes The Modern-Day Woman
Women Must Learn We Can Have It All --- Just Not All At The Same Time
By Danielle Crittenden

Editor's note: Danielle Crit-ten-den, editor of the Independent Women's Journal, spoke recently at a luncheon hosted by the Center of the American Experiment. The following is excerpted from her remarks.

From the point of view of the authors of the women's movement it must seem terribly ungrateful for the women of my generation to harp upon their movement's failures.  CONTINUE...

MFC Rally A Success

About 1,300 supporters and guests attended Minnesota Family Institute's Annual Event, Taking a Stand: Defending the Family at the Historic State Theatre on April 22. Highlights of the evening included a dynamic musical presentation by guitarist Phil Keaggy and a passionate call by Miss Minnesota, Megan West, to be people of character. Keynote speaker, Reggie White from the Green Bay Packers, spoke about looking deep within and considering the cost of being people of action.  CONTINUE...

Commentary: Government Policies Make Health Care Worse
Well-Meaning Policies Market Realities; More Privatization Is The Answer
By John C. Goodman

Editor's note: John C. Goodman is the president of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, Texas. He spoke recently at the Center of the American Experiment. The following is excerpted from that speech.

There are, nationwide, an estimated 43 million people without health insurance, and that number keeps growing. It's a serious problem.

Why is the problem getting worse? We have a way of subsidizing the purchase of health insurance that's encouraging it to get worse. We're spending more than $100 billion a year on tax subsidies for people who get insurance through an employer, yet the subsidies are mainly going to people who least need the help. And for people who have to buy their own insurance, there's no tax subsidy available. CONTINUE...

Media Can Help Our Cause
Pro-Family Movement Must Be More Effective in Working with the Media

Abraham Lincoln once said, "He who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes."

A democratic system is ultimately ruled by the people, and those who influence them. Since the media control people's views of nearly every world event, they have a significant influence on how most people view our laws and leaders. CONTINUE...

Book Report: Books Focus On Values Missing From American Society
By Aaron P. Frederickson

The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals, by William J. Bennett (1998, Free Press, 154 pages)

In The Death of Outrage the author of great works such as Our Sacred Honor, The Moral Compass, and The Book of Virtues attacks the main themes President Clinton and his defenders used to secure an acquittal in the recent Senate impeachment trail. CONTINUE...

Copyright © 1998 Minnesota Family Council / Minnesota Family Institute - 2855 Anthony Lane South, Minneapolis MN, 55418-3265
phone 612.789.8811, fax 612.789.8858, e-mail mail@mfc.org, web www.mfc.org/pfn/