 February 10, 1999
EDITORIAL:
Turn your eyes toward Austin
___Pay attention to what happens in the state Capitol the next four months. The Texas Legislature is considering bills that will impact religious life between the Red River and the Rio Grande.
___The Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission has targeted five public policy concerns that merit special attention and effort during this session of the legislature. Commissioners addressed these issues in a series of position papers. They include:
___ Religious freedom. Two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions have dealt serious blows to religious freedom. In 1990, the court decreed government no longer needed to demonstrate it had a "compelling interest" to interfere with religious practice. Three years later, Congress passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which restored the "compelling interest" mandate. In 1997, the high court ruled RFRA could not be applied to states, thus throwing out the "compelling interest" position, again. Later that year, Texas Baptists ratified a resolution calling on the Texas Legislature to pass a RFRA bill. Now, the commission is participating in a broad coalition of religious groups to see that RFRA passes in 1999.
___ School vouchers. "Baptists and other groups that support separation of church and state face a significant battle in Texas to avoid passage of voucher legislation," the commission's position paper notes. It cites several reasons for opposing school vouchers--"serious assault on the principle of separation of church and state"; destruction of public schools' financial tax base; harm to minority and low-income students who will not be able to afford private or parochial education, even with vouchers; subsidy for middle- and upper-income students' families; government control of private and parochial schools that will follow the flow of government funds. At their 1998 annual session, Texas Baptists voted to express opposition to "any plan to use vouchers to finance private parochial education with public funds."
___ Parental notification/consent. A law requiring that parents be informed by a physician before their minor daughter can have an abortion and implementing a 48-hour "cooling off" period before the abortion can take place is "broadly supported," the commission reports. A parental notification law would "encourage parents to counsel with their children rather than simply be decision-makers," it notes. A judicial bypass provision could enable an at-risk girl to ask the court for permission without involving abusive parents. A cooling-off provision could provide teens and parents time to take a long, serious look at the issue before deciding for abortion. Last fall, Texas Baptists approved a resolution calling for parental consent, not just parental notification.
___ Guns in church. The commission has advocated an amendment to the Right to Carry Concealed Weapons Law. Current law requires churches that wish to prohibit guns on their premises to post large signs in English and Spanish at all their entrances. "It appears that the law was written to assure that churches did not post such signs, making it de facto legal to carry concealed arms in one more place in our society," commissioners noted. The proposed amendment would remove the signage requirement and instruct churches to tell their members churches are "gun-free zones."
___ Video gambling. The Texas attorney general already has ruled "8-liner" video gambling machines illegal. However, thousands of them are being operated across the state. A broad coalition of government, business and religious leaders is supporting a bill to toughen the laws and rid the state of the machines.
___Of course, Texas Baptists do not all agree on each of these and other important legislative issues. That is our right as Baptists and citizens. We also share the responsibility for making our voices heard in the Capitol. The Baptist Standard will work with the Christian Life Commission and Texas Baptist Communications to keep you informed regarding important legislative efforts. Please stay tuned, and communicate with your legislators.
___
--Marv Knox
___
Pending matters
Other important legislation pending this spring includes:
___ "Charitable choice" public funding for religious programs or services.
___ Children's issues.
___ Church law and taxation.
___ DWI/ liquor/drug abuse.
___ Environmental concerns.
___ Ethics in government.
___ Life without parole.
___ Pornography.
___ Racial justice.
___ Sex education in public schools.
E-mail the Editor at marvknox@flash.net
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