www.UnitedFamiliesCA.org

Summer 2007

Dear California Friend of the Family,

It is summer here in the Golden State, which means the schools of California and the institution of marriage are under attack once again from the Left in the state legislature.

The constant beat of the anti-family drum takes it toll, but do not be discouraged. Your work and commitment to the family has helped victory unfold in Sacramento. As you recall, the people of our state spoke out to protect marriage with the passage of Proposition 22 seven years ago. And families have made it clear that they do not want their children immersed in homosexual indoctrination in our schools. Even though it may not matter to leftist legislators, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed homosexual indoctrination and same-sex "marriage" bills last year. Let us work to encourage similar treatment to anti-family, anti-parent bills again. Contact your legislators and the governor's office and tell them that California families deserve their support. Families are the foundation of a healthy society where children flourish and become strong citizens. Demand that parent rights are protected. Parents know what is best for their children -- not government agencies.

The silent minority does not have to be quiet. Let your voices be heard. Contact your elected officials today.

California Senate and Assembly Members

California Governor's office

The following is a list of some of the most dangerous bills circulating the halls of the Capital in Sacramento:

SB 11 -- Expands domestic partner benefits:

Senator Migden's bill aims to expand the definition of domestic partnerships. Any two persons who share a common residence and are unmarried would be eligible to receive domestic partner benefits. Currently, unmarried same-sex couples and couples over 62 years of age can receive domestic partner benefits.

The Committee on the Judiciary passed the bill 7-3 earlier this week and sent it to the Committee on Appropriations.

UFC OPPOSES

SB 777 -- Mandates special focus on sexual orientation within our schools:

Senator Sheila Kuehl amended the homosexual indoctrination bill, now in committee, to state that no textbooks, teaching or school activities may "reflect or promote a discriminatory bias against" homosexuals, bisexuals or transgenders. This bill is almost identical to the controversial SB 1437 that was vetoed last year by the governor.
This has passed the Senate and is currently in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

UFC OPPOSES

AB 14 -- Grants additional privileges to homosexuals:

According to the author, there are 51 areas of anti-discrimination law that are inconsistent and don't protect the special class of sexual orientation. AB 14 would tie these 51 areas of the law to the Unruh Civil Rights Act and therefore expand "anti-discrimination" protections for homosexuals. AB 14 will invariably result in reverse discrimination against religious and traditional citizens and institutions.
The bill passed the Assembly and is awaiting a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

UFC OPPOSES

Assembly Bill 16 -- Mandates vaccinations for California students:

If this bill becomes law, female students may be required to take the (Gardasil) vaccine for HPV (Human papillomavirus) in order to be admitted to seventh grade. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) contracted by sexual intercourse that can cause cancer. Abstinence, safety and parental rights are being threatened by this bill.
The bill passed the Assembly and is currently awaiting a vote in the Senate Education Committee7.

(* See additional information below ).

UFC OPPOSES

AB 102 -- Assists legal steps towards same-sex "marriage":

Allows domestic partners to legally take the same name.
The bill has moved to the Senate after passing in the Assembly.

UFC OPPOSES

The following is a list of dangerous bills that were killed this session with the help of concerned citizens like you:

AB 374 -- Physician-assisted suicide died in the Assembly.

AB 755 -- Banning parents' freedom to spank children failed to garner a majority in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

From Our Parent Organization -- United Families International ...

International Petition in Support of Marriage -- Make a Difference -- Sign the Petition

United Families International (UFI) President Carol Soelberg has endorsed and is encouraging citizens around the world to sign a petition asking the Canadian government to restore marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Canada's Parliament legalized same-sex marriage in 2005 and defeated a motion in 2006 to re-visit the issue.

UFI is advocating for international pressure on the Canadian government because the North American nation's marriage law revision ignored public opinion and social science research, while undermining the marriage laws of other nations. Specifically, the petition asks Canada to revisit the Civil Marriage Act to re-establish man-woman marriage and to consider imposing Canadian residency requirements for marriage. Persons wishing to sign the international petition can do so online.

Please forward the petition link to family, friends and neighbors and encourage them to sign it. Signatures will be submitted to the Canadian government in October.

Guides to Family Issues Available Now!

United Families International has produced two outstanding new publications this year. Both publications are accessible for free online (click on the links below). Paper copies are available for sale through the UFI online store , or by calling UFI (1-877-435-7834 OR 480-632-5450). These are excellent resources for your reports, letters to the editor, debates and other purposes. For a contribution of $100 or more to UFI, you can receive the guides as a gift.

Guide to Family Issues: Cohabitation vs. Marriage
UFI's latest publication makes the point that marriage provides the greatest value to society, especially when compared to cohabitation. Nevertheless, cohabitation is on the rise worldwide and government entities are attempting to legitimize this counterfeit form of "marriage," fraught as it is with a myriad of social ills and harms to women and children.

Guide to Family Issues: Abortion
Contrary to public opinion, abortion is seldom a women's choice. Read how this under-regulated industry, founded on deceptiveness, exploits women and leaves them vulnerable to physical and emotional harms.

Sincerely,

Meredith Richey, President
United Families California

* Background on AB 16: The original bill, introduced last December, included the phrase: "This bill would, in addition, on and after July 1, 2008, prohibit the governing authority from unconditionally admitting any female pupil to the 6th grade level of any of those institutions unless the pupil has received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine." In early June, the bill was amended to make it less specific to HPV vaccinations. However, the amended bill states that the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which consists of 15 experts in fields associated with immunization, will create lists of mandated vaccines for each state in the union.

Serious questions have been raised about the safety of the vaccine and about the likelihood of encouraging early sexual activity.

In June 2006, Gardasil became the first licensed anti-HPV vaccine when it was approved in an expedited review by the Food and Drug Administration. Because the HPV vaccine is so new, its manufacturer still cannot say how long it will confer protection, and the vaccine's long-term safety is still unknown. This vaccine will not prevent all forms of genital warts or cervical cancers, but it is highly effective at preventing genital warts and cervical cancers that are caused by the types of HPV that the vaccine targets. There is only a single HPV vaccine on the market, which, some analysts predict, could translate into hundreds of millions of dollars in sales for the manufacturer, Merck and Company, which has lobbied heavily in favor of state mandates.

Health concerns have already been associated with Gardasil. In testing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that three deaths were related to this vaccine, along with 1,637 reports of adverse reactions to the vaccination. One physician's assistant reported that a female patient "died of a blood clot three hours after getting the Gardasil vaccine." Two other reports, on girls 12 and 19, reported deaths relating to heart problems and/or blood clotting. As of May 11, the 1,637 adverse vaccination reactions reported to the FDA via the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System included 371 serious reactions. Of the 42 women who received the vaccine while pregnant, 18 experienced side effects ranging from spontaneous abortion to fetal abnormities. Side effects published by the manufacturer, Merck & Company, warn the public about potential pain, fever, nausea, dizziness and itching after receiving the vaccine. Other serious side effects reported include paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome and seizures.

It is troubling that legislators automatically assume children ages 11 and up will engage in sexual activity. There is no mention of education for pre-adolescents about HPV, which is the fastest growing STD today. This issue provides an opportunity to encourage abstinence as a means to avoid this virus.

Along with the substantial concerns about Gardasil vaccinations, the rights of parents are cast aside by this bill. Parents should have the right to decide if a potentially risky vaccine will be given to their children.