December 16, 2004 - Volume 2, Issue 46

Marriage Package in Governor’s Hands
Media Continues to Report Results of Poll

In the final hours of the 2003-2004 legislative session, the Michigan House and Senate passed a package of bills that would strengthen marriage and protect the children of divorce. The bills now await the Governor’s signature.

Negotiations with the Governor’s staff have not given a clear indication of whether she will sign the bills or not. Her staff has said the Governor supports some of the bills, but believes some of the others are too intrusive.

"We worked diligently to make changes to the legislation that would make it more palatable for the Governor without damaging the intent," said MFF Executive Director Brad Snavely. "The Governor may not make a final decision on the legislation until it hits her desk, so at this point, it’s still a wildcard. It is more important now than ever that she hear from the public and take notice of the overwhelming public support for this legislation found in our recent poll." The Governor’s phone number is (517) 373-3400.

To read about the legislation, click here.
To read recent news coverage, click here.
To contact the Governor to ask her to sign the package, click here.

Article on Scandinavian View of Marriage is a Wake-up Call

A recent issue of USA Today contained a very disturbing article discussing the view of Scandinavians toward marriage. Marriage is nearly non-existent in these three European countries, whose governments have chosen to adapt to people’s choices, rather than maintaining policies to promote the greater good.

Click here to read "Nordic family ties don’t mean tying the knot."

Dr. Wade Horn Indicates Support for Families Before UN

Dr. Wade Horn, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services recently spoke to the United Nations (UN) about the importance of strong families. Dr. Horn’s comments were made during the last UN session celebrating the "International Year of the Family."

"The state's foremost obligation is to respect, defend, and protect the family," said Dr. Horn. "Given the importance of families to society, does the state have any role in supporting the family? We believe the answer is yes. We believe that government, within appropriate limits, should work to support and strengthen families by respecting the prerogatives of families, encouraging healthy marriages, and supporting all families that need assistance."

Dr. Horn was the keynote speaker at an MFF event in the Fall of 2003. He has been the key proponent of President Bush’s Healthy Marriage Initiative and is widely regarded as an authority on marriage and family issues.

To read the rest of Dr. Horn’s speech before the UN, click here.

It’s OK to Say "Merry Christmas"

Ninety-six percent (96%) of all Americans celebrate Christmas. Yet, because of political correctness, the words Merry Christmas have become increasingly absent from our Christmas season traditions.

The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), an organization that works to preserve freedom and religious expression, has developed materials to help promote the right to say, "Merry Christmas." For more information, click here.

Abstinence Fact

According to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics, fewer teens are having premarital sex. Among 15- to 17-year-old females in 1995, 38 percent had engaged in sexual intercourse, compared to 30 percent in 2002. Among males this age, the percent who had ever had sex declined from 55 in 1995 to 46 in 2002. The report also shows that about half of teens are virgins.
Source: http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU04L10

MFF Publications Provide Valuable Information

Michigan Family Forum is pleased to offer a wide selection of publications dealing with various topics of importance to the family. These include:

Family Guide to Internet Safety – an invaluable tool for families to inform and guard themselves against the dangers of the Internet,
Family Health Indicators – A Survey of Michigan Counties – Every county in the state is evaluated and ranked across 10 key marriage and family indicators,
Promoting Fatherhood in Michigan: A Resource Guide for Civic, Business, and Non-Profit Leaders – emphasizes the growing problem of father absence and encourages implementing common sense fatherhood initiatives,
Sex Education: Rights and Responsibilities in Michigan Law – Details changes brought about by a new MFF-initiated law requiring parents to have a more active voice in school sex education curriculum,
What Every Child Needs – Provides overwhelming evidence of the vital importance of a father and mother in the life of a child.

These publications can be downloaded from our website, www.michiganfamily.org, or ordered in bulk quantity. For more information, click here.

We’ve Moved!

Michigan Family Forum has moved to a new location. Our new office is located at 112 E. Allegan, Suite 600, in Lansing. Our mailing address and phone/fax numbers remain unchanged. If you are in downtown Lansing sometime, feel free to stop in and say hello!

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Forum Online

112 E. Allegan, Suite 600, P.O. Box 15216

Lansing, MI, 48901-5216

Phone: (517) 374-1171, Fax: (517) 374-6112

www.michiganfamily.org

Executive Director: Brad Snavely

Editor: Jon Stanton

Questions? E-mail us: info@michiganfamily.org

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