Granholm Announces Sex Ed and Birth Control Initiative
 Governor Jennifer Granholm this week announced plans to pilot a new "parent education" program for talking to kids about sex and to expand birth control coverage for women. Under the proposed legislation, insurance companies would be required to cover prescription contraceptives if they also cover other FDA approved drugs such as Viagra.
Granholm says the plan will reduce unintended pregnancies, many of which occur among Medicaid recipients. She also says the sex ed component will help parents feel more comfortable talking with their kids about abstinence and contraception, which will further reduce the teen birth rate. All of this combined would save the state millions of dollars, according to the governor's office.
"The governor's plan, although well-intentioned, misses the point," said MFF Executive Director Brad Snavely. "Abstinence is the only 100-percent effective method for preventing unintended pregnancies and the spread of STDs. The state should send a clear message by promoting abstinence until marriage. Everyone benefits when sexual expression and child-rearing are reserved for marriage."
To read an article from the Detroit News about the governor's plan, click here.
To view information about the plan from the governor's office, click here.
Sexual Images Harm Kids
 Most parents instinctively know that lots of sex in the media is bad for kids, but a lack of scientific evidence has prevented change. Now, a study from the Medical Institute for Sexual Health may prompt needed reform.
Among the facts the study found were the following statistics:
- The average American youth spends one-third of each day with various forms of mass media, mostly without parental oversight.
- In 1999, 22 percent of teen-oriented radio segments contained sexual content.
- Forty-two percent of songs on ten top-selling CDs in 1999 contained sexual content, 41 percent of which was "very explicit" or "pretty explicit."
To find out more about this study, click here.
Supreme Court Vacancy Mobilizes Conservatives
 The recent retirement announcement from Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has mobilized conservatives around the nation. Family Resource Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins, as well as Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson and other conservative leaders have made several statements indicating their hope for appointment of a justice who holds to a strict-constructionist viewpoint of the Constitution.
"Justice O'Connor certainly represented a 'swing vote' on many crucial decisions," said MFF Executive Director Brad Snavely. "We hold out hope that her replacement will uphold the intent of the original authors of the Constitution and will not be influenced by liberal groups to become a judicial activist."
To read more about this issue from FRC, click here.
Mainline Protestant Church Endorses Same-Sex Marriage
 The United Church of Christ (UCC), a group that traces its origins to the Pilgrims, recently voted to affirm same-sex marriages during their General Assembly in Atlanta, Georgia. The denomination has been viewed as one of the most liberal protestant groups since it began ordaining homosexual ministers in the 1970s.
Local UCC churches, which number nearly 6,000 in the United States, are not bound by the resolution since the churches are autonomous in their governance. Their are nearly 200 UCC churches in Michigan. For more on this story, click here. To view more information from the UCC website, click here.
Michigan Launches Registry to Protect Children from Inappropriate Email
 On July 1, Michigan became the first state in the nation to launch a "child protection registry." The registry allows parents or other concerned individuals to register email addresses to which minors have access. Public Act 241, which created the registry, would make it a crime to send messages about products or services that are legally prohibited for children. This would include items such as pornography, tobacco, gambling, alcohol, illegal drugs, firearms and fireworks.
Developers of the registration system say that in the near future, the site will be expanded to include registration of instant message IDs, mobile phone numbers, fax numbers, pager numbers and other possible contact points.
For more information, or to visit the registration site, click here.
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