Bill #

Issue

Sponsor

Description

Position

HB 1408

Child/Family

Deeken

Creates the Fund for the Reduction of Alcohol-Related Problems and Underage Drinking to be used for prevention, treatment, and recovery of alcohol-related problems and alcohol-related traffic safety.

Support: Underage drinking leads to tragic deaths on a daily basis. The fund created here will support better enforcement and education on underage drinking. 01/18/08

HB 1550

Child/Family

Stevenson

Expands the jurisdiction of juvenile courts to include individuals who are over 17 but under 18 for the sole purpose of status offenses by redefining the terms "child," "adult," and "status offense".

Support: Eighteen is the age society generally recognizes when children become adults. Research shows that adolescents are easily influenced by their emotions, hormones and peer pressure. Passage of this legislation will give jurisdiction to juvenile authorities so that children 17 years of age can receive services. 01/18/08

HB 1758

Child/Family

Davis

Allows adopted adults who are twenty-one years of age or older to receive identifying information and streamlines the release of adoption information process.

Oppose: MCC supported revisions to the adoption law in 2005 to allow courts to disclose identifying information to an adopted adult if their biological parents or adult siblings consented to such a disclosure. We continue to support this approach and therefore oppose this bill. 02/06/07

SB 737

Child/Family

Bartle

Regulates sexually oriented businesses.

Support: Promotes chastity and family life. 01/18/08

SB 776

Child/Family

Justus

Modifies provisions on child care subsidies.

Support: Increasing the allowed amount of child care subsidies will assist working poor families in obtaining affordable quality day care for their children. This measure upholds family life. 01/18/08

SB 1006

Child/Family

Koster

Modifies provisions on child care subsidies.

Support: Increasing the allowed amount of child care subsidies will assist working poor families in obtaining affordable quality day care for their children. This measure upholds family life. 01/18/08

SB 1054

Child/Family

Dempsey

Modifies provisions relating to juvenile courts and juvenile court jurisdiction.

Support: Eighteen is the age society generally recognizes when children become adults. Research shows that adolescents are easily influenced by their emotions, hormones and peer pressure. Passage of this legislation will give jurisdiction to juvenile authorities so that children 17 years of age can receive services. 01/18/08

HB 1776

Church Concerns

Talboy

Prohibits discrimination based upon a person's sexual orientation.

Oppose: Legislation coerces individuals, organizations and churches to act against their conscience in employment, housing and other activities. It violates religious liberty. 01/18/08

SB 824

Church Concerns

Justus

Prohibits discrimination based upon a person's sexual orientation.

Oppose: Legislation coerces individuals, organizations and churches to act against their conscience in employment, housing and other activities. It violates religious liberty. 01/18/08

SB 1019

Church Concerns

Bray

Prohibits discrimination based upon a person's sexual orientation.

Oppose: Legislation coerces individuals, organizations and churches to act against their conscience in employment, housing and other activities. It violates religious liberty. 01/18/08

HB 1314

Civil Rights

Cunningham-86

Requires annual background checks on some school employees, adds to list of offenses for which a teacher's certification may be revoked and removes the statute of limitations for certain sex crimes.

Oppose: Legislation includes provision that removes statute of limitations for certain sex offenses. A statute of limitations is an important protection against unjust prosecutions based on faulty and very dated evidence. Removing statute of limitations creates an unjust criminal justice system. 01/18/08

HB 1896

Civil Rights

Munzlinger

Requires a teacher to observe a brief period of silence at the opening of the school day with the participation of all pupils assembled.

Support: We support the intent to allow a moment of silence during the school day. We also support a release time program that would allow students to attend religious education instruction during the school day at a local church or religious school.