Californians urged to sign petitions
- Apr 5, 2008
FRESNO — California Southern Baptist Convention Executive Board members voted Jan. 25 to encourage CSBC congregations to collect petition signatures in support of the Family Child and Teen Safety and Stop Predators Act and the California Protect Marriage Act to assure their placement on the November 2008 ballot.
Don Fugate, chairman of the communications committee that recommended the action to the Board, said, “These two possible ballot initiatives speak to the core values of what we as Southern Baptists believe about the family.”
The Child and Teen Safety and Stop Predators Act, nicknamed “Sarah’s Law,” will require an abortion provider to notify in writing at least one parent 48 hours prior to a minor receiving an abortion. The act is in memory of a 15-year-old who died from complications within a few days after having an abortion without her family knowing.
Churches wishing to obtain petitions for Sarah’s Law should contact Rob Pennington of Parents’ Right to Know of California at 888- 847-7522 or Rob@prkca.org.
Individuals wishing to collect only a few signatures can order petitions by going to the front page of www.friendsofsarah.com and clicking on the salmon-colored box in the upper right corner.
Pennington explained that each petition has space for five signatures and noted only registered California voters are eligible to sign. He also advised against printing the petition since it must be a perfect copy and runs the risk of being invalid.
Pennington explained that churches should mail signed petitions by March 24.
If the California Supreme Court strikes down Proposition 22, and thus overrules the people’s will on marriage (currently defined as a union between one man and one woman), the California Marriage Protection Act will be ready with an initiative on the November ballot for the people of the Golden State to vote to override the court and protect traditional marriage, according to Ron Prentice, chief executive officer of the California Family Council.
The act also would deter further efforts by the state legislature to legalize same-sex “marriage” despite Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s second veto of such a measure in 2007.
Petitions can be obtained by calling 916-446-5031; e-mailing gina@protectmarriage.com; or going to www.protectmarriage.com and clicking on the “Request Petition” button on the top right of the home page.
Petitions to protect marriage need to be received by April 4. It is recommended that only official petitions be used to gather signatures of registered California voters.
This article is reprinted from the March 2008 issue of the California Southern Baptist, the newspaper of California Southern Baptist Convention.
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