Family Advocacy Day draws pro-family Legislators

By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter

Tuesday, February 28, 2017, an estimated one hundred people gathered in front of Alabama’s historic state Capital Building for Family Advocacy Day.

Rev. Tom Ford said we are here to thank God for his grace. Society is based on three pillars: the family, the church, and the State. When the family goes, the church follows, and then the State.

State Representative Matt Fridy (R-Montevallo) said they plan to bring pro-Life and pro-family legislation that we are bringing forward this session.

Rep. Fridy said. “As Christians our hope is in the Lord, it is not in the legislature, it is not in the President it is not the Supreme Court.” Fridy said that he was excited because for the first time in 8 years we have a President who is appointing conservative people to the Supreme Court. I am excited by Gorsuch. “We need one more Pro-Life Justice after this then Roe goes down, Obergefell goes down. When Roe goes abortion goes back to the States. We are going to be ready to do our job and outlaw abortion in Alabama. The womb for women in this State will be the safest place in the world. A lot of people don’t like what we are doing and they are throwing up roadblocks.”

State Senator Bill Hightower (R-Mobile) said “There have been 30 major civilizations in the history of the world. They have fallen from the inside not from the outside. We are a democratically elected Republic. We are supposed to rule ourselves and increasingly we are not seeing that. Increasingly the people around us do not know what a family looks like anymore. We are losing track of what that looks like. Hightower said that he is bringing a bill discriminating against the faith based placing agencies. I am for maximizing adoptions. I see this as a religious liberty bill. I am pleased to carry that and I hope that it will pass”

Sen. Hightower said, I am also carrying a Judicial Inquiry Commission bill to modify this board that has come to be so political. I am working with the other senators to accomplish that

Hightower thanked the crowd for being here

State Senator Larry Stutts (R-Sheffield) said of Hightower’s faith based adoption agency bill, “I applaud him for bringing that bill.”

Sen. Stutts said that he is bringing SB 186 dealing with child custody. The purpose is to rekindle the family unit as the basis for society. SB 186 is an effort to give judges some direction in how child custody issues are decided and that shared custody is optimal if both parents are fit. We should start t in the middle with the premise that having both fit parents involved in the child’s life is optimal. Stutts said that his bill will face a public hearing on Wednesday at 1:00 pm. i

Rep. Wil Ainsworth (R-Guntersville) said, “I have a renewed enthusiasm after President Trump came into office.” Lets take back our country and restore the religious liberties that have been taken away from us over the last nine years. We can identify male and female that is a basic thing and codify that into law.

State Representative Danny Garett (R-Trussville) said I am a businessman. I have been a chief financial officer most of my career. I am looking at what we can do to provide some relief to families. Garrett said that he is looking to decrease the impact of predatory lending.

Garrett said that he is all for improving public education, but also is for providing school choice whether that is charter schools, private schools, or home school. Let parents choose the education of their children.

Rep. Garrett quoted Micah 6:8 “You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

State Representative Ken Johnson (R-Moulton) said that he is sponsoring a bill to allow midwifes. “The practice of midwifery goes back to the era of Moses.” Having a midwife to assist with births is legal in 31 other states. “Right now it is a crime for a midwife to be present at a home birth that is wrong.” The opponents of midwifes say it is about safety. If you really care about safety that mother needs somebody there.

Rep. Johnson said, “We need that balance of freedom and responsibility.” Let people make a choice whether it is home schooling or private school. Decriminalize a midwife being in the home if she is having a baby.

Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) said that this is a great day and that he is involved in the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition.

Mooney thanked Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) for working with us on having a Pro-Life day.

Speaker Mac McCutcheon told the crowd thank you for being here and thanks for your efforts to promote family values. McCutcheon said that he supports the legalizing midwifery bill. “I appreciate Rep. Johnson for bringing this. We have fought this battle for years.” “In the past Pro-Life bills were piecemealed through the legislature.” We are working to have a Pro-Life legislative day

Speaker McCutcheon told the attendess, ‘I appreciate you and what you do as we move forward.”

Rev. Ford also thanked Rep. Jack Williams and Rep. Kyle South for being there.

State Auditor Jim Zeigler (R) praised the participants for their efforts on behalf of Pro-Life and pro-family issues.

Hannah Ford wrote in statement: “We also want to be a big boost of encouragement to our representatives as they fight for pro-life and conservative pro-family policy!”