IN THIS EDITION

AT THE CAPITOL: Julaine Testifies on 5 Bills
How WFA Is Currently Defending Religious Freedom
Why National Sanctity of Human Life Day Gets 2 Days in 2022
The Essential Ingredient for Passing Your Faith on to Your Children
In the Media

AT THE CAPITOL: Julaine Testifies on 5 Bills

The Wisconsin Capitol building has been a busy place lately including being the host of public hearings for nine Legislative Committees yesterday. Julaine gave testimony in support of several bills including the following:

SB 383 & AB 299 – Relating to: prohibiting proof of vaccination for COVID-19 as a condition of receiving business and government services. (AB 299 has already passed in the Assembly.)
SB 336  – Relating to: prohibiting discrimination based on vaccination status. 
SB 337  – Relating to: prohibiting businesses from discriminating against customers due to vaccination record.
SB 342  – Relating to: prohibiting discrimination based on whether the person has received a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Assembly version of SB 336, 337, and 342 have already had hearings in the Assembly. They have not been voted on in the Assembly, however.
WFA’s testimony on the above bills was done together. You can find a transcript of the testimony is HERE.
AB 215 – Relating to: visitation of a long-term care facility resident or hospital patient by an essential visitor or member of the clergy.
You can view WFA’s testimony on AB 215 is HERE.

Here we would like to give special attention to Assembly Bill 215

Assembly Bill 215  would require nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and hospitals to allow a resident or patient to designate an essential visitor to visit and provide support. The bill also requires that members of the clergy be allowed to visit. The provisions of the bill apply when the nursing home, long-term care facility or hospital limits visitors due to an outbreak or epidemic of a communicable disease.

Julaine Appling commented favorably on this bill, “We all know of people hospitalized with a serious illness during COVID being denied any visitors. And we know the horrors of nursing home residents being isolated for months. This is tragic for both the patient or resident and for their family and friends. This bill is a reasonable step to begin ensuring that those suffering have access to people they know and love.”

Assembly Bill 675, would require an employer who requires employees to provide proof of a COVID vaccine or to be regularly tested as a condition of employment to accept, in lieu of proof of vaccination or regular testing, documentation demonstrating natural immunity against the virus—either documentation showing the individual tested positive for COVID or documentation of a serology test that shows the presence of naturally occurring antibodies against COVID. (WFA did not testify on this bill)

Julaine Appling pointed out that while no action has been taken on this bill, it is broadly supported, “This bill is really a common-sense bill when it comes to how employers handle COVID. It allows employers to make certain requirements for employees while giving those employees more options in proving they are safe to work. The bill enjoys broad support from Republicans with no Democrats supporting it. The Senate held a public hearing on the bill but has not yet taken action on it.”

In a Facebook Live Julaine briefly explained several of the bills heard during the hearings on January 12. You can watch it HERE.

How WFA Is Currently Defending Religious Freedom

National Religious Freedom Day is this Sunday, January 16. Ironically, just two days later, on January 18, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case regarding whether the City of Boston violated the First Amendment by denying a request to temporarily fly the Christian flag on a flagpole outside City Hall, where Boston has temporarily flown many flags from secular organizations. Camp Constitution asked the city to fly the Christian flag but was denied, with the City alleging doing so would amount to government establishing or promoting a particular religion over others. We are hopeful the Court will recognize and uphold Camp Constitution’s right to free speech. 

Meanwhile, Wisconsin Family Action continues to actively fight for religious liberty. Just last week, we signed onto an amicus brief filed to the US Supreme Court with regard to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) nationwide vaccine mandate. The brief states that unelected administrative agencies such as OSHA tend to neglect religious freedom by viewing it as “an afterthought, an inconvenience that stands in the way of their desired policy.” Religious liberty is foundational to our nation – not an afterthought.

Julaine Appling, President of Wisconsin Family Action and Wisconsin Family Council strongly stated, “Religious freedom must be non-negotiable. This right is a bedrock of our country and a necessity for human flourishing. On Religious Freedom Sunday, let’s pray for the preservation of this essential right in the United States. Putting our prayer and faith to action, we must also continue doing everything we can in the culture and in every level of government to stand up, show up, and speak up for our ‘First Freedom.’”

You can read the complete blog post HERE.

IN THE MEDIA

WEEKLY RADIO COMMENTARY. “WISCONSIN FAMILY CONNECTION” – Airing this week on over 20 stations statewide. Click HERE to listen to this week’s Wisconsin Family Connection, “Proclaiming the Sanctity of Human Life.” Read the complete radio commentary HERE. Subscribe to our podcasts HERE! 

ARCHIVED:
Week of January 3, 2022 – A Rare Supreme Court Session
December 27, 2021 – Resolved: Make Your Family Great.
Week of December 20, 2021 – On Purpose & With a Purpose

“WISCONSIN FAMILY MINUTE”
A daily program for Christian radio stations! Click HERE for our daily program; listen or download! Click HERE to subscribe to your Wisconsin Family Minute podcasts! Find your local station HERE. If the Christian radio station you listen to isn’t carrying “Wisconsin Family Minute,” please encourage them to do so. Contact us at 866-849-2536 or info@wifamilycouncil.org. 

HOME FRONT – VCY AMERICA
WFC President Julaine Appling, joined by WFC Exec VP Micah Pearce, hosts VCY America’s “Home Front” program every Wednesday afternoon (Sept.-May) at 3:15 p.m. CLICK HERE to listen to the archived episodes. Tune in to hear Julaine and Micah discuss Sanctity of Human Life Day, National Religious Freedom Day, Milwaukee teachers’ union demands, and some current bills in the state legislature. Click HERE to listen to this week’s program.

VCY AMERICA TV30 “InFocus”
Julaine Appling, WFC president, is a regular guest (one Monday per month) on VCY America’s TV 30 “InFocus” live, call-in program with Jim Schneider which airs on Monday evenings from 7:00-8:00 p.m. (Sept. through May). Click HERE to watch archived episodes. Livestream “InFocus” HERE. Julaine joined Jim Monday, January 10, 2022. Watch the show HERE. Her next appearance on InFocus will be Monday, February 14, 2022, at 7 p.m..

STAND UP FOR THE TRUTH – Q90FM
Julaine Appling is an occasional guest on Q90’s “Stand Up for the Truth” program hosted by David Fiorazo (9-10 a.m., M-F). Julaine most recently joined David on Tuesday, September 21, 2021. Listen in HERE. Listen to the previous Julaine’s most recent appearance on the podcast, Monday, November 22, HERE. 

Wisconsin Family Action is your voice for marriage, family, life and religious liberty in The Badger State.

Partner with us today!