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PA Family Institute

PA Family Update

by Newsletter

Volume 4, Issue 5

February 1, 2008

The Pennsylvania Family Institute's weekly update to concerned citizens.
Michael Geer, President

Attention: PA Family Institute has printable versions of the Family Update that can be downloaded and printed easily! Follow this link to get a 1-page version that you can hand out to your friends and family: http://www.pafamily.org/pages/index.php?pID=78

!Please forward this email to family and friends!

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Quote of the Week
"The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them."
~ Thomas Jefferson

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Pennsylvania News
Grandparents Bill is Stalled in Committee, Awaits State Senate Action. PFI Staff has been working for state senate passage, beginning with the Senate Judiciary Committee, of an important pro-family grandparents bill. The bill would ensure that grandparents would have legal standing to be considered for temporary custody/foster care of their grandchild in cases where a child was removed from a parent's care. There is a flaw in current law that does not guarantee any legal standing for grandparents; in effect, local Children and Youth agencies can ignore or reject consideration of the child's grandparent(s) in such cases.

The bill is stalled, but you can help.
The bill already passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 181-11 but awaits Senate action.
Contact your own state senator and ask him/her to support passage of HB 1548, the Grandparents bill; and Then ask your senator to: contact the Judiciary Committee Chairman, Sen. Greenleaf and Minority Chairman, Sen. Costa, to request that the bill be expedited on the committee's agenda.

PA Casino Owner Indicted, Mob Connections. Louis DeNaples has been charged with four counts of perjury, and the Mount Airy Casino Resort he owns is operating under control of the state since the PA Gambling Control Board has revoked his license. Ironically, DeNaples was indicted three blocks from the capitol where Pennsylvania's casinos were being showcased in the East Wing! You can read Tom Shaheen's commentary at the PFI blog.

Scripture Reference Okayed to be on Penn State Alum Brick. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys representing a Pennsylvania State University alumnus have reached a settlement with university officials, clearing the way for a personalized brick bearing a Scripture reference to be installed on the school's campus among bricks with other personal messages.

State Senate Passes Open Records Bill. The state Senate unanimously approved a new open records bill, which subjects more government records to public inspection. The bill now heads to the House.

Philly Mayor Revokes Casino License, Governor Vows to Cut Philly Out of Process. Mayor Nutter revoked a city license awarded to the SugarHouse Casino to build a $550 million slot-machine parlor along the Delaware River . The decision guarantees more delay for the disputed project. Governor Rendell spoke with WHYY Radio earlier this week and vowed to cut Philadelphia out of the decision-making process on the casino zoning if the opposition to the casinos continued.

News posted daily at www.PAFamily.org!

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Marriage News

Churches Band Together for Marriage! Picture This! Two congregations in one senator's district visited his office Friday to present him with paper chains containing over 800 rings as part of the Band Together for Marriage Campaign. Reporters were on hand to take pictures of this symbolic show of support for the Marriage Protection Amendment. How can your church or group get involved in this grassroots effort with your own state senator?

Visit Marriage Resources and follow the simple instructions on how this petition drive can have a dramatic impact on the senators and representatives of PA. Be sure to copy the petitions before using them and send the copies to the address listed.

Have You Called Your State Senator Yet? First, thank you to all who have contacted your state senators and representatives asking them to co-sponsor and support SB 1250, the Marriage Protection Amendment. To those of you who haven't, please take 5 Minutes for Marriage and use our Citizen Action Center to contact your legislators.

Have you heard the new One Minute for Marriage radio spots covering the latest marriage news from around the country? Download or stream them online at www.pa4marriage.org.

News posted daily at www.PA4Marriage.org!

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Don't Miss These Events!

March 29, 2008 - Parenting seminar, "Instructing A Child's Heart," with Dr. Tedd Tripp, author of Shepherding A Child's Heart. The seminar will be held in Harrisburg at the Whitaker Center Performance Theater from 10AM to 4:30PM. For tickets, contact the Pennsylvania Family Institute at (800) FAMILY-1. For more details visit the event website.

May 8, 2008 - PFI Pittsburgh Friends of the Family Banquet featuring Focus on the Family President and author Jim Daly at the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry Twp at 6:30PM. Registration coming soon.

July 20-26, 2008 - City on the Hill Youth Leadership Conference at Lancaster Bible College. Application now available online at www.pafamily.org!

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PFI News
Name the Blog Contest! We'd like to give our new blog a catchy name. We've got some ideas, but you just might have something better. Send us your ideas, and if we pick yours, we'll send you a special prize out of our treasure chest of great pro-family books and trinkets. Send ideas to mail@pafamily.org.

Don't Miss Michael Geer's The Common Good and Family Update Radio Shows on Christian Radio Stations throughout Pa. and online through our podcasts.
This Week's Topic 1: Casino controversy: indictment of casino license holder Louis DeNaples.
Topic 2: Jim Petty of Children's Jubilee Fund: helping inner city children find hope by attending Christian schools.

The Pennsylvania Family Institute is a non-profit organization made possible through financial donations from our supporters. To donate to Pennsylvania Family Institute, click here: www.pafamily.org/donate

23 N. Front St. Harrisburg, PA 17101 ~ Phone: 717-545-0600 ~ Fax: 717-545-8107 ~ www.pafamily.org