The Rundown: UK indefinitely bans puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria
We're back from our Thanksgiving Break! Center for Christian Virtue's The Rundown is the most important political and cultural news for Christians in Ohio. If you find this newsletter insightful, don't forget to share it!
What's Happening
Ohio
ICYMI: Governor DeWine signed Amended Senate Bill 104 into law to protect single-sex student bathrooms, showers, locker rooms, and overnight accommodations, ensuring they cannot become co-ed. This is a huge win for student safety and privacy.
Rolling in the weed: According to the Capitol Letter and LinkedIn, David Bowling has joined the Ohio Cannabis Coalition (OHCANN) as their executive director. OHCANN is the state's leading lobbying organization for cannabis cultivators, processors, dispensaries, and labs. Bowling's previous job was to establish and regulate Ohio's recreational marijuana program as deputy superintendent of the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control. This move means Bowling went from regulating the industry to the industry appointing him to lobby for less regulation. Center for Christian Virtue continues to hold the position that Ohio would be better without more drugs flooding our state, including marijuana, which has serious adverse effects on health and safety. Even the New York Times has reported on the risks of marijuana use.
US
US vs. Skrmetti: The Biden administration brought a legal challenge against Tennessee's version of the SAFE Act–which protects minors from dangerous transgender procedures, claiming that such laws violate the due process and equal protection clauses in the 14th Amendment. While the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit rejected the administration's two arguments, the 8th Circuit Court blocked Arkansas' SAFE Act based on the equal protection clause. Because of that equal protection clause disagreement within the lower courts, the US Supreme Court is hearing the Skrmetti case. While the decision likely won’t be issued until June, it will have a significant and lasting impact on the legislative and litigation efforts around children and gender ideology.
No deal for DEI: Judge Reed O'Connor of the Northern District of Texas struck down Boeing's plea agreement with the Department of Justice regarding their criminal negligence cases involving two deadly plane crashes because of its emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). While Boeing's plea agreement requires an independent monitor to oversee their practices, Judge O'Connor said that its DEI requirement "renders the plea agreement against the public interest," adding that "In a case of this magnitude, it is in the utmost interest of justice that the public is confident this monitor selection is done based solely on competency."
Education: COVID-era school closures continue to have significant impact on US students. While there has been some recovery from the learning loss, the reality is that while the US is still above international average on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, our international ranking has fallen while other countries have seen improvements.
World
Leading the way: Following a targeted consultation on patient safety from the independent Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) and Cass Review, the UK has indefinitely banned puberty blockers for children as a treatment for gender dysphoria. While emergency measures had already temporarily banned the sale and supply of puberty blockers, that ban is now extended as the CHM said that such interventions hold "an unacceptable safety risk" for children. The legislation will be reviewed in 2027.
(Al)arming children: The United Nations Children’s Fund has reported that children now make up to half of armed members in Haitian gangs, following a 70 percent increase in child recruitment. Many of the children are either kidnapped or join the gangs to escape starvation. The situation in Haiti is dire, especially in Port-au-Prince, with deteriorating security, a sharp rise in violence, and more than 700,000 displaced persons, 25 percent of whom are children.
Listen Up: Inside the Supreme Court Case that will Impact Ohio's SAFE Act with Matt Sharp
Matt Sharp, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, joins The Narrative to discuss the US vs. Skrmetti case, which will decide whether Tennessee's SAFE Act can be upheld to protect children from dangerous, experimental gender surgeries and wrong-sex hormones. Listen in to get the scoop on this week's oral arguments at the US Supreme Court opening statements in DC and the effects the case will have across the nation, regardless of the court's final decision.
CCV Communications Director Mike Andrews and Policy Director David Mahan tee up the conversation with updates on how the Lame Duck session at the Statehouse is unfolding and how Ohio's newest cash program for single mothers does more to promote political fundraising than parenthood.
Worldview Development
As a Christian, knowing how to engage in social-political conversations can be hard. Here is our top recommendation this week for developing your worldview to be equipped to tackle today's top issues:
Pro-family is the new pro-life by Brad Littlejohn
...a laissez-faire approach is not enough. In the 1980s and ’90s, when birth rates were considerably higher than today and most children were still raised in stable two-parent households, it may have made sense to think that the best thing for families was simply for the government to stay out of the way. Today, with birth rates cratering and traditional families becoming an endangered species, sitting back and letting the market (and the marketplace of ideas) take its course is not a winning proposition.Ready to Change the World? Eat Dinner With Your Family by John Stonestreet and Jared Hayden
Civic duty and political change cannot be reduced to how one votes. It’s how one lives, especially with those to whom we are (or should be) the closest, that matters more. For example, studies have long shown that regular family dinners bring enormous benefit, especially to children. According to the Director of the Family Dinner Project Dr. Anne Fishel, regularly gathering around the dinner table results in better nutrition, less obesity, and better mental health...
Legislative Update
This Lame Duck Session–the period between the election and when the General Assembly ends on December 31–has been packed with action.
HB8–Parents' Bill of Rights and Religious Released Time
Sponsored by Representatives D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) and Sara P. Carruthers (R-Hamilton), HB8 protects parents' right to know when their child is being taught sexual content at school, to opt their student out of such curriculum, and to be notified if their child requests a change of gender recognition at school.
HB8 was also amended to protect children's right to receive religious education from ministries like LifeWise Academy and School Ministries Ohio by changing the law which says public schools "may" allow released time for religious instruction to say that they "shall," or must, allow it in line with court precedent.
To encourage your senator to pass Amended HB8, use our Action Center on CCV.org/HB8.
In addition to SB104 mentioned above in the news section, several other of our priority bills have seen recent movement in the legislature. Take a moment to review where all of the CCV-backed bills currently stand in the 135th General Assembly.
Click here to learn how a bill becomes a law in Ohio.
Look Higher: A Devotional with David Mahan
In this video, Center for Christian Virtue Policy Director and Cohost of The Narrative podcast David Mahan reminds us that there is a mandate for believers to seek the peace and prosperity of our cities that we've been exiled in.
We invite you to take just four minutes to watch this incredibly inspiring devotional to discover the connection that exists between God and government, including the three types of government that God has ordained to allow men to flourish and the need for Christians to remain civically engaged.
These Look Higher devotionals are a unique part of membership with the Christian Business Partnership. To become a member or to learn more, visit CBPOhio.org.
As a friend of CCV, if you refer another Christian business owner who joins the Partnership by December 31, you will receive one free ticket to our Essential Summit conference next October! We had more than 600 attendees this year, with breakout tracks specifically for business owners, pastors and ministry leaders, and Christian educators, as well as the general Christian audience.
Prayer
Scripture calls us to pray for those in authority and to have confidence that God hears our prayers. Join the CCV team this week in praying for the below intentions.
Continue to pray that as legislators are hurrying to get their own priority bills passed by December 31, only righteous legislation would become law, as well as for unity within the pro-family, pro-freedom lawmakers.
Pray specifically for the passage of Amended HB8 through committee and the Senate and House chambers next week, as well as that it might find favor with Gov. DeWine.
As a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit ministry, CCV is entirely reliant on the support of our friends. Pray that the Lord might favor us with abundant funding for next year as we seek the good of Ohio's families, children, businesses, schools, and churches by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
As Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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