Collaboration is a great thing.  You might recognize some of these faces.  Free Market’s Jonathan Saenz joined Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council to raise awareness and funds in Midland.  Local newspapers have practically made Free Market a household name—here’s the Midland Telegram-Reporter’s take on the luncheon.  http://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2008/04/30/news/top_stories/perkins.txt

Certainly no one would agree that a Pastor loses his rights to citizenship, his ability to vote, his political voice, or even a duty of civic action simply because of his profession.  Yet, certain religiously-hostile groups like the Americans United for Separation of Church and State are trying to silence all Pastors from taking part in the 2008 elections.  One particular Houston conflict is strikingly ironic—in a twist of fate, Free Market’s legal group turned the tables on anti-Christian hecklers, and filed an IRS complaint against the Americans United for Separation of Church and State for interfering in politics.  As opposed to pastors endorsing candidates and being involved in politics on a personal level—the non-profit activity actually is legitimately against the law.  No word from the IRS on either side…but you’ll see from the video clip it’s clear who won the PR war.

Free Market Foundation will be hosting a free, one-hour lunch and tour this Thursday, May 1st!  This is an excellent way to get the inside scoop on all the exciting things Free Market is doing.  The open house will be held at our office in Plano from 12:00-1:00 p.m.  If you would like to attend this free event, please RSVP to Sarah at scrawford@freemarket.org or call (972) 423-8889 x106.  We hope to see you there!

Friday Night Lights brings Odessa to mind, but you’ll have to conjure up images of an OSU Professor teaching Bible to the crowd to keep up with the latest news.  In fact, after Dr. Duke Pesta’s persuasive case for teaching Bible curriculum last Wednesday, any advocacy for these Bible courses could be preaching to the choir.  Just CHECK OUT KWES’s take on the University Professor’s presentation and you’ll know Free Market’s most recent attempt to allow teaching the history and literature of the world’s #1 bestseller of all time was a huge success.  Professors from Yale, Harvard and Stanford agree with Pesta—barring students from studying the Bible academically only increases the next generation’s cultural ignorance (if you haven’t noticed, it’s not up to par).  Pretty soon Odessa will be known for its brawn and brains—football and academic excellence in West Texas. 

If ever anyone needed an argument to prove why policy supporting marriage and family is necessary, $3 billion in Texas would be that argument.  Not to mention the emotional and psychological harms to children and the struggle of single parents (mostly mothers).  THIS recent report didn’t even splurge upon the humanitarian concerns that should be a consideration in promoting parental and spousal responsibility, because the economics alone are impacting enough to strike a chord.  TAKE A LOOK at the report to see how Texas tax burden is faring in the ranks, but take hope!  Texas is the only state mentioned that’s taken positive measures—like $15 million from the Texas Assistance to Needy Families—to protect marriage.  This could be the most cost-effective form of welfare yet. 

CHECK OUT OneNewsNow article and audio on fragmentation taxation. 

Experts Kelly Shackelford, Jonathan Saenz and Kelly Coghlan seen here informing Houston students of their religious liberties. 

Check out the slide of one case between the Katy ISD School District and a number of public school families. 

Do teachers really believe religious valentines aren’t permitted or is it blatant prejudice? 

 If you haven’t read it—or you don’t believe it, take a look at Free Market’s Hostility to Religious Freedom: The Case Today

That’s the reality that Paul “Pete” Palmer has faced from his Waxahachie high school administrators since they suspended him from class for wearing the simple ‘John Edwards ‘08’ t-shirt you see in this photo. Does it look dangerous to you?  Any offensive speech?  Disturbance of the peace?  In fact, the school district itself told him the language isn’t offensive, it just isn’t approved.  Waxahachie school district onlyallows students to wear approved messages like “We love Waxahachie band” or “Go Longhorns.” 

Everyone should appreciate Texas’ schools desire to create a safe learning environment for students, and some have found uniforms even necessary to accomplish this goal.  But even uniform policies across Texas have caveats for political and religious speech that is protected under the 1^st Amendment of the Constitution.  This is essential to every students’ free speech.  What’s the danger of censorship?  If codes like that of Waxahachie school district’s code were allowed, then students couldn’t wear t-shirts saying “I love Jesus,” or “Support our troops.”  Free Market’s legal division is representing Palmer in his lawsuit against the school district for this very reason—blatant censorship allows officials to stifle any speech they don’t like and that includes the good with the bad and the ugly. 

CHECK OUT Fox4’s story on Pete Palmer. 

In almost 40 states and over 400 school districts in the U.S., including Texas, an elective bible course is being taught in public schools.  This seriously irritates local opinion writers and the ACLU, who want to ban your Texas kids from the freedom to choose an elective bible course in school.  That’s right, these courses are electives.  The only students taking a bible course will be those who choose to–no one else, period.   If you read the recent editorial, “Bible class a recipe…”, you owe it to yourself to keep reading.  It’s a shame that local and national intolerant groups, and other wolves in extreme leftwing clothing, want to restrict academic freedom and deprive schools of a huge opportunity to excel.  During the legislative session, one University of Texas professor testified that the taking of an elective course in the history and literature of the bible by a student is the “single greatest thing to do to increase college preparedness.”  Professors from Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Rice, and Texas A & M, also believe knowledge of the bible equals a huge educational advantage.  Why, you ask?  The works of Shakespeare have more than 1300 biblical references, and more than 60% of the allusions recommended for study for the AP Literature and Composition exam are from the bible.  Additionally, people of various religious and nonreligious backgrounds have given their support for these types of courses.  The U.S. Supreme Court itself has said emphatically for the past 40+ years that “the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities.”  We hope you were not misled by the ‘legal opinions’ of an SMU biblical studies professor who is not an attorney (and other pundits with no legal training). The Professor’s survey of Texas Bible courses, although paraded as constitutional law, was in fact a subjective test funded by a liberal Austin group dedicated to religious censorship.  To see evidence of this settled area of law, look no further than the Ector County (Odessa, Texas) case, the only lawsuit in 70+ years regarding a bible course in Texas public schools.  The ACLU sued and wanted to prevent kids in a public school from choosing to read out of the Bible.  Remember this is the same out-of-touch group, the ACLU, which protects pornography online in public school libraries.  Let’s see, pornography in schools, yes, bible, no?  Bizarre.  It’s a shame they had to bring their New York lawyers to Texas, only to give up and settle the case, agreeing to let the school district have a bible class where the bible is the main textbook of the course.  How much did this case cost the Ector County School District?  Zero.  We defended the school district for free and we’ll do it again if necessary, in the name of academic and religious freedom.  We applaud the unified leadership of the State Board of Education, who voted 13-2 to approve such a course, and the bipartisan Texas Legislature in the House and Senate who voted 167-3 for elective bible courses.  Both votes are examples of representative government at its best.  It’s a shame that those with little or no training and experience in these important areas of law and policy want to take away your choice.  Our Texas children deserve better.

 Jonathan Saenz, Director of Legislative Affairs and Attorney, Free Market Foundation