Update: due to your good efforts, it looks like the VBS bill will be scuttled for this year. Check out FIC PAC’s event Tuesday, April 14 on why you should run for office to deter bills like this.
Contact your legislator right now with our easy Action Center: https://www.votervoice.net/FICT/Campaigns/136187/Respond
Do you have wonderful memories of Vacation Bible School as a child? Are you starting to plan a VBS for this summer with your church that relies on volunteers, a box of old art supplies and a lot of love from families, children and a pastor? We know that many churches devote limited resources to these camps, but the State of Connecticut is getting ready to add layers of bureaucracy and unnecessary expense and time to running these fun and usually free activities for children growing up in their faith. Read more at the bottom of this post, but also consider other bad bills this legislative session that threaten religious liberty in CT . . .
Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Jeopardy
The CT state legislature has been busy this session with bills eroding religious liberty. Earlier this session you may have learned about SB 450, which would erode the Connecticut Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) so that Attorney General Tong can game the system and win a court case against a group of people who refuse to vaccinate based on their strongly-held beliefs. This is an attack on all religiously minded folks and we must protect everyone when it comes to religious liberty, not just when it personally affects us. FIC testified against this bill and we’ve asked our members to alert their legislators and ask them to oppose this bill also.
You can watch Peter Wolfgang’s testimony at the 7:14 mark here. https://www.youtube.com/live/C9itLAy9If4?si=3whvu-YQQEip0j8A&t=26024
Attacks on Connecticut’s Religious Hospitals – HB5516
Connecticut’s hospitals who were created and have been subsidized by religious organizations and their members for over 100 years in CT are under threat by HB 5516. They have come under vicious attack by the abortion and gender lobby this year. Our Director of Public Policy testified against this bill which could interfere with their directives. We were joined by the Connecticut Pregnancy Care Coalition and the Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference. We stood against several representatives of Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Equity Now who argued that they should be able to counsel children to receive and make arrangements for puberty blockers and cross sex hormones, and women to receive abortions, from within the walls of institutions affiliated with religious organizations without restriction. This is offensive to the thousands of religiously-minded and secular families of good will who choose these institutions each year BECAUSE of their association with directives that protect against counseling for abortion and GAC. You can still submit testimony against this bill by “opposing” HB 5516 and typing simple testimony to the effect of “I love my local hospital and oppose HB 5516!” here. Chose the 3/13 hearing date, and “oppose” HB 5516.
You can watch Leslie Wolfgang’s testimony at the 5:00 mark here. https://www.youtube.com/live/sLgnYCazjdU?si=iGP6vHmtYbD9czZL&t=18000
And now the end of Vacation Bible School?
Follow Senator Somers asking whether Vacation Bible Schools are targeted by SB137, and the answer is “yes!”. https://www.youtube.com/live/a5g_0lYov7w?si=UYCb1pUbjvEfQOK3&t=2049
Ask your legislators to oppose this bill which would require churches that run summer “vacation bible schools” to be licensed as camps, imposing unreasonable administrative burdens and costs on local churches and subject them to onerous provisions including medical records, inspection, character judgments, applications, fees and more . .
To be eligible for the issuance or renewal of a youth camp license pursuant to this chapter, the camp shall satisfy the following requirements: . . .(3) there shall be an adequate and competent staff, which includes the camp director or assistant director, one of whom shall be on site at all times the camp is in operation, activities specialists, counselors and maintenance personnel, of good character and reputation; (4) prior to assuming responsibility for campers, staff shall be trained, at a minimum, on the camp’s policies and procedures pertaining to behavioral management and supervision, emergency health and safety procedures and recognizing, preventing and reporting child abuse and neglect; . . . (6) the staff of a resident and nonresident camp shall at all times include an adult trained in the administration of first aid as required by the commissioner; (7) records of personal data for each camper shall be kept in any reasonable form the camp director may choose, and shall include (A) the camper’s name, age and address, (B) the name, address and telephone number of the parents or guardian, (C) the dates of admission and discharge, and (D) such other information as the commissioner shall require. Any youth camp licensed under this chapter shall operate only as the type of camp authorized by such license. . . . The license shall be posted in a conspicuous place at camp headquarters and failure to so post the license shall result in the presumption that the camp is being operated in violation of this chapter. CT Gen Stat § 19a-422 (2024)
There is little to no testimony against SB 137 and we need parents and pastors to act NOW while we can still submit effective testimony. Follow this link and select the 2/20/26 hearing date for the Education Committee, select “oppose” SB 137 and type in your reasons why you oppose this bill. Something like . . . “I oppose SB 137 because it will cancel our Vacation Bible School this summer!”. Thank you!
