“Values Tax” Bill Placed on Inactive File in CA Assembly
Sacramento, CA—In a temporary victory today for youth groups across the state of California, Senate Bill 323 was placed on the inactive file in the State Assembly. Known as the Anti-Boy Scouts Bill, SB 323 aimed to take away certain tax-exemptions from non-profit youth groups that do not embrace homosexuality and “gender identity”—the notion that you can be a different gender than your biological sex.
Since the bill would have increased taxes, it required a two-thirds vote of approval. It previously received sufficient votes in the Senate, but appeared questionable as to if it would receive sufficient votes in the Assembly.
The bill’s author, Sen. Lara, has been open in his intent to force those who do not share his values to change. PJI staff attorney Matthew McReynolds highlighted this bullying tactic in a letter to one of the hearing committees, stating that SB 323 “takes the unprecedented and alarming step of wielding the tax power as a weapon directed at the political enemies of the LGBT lobby.”
Brad Dacus, President of Pacific Justice Institute, previously noted, “Forcing Boy Scouts to allow biological females to camp with the boys because they identify as a boy is ludicrous.” He also stated that, “SB 323 makes the atrocious attempt to force organizations to ultimately choose between changing their moral beliefs to align with those of the oppressive LGBT lobby, or shutting down their organization all together.”
Although this bill is dead for the remainder of the year, PJI will be vigilant in defending the beliefs of youth groups should this bill resurface in the future.
Click Here To Get Brad’s Audio Quote
Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit legal organization dedicated to defending religious, parental, and other constitutional rights.
P.O. Box 276600 Sacramento, CA 95827-6600
Phone: (916) 857-6900 Fax: (916) 857-6902
www.pji.org
| sb323_placed_on_inactive_file.mp3 |