California Senate Bill 1146 — the “Kill Christian Colleges” bill — was
bad from the outset. The legislation, crafted by the corrupt State Senator
Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), contained the following requirements:
- Limitations of the Title IX exemptions to only specifically religious instruction
- Options for liability claims for LGBT students claiming discrimination
- Removal of CalGrants for colleges which violate the “rights” of LGBT students.
- Reporting requirements from the colleges for students expelled for violating the moral code of the college
- Extravagant publishing requirements to inform students of their Title IX exemptions, i.e. public shaming.
The outpouring of outrage was immediate.
Grassroots organizations pushed back against this abusive intrusion of
the state.
One state legislator informed me, however, that the Christian colleges were late in stopping SB
1146, even though they were directly affected, along with their students.
Poor and minority students would have been particularly affected,
losing the essential CalGrants for the tuition to these select universities.
Residents, Christians, the Church throughout the state of California
hammered legislators with phone calls.
California MassResistance pressed on lawmakers in their offices. State
Senator Ricardo Lara received two massive visits to his office. The first time,
his staff blew off fifty people, more than half of whom were constituents in
his district! The second time, his staffers had to submit and endure the
fervent upset of a wide variety of his constituents, from Huntington Park to
Long Beach.
Still, the Christian colleges were late to the game. They raised
$350,000 to target key assemblymembers, including committee chairs like Lorena
Gonzalez of San Diego. The pressure worked. Lawmakers in the state assembly
were feeling the heat, and seeing the light.
Contacts working behind the scene informed me and MassResistance
President Brian Camenker that a number of legislators were fed up with the
constituents calling for an end to the bill. They could not vote for the bill
in its full, aberrant, and abhorrent form.
Then a deal was struck.
The Christian colleges would go along with the bill, if the limitations
on Title IX were removed, the CalGrants remained available to all students, and
the liability options were removed.
The Christian colleges, with all their political power, with the
grassroots power growing behind them and fighting for them, backed off. They
had the enemies under their feet, they were stepping on their necks. Instead of
doubling down and demanding the complete removal of the legislation …
They caved.
They should have memorized those passages in Romans 8: 31-37.
Because of Jesus, God is for us, not against us.
We are not lambs lead to the slaughter, but more than conquerors
through Him who loved us.
Instead of fighting all the way, they gave way.
The state assembly appropriations committee passed the bill, with some
onerous parts removed. Ricardo Lara was lambasted on major mainstream media
outlets up and down the state.
Religious institutions, conservative think-tanks, and right-leaning
blogs claimed victory.
Indeed, the success of forcing a radical, regressive homosexual
activist to give up key portions of his signature legislation was an
accomplishment.
But the Christian colleges needed to continue the fight.
The Left is like the proverbial evil man who cannot sleep on his bed
unless he has plotted evil for the next day (Psalm 36:4). They don’t rest. Why
should we? “The price for liberty is eternal vigilance.”
The Christians, the conservatives, and the concerned citizens in
general did not stop fighting SB 1146.
The bill was brought to the floor of the state assembly. At the third
reading, another portion was taken out of the bill. The “mandated reporting”
requirement turned out to violate federal privacy laws.
So, SB 1146 turned into a shell of its self, but still carried with it
the latent intrusion of the government into the private affairs of Christian
colleges. Each institution would have to publish extravagant guidelines and
disclaimers outlining to all prospective and currents students, along with
staff and administration, the Title IX exemptions claimed by the institutions.
This burden amounts to public shaming, an unreasonable demand not expected of
other universities!
Lara swore, from the moment that he had to back away from the key
provisions of his initial bill, that he would return during the next
legislative session to draft and submit a more severe piece of legislation The
Christian colleges apparently do not take into account this threat.
Constituents continued their calling, their harping, their demands on
the legislature.
Those attacks were working.
On the Assembly floor, SB 1146 initially failed! This bill needed 41
votes to pass, and the first roll call mustered only 33. The bill was put “on
call”, and the arm-twisting ensued Eventually, the bill would pass, with only
45 votes, three Democrats voting no, seven Democrats abstaining, and sadly one
Republican supporting the bill.
Then off to the state senate.
August 30th, 2016—SB 1146 did not appear on the state senate’s agenda
on the floor.
Then at about 6:00pm, Lara drew the bill from an “inactive file”.
Lara read off the amendments, seeking concurrence from his colleagues.
His chief argument? The Christian colleges “now support this bill.”
The same argument had augured the bill to the assembly floor.
Four state senators spoke up in opposition to this bill. FOUR! Their
talking points about the legislation were accurate and prescient. Senator Jim
Nielsen reminded his colleagues that Lara would bring forward the same
officious elements stripped from the bill next year. Senator Ted Gaines urged a
No vote. Senator John Moorlach praised the faith community for rising up to
stop this bill. Here are Senator Jeff Stone’s comments.
 |
| State Senator John Moorlach rises for the First Amendment |
SB 1146 passed 25-13. One Democrat abstained.
Now the bill sits on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk, and he will very
likely sign it.
The “Christian” colleges supported a bill which would fundamentally
undermine their mission and religious liberty in the state of California.
Imagine what would have happened if the Christian colleges had stood their
ground on principle!
Now, California’s Christians will never know.
Call these California Christian colleges.
Inform them of your disappointment, and demand that they change their minds and urge Governor Brown to veto SB 1146.
Westmont College
President Gale D. Beebe, Ph.D.
805-565-6024
president@westmont.edu
Azusa Pacific
President Jon R. Wallace, DBA
626-812-3075
William Jessup University
President John Jackson Ph.D.
916-577-2210
president@jessup.edu
Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities
President Kristen F. Soares
1121 L Street, Suite 802
916-446-7626
aiccu@aiccu.edu
Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
President Russel Moore
Elizabeth Bristow
press@erlc.com
California Catholic Conference
Bishop Jaime Soto – President of the Executive Standing Committee
General phone- 916-313-4000
General email – leginfo@cacatholic.org
Biola University
President Barry H. Corey
Michele Hughes, Executive Assistant
Michele.hughes@biola.edu
562-903-4701
California Baptist University
President Ronald L. Ellis, Ph.D.
Julie Moulton, Administrative Assistant
jmoulton@cabaptist.edu
951-343-4210
Point Loma University
President Bob Brower, Ph.D.
Executive Assistant Myra Fisher
president@pointloma.edu
619-849-2388
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