Sometimes protecting our freedom starts much closer to home than Madison.
Recently, my own community of Rosendale-Brandon took an important step to protect religious freedom in our schools. School Board Member Beth Redeker helped lead the effort to adopt a religious freedom policy based on a model developed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. The policy helps ensure both students’ and teachers’ religious freedom is respected within the classroom.
I admire Beth’s willingness to stand up and lead. Her example reminds us that we don’t have to wait for someone else to act. Parents, school board members, pastors, and citizens can make a difference wherever they live,
Did you know state-wide religious freedom is on the ballot this fall?
This November, Wisconsin voters will have an opportunity to protect the freedom of churches to gather during future emergencies.
The proposed constitutional amendment would add the following language to Article I, Section 18 of the Wisconsin Constitution:
“Nor shall the state or a political subdivision of the state order the closure of or forbid gatherings in places of worship in response to a state of emergency at the national, state, or local level, including an emergency related to public health.”
So, what would your vote mean?
A YES vote means churches decide for themselves whether they stay open or close during a state of emergency.
A NO vote means a bureaucrat in Madison may be able to shut your church down during a state of emergency.
2020 revealed that the freedoms we assume will always be there may face difficult tests. This amendment gives Wisconsin voters an opportunity to decide how the Constitution should address government authority over places of worship during future emergencies.
At Wisconsin Family Action, we believe that Christians should not only understand these issues but faithfully proclaim them within the public square. That’s why we will be hosting grassroots events in 8 communities between Labor Day and Election Day.
We’ll be traveling to a variety of regions to host events that will equip Christians to understand the constitutional amendment, engage their communities, and mobilize fellow believers to honor God with their vote in this critical midterm election.
Beth Redeker exemplified what courageous leadership can look like in one local community. Now it’s time for Christians across Wisconsin to recognize that each of us has a role in protecting the freedoms we want to pass on to the next generation.
