LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Victories for sanctity of human life and religious freedom

The sanctity of human life and religious freedom were the two issues dominating the legislative efforts of the Hawaii Catholic Conference and its collaborative partner, Hawaii Family Forum, over the past few weeks. I’m happy to report, the results were favorable.

At issue were 1) bills that would have forced the two St. Francis Medical Centers to violate its religious tenants, and 2) bills to establish the state of Hawaii as being officially in favor of human cloning and embryonic stem cell research.

Emergency contraceptives

The original House Bill 1240 would have required all Hawaii hospital emergency rooms to dispense emergency contraceptives to sex assault victims, without allowing a religious exemption for St. Francis, even though the pills in question can sometimes act as an abortifacient. If passed, St. Francis’ Catholic directives would have forced it to violate the law.

However, after much debate, the proponents of HB1240 agreed to an exemption amendment proposed by the Hawaii Catholic Conference, St. Francis Healthcare System, and Hawaii Family Forum. Under the amendment, St. Francis would be exempt from the requirements of HB1240, but would provide transportation for the sex assault victim to the health care facility of her choice.

The members of the House health committee were pleased with the compromise and adopted the proposed amendment. The new bill with the St. Francis exemption, HB1240 HD 1, went on to receive a public hearing in the House judiciary committee where it was also approved with the religious freedom exemption intact.

The Hawaii Catholic Conference provided comments to the judiciary committee regarding the amendment, warning members of our strong opposition to the bill if the exemption were to be removed.

The bill must now be reviewed and passed out of the House finance committee and approved by the full House before moving to the Senate. The Catholic Conference will work to ensure the religious exemption remains in any final proposal sent to Gov. Linda Lingle. In the last session, the legislature passed a nearly identical measure without the religious exemption for St. Francis. Governor Lingle vetoed that bill, citing that deficiency.

Cloning, stem cell research

The House health committee deferred two bills that would have officially declared our state to be in favor of both human cloning and embryonic stem cell research.

Hawaii Catholic Conference testified against both measures, HB 288 and HB 1648, arguing that it is never acceptable to destroy human life for research purposes, however noble the intent.

We further testified in strong support of “adult” stem cell research, which has shown significantly more promise than embryonic stem cell research or human cloning without the serious ethical problems.

In announcing the deferral of these measures, both the chair and vice chair of the health committee discussed their intent to further examine the issue through a University of Hawaii task force. The Catholic Conference was asked to submit names of possible participants to the panel.

Hawaii Catholic Conference will remain actively involved in this important sanctity of life issue and is planning church and community education seminars on this topic for the fall of 2005.

In the next legislative update, I’ll tell you about the bills we’ve supported to protect newborn babies, to better protect victims of domestic violence, to support funding for Catholic Charities senior centers and more.

For more information on these and other issues, visit the website of our policy partners at Hawaii Family Forum, www.hawaii familyforum.org or e-mail info@hawaiifamilyforum.org.

Attorney Kelly Rosati is the government relations representative for the Hawaii Catholic Conference and Hawaii Family Forum.