NOM BLOG

Category Archives: Kansas

Chick-fil-A Opens New Store in Kansas, Hundreds Turn Up

The Franchise-Herald:

Following the Chick-fil-A anti-gay marriage controversy that surrounded the fast food chain last month, Chick-fil-A appears to not be slowing down and opened a new west Wichita, Kansas.More than a hundred people woke up early Wednesday morning to line up outside the store for the chance to get a year's worth of free Chick-fil-A.

All those who showed up Wednesday morning got a number and then a raffle was held to choose 100 people plus ten alternates. Those people have to camp out for 24 hours in order to get their reward, according to KAKE News.

FoxNews: Proposed Kansas Law Would Force Churches to Host Gay Weddings

Todd Starnes at FOX News & Commentary:

Religious liberty groups are blasting a proposed ordinance that would force churches in Hutchinson, Kan. to rent their facilities for gay weddings and gay parties.

The Hutchinson City Council will consider adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the protected classes in the city’s human relations code. They are expected to vote on the changes next month.

According to the Hutchinson Human Relations Commission, churches that rent out their buildings to the general public would not be allowed to discriminate “against a gay couple who want to rent the building for a party.”

Meryl Dye, a spokesperson for the Human Relations Commission confirmed to Fox News that churches would be subjected to portions of the proposed law.

“They would not be able to discriminate against gay and lesbian or transgender individuals,” Dye said. “That type of protection parallels to what you find in race discrimination. If a church provides lodging or rents a facility they could not discriminate based on race. It’s along that kind of thinking.”

Occupy Wichita Crashes Heritage Speech on Reducing Childhood Poverty by Promoting Marriage

What exactly is so threatening about having a debate about the clear connection between a weak marriage culture and increased rates of childhood poverty?

Robert Rector was just wrapping-up his speech to a room of 250 people. That's when about a dozen protestors, who stood with their backs to him, started shouting.

Rector is from the conservative-minded "Heritage Foundation." SRS invited him to speak about childhood poverty.

"The data shows very convincingly that the strongest factor producing long term poverty in the state of Kansas and every other state is the decline in marriage,” Rector said.

Rector wants the state to educate and encourage marriage. It would be an effort to stop single mom households.

“He has raised some good ideas. It's work, it's family structure. And it's not like we're endorsing that idea per see, it's about getting the discussion started to frame it,” SRS Secretary Rob Siedlecki said.

Siedlecki called for a break when the protestors wouldn't stop.

The protesters had papers like this one. It says in part, this was an "orchestrated attempt to promote {a} $6.6 million 'marriage initiative,' a Cinderella/fairy tale solution in the face of increasing poverty." On the back, you can see it's from Occupy Wichita.

"Ignorance is completely invisible, but it won't help the poor,” Siedlecki said.

Rector says he doesn't want to coerce or force anyone into a marriage. He's just pointing out the facts. - KWCH Eyewitness News

Kansas Pursues Innovative Program to Promote Marriage to Unwed Parents

In the AP:

[Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas] has long been an advocate of promoting healthy marriages, contending that children raised by married couples are more likely to succeed in school, less likely to have behavior problems or live in poverty.

He promised a focus on family life when he appointed Rob Siedlecki, a former board member of the National Fatherhood Initiative, to lead the social services agency.

“The governor’s priority issue is reducing child poverty in Kansas. This is part of that approach,” said Angela De Rocha, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

If the state receives the grant, the federal government would pay to send unwed parents to six counseling sessions offered by either secular or faith-based counseling services chosen by the state. The parents would volunteer for the program and could choose the kind of counseling service they wanted.

If the parents completed the program and marry, the federal grant would pay the $85.50 cost of their marriage license.

The state estimates that more than 7,600 mothers or couples would begin counseling at $25 to $50 per session. Sixty percent of those are expected to finish the program and qualify for a free license.

Even if the couple doesn’t marry, the grant application said, the parents will learn how to maintain relationships and work together for the good of their child.