Friends,

This weekend, we celebrate 2011 coming to a close and the beginning of 2012. MFI had an exciting year as we celebrated 20 years of defending our values and strengthening the family in Massachusetts, but our results on Beacon Hill were mixed:

• We successfully prevented the “Bathroom Bill” provisions from being included in the final transsexual “rights” bill rushed through in the last two days of the legislative session, but we were unable to prevent that compromise bill from being approved.
• The right combination of a bad economy, greedy legislators and an apathetic public resulted in the Legislature finally approving casino gambling. And not only did they legalize expanded predatory gambling, they ensured that a ballot initiative to repeal the law would not be possible by including appropriations language in the bill. Nonetheless, this is an ongoing battle, especially as casino developers fight each other for licenses and residents in proposed casino host communities vote on referendums.
• We successfully prevented the passage of a mandatory Health Curriculum Frameworks that would have put Planned Parenthood’s agenda into every school district, regardless of local opposition from parents or district administrators. However, this bill is not going away, and will likely have a renewed push in 2012.

The time for celebrating and looking back at 2011 is now past, and we must turn our eyes towards the important battles that lay ahead in 2012. Here are just a few priorities:

• As we have come to know, the radical gay activists are never satisfied, especially when it comes to compromises. They will use the newly minted “Transsexual Rights” bill as a way to reintroduce the “Bathroom Bill” provisions that were removed from the final bill to make it more palatable to legislators. They have already promised to do so, and it is our goal to see that they fail with stiff opposition from the public, as well as legislators.
• There are two significant anti-family ballot initiatives that voters will be asked to weigh in on this November, physician-prescribed suicide and medical marijuana. Both are wrong in their own right, but both are also stealth gateways towards even worse public policies. Do not be fooled, physician-prescribed suicide IS physician-assisted suicide, and will significantly add to the culture of death that started with the legalization of abortion. Medical marijuana will only lead to the removal of the stigma on drug use and put us one step closer to legalized marijuana. We can thank multi-billionaire George Soros for funding both of theses abominations.
• Finally, the 2012 elections will be historic; there is no doubt about it. The open question is on which side of history will value voters be found? Will they register and vote in record numbers, leading to gains in Washington, the White House and the State House of pro-family elected officials, or will they stay on the sidelines and allow our nation to continue down the secular liberal path? MFI’s role in the 2012 elections will be to register new voters, educate those voters through non-partisan guides and enhance voter turnout through church mobilization.

As you can see, we have a lot on our plate in 2012, and that is only THREE of the top action items we are facing. There will be numerous other policy battles on Beacon Hill, some we already know about, and others that only our opponents know what is being planned. MFI will be there, thanks to your ongoing support, to represent you, your family and your values.

From all of us at Massachusetts Family Institute, we wish you and your family a happy, healthy and blessed New Year.