Contact: Peter Wolfgang, President, Family Institute of Connecticut Action, 860-548-0066

MEDIA ADVISORY, Mar. 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- Family Institute of Connecticut Action today called upon Speaker of the House Christopher Donovan and Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams to remove Rep. Michael Lawlor and Sen. Andrew McDonald from their positions as co-chairmen of the Connecticut General Assembly's powerful Judiciary Committee. The use of the Committee by Rep. Lawlor and Sen. McDonald to launch an outrageous unconstitutional attack on religious liberty made this request necessary.

FIC Action president Peter Wolfgang stated, "Rep. Lawlor and Sen. McDonald should not be allowed to continue to use their Judiciary Committee chairmanships to launch blatantly unconstitutional attacks on religious liberty in general and the Catholic Church in particular. No less a figure than Sen. Michael McLachlan, their fellow Judiciary Committee lawmaker, has publicly stated that S.B. 1098 (the bishop removal bill) was 'payback' against the Catholic Church for its opposition to same-sex marriage. This is what sparked the outrage of the more than 4,000 state residents who rallied at the state Capitol last week: they know an attack on the Church when they see one.
 
"To make matters worse, the Judiciary Committee co-chairs responded to the outrage over their attack on religious liberty by scheduling public hearings on transgendered special rights and assisted suicide. Though the assisted suicide bill has now been withdrawn, Sen. McLachlan rightly characterized it as a 'personal vendetta.' The chairmanship of this key committee should not be used to waste tremendous state resources on personal vendettas. FIC Action calls upon the Speaker and the Senate President to remove Rep. Lawlor and Sen. McDonald and to replace them with Judiciary Committee chairmen who will not abuse the position."

The Family Institute of Connecticut Action is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to creating a family-friendly environment in our state. We are working to encourage and strengthen the family as the foundation of society and to promote sound ethical and moral values in our culture and government. You can learn more about the Family Institute of Connecticut Action at our web site, www.ctfamily.org, or by calling our Hartford office at (860) 548-0066 or toll-free (877) 33-FAMILY.