TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Daniel Webster was “minding [his] own business” 28 years ago — rearing a young family, running his family air conditioning contracting company, and serving as a lay leader in his church — when he asked a question that changed his life: “Who sets public policy?”

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—With narrow defeats for pro-life and evolution academic freedom legislation during the 60-day Florida legislative session, Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley highlighted the positive by pointing to the failure of gambling expansion bills as a “huge win for families.”

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—In a 20-20 tie vote, the Florida Senate defeated April 30 a bill requiring women seeking an abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy to have an ultrasound.

The recently concluded 60-day Florida legislative session demonstrated the truth that when it comes to legislating, oftentimes no action is the best result. Unfortunately, the session also underscored the tragedy when legislators fail to act when human life and children’s worldviews are at risk.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—With narrow defeats for pro-life and evolution academic freedom legislation during the 60-day Florida legislative session, Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley highlighted the positive by pointing to the failure of gambling expansion bills as a “huge win for families.”

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Senate today approved without objection a motion offered by Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon) to reject the evolution bill adopted by the Florida House of Representatives.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – In a 20-20 tie vote, the Florida Senate defeated April 30 a bill requiring women seeking an abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy to have an ultrasound.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) —The Florida Senate defeated a bill requiring women seeking an abortion in the first trimester to have an ultrasound after an emotional debate on April 30.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Although both chambers of the Florida Legislature have adopted legislation that sponsors believe will protect the academic freedom of public school teachers and students addressing evolution, the adoption of significantly different bills leaves passage in doubt in the final days of the legislative session.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Although the Florida Senate engaged in an initial debate April 24 about a bill that would require ultrasounds for women seeking abortions during the first trimester, the body repeatedly delayed further consideration. According to various news reports, the eventual vote will be very close, perhaps being decided by one or two senators.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Senate revisited its discussion of an ultrasound abortion bill April 29 and with opponents’ decision to withdraw hostile amendments the body is now poised to engage in a final debate and vote on the legislation April 30.

UPDATE: 5:00 p.m., April 28, 2008

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Although both chambers of the Florida Legislature have adopted legislation that sponsors believe will protect the academic freedom of public school teachers and students addressing evolution, the adoption of significantly different bills leaves passage in doubt in the final days of the legislative session.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida House of Representatives approved by voice vote April 25 an amendment substituting its bill requiring schools to have “scientific critical analysis” of evolution in place of the Senate-passed evolution academic freedom bill.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – After more than an hour of questions and debate and a series of complex parliamentarian maneuvers April 24, the Florida Senate temporarily set aside a bill that would require ultrasounds for women seeking abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – After more than an hour of questions and debate and a series of complex parliamentarian maneuvers, the Florida Senate temporarily set aside today a bill that would require ultrasounds for women seeking abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Updated 11:30 a.m. April 24

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Senate adopted on April 23 by a vote of 21-17 a bill to permit academic freedom for teachers and students addressing evolution in Florida’s public schools. The prospects of the measure remain in doubt after the House sponsor of its academic freedom bill said he will push his significantly different version in the House next week.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Senate adopted today 21-17 a bill to permit academic freedom for teachers and students addressing evolution in Florida’s public schools.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Senate adopted today by a vote of 21-17 a bill to permit academic freedom for teachers and students addressing evolution in Florida’s public schools.

Killing legislation that would require women seeking abortions during the first trimester to have an ultrasound apparently has become a personal crusade for Sen. Jim King (R-Jacksonville). The former Senate president is seeking to recruit enough fellow Republicans to stop the pro-life bill offered by retiring Sen. Daniel Webster (R-Winter Garden).

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—The Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee approved narrowly April 15 a bill requiring an ultrasound before an abortion during the first trimester. The party-line, 3-2 vote clears the bill for consideration by the entire Senate.

Killing legislation that would require women seeking abortions during the first trimester to have an ultrasound apparently has become a personal crusade for Sen. Jim King (R-Jacksonville). The former Senate president is seeking to recruit enough fellow Republicans to stop the pro-life bill offered by retiring Sen. Daniel Webster (R-Winter Garden).

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) — The Florida Senate debated a bill to protect academic freedom of teachers and students who wish to consider criticisms of evolution April 17, focusing repeatedly on concerns the measure will allow Intelligent Design to be taught in public school classrooms.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Sen. Jim King (R-Jacksonville) is attempting to rally fellow moderate Republican senators to kill a bill which would require women seeking abortions to have an ultrasound during the first trimester of pregnancy, the Miami Herald reported today.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon) has been surprised by the personal attacks of those who oppose her bill to protect academic freedom for public school teachers and students addressing evolution.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—The Senate Health Regulation Committee approved legislation requiring an ultrasound prior to a first trimester abortion on a largely party-line, 4-3 vote April 8, with one Democrat supporting the bill and one Republican in opposition.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)–The Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee approved narrowly April 15 a bill requiring an ultrasound before an abortion during the first trimester. The party-line, 3-2 vote clears the bill for consideration by the entire Senate.

TALLHASSEE (FBW) – Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon) has been surprised by the personal attacks of those who oppose her bill to protect academic freedom for public school teachers and students addressing evolution.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – A bill to protect academic freedom of teachers and students in public schools when addressing evolution passed a second Senate committee April 8 and is poised for its first House committee hearing April 11.

TALLHASSEE (FBW) – Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon) has been surprised by the extremely personal attacks she has been subjected to by those who support evolution and oppose her bill to protect academic freedom for public school teaches and students addressing evolution.

In America’s seemingly endless debate about abortion each side seeks to frame the debate to its advantage. Those who oppose abortion, including myself, note human life begins at conception and is thus worthy of protection from the beginning. These persons are “pro-life.” Those who support unlimited abortion rights shift the debate away from the child (using the technical medical term of “fetus” in order to de-humanize the child) and instead focus on the rights of women to make their own decisions. For these persons, “pro-choice” is the rallying cry.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Senate Health Regulation Committee approved legislation requiring ultrasounds prior to first trimester abortions on a largely party-line, 4-3 vote April 8, with one Democrat supporting the bill and one Republican in opposition.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Although a Senate committee gave approval March 26 to legislation intended to protect academic freedom of teachers and students regarding evolution, the action was only a “small hurdle” and long odds remain against the bill becoming law, according to Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Gambling interests won wide support for three bills March 13 in the Florida Senate, but prospects for the legislation remain in doubt after House Speaker Marco Rubio continued to express opposition to gambling expansion.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Florida legislators got a taste of Hollywood March 12 as actor-comedian Ben Stein brought his controversial film “Expelled” to Tallahassee to help lobby in favor of legislation to allow academic freedom when evolution is taught in Florida public schools.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—With the “moderately-positioned tone” of Gov. Charlie Crist, pro-family organizations in Tallahassee will take a mostly defensive posture during this year’s legislative session attempting to stop harmful legislation, while seeking “limited” opportunities to advance good bills, according to Bill Bunkley, legislative consultant for the Florida Baptist Convention.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—An evolution compromise approved Feb. 19 by the State Board of Education was the best that could be achieved in that body but legislative action to protect academic freedom of teachers offering criticisms of Darwinian evolution is possible, House Speaker Marco Rubio told Florida Baptist Witness in a Feb. 20 interview.

It’s too bad members of the Florida Board of Education had not seen Ben Stein’s forthcoming movie “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” before its Feb. 19 vote to reject an academic freedom amendment to the state’s science standards. If the members ever do see the movie, I have to believe at least one of the four who voted against academic freedom will wish he or she had another opportunity to fix the standards’ silence concerning permitting scientific critiques of Darwinian evolution in the state’s K-12 public schools.