The Morphing Committee

This morning's Gazette had a story about Focus on the Family's contributions to supporting Amendment 43 -- the so-called marriage protection amendment -- including more than $500,000 to the Colorado Family Action Issue Committee.

What the story didn't get into is the fact that the issue committee -- which will fold when the election's over -- may well rise from its own ashes to become a permanent advocacy group.

Officials stress that the issues committee is a stand-alone thing. But members of the group certainly would like to set up a Family Policy Council in Colorado, joining 32 other such state-based organizations scattered throughout the country.

Family Policy Councils are stand-alone organizations that advocate socially conservative policies. Many have been involved in passing marriage protection amendments in their home states. These councils have strong ties to Focus on the Family and its lobbying wing, Focus on the Family Action -- so much so that Focus Action employee Jim Pfaff's job is to coordinate with them. Though Focus says it just "comes alongside" these independent organizations, many receive significant help from the Springs-based ministry.