Episode Details

This is CrossPoliticNews’ Weekly Roundup sponsored by "Christian Business Leaders Network." If you want to find out more about this network and its efforts to connect Christian business leaders so that they can more effectively help their businesses and shape culture, visit businessmakers.network. Again, that’s businessmakers.network. 

As our journalist Kevin Amundson reported, Pope Francis just died last Monday at age 88 after being Pope for twelve years. During this time, Pope Francis took an unbiblical, unchristian stance on many of the culture of the cultural issues that have gained traction around the world in the past couple decades, such as LGBTQ+ nonsense, speculative climate change, and immigration. It’s bad when a normal Christian takes a liberal view on these problems, but it’s even worse when the Pope does. However, like every ruler and person on earth, the Pope has passed away, and so the College of Cardinals has to select a new candidate. As our reporter Kevin Amundson wrote, these Cardinals and every other Christian must look back to Christ as head and remember he has authority over everything. He rules the nations, he rules the stars, he rules the President, and he rules the Pope. Christ had authority over Pope Francis, and he has authority over the next Pope, who will be the 267^th Pope. Let’s pray that this next pope will better honor Christ’s authority and headship by taking a stronger, more biblical stance, against the liberalism rooted in our culture.

(https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/pope-francis-dies-at-88) 

On a different note, our reporter Justin Chartrey just wrote about the ongoing tax storm blowing through Washington State. And while already the tax weather is very temperamental, it looks like it could grow even worse with the newest two bills that have been proposed by Washington State’s Senate. These two bills are Senate Bils 5812 and 5786, and they will increase taxes for levies and properties. Also, as a side note, the one involved with property taxes is also connected to providing government funds for education. Yikes. Both of these bills, though, will triple the cap of the taxes from an annual growth of 1% to 3%. Our journalist Justin Chartrey showed the disastrous effects of Senate Bill 5812 by showing how it will increase property taxes:

"An 1,800 square-foot home in Spokane Valley, Washington with a property size of roughly one-third of an acre has a valuation of about $350,000. The property taxes on that home in 2024 are just over $2,700. Let that sink in. A state like Tennessee meanwhile has a property tax of about $600 a year.

Under the new proposed bill, combined with a 1% population growth for Spokane County; the tax increase for 2025 would push that amount to near, if not more than $3,000 a year." 

(https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/washington-wages-war-on-its-middle-class) 

Meanwhile, the second Senate bill will increase liquor license taxes by 50%, which will really hurt many small businesses. So many taxes. Even Bob Ferguson, the governor of Washington State, isn’t thrilled about these taxes. If you’re living in Washington, now is the time to act against these terrible bills. Time is running out before legislatures make their decisions.

Finally, our journalist Bill Peacock wrote an article about the new school choice rulings in Texas. Although the state’s House of Representatives in Texas debated on the issue for 11 hours, those who voted for school choice eventually won, securing a bill that will give money to homeschoolers and private schools in a few years. The democrats and two republicans tried to stop this bill, but it passed 86-61.

While it is good that Texas is giving people the choice to pick their school and is backing the