January 31, 2023 Dear Friends, According to The Advocate, this year's Washington D.C. Mardi Gras is thought to be the most popular yet! The event kicks off the 2023 Louisiana gubernatorial election and upcoming legislative session with political forces at work positioning themselves, raising funds and increasing name recognition! In other news: On Tuesday, Iowa became the second state (behind Arizona) to enact a universal school choice. The state passed legislation to create an education savings account for all K-12 students that can be used to cover education-related expenses, including private school tuition. "Every student deserves an education tailored to their needs! Democrats only want to protect educational freedom for those who can afford it," Iowa governor Kim Reynolds tweeted Saturday. "Freedom of choice does not belong to just a few, it belongs to every parent and student!" Last year, Arizona became the first state to enact a state-wide universal school choice program. Then-Governor Doug Ducey encouraged other states to follow his lead. Louisiana would have beaten Iowa for the race to second place if not for vetoes by Gov. John Bel Edwards, who said the policy would have crippled underfunded public schools. LFF supports parental choice in education and money following the child as a model policy! Stay tuned! | |
The Big-Tech grant-group that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg utilized in the 2020 presidential election is expanding nationwide, despite Louisiana and 20+ other states banning private funds for election-related operations. The U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence is a coalition of left-wing nonprofits and companies led by the Center for Tech and Civic Life. Its election initiative was launched to target local offices and influence operations while advocating left-wing policy. According to the Daily Signal: “The Alliance for Election Excellence website, goal is: “To develop and establish a nonpartisan, nationwide certification program so that jurisdictions meeting certain performance standards may hold themselves out as Centers for [Election] Excellence.” The alliance chose two cities and eight counties for its first program, issuing $3 million in grants to election officials. While Louisiana prevents private grants for election-operations, jurisdictions can join the alliance for $1,800 - arguably inviting their influence into our state! | |
A study on parental attitudes released this week by Pew Research found that almost half of American parents think it is not too important or not important at all to them if their children get married or have a family, even though almost a third of them stated that being a parent is the most important part of their identity. When asked about their hopes for their children when they reach adulthood, roughly 90% of parents surveyed said it’s very important to them that their children be financially independent and that they have jobs or careers they enjoy. Unfortunately, many parents unwisely encourage their children to experiment with various philosophies on life and the way to happiness. We should spend more time teaching our children the truth of God’s plan for men and women to marry and have children. A man and a woman form a "one-flesh" union through marriage (Genesis 2:24), and they, with their children, become a family, the essential building block of society. Raise children who understand and place emphasis on finding the right spouse and nourishing a family, and career and financial stability will follow! | |
Friend,, President Joe Biden is considering expanding his emergency powers to declare a “public health emergency” regarding abortion as a response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The latest Biden administration scheme would result in taxpayer-funded abortion on demand across the country with no protections for unborn children or their mothers. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra states, “There are discussions on a wide range of measures … that we can take to try to protect people’s rights.” Looks like Vice President Harris isn’t the only politician forgetting about the right to life recently! | |
Gene Mills
President, Louisiana Family Forum | |
P.S. As a reminder, Louisiana’s 2023 Longest Married Couple search is ON! If you know a couple that has been married 70+ years, please help us tell their story. Complete this form for your nominee! Submissions are needed by February 5th. Thank you! | |
