April 25, 2023 Dear Friends, This will be another eventful week in the Louisiana legislature! Today the Senate is set to debate SB 63, which would protect churches from government shutdown during emergencies, and SB 7, which would protect children from sexually explicit material in the library. This Week Team LFF is following these bills in committee: - ✅ HB 61 Rep. Schlegel - Protecting children on the internet
- ✅ SB 41 Sen. Mizell - tax credits for donations to crisis pregnancy centers
- ✅ HB 5 Rep. Frieman - Provides for pregnancy-related medical expenses from the father
- ✅ HB 9 Rep. Butler and HB 98 by Rep. Lance Harris - school choice
- ✅ HB 68 Rep. Hodges - allows for public school classes in the Bible as literature
- ✅ HB 462 Rep. Edmonds - Fiscal transparency and accountability for school boards
- ❌ HB 24 Rep. Newell - Decriminalization of marijuana possession and distribution
- ✅ HB 8 Rep. Horton - “In God we Trust” motto in public school classrooms
- ✅ HB 81 Rep. Crews - Provides relative to the use of certain names and pronouns for students
- ✅ HB 466 Rep. Horton - Prevents sexualization of children in schools
- ❌ HB 228 Rep. Green - Eliminates the death penalty as a possible punishment.
- ✅ SB 7 Sen. Cloud - Requires public libraries to adopt and implement a policy to limit the access of minors to sexually explicit material.
Get on board with LFF and keep an eye on the most important bills to watch here. | |
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for a religious liberty case that could overturn a bad precedent. Groff v. DeJoy is a vital opportunity for the court to protect the right of employees to practice their religious beliefs and the obligation of employers to give reasonable religious accommodations. Christian mail carrier Gerald Groff elected to work for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in large part because regular mail isn’t delivered on Sundays. However, after he was hired, the postal service began requiring Groff to work on the Sabbath. When he requested a religious accommodation that would excuse him from working on Sundays so that he could observe the Sabbath and live by his Christian faith, USPS refused to grant it and Groff chose to resign rather than be fired. Now, the Supreme Court has the opportunity to correct its 1977 precedent in Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Hardison, which enabled employers to deny religious accommodations. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on this case by the summer. This is one to watch! | |
A new survey conducted by The Wall Street Journal and The University of Chicago found that Americans are rejecting the values that this nation was founded upon. Breakpoint reports that the percentage of Americans who value “patriotism,” “religion,” “having children,” and “community involvement,” has decreased significantly in 25 years. “Corrupt societies can be prosperous, but only for a time. Eventually, low trust, rampant injustice, and civic division have consequences. Throughout history, economic crisis has not created a moral vacuum: It reveals it,” writes John Stonestreet of Breakpoint Ministries. Unfortunately, Americans have lost sight of objective Truth, and as a result, we’re told that what people value is inconsequential. However, God-given liberties can only be sustained by a nation and people who embrace America's essential principles and recognize that rights are derived from God alone. We need revival! | |
Friend, our world is starving for what Christians alone have: the truth. Let’s pray for the courage to guide our nation back to conservative values by boldly proclaiming the truth in love and leading by example. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Please keep LFF in your prayers as we work with lawmakers at the Capitol to advance Christian values through legislation. | |
Gene Mills
President, Louisiana Family Forum | |
