June 20, 2023

Dear Friends,

While the 2023 Louisiana legislative session is officially over, several initiatives still hang in the balance. A total of seven state constitutional amendments were approved, in addition to the existing one that was referred in the Legislature's 2022 session. This brings the total number of amendments on the ballot for this fall... to eight.

Out of these amendments, four will be presented to voters on the October 14th ballot, while the remaining four will be included on the November 18th ballot. These include amendments pertaining to religious liberty, taxes, election integrity, and more.

Check the status of the most important bills to watch here.

In addition, three crucial bills that would protect children from gender ideology passed the Legislature, but Governor Edwards has promised to veto them.

If Governor Edwards follows through on his veto threat, then the Legislature must return for a veto override session (likely July 18th for a 5-day session) to ensure that children are protected from Big Pharma and “doctors” who profit off of childhood anxiety (HB648). Legislators must also protect children from sexual grooming and social engineering in government schools (HB81 and HB466).

Take Action Now by clicking this link so we can connect you to the Louisiana Senate and House. By doing so, we will send your message asking them to agree to a veto override session and then to vote to override the Governor’s veto on each of these three bills!

Parents Defending Education (PDE) keeps a comprehensive record, organized by state, of schools and school districts that have implemented policies enabling or mandating staff members to conceal students' gender identities.

Although the list is not exhaustive, Parents Defending Education (PDE) has identified approximately 1,000 school districts and a total of 17,612 schools that have implemented policies of this nature. These schools collectively enroll 10,215,454 students.

“We can barely keep up with our tracker because the numbers are so overwhelming, as parents constantly send us their schools’ policies to add to the list,” said Director of Outreach Erika Sanzi. “These policies that deliberately deceive parents are pervasive and we must eradicate them.”

Parents have a rightful expectation that schools, which are funded by their tax dollars, should provide them with information regarding their child's mental health. It is the parents' prerogative to take the lead in guiding their children on matters closely connected to deeply personal religious convictions, such as "gender identity" and human sexuality. No school should be hiding such information from parents!

Research conducted by the American Bible Society reveals that Christians who regularly engage with the Bible and their faith experience significant growth and fulfillment across various aspects of their lives.

The American Bible Society recently published Chapter 3 of its State of the Bible 2023 report, titled "Flourishing and Hope." The report draws insights from a survey conducted among 2,761 U.S. adults between January 5th and January 30th, 2023.

The study analyzed participants' ratings on the Human Flourishing Index, which assesses various aspects of individuals' well-being, including "happiness & life satisfaction," "mental & physical health," "meaning & purpose," "character & virtue," "close societal relationships," and "financial & material stability." On the overall Human Flourishing Index, active Christians attained an average score of 7.8, while non-practicing Christians scored 6.9, and non-Christians scored 6.7.

“We find that Christians who are committed to their faith, fully engaged in the Bible, and transformed by its message, flourish in every domain of human experience,” said American Bible Society Chief Ministry Insights and Innovation Officer John Farquhar Plake.

“While these scripture-engaged Christians go through the same hardships as everyone else,” Plake continued, “the difference is they experience life’s ups and downs through a worldview shaped by the Bible’s message of hope. No matter the circumstances, those who trust in God and connect with him through Scripture are happier than those who haven’t yet sought God in his Word." Unsurprisingly, staying rooted in God’s word and living by His will leads to greater outcomes in all areas of life!

Friends, I hope you all took time to honor the fathers and father figures in your lives over the weekend. At a time when the family unit is under attack and 18.5 million children are living in homes without a father, it's more important than ever to continue encouraging Christ-like fatherhood that begins at fertilization!

“Almost any social good that can be named is dependent on dads who commit to their families and is at risk when they don’t.” -John Stonestreet

In His Service,

Gene Mills
President, Louisiana Family Forum