January 6, 2023 Friends, The race for House Speaker is still in gridlock after the 11th failed vote to re-elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Pray that Republicans can come to agreement and reach a consensus to move forward and steer America onto the right path! In state news, Louisiana’s Age-Verification for Porn law, authored by Rep Laurie Schlegal (R-Jefferson Parish) and one of LFF’s top 3 bills in 2022, is now enforceable and is making national news for providing a critical step for protecting children. The Washington Stand reports: Joy Stockbauer, a policy analyst for the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, underscored the need for more states to follow Louisiana’s lead. “This piece of legislation is an excellent example of state-level initiative to combat the nation’s pornography epidemic and to mitigate the immeasurably negative impact of pornography on society,” she told TWS. “Preventing children from accidentally or intentionally viewing pornography is essential to lowering rates of pornography addiction, sexual promiscuity, and violence against women that pornography normalizes. Even adults will be more hesitant to view pornography if they know they must submit their driver’s license to do so. Other states, and the federal government, should look to Louisiana’s example and follow suit.” | |
Well done, Rep. Laurie Schlegel! We look forward to working with you to promote age-verification for adult content elsewhere by enacting meaningful legislation just like this! | |
This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made a regulatory change that allows local retail pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens to sell the abortion pill. Allowing retail pharmacies to sell the abortion pill endangers women: Mifepristone, the first of two pills used in a chemical or medication abortion — which the woman administers alone, often on the toilet — deprives the unborn child of nutrition by preventing the release of progesterone, thinning the lining of the uterus. The second pill, misoprostol, induces contractions to expel the deceased child’s body from the womb. Even with incomplete data, the FDA has registered thousands of negative side effects of chemical abortion, including dozens of deaths. A study of 42,000 abortions found that women suffered four times as many adverse side effects from this two-step regimen than surgical abortion. Local pharmacies where families go for healing can now become default abortion facilities across the nation. Pray that we end this culture of death. | |
Cade Brumley, Louisiana’s State Superintendent, is urging schools to ban TikTok from public devices. There are valid concerns about security and data, especially given that the app is owned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). At least 14 states have already passed bans on allowing the app on state devices, and Louisiana should be next! Plus, the effort is gaining support on both sides of the aisle. Both Democrats and Republicans supported TikTok’s ban on federal devices in the recent spending bill that passed. Kudos to Cade once again! | |
Friends, I hope your first week of 2023 has treated you well! Team LFF is eager to take on this year’s challenges. Thank you for standing with us and engaging the battles! | |
Gene Mills
President
Louisiana Family Forum | |
