March 4, 2022

Dear Friends,

Earlier this week, Louisiana Family Forum joined 28 other Family Policy Councils in filing this amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Coach Joseph Kennedy.

Kennedy was a football coach at the Bremerton School Distract in Washington State. Following games, he would thank God by praying briefly at the 50-yard line. As time went on, his students migrated to the 50-yard line to join in, and it eventually caught the attention of Bremerton School “officials.”

The school Gestapo demanded he cease prayer, but Kennedy, believing he was guilty of no wrong, continued. So, he continued to pray, and as a result, lost his job. Coach Kennedy appealed his termination to a liberal U.S. Court of Appeals but was denied relief.

Now, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up his case, where they will rule on whether the First Amendment extends to Coach Kennedy’s voluntary prayer after games, and whether his action was so egregious as to justify his dismissal.

Pray for Coach Kennedy and that the Lord opens the eyes of the U.S. Supreme Court justices to the undeniable hostility that many have suffered at the hands of the “irreligious.” You can read more about the case here.

A recent article rating the Top 180 "Happiest Cities in America" is out, and three cities in Louisiana made the list!

The annual list rates 180 cities in America in order of happiness. Contributing factors include life satisfaction scores, weather, employment rates, physical and emotional health, etc. 

“Believe it or not, with heavy state and local taxation, federal regulations killing Louisiana's oil and natural gas industry, and many devastating hurricanes the last few years, Louisiana actually had three cities make the list.”

Here are the cities:

• New Orleans at #147
• Baton Rouge at #158
• Shreveport at #173

The article also listed the top ten Louisiana cities to retire in: Bogalusa, Bastrop, Abbeville, Opelousas, Minden, West Monroe, Crowley, Eunice, Jennings and New Iberia.

To those who already call one of the above cities home, congrats! And to others…Louisiana beckons!

Hear my tribute to my home state: I Am Louisiana

From Cornwall Alliance: 

As surely as the path to hell is paved with good intentions, the slide to the Russia-Ukraine conflict was greased with specious promises of the green lobby.

“A year ago, Ukraine’s fate was sealed, and that’s because (President Biden) gave up our energy-exporting business and allowed the Russians” to take it, said former U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor K.T. McFarland. Biden’s policy blunder enriched Russia with revenues from oil and gas and made both Europe and the U.S. more dependent on foreign sources.

Canceled by Biden to satiate the thirst of environmental extremists for a hydrocarbon scalp, the Keystone XL Pipeline project alone would have supplied more oil to the U.S. than currently provided by Russia. Adding to the damage have been administration moves to discourage or ban other projects for producing and transporting energy.

Read more here.

Friends, it is imperative that we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, for peace in Ukraine, for the people of Russia who will inevitably suffer from crushing worldwide sanctions, from the madness behind Putin’s crusade and a cessation of Putin’s aggression.

Then we must go to work to recognize that ideas have consequences they may have victims, too. Perhaps the 300-year supply of natural gas underfoot here in Louisiana and elsewhere USA, the oil leases of the Gulf of Mexico which have been denied, and the Keystone pipeline (and others) which was politically "suicided," could contribute to making Putin’s crusade to be the world's gas man a powerless endeavor.

To the victims, the million plus dissidents and real Ukrainian refugees, we must assist, as well as Poland and other countries receiving these shell-shocked families. One way to contribute is through the Samaritan's Purse charity which has deployed a field hospital inside Ukraine. Mercy's Chefs is also assisting Ukrainian refugees.

In His Service,

Gene Mills
President
Louisiana Family Forum

P.S. LFF’s 2022 Legislative Briefing is 10 days out! Pastors and Christian leaders from across the state will be briefed on important matters coming in 2022 legislative session. Confirmed: AG Jeff Landry, Lt. Billy Nungesser, Treasurer John Schroeder, SOS Kyle Ardoin and others!  

Mark it...March 15th at First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. RSVP here!