October 20, 2023

Friends,

Pastor and bestselling author Max Lucado has outlined ways Christians should respond amid the current global strife. Something he says is a "signal of the coming end of this age" is the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the recent attack on Israel by the terrorist group Hamas.

“We live in ever-present fear of worldwide destruction. Let one person press one button and nuclear disaster could happen. Russia has invaded Ukraine. China is threatening Taiwan. Israel feels pinched by Hamas to the south and Hezbollah to the North,” Lucado, the leader of ​​Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, wrote in an op-ed published by Fox News. 

“Cain was violent first. We are violent still. Yet in the last few decades, the world has seen violence escalate to new levels. The phrase ‘nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom’ is a Hebrew idiom for a world war. A global conflict is a signal of the coming end of this age,” the pastor wrote. Click here for the full report.

Louisiana Senator Cameron Henry, a conservative Republican from Metairie serving his second term, has been confirmed as the next President of the Louisiana State Senate.

The incoming Senate president will officially assume the position in January following a formal vote by senators coinciding with the beginning of the new Legislature and governor's term. It is anticipated that Henry will collaborate closely with Landry to advance a more conservative agenda in the areas of crime, education, healthcare, and tax and budget policies.

At the federal level, the question of who could succeed ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy remains unclear. Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson has confirmed this week that he would run for House speaker if Jim Jordan fails to garner the 217 House Republican votes. A third vote for Jordan is expected today.

Said Johnson; “If for some reason Jim isn't able to get the necessary votes, I am prepared to step forward and offer myself as the nominee,” Johnson said. “I've not made a single call to a member about becoming speaker, but I've been heavily recruited.”

The longest the House has gone without a permanent speaker was in 1856 when Rep. Nathaniel Banks was elected after 133 ballots. To date, Jordan has fallen short during two votes. If Johnson becomes Speaker of the House, he would be Louisiana’s first!

According to Truth in Accounting's yearly Financial State of the States assessment, every Louisiana resident is theoretically on the hook for $18,900 to offset the state’s debt. The think tank ranked Louisiana 43rd in the nation, highlighting the state's $22.8 billion debt and assigning it a D grade due to its taxpayer burden ranging from $5,000 to $20,000.

Truth in Accounting reports that Louisiana has $27.4 billion in assets to cover $50.2 billion in liabilities, encompassing $13.3 billion in bond debt, $10.3 billion in unfunded pension obligations, and $9.9 billion in unfunded healthcare costs for state/local retirees. 

The state's pension fund outlook could improve due to a recent constitutional amendment passed by voters by a 56% majority. This amendment mandates that 25% of the state's surplus monies be dedicated to the offsetting state's pension debt.

In other words, Louisiana’s financial situation is in dire need of an overhaul.

News emerged last week that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has implemented a policy that requires its employees to utilize pronouns of the opposite sex when addressing individuals who identify as transgender. Experts caution that this directive could be used to single out Christians and other religious workers who rightly believe that only two biological sexes exist.

Roger Severino, a vice president of The Heritage Foundation and former director of HHS’s Office of Civil Rights, released a screenshot of an internal HHS email titled “HHS Gender Non-Discrimination and Inclusion Policy,” which provides “new guidance” on “employee rights and protections related to gender identity.” The email states that “all employees should be addressed [by] the names and pronouns they use to describe themselves…”

This policy contradicts several recent court decisions that have upheld individuals' freedom of speech, protecting their right to refuse to use pronouns that don't align with a person's biological sex.

No one should be forced to use inaccurate language that violates their deeply held beliefs!

Friends, Louisiana’s run-off election is November 18^th. Voter turnout during the primary was historically low, so let’s be sure to encourage our friends & family to Geaux Vote! Don’t forget to share LFF’s voter guide to cast an informed vote based on biblical principles. 

In His Service,

Gene Mills
President
Louisiana Family Forum