Dear Friends:
On the heels of the signing of Georgia’s “heartbeat bill,” lawmakers in Louisiana are now poised to pass their own legislation to prohibit abortions on unborn babies with detectable heartbeats. Last Thursday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards was publicly asked about the bill. Governor Edwards responded:
“In eight years in the legislature, I was a pro-life legislator, 100 percent with the Louisiana Right to Life. When I ran for governor, I said I was pro-life and so that’s something that’s consistent.”
In recent weeks, pro-life Governors across the nation have been signing pro-life legislation at a record pace. Governor Edwards, however, is different from the other pro-life Governors because…Governor Edwards is a Democrat.
Within hours of his public statement, my newsfeeds were flooded with headlines—“Louisiana Governor breaks with Democrats on Abortion.” But the headlines only tell part of the story. Most of the stories do not mention that:
- The Sponsor of the bill is a Democrat.
- Six of the Louisiana Senate’s fourteen Democrats voted in favor of the bill.
- The bill is expected to pass the Louisiana House with Democratic support.
As I was reviewing these facts, I was reminded of what took place during the recent Legislative Session here in New Mexico—when 14 Democrats in our State Legislature opposed the radical abortion bill, HB 51. Surely, the victories happening in legislatures throughout the country are encouraging. At the same time, I believe they represent a response to an even greater force at work—and that is, the power of culture.
For years, the radical, pro-abortion lobby has portrayed the life issue as a battle between Republicans and Democrats; between young people and older people; and between women and men. A recent poll, however, revealed that a majority of Americans now support laws that would ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected; that younger voters are more supportive of the laws than older voters; and that women do not differ significantly from men on the issue.
You see, this issue not a matter of Republican versus Democrat, young versus old, or even woman versus man. It is simply a matter of life versus death; and, thank the good Lord, life is winning in America!
It’s time that life wins in New Mexico too, and soon, we will have our opportunity.
Sincerely,
Vince Torres
President and Executive Director
P.S. I want to personally thank every one of you who took time to read, forward, and reply to last week’s email – “Governor Lujan Grisham Sends a Message to Hollywood.” I have never received so many responses and I am deeply grateful for all your words of support!
