Girls’ sports are at risk in Louisiana. For weeks, Louisiana’s student athletes and concerned citizens have anxiously anticipated the decision of Governor John Bel Edwards on the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, sponsored by Senator Beth Mizell.
SB 156, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, passed the Senate by a vote of 29-6 and the House by a vote of 78-17.
Sadly, Gov. Edwards chose D.C. politics over Louisiana values and vetoed the bill.
But there is hope!
The Louisiana Constitution provides for the legislature to consider a governor’s veto and to decide whether to override. Once a legislative session has concluded, a veto override session is automatically scheduled. However, a majority of lawmakers in either house, polled by a mail-in ballot, can elect to cancel the override session. This essentially means that twenty senators and fifty-three representatives must agree to hold the session.
Family Policy Alliance joins our friends at Louisiana Family Forum in respectfully urging legislators to exercise their constitutional right and responsibility to review the Governor’s veto. There is a short window of opportunity to do this, so time is of the essence!
What can you do to help?
Go to our Action Center to tell Louisiana legislators why they should override the Governor’s veto on SB 156. Louisiana women and female athletes deserve a fair playing field and legal protections in competitive sports!
Thank you for doing your part to protect girls’ sports in Louisiana!
Nicole Hudgens
Government Affairs
The battle to save women’s sports in Louisiana has reached its final stage: Gov. John Bel Edwards’s desk. The corporate and national pressure for him to veto this good bill is intense, and that’s why we – along with our allies at Louisiana Family Forum – are asking you to take a moment to email or call him today!
Legislators on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers understand the importance of protecting opportunities guaranteed to women through Title IX – and those include sports and scholarship programs. Allowing biological men to infringe on those protections is anti-woman and a violation of women’s rights.
Senate Bill 156 would protect female athletic opportunities from being hijacked by biological males. It’s about both science and fairness:
- Science. It’s common sense to keep boys out of girls’ sports, but it’s also science. There are 6,500 genetic differences between males and females, including males having greater bone density, muscle mass and lung capacity.
- Fairness. Around the country, when biological males are allowed to compete on girls’ sports teams, they frequently rob girls of championships, state records and scholarship opportunities.
Please take 30 seconds to call and leave a message for Gov. Edwards, politely asking him allow SB 156 to go into effect which would protect girls’ sports.
(866) 366-1121
You can also send him an email here.
Thanks for speaking up!
Nicole Hudgens
Government Affairs
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!
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!
Florida Governor urged to sign HB 1411 bill into law.
The Florida Legislature passed HB 1411, a bill that cuts state funding to abortion facilities, including Planned Parenthood.
If signed into law, the money that would have gone to Planned Parenthood now goes to hundreds of deserving low-cost community health clinics and women’s health centers.
“Republicans in the Florida Legislature are to be commended,” said John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, “for showing leadership and for doing the right thing by passing this historic piece of legislation.”
The bill now goes to Gov. Rick Scott for his signature. If signed, Florida would join Texas, Utah, Kansas, New Hampshire, Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana in defunding Planned Parenthood.
“On behalf of thousands of Floridians who object to their taxes going to fund Planned Parenthood,” Stemberger said, “I continue to urge Gov. Scott to sign this good bill into law.”