We need your help!
Could you ask one high school student you know to consider attending the Pulse Leadership Institute (PLI) to be in Baton Rouge June 5-9?
Without a doubt, PLI is a first-class pro-life training institute for students right here in Louisiana.
The future of the pro-life cause belongs to our high school and college students. PLI transforms students from pro-life followers to pro-life leaders. Since 1/3 of their generation has been lost to abortion, it is their voices that will change our culture toward life!
So, here is your job: Call one high school student TODAY and ask them to come to PLI. Better yet, offer to cover their $199 registration fee. Scholarships may be available for those who may not be able to afford it.
Students can register at
www.ProLifePulseLA.org!
For a Pro-Life Louisiana,
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Raffle of Painting Benefits Advertise for Life Project!
Bowties for Babies 2017 may be over, but you can still help fund the important Advertise for Life project by buying one or more raffle tickets to win this beautiful Louisiana-inspired painting by Stephanie Torregrossa!
The painting is valued at $2,000. Tickets are ONLY $10 each, so please get yours today and help fund this important project, which reaches women in crisis pregnancies through targeted online advertising that connects them with one of the state's pregnancy resource centers.
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Gabrielle Gremillion receives her grand prize check from James F. Riente Jr. State Deputy, Louisiana KCs.
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Gremillion Wins State Oratory Contest
The Louisiana Pro-Life Oratory Contest was held at the Knights of Columbus Convention in Baton Rouge May 6. Four Louisiana students competed for a $500 prize and chance to represent Louisiana in the National Right to Life Oratory Contest in Milwaukee on
July 1.
Gabrielle Gremillion, a homeschool junior from Baton Rouge, won this year's contest with her speech "Abortion is a Tragedy to Women." With passion and charisma, Gabrielle highlighted the injustice of abortion toward women.
"Abortion is a topic that I will never get tired of speaking on until Roe vs. Wade is overturned," Gremillion said after winning the grand prize.
Later that evening she gave her full speech from memory at the Knights of Columbus Convention banquet.
Beau Nicaud of New Orleans won second place and $300. A senior at Jesuit High School, Nicaud highlighted the moral hypocrisy of abortion and civil society. Joel Thompson of Lafayette and Alexis Pippin of Shreveport also competed as finalists.
If you would like to hold a competition in your community for the upcoming school year, contact shanon@
prolifelouisiana.org for more information.
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State Oratory Contest finalists were, from left, Joel Thompson, Gabrielle Gremillion, Beau Nicaud and Alexis Pippen.
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Register for PULSE Leadership Institute!
High school and college students are invited to this outstanding leadership training opportunity June 5-9 in Baton Rouge!
Have you ever spoken to som
eone about abortion but didn't know what to say? We'll teach you all about the art of pro-life persuasion, coupling logic and compassion, and take our new skills to the LSU campus for hands-on activism! (Don't worry, we'll be there with you if you're nervous!)
PLI is also an action-packed week for students with several field trips, and we also have the chance to grow in community with one another with small groups, skits, and our famous Coffeehouse Talent Show. Countless students say their favorite part of PULSE is that they have amazing new friends from all over the state.
Questions? Contact one of our Youth Programs Co-Directors Alex Seghers at alex@
prolifelouisiana.org or Krista Corbello at krista@
prolifelouisiana.org.
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Location Announced for New CENLA Center
Watch this video from The Town Talk in Alexandria and find out where that area's new pregnancy resource center will be located!
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Trump Announces Expanded Pro-Life Foreign Aid Policy
The National Right to Life Committee commended the Trump Administration Monday for announcing an expanded policy named Promoting Life in Global Health Assistance, which will apply pro-life conditions to a broad range of health-related U.S. foreign aid - a policy signaled in a January presidential order and explained in more detail by the State Department yesterday.
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Crews Wins House Seat; Senate Seat Heads to Runoff
If you live in Senate District 2, don't forget to vote in the May 27 runoff election.
Warren Harang III and Edward "Ed" Price were the top vote-getters in the primary.
Harang answered LARTL's questionnaire 100 percent pro-life.
Price did not answer the questionnaire.
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Science Does Support Abortion Restrictions!
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New Guttmacher Study "Findings" Only Protect
Abortion-on-Demand
The Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, released a report last week stating that 28 states, including Louisiana, have at least two abortion laws that conflict with science. Louisiana, the report says, has seven, ranking it second in the nation behind Kansas and Texas, which both have eight.
"It should come as no surprise that this group would do everything it can to discount even the most common-sense regulations that ensure the health and safety of women seeking abortion or protect the innocent baby living in the womb," said Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life.
Here are the real facts on three of the laws Guttmacher said aren't supported by scientific evidence:
Hospital Admitting Privilege Requirements
- During the 2014 consideration of HB 388, Louisiana Right to Life presented the testimony of a number of experts sharing why admitting privileges are a critical component of ensuring that abortion facilities can provide continuity of care in the case of an emergency.
- During committee hearings, a local OB-GYN physician who had worked stints in the ER shared how he had women come into the ER with complications from an abortion, and since the abortion physician did not have privileges to handle the complications in the hospital, this ER physician had to reassess the condition of the woman from the beginning, wasting time in order to properly handle the medical issues at hand.
- In addition, testimony showed medical complications do exist from abortion, and the law must step in to help women in those situations, regardless of the level of occurrence.
Fetal Pain Laws
- In Louisiana, babies 20 weeks post-fertilization are protected under law based on the wealth of anotomical, behavioral and physiological evidence that shows that the developing human fetus is capable of experiencing tremendous pain by 20 weeks post-fertilization.
- The website www.DoctorsOnFetalPain.com documents the relevant studies that point to the understanding of the baby at 20 weeks post-fertilization having the ability to feel pain. Information includes points such as this: "Pain receptors (nociceptors) are present throughout the unborn child's entire body by no later than 20 weeks after fertilization and nerves link these receptors to the brain's thalamus and subcortical plate by no later than 20 weeks after fertilization."
Mandatory Waiting Periods
- Abortion is a permanent decision that many women regret later in life. Even if most women in an abortion facility at the moment they are choosing abortion are confident in their decisions, the testimony of women who regret their decisions is reason enough to give women time to consider their options.
- Even U.S. Supreme Court Justice Kennedy recognized that "some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained...the State has an interest in insuring so grave a choice is well informed." (Gonzales v Carhart)
- Currently, abortion facilities in Louisiana are selling only one service: abortion. Their counseling cannot be trusted to be neutral in the decision-making process since they have a financial interest in the women's decision. Waiting periods provide additional time for women to reflect on their decisions and seek additional resources prior to the making the ultimate decision to terminate a pregnancy.
"The fact is that ample pro-life legislative testimony from experts in the fields of medicine and social services was provided prior to the enactment of the Louisiana laws criticized by the Guttmacher Institute," Clapper said. "It was rare during deliberation on these bills for the abortion-on-demand organizations to present commensurate expert testimony, especially from a medical doctor perspective. Rather, they resorted to vague claims and recycled talking points."
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LARTL Executive Director Benjamin Clapper and Rep. Frank Hoffmann are joined by pro-life students and organization representatives after the House recognized Pro-Life Day at the Capitol by reading a resolution on the House floor.
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Pro-Life Day at the Capitol, Bowties Event Big Successes
Last Thursday was a big day for Louisiana Right to Life in Baton Rouge, first with Pro-Life Day at the Capitol and ending with Bowties for Babies: A Southern Soiree for Life.
A contingent of pregnancy centers, adoption agencies and other pro-life organizations and efforts filled the Capitol rotunda during the morning, providing information about their services and thanking legislators for their support.
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Sen. John Milkovich speaks at the luncheon in the Capitol.
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A pro-life leaders luncheon was held in the Capitol for those in attendance midday, and those who attended heard from Sen. John Milkovich, who discussed SB 128 that
will make the actual cutting of these broken babies after abortion illegal following passage last year of a bill to make the sale of baby body parts after abortion illegal. The bill has passed the Senate and should be heard on the House floor soon.
Reps. Frank Hoffmann, Katrina Jackson and Polly Thomas also spoke at the luncheon, as did Attorney General Jeff Landry, and U.S. Sen. John Kennedy phoned in to discuss the pro-life movement on the national stage.
The groups were also recognized on the floors of the House and the Senate, and a special House Resolution honoring Pro-Life Day at the Capitol was read.
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State Attorney General Jeff Landry speaks to Bowties crowd.
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Bowties for Babies
About 250 people attended Bowties for Babies on Thursday evening at the Capitol Park Museum across from the Capitol and enjoyed an evening of good food, music and drinks as well as a time to visit with pro-life friends.
Former Sen. Ben Nevers and former Rep. Tom Willmott were honored with the 2017 Leadership for Life Awards, and Attorney General Jeff Landry gave the keynote address. Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome also attended.
The event was held to benefit the Advertise for Life project, which uses targeted online advertising to connect women in crisis pregnancies with one of the state's pregnancy resource centers.
The event also featured a silent auction and a live painting by Stephanie Torregrossa of Baton Rouge. The painting is being auctioned off at the end of May. (See story on left side.)
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