Several issues of moral and social concern continue to draw interest as the
Louisiana Legislature nears close of its regular session.
Several issues of moral and social concern continue to draw interest as the
Louisiana Legislature nears close of its regular session.
With the legislature set to close later this month, issues related to alcohol
use, gambling, human cloning and same-sex marriage remain to be decided, said
Ken Ward, executive director of the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation.
“Its coming down to the final days – and there is still a lot
to be determined,” Ward noted.
“Things will happen very quickly now. Concerned citizens have to be vigilant
and monitor issues carefully.”
Key issues include:
Same-sex marriage. Both the Louisiana House and Senate have passed
bills that would allow state voters to cast ballots on a constitutional amendment
to ban same-sex marriages. The amendment would prohibit same-sex marriages in
Louisiana from recognizing same-sex marriages that were performed in other states
as well.
However, it still has not been determined when Louisiana voters will have a
say on the amendment. One version of the approved measure calls for a vote in
September; the other opts for a November vote during the presidential election.
The issue must be resolved before the proposed amendment can receive final passage.
Human cloning. It appears likely some sort of cloning measure will
pass – but what kind, Ward noted. Some are pushing for an outright ban
on all human cloning. Others are seeking a ban on cloning for reproductive purposes,
while allowing it for medical research.
Supporters of medical research say cloning is needed to provide stem cells,
seen as a key to providing treatments for a range of diseases, including Alzheimers,
heart disease and diabetes. However, supporters of a total ban say it is needed
because harvesting stem cells from human embryos require their destruction and
amounts to abortion.
Gambling. The gambling issue is a concern on two fronts at this
time, Ward indicated.
For one, some still are pushing for allowing areas that already have voted
video poker out to revisit the issue with yet another local option election.
Currently, those efforts seem to be stalled – but bills could break loose
quickly and must be watched closely, Ward warned.
In addition, a bill to allow a single cruise ship to establish a route between
New Orleans and St. Francisville and allow on-board gambling has failed to gain
needed votes. The measure received a majority vote but fell short of the necessary
two-thirds margin. Ward said supporters of the bill are working now to find
additional votes.
Alcohol. Currently, state law prohibits any establishment within
a certain distance of churches to sell beverage alcohol. However, measures are
moving that would lift that ban – either in certain circumstances or completely.
“The time-honored tradition of allowing local governments the option of
denying alcohol permits within a certain distance of churches is about to be
lost, I am afraid,” Ward said.