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SBC DIGEST: Gray addresses Kentucky pro-life rally; Former Louisiana College students charged with CARES Act fraud

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KBC executive addresses pro-life rally at state Capitol

By Tom Latek/Kentucky Today

FRANKFORT, Ky. (BP) – A group of supporters gathered on the steps of the Kentucky State Capitol on Monday (March 29) to rally in support of current pro-life legislation before the General Assembly. Among them was Kentucky Baptist Convention Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Gray.

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Todd Gray, executive director-treasurer of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, addresses the crowd gathered at the Capitol on Monday (March 29) for the Right to Life rally. Kentucky Today/Robin Cornetet

House Bill 91 is a proposed constitutional amendment that states: “To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.”

The measure passed the House 76-20 on Feb. 25 but has yet to come to a vote in Senate, and today (March 30) is the final day of the 2021 regular session.

Addia Wuchner, a former state lawmaker who now serves as executive director of Kentucky Right to Life, spoke to those gathered about the rise of the right-to-life movement since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.

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“Almost 50 years ago, in 1973, with the strike of one court, they struck down literally every pro-life law in every state,” Wuchner said. “In one fell swoop, they undermined every legislative body in every state. The time is coming where a change will come. And in anticipation of the change is why we are here to speak about HB 91.”

Gray spoke on behalf of 600,000 Kentucky Baptists.

“We are pro-life; we care about this issue,” he said. “We show that we care by praying against the human rights atrocity of legalized abortion in our day. We show it by advocating on behalf of life. We also show it by working with more than 50 crisis pregnancy care centers across the state of Kentucky, caring about life from the womb to the tomb.

“We stand up, we speak up, we show up, for the issues that matter most. We’re grateful that this bill is moving forward, and we pray for its passage today.”

Read the full story here [4].


Louisiana College releases statement on CARES Act investigation

By Elizabeth Christian/Louisiana College

PINEVILLE, La. (BP) – Louisiana College has learned that two former students have been charged in a federal indictment in connection with alleged fraudulent use of grant money made available to students as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

According to the Justice Department press release [5], Hayden Philip Breaux, 21, of Houma, and D’Quincy Marquis Jones, 23, of Baton Rouge, have both been charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury with one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft and five counts of identity theft. The indictment alleges that in June 2020 Breaux and Jones and other co-conspirators used Louisiana College students’ personal information and passwords to gain access to the Louisiana College Online Student Portal to apply for these emergency funds and direct the money into their accounts.

“Louisiana College has and will continue to cooperate fully with the federal investigation,” said Elizabeth Clarke, the school’s communications director. “Once college officials discovered possible fraudulent activity by grant recipients in June 2020, we immediately notified law enforcement officials and an investigation ensued.”

Louisiana College received the federal funding for the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020 and followed the U.S. Department of Education requirements for awarding and distributing emergency grants to students.

Neither Breaux nor Jones are currently students at Louisiana College.