Override session chance signals culture shift

Memo to Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards: repeating bogus talking points doesn’t make them any less invalid. Especially when, finally, a critical mass of Louisianans finally has begun to free their minds to negate an age-old strategy relying on legacy media, allowing sufficiently widespread exposure of the paucity of his arguments.

Perhaps grudgingly, Republican Senate Pres. Page Cortez has admitted senators will support an unprecedented veto override session. GOP House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, already under fire for his mishandling of legislation popular with his party, has lead cheers with his members for such a thing.

Up until Jul. 15 lawmakers may send to their respective chamber secretaries a ballot indicating they don’t want to conduct such a session just over a week later that could last a few days. However, if at least half don’t send one in for each chamber, the session automatically occurs.

Empire may strike back in BC, cause chaos

Somebody thinks the Empire will strike back in Bossier City, and they’re willing to dump some money on trying to shame its elements into forestalling a scenario that could devolve into four years of chaos.

This week, a text messaging poll has circulated to city residents. After a hook question about the popularity of Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards (who is beginning to face questions about his role in what increasing appears to be a coverup of the death of a motorist at the hands of the Louisiana State Police), the poll asks about the popularity of Republican Mayor-elect Tommy Chandler and whether respondents think the City Council shouldn’t block his appointment of Shane Cheatham as chief administrative officer.

The GOP’s Cheatham defeated outgoing Republican District 1 Councilor Scott Irwin this spring, but then resigned before taking the seat next week as Chandler’s pick for CAO. Things turned out better for other consistent allies of defeated incumbent Mayor Lo Walker – Republicans Jeff Free and David Montgomery plus Democrat Bubba Williams – as they returned to the Council, joined by newcomer Republican Vince Maggio, who shared supporters with Walker.

Sign bill to protect people's choices, safety

Even if it runs against type, Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards must sign HB 498 by Republican state Rep. Kathy Edmonston to prevent potential state government-mandated infliction of needless suffering.

That bill makes it illegal for the state to impose Wuhan coronavirus vaccinations onto people to allow their access to the state’s ordinary services, except for health care, until the Federal Drug Administration gives a permanent clearance to such vaccinations. This particularly makes an exception for schools, because Louisiana explicitly allows education at all levels to require certain vaccinations for enrollment.

Yet a de facto campaign continues by Edwards and his appointees to have students receive vaccinations. Exhortations, if not outright propaganda, and gamesmanship come from the Governor’s Office and state agencies for school-age individuals to receive it. The Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors – whose previous prominent action gave the system a woke president – asked the state to make it a requirement for attendance.

Tax change amendment merits voter approval

Later this year Louisianans should vote in favor of a constitutional amendment not because it does very much, but because what little it does makes possible much more substantial and beneficial changes for the future.

SB 159 by Republican state Sen. Bret Allain would amend the Constitution to allow lawmakers to not permit a deduction of federal taxes paid for state income taxes and locks in a maximum state individual income tax rate of 4.75 percent. Currently, these rates in law crest 6 percent.

Three other bills, signed by Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards, implement the ramifications of this change, which if passed goes into effect for 2022. One pares the existing three-tiered individual/fiduciary rates from 2 to 1.85, 4 to 3.5, and 6 to 4.25 percent, with the potential after 2023 for further reductions as state revenues elevate. Another reshapes corporate income rates from five to three brackets, expands the lower brackets, and lower rates to 3.5, 5.5, and 7.5 percent. The final of them keeps corporate franchise taxes – an additional tax on a firm’s capital – suspended for two more years for smaller businesses and generally reduces such rates for all businesses over time. Except for this one, for the other pair federal income taxes paid no longer becomes deductible.

New giveaway throws away more education bucks

Take the worst of the Louisiana’s Taylor Opportunity Program for Students entitlement program, amplify it, and you get the new MJ Foster Promise Program.

Last week, Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law the bill that would provide up to $10.5 million a year for approximately 3,281 students to attempt completion of associate degrees and certificates. It largely mimics TOPS, which applies to bachelor degrees, and is named after Republican former Gov. Mike Foster, who died earlier this year and instigated the state’s system of community colleges and technical schools.

TOPS has become infamous as an entitlement masquerading as a “scholarship” program. For students that qualify, which all that means is taking a useful set of core courses, compiling decent grades, and earning mediocre standardized test scores, the state pays all tuition but not fees for pursuit of any bachelor degree as long as the student performs at an average level at first then keeps grades high enough to stay off probation while earning a minimum of 24 credits a year for four years.