The Press-Herald column, Mar. 28, 2018

A two-front war over casinos
http://press-herald.com/a-two-front-war-over-casinos/

Links:
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_fb5e9b3a-2c5f-11e8-be3b-87615863204d.html
http://jeffsadow.blogspot.com/2018/02/political-intrigue-swirls-around-casino.html

Coward politicians enable continued suffering

Once again, special interests win at the expense of Louisiana taxpayers and its most vulnerable citizens.

These greedy hogs yesterday defeated in committee SB 357 by Republican state Sen. Conrad Appel, which today caused Republican state Rep. Tony Bacala to set aside his HB 334. Both bills would put the state on course to creating a long-term managed care system for persons with disabilities.

This change in philosophy discomfits nursing home interests, who benefit greatly from current state practice that biases placement of individuals in nursing homes instead of in their own homes or the community. While waiting lists for access to this care, called waiver programs, has steadily risen to 28,000 people, Louisiana nursing homes enjoy a gravy train at their expense.

Edwards red meat case losing streak growing

The losing streak continues in Gov. John Bel Edwards’ attempts of executive overreach to make the state go where its majority doesn’t wish.

The Louisiana Supreme Court last week confirmed lower court rulings that Edwards’ Executive Order JBE 16-11 violated the Louisiana Constitution, a suit brought by Atty. Gen. Jeff Landry. The gubernatorial pronouncement sought to add “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to the list of individual characteristics that the state could not discriminate against in dealing with its personnel and concerning the personnel decisions of entities that contracted with the state.

It was just a matter of time. Lower court rulings clearly spelled out how the governor had no power to alter unilaterally state law to add those categories, as all others mentioned in his declaration already have protection through state law and the Constitution. The Edwards Administration filings kept resorting to the same failed arguments, so the Supreme Court’s decision that it didn’t even have to hear the case hardly surprised.

Feckless attitudes still there, hearing shows

Only in welfare-state-ridden Louisiana: even as it offers an opportunity to state prisoners seen in no other state, some obsessed legislators moan it doesn’t go far enough or does convicts a disservice.

That attitude went on full display during legislative committee hearing of HB 84 by Republican state Rep. Kenny Havard. The bill would clarify existing state law that allows inmates to work outside of corrections facilities and offices, perhaps the most famous current application of which has such individuals working in and around the Governor’s Mansion, something no other state does.

If passed, the bill would ensure marginally expanded use of the program, run directly by the Department of Corrections separately from transitional work release programs that place the incarcerated with private sector employers during the day, met legal guidelines. It made it out of committee, but not before a few Legislative Black Caucus members on the panel whined and complained about it.

The Advocate column, Mar. 25, 2018

Louisiana schools owe it to students to give accurate information about gun rights
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_94f5cffa-2d57-11e8-b9a1-ebc8332bf66b.html

Links:
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/article_9ab66a72-259a-11e8-abae-1b2e3684dff5.html
http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/article_ae8f3434-27c0-11e8-9b9f-b790e74fce8d.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/police-respond-shooting-parkland-florida-high-school-n848101
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf

The Press-Herald column, Mar. 21, 2018

The senator who saved East Bank
http://press-herald.com/the-senator-who-saved-east-bank/

Links:
http://bossierpress.com/open-container-plans-face-new-challenge/
http://press-herald.com/bossier-citys-downtown-project-is-mired-in-lack-of-planning-follow-through/
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?i=233455
http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/article_53663bd8-0acf-11e8-b484-6b5ffb54727f.html
http://jeffsadow.blogspot.com/2017/04/new-rules-on-la-breweries-need.html

Cantrell can jumpstart campaign donor reform

If LaToya Cantrell doesn’t do it, the state should.

The present New Orleans City Council member and incoming mayor, Democrat Cantrell during her campaign pledged maximal transparency from her administration. That promise got off to a rocky start when she made her transition team members sign nondisclosure agreements.

At least she has released information about who has donated to her transition, which neither state law nor city ordinance requires. At that dissemination, which revealed a list chock full of city contractors, Cantrell reiterated another campaign talking point, that she would seek to ban contractors from donating to political campaigns. She mentioned that the relatively late date of her formal induction into the office, May 7, made impractical an effort to do so through state legislation as the regular session ends about a month after that, but noted she would look at other options to achieve this goal once in power.

Disaffected Democrats driving LA pessimism

Democrats in particular are driving frustration in the Louisiana public, perhaps egged on by unkept promises from Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Such a conclusion comes from data gathered by Louisiana State University’s Public Policy Research Lab. The first release from its 2018 Louisiana Survey came last week, focusing on questions of trust in politicians and government and assessing its performance, as well as perceptions of the population’s political views and attitudes.

Of note, after last year where those respondents thinking the state headed in the right direction exceeded marginally those who thought the opposite, this year’s results followed the reverse trend of recent years. With half thinking wrong direction, 11 points more than the opposing view, this overall negativity adhered to the pattern since 2012. The year before had slightly more saying wrong direction, but this may have been a product of an election year).

Term limits encourage unneeded elective post

Louisiana’s Republican Sec. of State Tom Schedler confirmed how one goes about giving away a job for life, at least during good health.

Last week, Schedler announced he wouldn’t run for a third term, as a result of a sexual harassment suit brought against him recently. An employee accuses him of, if not stalking-like, obsessive behavior towards her that interfered with her personal and professional lives, while he says they had a consensual sexual relationship.

If there’s one statewide office the least infused with politics that enables it occupants to stay as long as they like – since the aftermath of the former Gov. Huey Long era previous office occupants left only out of progressive ambition or ill health – it’s this one. Typically, when desired, holders cruise to reelection.

The Advocate column, Mar. 18. 2018

How did Louisiana dig up its budget hole? Overspending; Luckily, there's a fix for it...
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_3869ddd4-27db-11e8-99c6-7be7596305cb.html

Links:
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_67026458-2313-11e8-b187-93d623f42c0f.html
https://www.census.gov/library/publications/time-series/statistical_abstracts.html
https://www.nasbo.org/reports-data/state-expenditure-report
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/popest/nation-detail.html
https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/2006/spi0306.htm