The Press-Herald column, Apr. 4, 2018

The facts behind the numbers
http://press-herald.com/the-facts-behind-the-numbers/

Links:
http://bossierpress.com/edwards-lauds-states-drop-in-unemployment/
https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/bcd52e05-a131-4651-a8be-341a167660b9/louisiana-employment-update.pdf
https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.la.htm
https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LASST220000000000006?amp%253bdata_tool=XGtable&output_view=data&include_graphs=true
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/LA/PST045216
https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.la_shreveport_msa.htm
https://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet
http://jeffsadow.blogspot.com/2017/09/edwards-snap-policy-continues-to-hurt-la.html
https://www.alec.org/article/medicaid-expansion-reduces-incentives-to-work/
https://www.jbartlett.org/countering-the-powerful-work-disincentive-in-medicaid-expansion
https://www.sycamoreinstitutetn.org/2017/09/14/medicaid-work-requirements-what-why-who/

LA needs to ban mandatory inclusionary zoning

Despite obfuscating noise designed to stall it, SB 462 by state Sen. Danny Martiny would ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars and maximize housing provision for all.

The bill would ban the practice of governments forcing multi-family builders to designate a certain proportion of units to lower-income families for a certain period in order to build at all. New Orleans has the power to mandate this in its zoning decision, although it doesn’t have to impose this requirement.

This causes problems for builders, as with them having to offer below-market units for years on end, given the reduced, if not eliminated, profit margin this could discourage them from building in the first place. Thus, with fewer units on offer, rents across the board actually become less affordable. However, New Orleans interests complain that the state should not hamstring local governments in deciding whether to pursue this policy.

General teacher shortage in LA illusory

Claims of a Louisiana teacher shortage rest in the eyes of the beholder.

Amid a nationwide decline in the number of teachers entering the profession, in Louisiana that has raised enough concern to produce talk of convening a legislative investigation into reversing that trend. This comes as state educational authorities (typically school districts, but also including charter schools and special state schools) continue to have difficulty in attracting science, math, and special education teachers, particularly in rural areas.

But, in reality, in most other ways Louisiana teacher supply has remained healthy and its quality has improved. Understanding how this has happened, especially in light of dramatic reforms passed in 2012 to spur accountability and thus higher quality, leads to what actions, if any, the state must take to ensure sufficient refreshment of its teaching corps.

Politics hard to remove from discipline choice

In the final analysis, authorities decided a borderline case bowing to the demands of politics.

Last week, recently-installed Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul meted out punishments to Officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II. Salamoni, who shot and killed Alton Sterling in 2016, received termination from the department, while Lake, who also struggled with Sterling, received three days suspension.

Perhaps no death ever at the hands of police in Louisiana has had so much scrutiny. A federal investigation, followed by a state version, came to an identical conclusion: the policing that occurred wasn’t the best, but the officers’ actions were not criminal. Thus, officers had not even acted negligently during the incident, which involved several instances of resistance by Sterling who officers knew to have a handgun, and also actions by Sterling that conveyed reasonably that he actively sought to pull it, disregarding repeatedly instructions to stop his activities that ultimately made it rational for the officers to fear for their lives.

The Advocate column, Apr. 1, 2018

Gov. Edwards' desire for big government is understandable; his use of disabled people as pawns isn't
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_3351e20e-3381-11e8-99d2-67f3f7e44569.html

Links:
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/03/medicaid_recipients_losing_ben.html
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=96315
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_b2e985be-31e5-11e8-bbef-a304bc561aea.html
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_ba5a089c-2bb8-11e8-830e-e7b818c796ce.html
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1071366
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1073142
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1071498
http://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=93005

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