Strike should spur LA film tax credit reform

A stroke of good luck for Louisiana taxpayers, the strike by writers and actors of motion picture and television productions can be leveraged even more for the state’s citizens to avoid the bad consequences of its poorly-conceived Motion Picture Investors Tax Credit.

First writers, then actors began the strike starting over three months ago. This brought largely to a halt an already slowing production of movies and series, whether shown in theaters, on broadcast television, cable television, streaming over the Internet, or in podcast form, although some films in progress actor members have been allowed to complete. Anticipation of a strike as early as late last year had prompted ratcheting down production, so as not to have things interrupted if a strike occurred. To work with a network or major studio (which comprise most of the business; for example, the top ten studios in movie box office receipts for last year collected seven-eighths of all revenues), writers and actors must be a member of their respective unions.

The main issue in both cases is revenue-sharing. The rapid growth in streaming particularly has exposed that prior compensation models didn’t account for this, leading members to demand a greater share of the pie from that. Both also want more control over the use of artificial intelligence in story writing and actor likenesses. Writers additionally want retainer pay for stretches that they don’t work.

Sketchy school rule needs change, if not ending

While voters may have little chance to assess Board of Elementary and Secondary Education members’ decision about awarding high school diplomas to students who don’t pass state exams to graduate, they will be able to comment on the emergent policy – for however long it lasts.

This spring, BESE narrowly approved an appeals policy for such students without exceptionalities, who otherwise wouldn’t graduate. All three of Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards’ appointees, who highly unlikely will return next year, plus Republican Holly Boffy and Democrats Kira Orange Jones, who face term limits, and Preston Castille voted in favor. Thus, only District 8 voters will have the chance to hold a member accountable, as Castille has given no indication he won’t run for reelection.

Most states don’t have end-of-studies exams students must pass to graduate, and of those that do they have an appeals process. These tests in Louisiana apply only to English, mathematics, and one of biology or (starting in academic year 2024) civics.

BESE elections to affect reform momentum

With high-profile statewide and legislative election on tap this fall, Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education contests have flown somewhat under the radar, but whose outcomes will determine whether education reforms continue to advance.

Eight of the 11 slots are up for four-year terms, with the remaining three members chosen by the governor in coterminous fashion. Shaping BESE for the first time is term limits of three, which started counting beginning with the results of 2011 elections and will dispatch Republicans James Garvey and Holly Boffy and Democrat Kira Orange Jones. Additionally, GOP rookie member Ashley Ellis will defer. All other incumbents appear to be running for reelection.

Republican state Rep. Lance Harris has raised his hand to replace Ellis, with her blessing. Harris has an extensive track record in legislating on education issues, and very much in line with expanding school choice and accountability. His HB 98 this past regular session would have created a money-follow-the-student system that in large degree would replicate the open enrollment model used in Orleans Parish schools, plus create flexibility for families to embrace nonpublic education.

Cassidy endorsement says more about himself

Forget the record haul of campaign cash, the polling numbers consistently making him the front runner, or the avalanche of endorsements that Republican Atty. Gen. Jeff Landry has racked up in his quest to become the state’s next governor. The most significant indicator of impending success in his campaign just flashed while telling us more about another state politician.

This week, GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy gave his official seal of approval to Landry’s bid. In a social media post, he cited clamor for Landry helming the state and policy congruence on issues of flood insurance pricing, coastal restoration, and access to mental health services as his reasons for choosing Landry over four other decently-funded Republicans, all of whom trail Landry badly in donation amounts and polling numbers.

A high-profile blessing can’t hurt Landry’s prospects, although at first glance it seems like an odd paring. Landry has become known, and popular in Louisiana, because of his unapologetic conservatism that he invokes in head-on clashes with Democrats and liberals from which not only does he not shy away, but he instigates when provoked, such as the series of legal actions he has helped to launch against a number of Democrat Pres. Joe Biden actions, emulating similar challenges to executive overreach committed by Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards. In most of these legal conflicts, Landry’s side has prevailed.

BC posers avoiding voting against term limits

Careers are on the line as various Bossier City officials try to spin their way out making their opposition to term limits look anything but, with the clock working against them and a City Council meeting looming this week.

At its last meeting, the Council, led by graybeard councilors Republicans David Montgomery and Jeff Free, Democrat Bubba Williams, and no party Jeff Darby plus GOP rookie Vince Maggio, refused to tee up an ordinance to place a three-term limit, proactively and retroactively, on city elected officials on the next-available statewide ballot for charter amending. All but Maggio, if such a ballot item succeeded, could not serve ever again as a councilor.

Instead, they approved a resolution by City Attorney Charles Jacobs to seek outside counsel, using taxpayer dollars, to judge whether the procedure to amend the charter is valid. As part of the process, Republican Mayor Tommy Chandler indicated that he “recommended” the resolution, rather than marking “noted.”

Edwards imprint fading fast to oblivion soon

Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards’ influence in Louisiana government is fading quickly, with the chances of anybody in power emulating his policies in the future evaporating even more rapidly.

With fewer than six months remaining in his terms. Edwards got a taste of how ephemeral his reach has become when Louisiana’s Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole rebuffed over 50 applicants – essentially the entirety of death row – for clemency this reduction of sentence to life earlier than usual. Normally, the Board requires a time-consuming review of cases but can waive that, which in this instance would have expedited case consideration for resolution prior to year’s end.

This avalanche of requests Edwards triggered when, after dodging the question for his whole political career because of the electoral blowback his answer would invite, earlier this year he proclaimed opposition to capital punishment, noting its finality and calling it contrary to his religious faith (while he professes a belief in Roman Catholicism, at the same time he selectively ignores others of its imperatives, such opposition to abortion for any reason). In turn, this begat an effort by legal services supporting appeals to capital cases to organize inmates under capital sentences to make clemency requests to Edwards, in the hopes of having him grant clemency in mass before leaving office early next year.

Whiny Magee needn't let door hit him upon exit

Let’s break out the handkerchiefs and violins for poor old Republican state Rep. Tanner Magee, who says too many people are holding him accountable for him doing his job for him to do his job.

After the veto session concluded, Magee revealed he would not seek reelection. Magee at present serves as speaker pro tempore, the second-ranked position in the House of Representatives. Last year he ran for an appellate judgeship and lost convincingly. This resounding defeat plus that a new governor, almost certainly a Republican and likely GOP Atty. Gen. Jeff Landry who has clashed with House leaders on some issues, where governors typically have influence in legislative chamber leadership selection when of the same party, also loom as factors that may have played into Magee’s decision.

His publicly articulated reason for letting go is that, he says, “[State legislative politics is] moving more in a direction of a D.C. style and I don’t want to spend the next four years missing my kids and being away from family and not really enjoying the process.” This very much echoes a recurring theme from Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards, who in his two terms typified dissent to his agenda as a divisive “Washington” politics while agreement with it denoted a desire to “unify” and make progress.

LSU firing idiot appropriate, but changes little

Not just on philosophical grounds, but more relevantly on practical grounds Louisiana State University was correct in terminating a graduate student’s assistantship for levying a direct threat of harm against a state lawmaker – and dramatically increasing his employment chances down the road.

Last week, LSU sociology graduate student Marcus Venable, who must have an excitable nature, lost it upon learning Republican state Sen. “Big” Mike Fesi had voted to overturn Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto of HB 648, which prohibits (from the start of next year) surgical or chemical sex alterations of minors, legislation that correctly understands research shows a significant proportion of children who do this express regrets and that a significant proportion have underlying psychiatric issues that don’t improve even after these interventions or non-medical interventions. The outright ban equips parents to safeguard their children better from attempts outside the family to play to children’s transitory thinking, which because their typically underdeveloped emotional and intellectual capacity is suspect, if not goad them to embark upon irreversible interventions.

The successful override so unhinged Venable that he left, from his campus office phone, a profane message to Fesi full of emotion and absent of any facts. While incredibly boorish, most of it, even a part about celebrating Fesi’s death, legally was harmless – until his last sentence, where he declared the celebration would be resulting from “when we put you in the ground.”

Failed overrides leave kids, families at risk

While Louisianans should celebrate the Legislature’s overturning Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto of HB 648 that protects children from unwarranted medical interventions, they should mourn the fact that legislators failed in their responsibilities to uphold parents’ constitutional rights to protect children from harm potentially brought about by ideologue educators and politicians.

HB 648 prohibits (from the start of next year) surgical or chemical sex alterations of minors, correctly understanding research shows a significant proportion of children who do this express regrets and that a significant proportion have underlying psychiatric issues that don’t improve even after these interventions or non-medical interventions. The outright ban equips parents to safeguard their children better from attempts outside the family to play to children’s transitory thinking, which because their typically underdeveloped emotional and intellectual capacity is suspect, if not goad them to embark upon irreversible interventions.

HB 466 and HB 81, also vetoed by Edwards, would have afforded other kinds of parental protections to children. HB 466 would have prevented school employees from psychological coaching of students about their gender identity in ways inconsistent with state instructional standards and protect school employees and students from confusion over pronoun use of students, while HB 81 would have covered pronoun usage like HB 466.

Edwards wrong again, LA remap not coming soon

As has so often been the case with the governorship of Democrat John Bel Edwards, wrong again, yet again on reapportionment.

Edwards’ native pomposity and arrogance came out when he commented on his becoming the first governor in the state’s history to have a veto overridden from a regular session in a veto session. HB 648 prohibits (from the start of next year) surgical or chemical sex alterations of minors, and similar bills the highest court to date to have dealt with these has ruled that, because of demonstrated irreversible adverse effects these have on individuals that haven’t developed emotionally or intellectually enough to decide about these, states do show a sufficient burden of proof to be able to regulate such medical interventions.

About the override he said, “The first time I was overridden, on the Congressional district map, I said the bill was illegal and I expected the courts would throw it out. The courts have done so …. I expect the courts to throw out this unconstitutional bill, as well.”