Alarmists hoisted on own petard by hidden report

As it turns out with the now-halted and controversial Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project, the climate alarmism behind it injected into its formation by the Democrat former Gov. John Bel Edwards Administration ended up hoisting it onto its own petard into suspension, if not downsizing or even termination.

Upon taking office, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry expressed skepticism that the project, the initial stages of which were underway and which would cost $3 billion. Its goal was to divert sediment from the Mississippi River at points around 60 to 70 miles above its outlet into the Barataria Basin in order to rebuild about 21 square miles of land over 50 years. However, there would be spillover effects including destruction of marine habitats that would disrupt oyster and shrimping industries plus other marine life (pushing one species to the brink of extinction) and disrupting negatively flood insurance administration in Plaquemines Parish which would bear the brunt of and opposed from the start the project. The final analysis of it concluded that it would convey slightly higher benefits compared to costs in resources and damage.

Then last month Landry announced a halt of work on it. Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers revoked the environmental permit associated with it, citing the suspension. But it also listed other factors into the decision, including that the state “deliberately withheld information … that the state knew it should provide … [for] consideration whether to include that information” for the purposes of issuing the permit. In other words, the Edwards Administration deceptively kept information from the Corps that could have altered the final decision.

Marching term limits bills to worry Bossier jurors

Don’t look now, Bossier Parish Police Jury, but term limits may be headed your way, if momentum takes hold from actions of one of its own parish’s state senators on behalf of other parishes.

This week, SB 103 and SB 113 both advanced onto the Senate floor. Both bills, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Alan Seabaugh, would call for votes to impose term limits on the police juries in Sabine and De Soto Parishes, respectively. No parish governed under state statutes as yet has term limits, although Lincoln Parish may do so under statute but that depends upon its jury calling for an election, which it has not yet.

Something to that effect happened in De Soto, where in February of last year the five Republican and one no party jurors voted in favor to authorize the jury president to request the legislation, against the five Democrats. SB 113 would establish a three-term limit prospectively presumably if approved for 2028 and beyond. It represents a switch from a 7-4 defeat only months earlier, where in the meantime elections occurred and while a couple of holdover jurors swapped votes, two long-time (32 and 20 years) incumbents who had voted against in 2023 were defeated by newcomers who voted for in 2024.

No back door to universal closed primaries in LA

More well-read advocates of closed party primaries in Louisiana, particularly Republicans, may have become excited needlessly by a recent, if misleading, article about the possibility of applying these to all elective offices in Louisiana by the waving of a magical judicial wand.

Last year, when state lawmakers made considerable revisions to election process, they carved out closed primaries for certain offices – U.S. Senate, U.S. Representative, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Public Service Commission, and the Supreme Court, joining that of presidential electors – while excluding any local, all other judicial, statewide single executive, and legislative offices. Conservative activists in particular were pleased to see this move away from the state’s nonpartisan/nonpreference election system – technically not even a primary election (although often referred to as a “blanket primary”) but rather a general election with the possibility of a runoff where candidates regardless of party affiliation ran together – as it would produce candidates with greater ideological fidelity without members of the other major party able to exert influence selection of favored candidates.

Party activists generally had hoped to see closed primaries applied to all elections, but political realities – specifically, the legislators and governor involved in making this change all had come into office under the blanket primary, so they felt their office selection method not broken and needing no fixing – intruded. But recently, some false hope was offered for extension of closed primaries from a posting by a special interest group advocating legal and policy reforms through increased transparency.

For BC, stronger term limits = better govt

If Bossier Citians really want to disable endless insider government of their city, they’ll need to vote this Saturday for the two ballot propositions at their local precinct that will put in place the most restrictive term limits in the country save those of the U.S. presidency.

On Mar. 29, voters approved ballot propositions that installed three consecutive term limits starting with councilors’ and Republican Mayor Tommy Chandler’s assumption (reassumption for Chandler and three councilors) of office on Jul. 1. But this May 3, just weeks later, they’ll be asked to approve two other propositions – the only items on their ballots – that would bring about three term limits for life, retroactively. That means Chandler and the three councilors can run for reelection only once more successfully or, if they defer then, they can run just once more successfully at any time in the future.

At first glance, voters may be temped to shrug off trooping to the polls just for these two items, reckoning that term limits, if less restrictive, already are in place. However, they need to consider the case of current and outgoing GOP Councilor David Montgomery.

Lawmakers look set to make bad laws stink less

After years of trying, two of the most odious laws regarding motor vehicle operation designed primarily as revenue grabs appear to be on the verge of amelioration, although if legislators have real fortitude to follow through they would neuter these completely.

SB 99 by Republican state Sen. Stewart Cathey provides further deterrent to the use of traffic enforcement cameras, following up on changes last year. Those alterations, in providing increased due process protections, also increased expenses to local governments making use of these less attractive. The bill would increase the deterrent by subjecting officials of the jurisdictions using these to malfeasance charges, which Cathey thought would improve matters as he perceived many of the provisions recently enacted were being ignored – which has validity, if a recent incident of an egregious violation of the law in West Baton Rouge Parish is any indicator.

Speed cameras still would be legal, however, and more loophole closings could be employed that both make revenue generation for its own sake more difficult and allow for greater due process. The bill could be amended to mandate requirements of (1) taking pictures both of license plates and faces (2) that must be clearly recognizable after review by a police officer verified by a city or district judge (3) from a camera proven calibrated accurately taking only vehicle and people photos only during posted times (4) subject to criminal, not civil, proceedings in order to get a conviction.

Unneeded law school in NW LA would waste money

Other than both employment and financial data not backing the idea, putting a state-supported law school in small-town northwest Louisiana might work.

Last week, Northwestern State University in Natchitoches announced it would seek establishment of a law school on its campus stating in fewer than 18 months. That would constitute a Herculean effort to have the necessary resources obtained, several faculty members hired, and accreditation secured. It would be the first located not in New Orleans, where there are private Tulane and Loyola, or Baton Rouge, where there are public Louisiana State University and Southern University.

For decades, complaints have circulated in the northern part of the state that not being near a state law school hampered provision of legal services. The Metroplex and Little Rock were the next closest locations for much of the area, and these out-of-state locations weren’t much closer than the state’s two largest cities for most living in the area. NSU alleges it has letters of support from lawyers in the area.

College crisis will deepen without big change

That the severe financial struggles at the University of New Orleans now have been joined by those at the University of Louisiana Monroe send yet another warning signal about how Louisiana higher education will face rough waters for years to come unless some basic rethinking and restructuring occur.

Problems cropped up years ago at UNO as its student population dipped precipitously in the wake of the hurricane disasters of 2005, with that number falling some five-eighths since the fall, 2004 semester. ULM’s problems have not been so enrollment-related, with its number down just a percentage point over the two decades, but it has seen a six percent decline since the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic began plus it has seen a significant falloff in its doctorate-level pharmacy graduate program.

And, both made mistakes that translated into financial problems. For example, UNO got away from the basics and flirted with new trendy/boutique programs, while ULM picked up a white elephant building that causes spending in the red on its behalf.

Easter Sunday, 2025

This column publishes five days weekly after noon U.S. Central Time (maybe even after sundown on busy days, or maybe before noon if things work out, or even sometimes on the weekend if there's big news) except whenever a significant national holiday falls on the Monday through Friday associated with the otherwise-usual publication on the previous day (unless it is Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, Christmas, or New Year's Day when it is the day on which the holiday is observed by the U.S. government). In my opinion, in addition to these are also Easter Sunday, Memorial Day and Veterans' Day.

With Sunday, Apr. 20 being Easter, I invite you to explore this link.

Bossier school pay hike product of politics

Now, was that so difficult? But why didn’t happen sooner and without being told once and warned again not to hike taxes to do it?

Last week, the Bossier Parish School Board sprung pay raises onto district employees. Starting next academic year, educators would receive $2,500 more annually, while other personnel would net 4.75 percent more. The cost will start at $10.6 million more annually.

Of course, among staff and school board members many risked breaking their arms trying to pat themselves on their own backs so vigorously. Most obsequious in effusive praise was Superintendent Jason Rowland, who surely brought tears to the eyes of all involved when he talked lovingly about how the board “cares so much about their [sic] school system.” Closely following him on that score was Republican Member Erick Falting, who a few months ago berated taxpayers for not coughing up more tax dollars to let him spend more, relating how pleased as punch he was to see this happen.

Chance to end wasteful tax credit needs taking

Two bills enter, one bill leaves. But one would be a far better choice than the other regarding Louisiana’s wasteful Motion Picture Production tax credit.

Now almost a quarter-century old, the controversial program that over the years has cost taxpayers billions of dollars going almost exclusively to wealthy, out-of-staters, as in almost every year, this year faces reform efforts in the state Legislature to repair its loss to taxpayers of 60 cents on the buck. Two bills seek to make changes, with both sponsors interestingly next-door neighbors in northwest Louisiana.

SB 232 by Republican state Sen. Adam Bass is by far the most anodyne of the pair, and if anything possibly goes backwards if evaluated on reducing corporate welfare. It loosens several restrictions in current law, such as a cap on awards to a project, while transferring operation of it to the Department of Economic Development but maintains the maximum 40 percent rebate on production expenses. It appears to be an attempt to create more flexibility in the credit’s administration geared towards genuine economic development benefitting state residents rather than a bribe to anybody willing to make a film or television series.