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SADOW: Will The Voters Infect Louisiana With The ‘Sick Tax?’
Regrettably, Gov. Bobby Jindal recently signed into law what may not be technically a tax increase by law, but in spirit is nothing more than a geographically-restricted version of a “sick tax” that could become a self-inflicted wound across the... (Continue reading)
Elbert Guillory’s ‘Why I’m A Republican’ Video
This will give you chills. It’s evidence that when Guillory announced his party switch at the @large conference 2 1/2 weeks ago he wasn’t kidding about being a Frederick Douglass Republican. And it’s evidence that Guillory is willing to do... (Continue reading)
SADOW: Louisiana’s 49th In Adults With College Degrees, And It’s Not For Lack Of Access
That Louisiana barely maintains second-to-last place among the states in terms of proportion of adult population with a college degrees tells little about resources put into and access to higher education but much about how those resources are deployed and... (Continue reading)
JUNEAU: The Session Might Be Over, But The Problems Sure Aren’t
Perhaps the kindest thing that can be said about the 2013 Regular Session of the Legislature is that it didn’t result in the need for a follow-up Special Session. After confrontation, consternation, confusion, and odd-couple coalitions festered for 60 days,... (Continue reading)
BEAM: A Degree Isn’t The Only Ticket To A Job
John White, the state superintendent of education, isn’t a popular public official among members of the profession. However, he appears to have come up with a program with which many educators can agree. The state Department of Education realizes there... (Continue reading)
The Williams Olefins Plant Explosion
Very bad situation in Geismar. Officials with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) reports that 64 people were injured and one person died in a Thursday morning plant explosion in Geismar, La. Louisiana State Police now confirm that there... (Continue reading)
SADOW: Overdue End Coming To Gov’t-Paid Louisiana Bus Service
There’s no reason to end the LA Swift service. But there’s every reason to end any state or local government involvement in it. LA Swift is the bus service, heretofore paid entirely by the federal government and by small passenger... (Continue reading)
BEAM: Critics Overlook Power Balance
Critics could hardly wait for the legislative session to end before throwing brickbats. Comments from the Council for a Better Louisiana were the harshest of all. “In describing the 2013 regular session of the Legislature, you almost have to say... (Continue reading)
NIELAND: Why Louisiana Schools Need The Common Core
In late May, a Senate Resolution (SCR 68) to block implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative failed in Louisiana’s Senate by a large margin. This is great news for the future of education in our state. Nearly half... (Continue reading)
Now That Ralph Washington Has Switched, Let’s Talk About Lord Bob
I said yesterday I was going to hold my fire on that atrocious column Lord Bob Mann, who parlayed two decades of partisan Democrat spin-doctoring into a sinecure as the Manship Chair of the Manship School of Mass Communications at... (Continue reading)
SADOW: The Leges Failed Big-Time On Fixing The Film Tax Credit
While tax reform to begin the process of eliminating the income tax would have been great to have achieved, the single largest disappointment of the just-concluded regular session of the Louisiana Legislature was almost nothing was done to rein in... (Continue reading)
Louisiana’s Teachers Need a Professional Association, Not a Labor Union
We are at a critical crossroads on the path to much needed education reform. Stakeholders from all walks of life and political stripes are beginning to understand that in order to compete in a global economy we must focus on... (Continue reading)
JENKINS: If You’re In BR, You Might Drop By Tomorrow’s Ronald Reagan Luncheon
Central Mayor Pro-Tem Ralph Washington will be the main speaker at Tuesday’s Ronald Reagan Newsmaker Luncheon, and he will make an important announcement. It should be an important event in East Baton Rouge Parish politics. Cafe Americain, 7547 Jefferson Hwy.,... (Continue reading)
JINDAL: Louisiana Wins In 2013 Lege Session
The legislative session wrapped up this past week in Baton Rouge. I am happy with the results, and you should be too. Let me explain four reasons why. First, we produced a balanced budget that invests in our priorities, doesn’t... (Continue reading)
SADOW: Guillory’s Switch Unhinges Dems; Are There More Black Republicans To Come?
Until last week, the U.S. Senate had more black Republicans in it – Sem. Tim Scott – than did all of the states’ (50 if we include Nebraska’s unicameral body) upper chambers combined. Now they’re even up, thanks to Louisiana’s... (Continue reading)
SADOW: This Year’s Session Was About Populism vs. Principle
At the close of the 2013 regular session of the Louisiana Legislature, some speculated that potentially a new day could be dawning in the state’s politics. That’s correct, but for absolutely the wrong reason cited. The revolutionary aspect of it... (Continue reading)
On Lord Bob’s Racist And Stupid Times-Pic Column…
…I have a lot to say. But I’m not going to say it today. I’m holding my fire on the issue. Rather than respond to his “Republicans won’t get anywhere with black people because black people know Republicans are racist”... (Continue reading)
BEAM: Legislators Stepped Up To The Plate In This Year’s Session
State legislators have every reason to be proud of the independence they demonstrated at their just-ended session. We haven’t seen anything like it from that branch of government in modern times. However, they now face an even tougher job. Lawmakers... (Continue reading)
BURNS: Can The Legislature Be Trusted With The Budget?
In his book, Inside the Carnival: Unmasking Louisiana Politics, LSU political science professor Wayne Parent opines that a strong executive branch is needed in Louisiana because the legislature (reflecting the state’s population) is simply too diverse when left to their... (Continue reading)
JUNEAU: Against All Odds (Looking Back, Part 2)
In my last column, I wrote about the “Election from Hell” between Edwin Edwards and David Duke in 1991 and ended it with the comment that Edwards was returning to the Governor’s Mansion with scores to settle, as the business... (Continue reading)
Quote of the day
Quote Of The Day, June 17, 2013
“Who hired this weirdo? And how many more weirdos like him have been entrusted with top-secret clearance?”- Robert Stacy McCain, on Edward Snowden