We tend to do these once in a while, particularly when the governor’s press office dumps out a bunch of them like they did today.

What originally brought this series on was the lawsuit the monks in Covington are fighting against the regulatory board attempting to stop them from making caskets. If that’s not a state-sanctioned restraint of trade nothing is. But it’s a drop in the well – we’ve got so many boards and commissions with dubious or wasteful missions it’s embarrassing. And the titles and honors, while nice, long ago went overboard; when Barbara Norton put on that circus with Hurricane Chris the rapper, resulting in our state representatives being regaled with lyrical sexual innuendoes about Halle Berry, it was time to stop honoring people for a while.

So here’s a sampling of today’s board appointments. Bear in mind, this isn’t a shot at the governor, or any of the appointees. Congratulations to them for being tapped to serve. That’s not the point. The point is, do we actually need all this stuff? And do we need the government to do it rather than private folks getting together and organizing it themselves?

Governor Bobby Jindal Announces the Reappointment of Suzette Magee to the Certified Shorthand Reporters Board of Examiners

BATON ROUGE – Today, Governor Bobby Jindal announced the reappointment of Suzette Magee to the Certified Shorthand Reporters Board of Examiners.

The Certified Shorthand Reporters Board of Examiners serves to encourage proficiency in the practice of shorthand reporting as a profession, promoting efficiency in court and general reporting.

According to statute, the governor appoints nine members to the board of examiners. Each appointment by the governor shall be submitted to the Senate for confirmation.

Six members must be certified shorthand reporters, two members must be attorneys, and one member must be a judge. Excluding the judge, one appointee shall be appointed from each congressional district and one appointee shall be appointed from the state at-large.

Suzette Magee, of Breaux Bridge, is a certified court reporter for the 15th Judicial District Court in Lafayette.  Magee will be appointed to serve as a certified shorthand reporter from the 3^rd Congressional District, as required by statute.

Governor Bobby Jindal Announces the Appointment of Roger Villere, Jr. to the Louisiana Bicentennial Commission

BATON ROUGE- Today, Governor Bobby Jindal announced the appointment of Roger Villere, Jr. to the Louisiana Bicentennial Commission.

The Louisiana Bicentennial Commission serves to plan and develop activities appropriate to commemorate the bicentennial of Louisiana’s statehood, including a limited number of projects to be undertaken by the state seeking to harmonize and balance the important goals of ceremony and celebration with the equally important goals of scholarship and education.

According to statute, the board is comprised of three members appointed by the governor, three members appointed by the lieutenant governor, three members appointed by the president of the senate, and three members appointed by the speaker of the house.

Roger Villere, Jr., of Metairie, is the President of Villere Corporation. Villere will be appointed to serve as a gubernatorial appointment, as required by statute.

Governor Bobby Jindal Announces the Appointment of Julie Kane as Louisiana’s Poet Laureate

BATON ROUGE – Today, Governor Bobby Jindal announced the appointment of Julie Kane as Louisiana’s poet laureate.

The state’s poet laureate will serve a two-year term and must deliver an annual reading in a location designated by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.

According to statute, the poet laureate is chosen from nominations submitted by a selection committee appointed by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Nominees must have had their poetry published in books, anthologies, literary journals, or magazines and must reflect the diverse cultures and heritage of Louisiana.

Julie Kane, of Natchitoches, is a professor of English at Northwestern State University.  She is a recipient of the National Poetry Series Award, the Donald Justice Poetry Price, a Fulbright Scholarship, and was selected as a juror for the National Book Award in Poetry.  Kane will be appointed from nominations submitted by a selection committee appointed by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, as required by statute.

[sigh]