Editor’s Note: by Robert H. Wright, Member, Republican State Central Committee – District 31-G
Like many conservatives across Louisiana, I was proud to be one of the first members of the Republican State Central Committee to endorse Governor Jeff Landry. I believe in his vision to reform our state, improve public safety, grow our economy, and return Louisiana to the principles of accountability and integrity.
However, I am deeply concerned about recent vetoes targeting infrastructure and development projects in districts represented by legislators who opposed certain administration-backed bills. While I understand that politics often involves strategy, withholding critical resources from local communities—especially those in need—sends the wrong message to the very people we were elected to serve.
Vetoes aimed at punishing legislators don’t actually hurt those lawmakers—they hurt the citizens in their districts.
Consider the project to widen Highway 71 in South Bossier Parish. This initiative would create a second entrance and exit for Parkway High School. Currently, the school has only one way in and out, creating serious safety and congestion concerns—especially for inexperienced student drivers. A second outlet would not only improve traffic flow but significantly enhance safety for students, staff, and parents.
But this isn’t just a traffic issue—it’s a matter of security. Many students at Parkway High School are the children of active-duty military personnel stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base. The base is a well-protected “hard target.” In contrast, Parkway High School is a “soft target.” In a worst-case scenario, if attackers aimed to disrupt the military community, the school could be vulnerable. With only one entrance, it would be easy to block access, delaying emergency response and leaving students and staff at risk. A second exit would provide an essential alternative route for law enforcement and emergency responders—making the campus more secure and resilient.
When projects like this are vetoed out of political retribution, it’s not legislators who suffer—it’s the families, the students, and the communities who pay the price.
The citizens of Louisiana voted for change—real change in how government operates. These actions, unfortunately, remind us of past administrations, where line-item vetoes were used to punish, bully, and intimidate legislators into compliance. That is not the change we voted for.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Louisiana cannot continue down the same old path and expect to rise from the bottom of nearly every national ranking. We consistently rank near the bottom on education, healthcare, and economic opportunity—and near the top on crime and poverty. This must change.
Governor Landry has the opportunity to be the most consequential governor Louisiana has seen in a century—or he could go down as just another missed opportunity. This term can be “John Bel 2.0,” or it can be the true transformation our state so desperately needs. The choice is his.
We need to build a Louisiana where families thrive, where our children want to stay and raise their own families—not flee for better opportunities elsewhere. The actions taken by our governor will determine whether our population grows or continues to decline, as it has in recent years.
My support for Governor Landry remains grounded in the belief that he genuinely wants to make Louisiana a better, safer place. But that transformation must include all regions of the state—not just those in political agreement. Leadership is about building consensus, not punishing disagreement. It’s about lifting every community, not dividing them.
Let’s work together to ensure that no part of Louisiana is left behind—and that the safety of our students is never used as a political bargaining chip.