LAGOP Chairman Calls on Governor to Release Records Related to Scandal-Plagued Business Summit

(Baton Rouge, LA): The Republican Party of Louisiana is calling on Governor John Bel Edwards to answer for the delay in releasing public records regarding his scandal-plagued “business summit” in February. The business summit appeared to be little more than a taxpayer-funded campaign event stacked with Edwards contributors and supporters.

The LAGOPsubmitteda public records request on February 18, 2019 for any and all correspondence related to Democrat Governor John Bel Edwards’ Louisiana Statewide Business Summit to discern whether the governor was in fact holding a taxpayer-funded campaign event to bolster his re-election efforts. The request was made following media coverageindicatingthat numerous speakers at the event were campaign contributors or employees of Edwards. A copy of the request can be foundhere.

The records were due to be delivered on March 18, 2019, but the LAGOP received email correspondence from Governor Edwards’ office on the due date stating “It is now estimated that all non-exempt records will be made available to you on or before April 22, 2019” – a delay of more than 30 additional days, and more than 60 days beyond the original request date. A query regarding the reason for the delay went unanswered as of 9:00am this morning.

“When Governor Edwards was under fire for using taxpayer funds to hold a re-election event, his office repeatedly claimed that his so-called business summit was aboveboard,” said Chairman Louis Gurvich. “Now, once the glare of the spotlight has faded, the governor’s office is stonewalling the release of public records. What do they have to hide? The Governor needs to release these public records so the people of Louisiana get the transparency they deserve.”

The LAGOPsubmitted an additional public records request on February 25, 2019, for any and all correspondence related to closed-door meetings reportedly hosted by Governor Edwards with business leaders. Under scrutiny from the media for the business summit, Edwards’ spokesperson Christina Stephens told The Associated Press that the governor has been hosting “closed-door meetings with business leaders since 2017.” The Governor’s office has not yet responded to this request, a copy of which can be foundhere.

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LLAW: Recent Developments in Terrebonne Parish Should Be Alarming

Recent developments in Terrebonne Parish should be alarming to all Louisiana citizens – especially those along the bayou whose local rights are being overstepped by overzealous trial attorneys and state government overreach. A dangerous precedent is being set with the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ recent appointment of the parish district attorney to conduct damage assessments alleged from oil and gas development in the parish. This is clearly an effort to bypass local elected leadership in outsourcing enforcement responsibility of state and local permits to private lawyers – the same lawyers who stand to benefit financially from their findings. Motivated by self-interest, these hired guns have no regard for the potential impact of lawsuits on thousands of area residents who depend on industry for their livelihoods.

Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch opposes coastal lawsuits because they attempt to stretch the law beyond its intent while ignoring critical facts and involving private lawyers in a space meant for democratically elected decision makers. Targeting the deep pockets of the energy industry does not guarantee that any resulting monetary awards will actually be used for restoration activities.

In this instance, LDNR is putting the cart before the horse by charging the district attorney to develop these models before the department has even identified permit violations – much less investigated any alleged abuses. With such complex issues, a mere comparison of aerial photographs as the basis to determine damages will not provide a complete or accurate picture. Instead of signing on to pursue lawsuits, Terrebonne has already begun to review coastal use permits in the parish.

Parish President Gordon Dove and Lafourche Parish President Jimmy Cantrelle have made it abundantly clear they are not interested in pursuing litigation that singles out an industry that is a major job and revenue creator.

There is a proper role for good regulations that protect the public and for lawsuits that enforce them. But our system of checks and balances breaks down when lawsuits are substituted for policy. It is past time to work together toward constructive solutions - and leave the trial lawyers out of it.                                     

Lana Venable, Executive Director
Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch

Jeff Landry is Showing Once Again That He’s Going to Hold “Honor Code” Accountable

Photo source: NOLA.com

It’s so refreshing to have a grownup in the room when it comes to leadership in the State of Louisiana. The latest is AG Jeff Landry’s opinion issued regarding Gov. John Bel Edwards’ proposed budget.

Landry’s office said the constitution requires the governor to recommend a budget in line with the forecast.

“The constitution requires that the governor submit a budget containing revenues ‘which shall not exceed the official forecast of the Revenue Estimating Conference.’ The governor clearly violated this provision,” the opinion released by the attorney general says.

Read more: Louisiana attorney general: Edwards’ budget proposal illegal

Thinking the Folks in St. James and The Lens May Be Onto Something Here

Earlier this week a plant in Yancheng China exploded, killing a dozen, injuring even more. This most recent explosion at a Chinese plant has been a growing trend in recent years for plants in Red China. The CNN report notes "the lack of safety standards" that has resulted in numerous explosions over the years. In 2016, a Wanhua plant exploded, killing 4 people and injuring even more. These plants have a history of weak safety standards, failed reports, and "management failures." 

If this name, Wanhua, sounds familiar, that's because it is. Remember when we here at Cajun Conservatism reported on the bailout money at taxpayer expense being sent to the Chinese government by Gov. John Bel Edwards and warned about this? Well, this is the company we were talking about. 

Again, why are we financing, at taxpayer expense, foreign corporation with a blatant disregard for the safety of their employees and the surrounding area?

The video on the explosion can be seen here: Dozens killed in explosion at Chinese chemical plant

Link to Lens story: St. James residents slam Wanhua chemical plant plans in Convent

Big News for the Oil and Gas Industry

Photo source: YouTube 

In what looks like a return to offshore drilling, the latest lease sale drew a near record.  

An offshore lease sale held in New Orleans Wednesday drew $244.3 million in winning bids, almost double what a similar lease sale in March 2018 drew.

"Today's lease sale shows strong bidding by established companies, which indicates that the Gulf of Mexico will continue to be a leading energy source for our nation long into the future," Interior Assistant Secretary Joe Balash said in a statement.

Read more: Interior reports offshore lease sale doubled from 2018

More of Uncle Sam Killing Us With Taxes

Photo source: Millennial Money Man

If having you taxed for everything from personal income to private property to gasoline for your vehicle wasn’t enough, Uncle Sam has found another way to crawl into your wallet:

WHEN YOU EXCHANGE a $20 bill for two $10 bills, you don’t pay sales tax on the transaction, even though, theoretically, you are “buying” the tens. The notion is utterly preposterous. Yet if you purchase a gold coin that was created by the U.S. Mint and is legally usable for commercial transactions, in some states you have to pay sales tax on that coin. Uncle Sam also says people who buy and sell such coins are liable for capital gains taxes. Of course, you would never buy a silver dollar from the mint for, say, $35 and then use it to pay for a $1 candy bar, but the point is that such coins are legal tender.

Read more: Sales Of Gold And Silver Should Not Be Taxed

LAGOP: IN RESPONSE TO THE ADVOCATE ARTICLE CONCERNING AN ANTI-RALPH ABRAHAM BLOG POST

I read with interest the article by Elizabeth Crisp published in the March 20 edition of The Advocate to the effect that Republican gubernatorial candidates had begun “sniping” at each other. Her article was based on statements contained in an out-of-state conservative blog calling out one of our candidates for remarks he made in 2016.

Now I am not implying that I agree with the thesis of Ms. Crisp’s article, nor do I take a position on the underlying allegations contained in the blog. However, I do think it is an appropriate time to remind our candidates that the one essential imperative of this campaign season is to defeat John Bel Edwards. The 2015 campaign is not very distant in our collective rearview mirror, and the three year, ten legislative session nightmare under the Edwards administration is an ever constant reminder of the danger of Republican infighting.

Let us not forget that taxes have been raised by $7,000,000,000; the promised government reform has not even been attempted. The state is going broke because of a botched Medicaid expansion. Our citizens are leaving Louisiana at an accelerating pace, and all the while we rank dead last or approach ever nearer the bottom in every state ranking due to high unemployment and low economic growth. Yet John Bel Edwards has the temerity to call the last three years a success. This amounts to an unintended but frank admission that he has no vision for a second term other than still higher taxes and fees, which we would soon enough be called upon to deliver if he were to be re-elected.

Our state is slowly dying, and the Governor has no remedy which will not accelerate the decline. Our Republican candidates must wage this campaign in the knowledge that Republican infighting only assures a second victory for John Bel Edwards, and we must not let that happen! Issues and policy disputes are legitimate matters for the political arena; irrelevant or misleading articles and personal attacks have no place in this contest.

Let us hope that our Republican candidates will confine themselves to the crucial issues which will define our future. The Republican Party of Louisiana wishes them well and appreciates their sacrifices, but the party will not permit a reprise of 2015.

Louis Gurvich, Chairman
Republican Party of Louisiana

If You Want to Get Rid of “Honor Code”, This Isn’t the Way to Do It

Photo source: Baton Rouge Business Report

Eddie Rispone’s campaign has come out with an attack on Ralph Abraham in the first shot in the 2019 campaign to unseat John Bel Edwards in Louisiana. In what is reminiscent of the last race where Jay Dardenne and Brian Angelle incessantly sniped on Sen. David Vitter, which allowed “Honor Code” to walk into the Governor’s office, this is not what a smart campaign looks like.

The focus is the Governor!!!

“Louisiana needs a conservative outsider to help create jobs and improve our state's economy,” Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone’s campaign tweeted Wednesday around the same time that a post went up on a conservative blog attacking Abraham’s conservative credentials.

The post on the Conservative Intelligence Briefing website describes Rispone flatteringly as an “outsider” in the race and takes aim at comments Abraham made amid reports on then-candidate Donald Trump’s lewd Access Hollywood tape remarks. The Conservative Intelligence blog says Abraham “crossed a line” by calling for Trump to remove himself from the GOP ticket and calls him a "top #NeverTrump target."

Read more: Republican sniping begins in Louisiana governor's race amid mysterious anti-Ralph Abraham blog post

Higgins Hosting Veteran's Workshop

Photo source: Military.com

Congressman Clay Higgins, along with the Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office, is hosting a workshop on Monday, March 25th, to assist vets with benefits.

As a veteran, you are entitled to multiple benefits.

Workers from the Louisiana Attorney General's Office, the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs along with staff from Congressman Higgins' office will be there to help.

Read more: VETERANS WORKSHOP NEXT WEEK

MURRILL: AG Landry protecting Louisiana children, including Native American kids

Photo source: The Advocate

The following opinion was penned by Liz Murrill, Solicitor General for the State of Louisiana

As a mother of four, a former special counsel for Indian Affairs in the Governor’s Office, and now Louisiana’s solicitor general — I was surprised to see Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Marketa Walters mischaracterizing a lawsuit Louisiana joined to protect Louisiana children.

Read more: Guest column: AG Landry protecting Louisiana children, including Native American kids

ROMERO: Trial Lawyers are Destroying the Oil and Gas Industry

Photo source: Port of Iberia 

The following was penned by Port of Iberia Director Craig Romero. Romero has also been a former Iberia Parish President and state senator from the Iberia Parish area.

Everyone needs to read this. South Louisiana is trying to make an economic recovery from a very depressed oil and gas industry. These trial lawyers are trying very hard to force feed coastal parishes into filing lawsuits against our entire customer base-every oil and gas company that ever did business in south Louisiana. Our way of life in terms of providing jobs for our children and grandchildren will go away forever. This convoluted cause of action being concocted by greedy trial lawyers against oil and gas companies for wells drilled 30 to 40 years ago claiming they violated permits they obtained way back then. Former Attorney General Richard Ieyoub attempted to do the exact same thing when he was in office by signing contingency fee contracts with trial lawyers to clean up old oilfield sites. In his contingency fee contracts Ieyoub allowed for trial lawyers to estimate the costs of the cleanup rather than environmental scientists. The next state election cycle Attorney General Ieyoub became ex-Attorney General Ieyoub and the people of Louisiana sent him to his house! Legal fees that trial lawyers are aiming at today with these coastal lawsuits are in the tens of millions of dollars-while the rest of us go home with no job to provide for our families. End of story.

Read more: Terrebonne enters oilfield fray: DA commencing environment damage probe

Sen. Kennedy Urges FCC to Reject C-Band Alliance Proposal

Photo source: Wikipedia

Luxembourg shouldn’t reap huge profits at the expense of Louisianans," Kennedy wrote. "A multi-billion dollar, closed-door spectrum deal would mostly benefit foreign-owned satellite companies. The C-band needs to be put up for public auction. Our rural families stand to lose the most when only one or two giant corporations control all of the spectrum access. Competition is what makes America the great nation that it is today.

Read more: Sen. Kennedy Urges FCC to Reject C-Band Alliance Proposal

More of the Louisiana Media Kissing JBE’s Backside

Photo source: Twitter

The liberal bias is shining brightly at The Gambit, a New Orleans newspaper befitting fish wrap rather than news.

Attorney General Jeff Landry has repeatedly called for the rule of law to be followed in the State of Louisiana. Yet, when a hearing on the death penalty was recently conducted in Baton Rouge and family members of victims were allowed to testify, The Gambit called it a stunt on Landry's part and contrasted it to the "bold statement" from Gov. Gavin Newsom in California, who ordered a moratorium on executions in that state. What fair-minded reporting.

The truth of the matter is that "Honor Code" John Bel Edwards has repeatedly decided to bypass both the legislative branch of government and the will of the people of Louisiana. The Gambit would have you believe that these executions are not being done because the drugs used in the procedure are not available. Hogwash. There are a plethora of drugs available for the state's use in carrying out justice for victims and their families. The truth of the matter is that the governor refuses to use these drugs and is pandering to the left. And he's doing this at the expense of the people of the state that desire to see justice finally carried out.

But, don't blame me. I voted for David Vitter.

LAGOP CHAIRMAN'S RESPONSE TO LSU MANSHIP SCHOOL NEWS SERVICE ARTICLE

Photo source: Wikipedia

By way of response to the LSU Manship School News Service article “Why does state GOP recruit so few women to run for office?”,  the Republican Party of Louisiana takes strong issue with the underlying premise stated in the title as well as the misleading facts mentioned in said article. It should also be pointed out that the author of said article did not bother to contact an official spokesperson from the Republican Party of Louisiana (the LAGOP) for an interview or a statement.

The fact is that of the twenty-two women currently serving in the Louisiana Legislature; twelve are Republicans. One more is in the March 30th runoff against a male Democrat largely funded by out-of-state left-wing political organizations, so our party has the potential to soon add another female Republican to our legislative ranks. Of further note is the fact that the number of Democrat females in the legislative delegation has actually decreased since 2015, while the number of Republican females continues to increase.

As regards statewide elected officials, in addition to electing a Republican female as Commissioner of Elections, the fact is that the LAGOP has nominated or endorsed Republican females for U. S. Senator, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Insurance Commissioner, several of whom were defeated in vicious campaigns conducted by “good ole boy” DEMOCRAT political machines. In Louisiana’s most recent statewide race just this last November, two of the four female candidates for Secretary of State were Republican women.

And what about the Republican Party of Louisiana itself? Here again, the facts speak for themselves: Females have served as Chairwoman, Vice Chairwoman (including the current Vice Chairwoman), and Secretary. Most of the LAGOP Deputy Chairs are female, as is most of the party staff, and many of the chairs and members of our Republican Parish Executive Committees are also female, with more arriving every day.

The LAGOP strongly agrees that Louisiana needs to elect more females to public office, a point apparently missed by the Louisiana Democratic Party as the number of its female state legislators has declined. Meanwhile, our party is doing everything it can to recruit, train, organize and assist our candidates, both male and female, as never before. Our growing female legislative delegation and the many Republican females being elected at the parish and local levels of government, solidly attest to this fact. 

Our objection to this article is that it politicizes and thereby demeans a very real issue of fundamental importance to all Americans. This offensive LSU Manship School News Service article does not help the cause of women in pursuing political office, rather the reverse.

Louis Gurvich, Chairman
Republican Party of Louisiana
 

State attorneys general: Donald Trump's national emergency declaration is constitutional

Photo source: USA Today

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry helped pen the below column regarding President Trump’s emergency declaration regarding the border:

In declaring a state of emergency pursuant to the NEA, President Trump is using pre-existing statutory authority to address a legitimate crisis created by lawless conduct at and beyond our southern border. This emergency declaration is not a case of the president relieving himself of restrictions under the law. To the contrary, our president is protecting our country’s borders through means contemplated by Congress and used many times by past presidents for matters less directly threatening than those present on the southern border.

Louisiana abortions fall to 10-year low

Photo source: Google

Abortions here dropped by almost 8 percent in 2018 from 8,706 in to 8,048, the fewest since 2009 when there were 8,167 and the fourth consecutive annual decrease.

Read more: BREAKING: Louisiana abortions fall to 10-year low

Imported Medication Might be Fake

Photo source: Pennside Partners Ltd

Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., recently introduced a bill that would permit Americans to import pharmaceuticals from Canada. The two lawmakers believe their bill will reduce drug costs. But at what cost?

The bill would instead expose patients to potentially dangerous counterfeit drugs. Lawmakers would be wise to vote against it.

Read more: GUEST COMMENTARY: Imported medication might be fake

Could Louisiana Be the Home of the Proposed Space Force

Photo source: ArkLaTex 

Rep. Ralph Abraham has proposed to have Louisiana house President Trump’s Space Force:

“Should you select Louisiana as the headquarters for Space Command, you can rest assured that you will have picked a state that is open for investment and one that has unique qualities ideally suited to support Space Command’s growth and development,” Abraham wrote. “I look forward to working with you on seeing Space Command to the finish line as we take the next step in America’s rich and vibrant history of space exploration and development.”

Read more: Space Force based in Louisiana?

AOC Gets Schooled on Economics by PragerU

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the gift that just keeps on giving.

This woman is technically dead from the shoulders up. And, for the lift of me, I cannot understand why people take this moron seriously. Listening to idiots like this and following their "guidance" will put us all in the same situation Venezuela is now in.

Vote Republican like your life depends on it, because it basically does.

When You’re Trying to Be Cajun……………

Photo source: mlb.com

……..but you’re just not that Cajun. File this one under “things you just can’t make up”.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly has reportedly injured his back after standing too long while boiling crawfish for a Cajun cookout, according to the LA Times.

Read more: MLB player says he was hurt cooking Cajun feast. The culprit? Those pesky crawfish