LAGOP: Louisiana Gets Soaked as John Bel Edwards Shifts Campaign to Taxpayer Dollars

Baton Rouge, LA – It was clear this weekend that John Bel Edwards didn’t suspend his campaign, he just traded in the RV for a helicopter. And he made sure to save a seat on the helicopter for one of the reporters covering the Governor’s race. Before Barry even had a name, Governor Edwards announced that he would reschedule the rest of his campaign kickoff RV tour.

His campaign staff couldn’t help themselves. They immediately took to social media and started patting themselves on the back.

Their campaign team quickly handed the reigns to the communications staff for the Governor’s Office, who kept right on campaigning. Trying to soak up all the free media coverage that comes with any natural disaster and taking to Twitter to celebrate their success.

Yes, while the residents of Louisiana were scrambling to prepare for inches of rain and storm damage, the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff is bragging about column inches and media coverage. Real classy. But it sure looks like that taxpayer funded helicopter ride paid off.

Those Louisiana residents, searching for the latest weather information, who grew tired of press conferences and staged photo-ops, turned to the Weather Channel for information or maybe their local news…where they were met with JBE’s campaign commercial.

When the Governor wasn’t flying members of the press to his staged photos-ops and wasn’t paying the Weather Channel to show his campaign commercial. He was holding press conferences where at times it appeared, he could barely contain his love for the media spotlight.

Between a press conferences, Governor Edwards was busy making sure he stayed in front the media, by calling into CNN and MSNBC multiple times over the weekend. How many Louisiana residents get their severe weather news from CNN and MSNBNC?

The Governor’s Office originally announced that he would be touring the impacted areas on Sunday but had to cancel those plans because it was too windy to take the helicopter.

Hey Governor, if you really wanted to tour the impacted areas on Sunday, we know where you can find a brand-new RV that isn’t being used.

Of course, this tour had little to do with surveying damage and everything to do with staying in front of the cameras for as long as they will let him. Which is exactly why a new member of the media got offered a free ride on today’s helicopter tour and “press gaggles” were pre-planned for every stop.

When severe weather strikes Louisiana, the real news story is the local men and women who brave the storm to help their neighbors. Not the guy in a different colored, custom embroidered fishing/disaster shirt thrusting himself in front of cameras and microphones from a secure location.

Thank you to the first responders. Thank you to the Louisiana National Guard. Thank you to the local city and parish workers. Thank you to the electrical lineworkers and pump operators. We appreciate the long hours you spent getting Louisiana ready for this weekend and the work you are doing this week to get our communities cleaned up.

Thank you for working when the cameras aren’t running.

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LANDRY: Utilize the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Following Barry

Attorney General Jeff Landry, Louisiana, provided the below information on Twitter today regarding scam artists and natural disasters. Good information following our recent experience with Hurricane Barry.

Unfortunately, natural disasters attract con artists & scammers hoping to prey on people who are down on their luck. The National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) has a hotline set up for you to confidentially report suspected disaster related fraud!

NUNGESSER: Never A Good Thing to See Cantore

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser took to Twitter to share a photo of himself with Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel today.

It's never a good thing when you see @JimCantore @weatherchannel but glad to call him a friend. pic.twitter.com/hOS9o9AlI4

— Office of Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser (@LouisianaLtGov) July 12, 2019

LANDRY: State of Emergency Declaration Puts Price Gouging Laws in Effect

Photo source: Facebook

BATON ROUGE, LA – With the Governor declaring a state of emergency, Attorney General Jeff Landry encourages Louisiana consumers to be conscious of price gouging.  

“It is an unfortunate reality that some people and businesses attempt to take advantage of consumers during and after natural disasters,” said General Landry. “I strongly encourage consumers who suspect price gouging to contact their local law enforcement agencies."

Read more: State of Emergency Declaration Puts Price Gouging Laws in Effect

Oil Workers Evacuate GOM Rigs as Storm Strengthens

Photo source: Rigzone

The storm’s forecast track means it will have more time over warm Gulf waters that will fuel its strength, said Jim Rouiller, chief meteorologist at the Energy Weather Group in Philadelphia.

In addition to wind, the system is expected to swamp coastal areas of Louisiana with a life-threatening storm surge. Cotton, orange juice and sugar all rose on fears that the storm will disrupt supply.

Read more: Oil Workers Evacuate GOM Rigs as Storm Strengthens

Clay Higgins Shares Personal Experiences Regarding Obamacare

On a recent visit to Fox News, Congressman Clay Higgins from Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District shared his personal experiences with the train wreck called Obamacare. Higgins described the decisions that that he and his family had to make regarding groceries or insurance during his time as a law enforcement official..

LCCM Announces Endorsements for Fall Elections

Continues Plan for Conservative Senate and Solidifying Conservative House

BATON ROUGE, LA - The Louisiana Committee for a Conservative Majority announces new endorsements for legislatives races to be decided in the 2019 fall elections. Those endorsements are:

Heather Cloud, Senate District 28

Robert Mills, Senate District 36

Stewart Cathey Jr., Senate District 33

Senator Beth Mizell, Senate District 12

Mike Reese, Senate District 30

Reggie Bagala, House District 54

Daryl Deshotel, House District 28

Rick Edmonds, House District 66

Michael Echols, House District 14

The Louisiana Coalition for a Conservative Majority (LCCM) previously LCRM, the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority, has had a powerful impact on the Louisiana Legislature, helping turn what was once Democrat-held chambers into strong Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate. LCCM raised $3.7 million over the previous two cycles and has raised over $1.25 million this cycle. 

Last year LCCM made early endorsements in the following State Senate races:

State Representative Cameron Henry, Senate District 9

State Representative Kirk Talbot, Senate District 10

State Representative Reid Falconer, Senate District 11

Businessman Michael Fesi, Senate District 20 

Now is the time that LCCM plans to hold conservatives accountable. With its most recent round of endorsements, LCCM will build on previous wins of LCCM supported candidates this cycle, now Representatives John Stefanski, Raymond Crews, Mike Johnson, and Chris Turner. Additionally, LCCM submarined a surging Democrat turned Independent in St. Tammany, assisting in electing now Representative Mark Wright. 

John Schroder, Another Louisiana Hero Fighting JBE's Corrupt Administration

In what is turning out to be a lesson in not taking what doesn’t belong to you, Louisiana Treasurer, John Schroder, has denied “Honor Code” the ability to raid yet another “piggy bank” in the state, the unclaimed property account. Schroder is the guardian of unclaimed monies for the citizens of Louisiana, which is in this account. However, it seems like the hogs in Baton Rouge have, for years, raided this account to plug holes in the general budget.

Treasurer John Schroder said he won’t let Louisiana spend $25 million from the state’s unclaimed property account for general operating expenses this year, calling the regularly used financing mechanism illegal.

The decision threatens to create a hole in the state budget only a month after lawmakers finished crafting it.

Louisiana collects unclaimed dollars from old savings accounts, payroll checks, stocks and dividends, insurance proceeds, oil royalty payments and utility deposits on behalf of residents who are owed the cash. The treasurer’s office, designated as the custodian of the unclaimed property, tries to locate people and return the money.

Though governors and lawmakers for decades have spent money from the unclaimed property escrow account on programs and services, Schroder said he and his office’s lawyers don’t believe Louisiana law permits the transfers.

Read more: Louisiana treasurer withholding $25M planned for budget

RGA: Left Behind

The Republican Governors Association’s PAC, Right Direction, has issued the latest video in the campaign to defeat “Honor Code” John Bel Edwards.

This Needs to be Campaign Issue #1 in “Honor Code’s” Re-Election

Edwards signed criminal justice reform legislation in June of 2017. The state’s prison population currently sits at approximately 32,000. We are in a virtual tie with Oklahoma as the incarceration capital of the United States. The state’s prison population reached an all-time high of 40,170 in 2012.

At the end of 2017, Louisiana had a violent crime rate of 566 such crimes per 100,000, according to the FBI. In 2018, the first full year of criminal justice reform, the state’s violent crime rate dropped slightly to 557 per 100,000. That makes Louisiana the 47th most violent state in the nation.

Unfortunately, our 30-continuous years of holding the title of the state with the highest murder rate per capita went unchallenged in 2018.

Read more: Dan Fagan: Thanks to so-called Louisiana justice reform, bad criminals get our early

LAGOP: Hosts of JBE’s Campaign Kickoff Targeted in FBI Vote Buying Investigation

Amite, LA – Last weekend, John Bel Edwards kicked off his campaign for reelection in his childhood hometown of Amite, Louisiana. The event was hosted by Amite Mayor Buddy Bel and emceed by Amite businessman Tom Brumfield.

Yes, this is the same Buddy Bel accused by the Amite Police Chief of cutting the power to the local evidence room and allowing it to be robbed.

Yes, this is the same Buddy Bel that was subpoenaed by FBI investigators regarding his connection with a vote buying scheme in Tangipahoa Parish.

Yes, this is the same Tom Brumfield that was ALSO subpoenaed by federal agents regarding his involvement with the same vote buying investigation.

According to an exclusive report by The Advocate: The FBI has cast a wide net, examining parish races going back to 2011, two sources stated. Yet agents have taken a special interest in certain political operatives, including Louis Ruffino, a former mayor of Roseland who for years has offered "get out the vote" services to local candidates.

Long-time Tangipahoa Sheriff Daniel Edwards, John Bel Edwards’ brother, said he never hired Ruffino, the north shore operative who is under federal investigation. But John Bel Edwards acknowledged paying Ruffino $8,750 ahead of his 2011 re-election to the Louisiana House of Representatives to put up signs and perform other “routine campaign work”. The Governor’s spokesman and current campaign manager, Richard Carbo, noted that the payment was properly recorded in campaign finance reports.

“If you believe that John Bel Edwards paid an elderly mayor $8,750 to put-up a few campaign signs… I’ve got some Mardi Gras tickets to sell you,” commented LAGOP Communications Director Jason Harbison.

Of course, federal investigations connected to the Edwards family have been ongoing in Tangipahoa Parish for generations. While Sheriff, Daniel Edwards has been involved in multiple federal investigations; federal agents even confiscated his computer as evidence in one of their investigations.

Their father, long-time Sheriff Frank Edwards Jr., was also investigated by federal authorities during his campaign for reelection. In fact, former Sheriff Edwards was so frustrated by one federal investigation that he tried to sue a Special Agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

It seems the apples didn’t fall far from the tree.

State's tort laws encourage litigation, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana says

Photo source: www.law.com

BATON ROUGE – Jeff Albright, CEO of Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana, believes auto insurance premiums in Louisiana are among the highest in the country because there are double the amount of claims in Louisiana than any other state.

"The reason for our high insurance premiums in Louisiana is very clear," Albright said. "We claim that we are injured in car accidents twice as often as the national average. If we make twice as many claims we will pay more for insurance."

Read more: State's tort laws encourage litigation, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana says

Louisiana Citizens for Job Creators: Justice for Who?

AG Jeff Landry is once again being the voice of reason in the midst of the debacle that is the Edwards Administration's Criminal Justice Reform. This so called reform has once again failed the victims of violent crime. The latest example of this travesty comes to the people of Louisiana at the expense of a 6 year old child murdered by former police officers in Marksville, Louisiana. This child was an innocent bystander in his father's car when Officers Norris Greenhouse and Derrick Stafford fired shots at the vehicle, killing Jeremy Mardis. 

Officer Greenhouse was convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to over seven years in prison but was released after serving less than 2 years. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Parole say that his original conviction is not a violent offense, making him eligible for release. 

AG Landry said, "Unfortunately, (Greenhouse's) early release is yet another example of the lack of transparency in our criminal justice system, as it relates to victims and their families." Thank you AG Landry for continuing to stand up for the rights of victims and their families and calling out the lack of accountability within the Edwards Administration's Department of Corrections. 

Read more: Ex-officer released after serving time for killing boy

KENNEDY: Someone needs to tell AOC the voices in her head aren’t real

Our own Senator from Louisiana, John Kennedy, had the following to say recently regarding the buffoon and clown from New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her claims regarding illegal immigrants:

“Let me be frank. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez...someone needs to tell her that the voices in her head are not real. She says that the men and women of our border patrol and our authorities are intentionally running concentration camps on the southern border. She needs to go to the Holocaust Museum and see what a concentration camp is. The problem we’re having at the border, a problem that Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has helped create is that we have 5,000 people a day, not a week, not a month, a day coming into this country. And we don’t have a place to put them. The Department of Homeland Security is out of money and the congresswoman knows that. She says the conditions are inhumane. But yet, when we send a bill over to her to vote to improve those conditions, she voted no. Her hypocrisy is breathtaking. This is the bottom line. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez believes that illegal immigration is a moral good. And she believes that the border is just a nuisance and it should be open; and, I don’t think that’s what America believes.” 

Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana

Read more: Sen. John Kennedy calls out Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “Her hypocrisy is breathtaking”

Remember the Officer Involved Shooting in Marksville that Killed an Autistic Kid?

Photo source: WAFB

If you do, then this should enrage you. After serving less than two years of a seven year sentence, this killer was freed from prison.

"I want to remind everyone that this case dealt with the tragic death of a child," Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said in a statement Monday. "Mr. Greenhouse's early release is a disappointment."

"Unfortunately, (Greenhouse's) early release is yet another example of the lack of transparency in our criminal justice system, as it relates to victims and their families," Landry said.

Read more: Ex-officer released after serving time for killing boy

CCAGW Thanks Chairman Grassley for Opposing Foreign Price-Controlled Drugs

Dear Senator Grassley,

On behalf of the more than 1 million members and supporters of Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I am writing to thank you for opposing the Trump administration’s proposed International Pricing Index (IPI) model, an ill-advised regulatory effort that would base Medicare Part B pricing on foreign price-controlled drugs.  CCAGW agrees with your statement, “I don’t think that this administration's approach on international pricing is going to be to the benefit of the adoption of and research for modern drugs.”

Read more: CCAGW Thanks Chairman Grassley for Opposing Foreign Price-Controlled Drugs

Democrats Falsely Take Credit for Republican AG Jeff Landry’s Sweeping Louisiana Healthcare Bill

Photo source: Twitter 

 “A Democratic campaign arm attempting to give John Bel Edwards credit for my Legislation, developed with Republican leaders, to protect pre-existing healthcare conditions without Obamacare,” Landry charged Tuesday. “A bill he attacked. THAT’S RICH. Thank you for recognizing the bipartisan support.”

Read more: Democrats Falsely Take Credit for Republican AG Jeff Landry’s Sweeping Louisiana Healthcare Bill

Or, Better Worded, Governor Signs Jeff Landry's Healthcare Bill Into Law

Trying their best to cover the backside of the liberal governor they love so much, Louisiana media has reported that “Honor Code” Edwards, who once called the healthcare bill recently passed by the legislature a “fig leaf” for Attorney General Landry, has signed that same bill into law.

After calling the bill a “fig leaf” aimed at saving Louisiana’s attorney general from embarrassment, Gov. John Bel Edwards quietly signed into a law a measure pushed by one of his political rivals that aims to eventually offer some protections to patients if the Affordable Care Act is overturned.

The bill was backed by Attorney General Jeff Landry, and authorizes the state’s insurance commissioner to study other state’s health care models to come up with a potential replacement for the ACA’s individual health exchange. It would only be necessary if the ACA is overturned--which is the goal of a lawsuit that Landry has joined.

Read more: After criticizing health insurance bill, Gov. Edwards signs measure pushed by Jeff Landry

The Roses and Thorns of the 2019 Session

By: Gifford Briggs, President of the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association

The 2019 legislative session has finally come to a close. For those that thought this would be a quick and uncontentious two-month session for lawmakers, boy were they wrong. This session, even without another budget crisis, did not run short on its list of roses or thorns.

There were a handful of bills that passed this session that enhanced the environment for the oil and gas sector. The oil and gas industry will be able to participate in carbon dioxide sequestration, thanks to Rep. Raymond Crews filing House Bill (HB) 163. This bill allows the Office of Conservation and the Commissioner to promulgate rules to permit carbon sequestration. This bill, now law, was a collaboration between industry, regulators, and lawmakers to provide another environmentally friendly way to deal with excess carbon while producing energy.

Additionally, LOGA worked hand in hand with Rep. Blake Miguez to provide some clarification to the tax code. Due to a “unique” interpretation of Louisiana tax codes, oil companies in three parishes have recently been assessed a property tax on goods that was previously not taxed. Thankfully, this measure passed and on the October ballot will be a constitutional amendment to provide for a property tax exemption for goods bound for the Outer Continental Shelf, providing needed clarity for Louisiana’s offshore operators.

Louisiana will also experience one of the largest infrastructure investments in decades. Thanks to the teamwork of Rep. Tanner Magee, Sen. Rick Ward, and a coalition of pro-industry and business groups, Louisiana is set to receive nearly a $700 million investment for transportation projects. The best part about this investment is we, the taxpayers, are not on the hook for the tab. Instead of using taxpayer dollars, HB 572 directs BP Deepwater settlement dollars to these infrastructure projects, like the LA1 Improvement Project that connects to Port Fourchon.

However, it was not all cheers this session. There were two bills that received approval from the House but failed to receive approval from the Senate Finance Committee. These bills, HB 188 and HB 256, looked to provide a severance tax exemption for stripper and incapable wells when the price of oil was under $75. We thank Rep. Jim Morris for his help with these bills and for his support of the oil and gas industry as he now completes his tenure as a Louisiana state representative. 

Louisiana missed a huge opportunity to begin the process of cleaning up our legal system and to lower our auto insurance rates. The missed opportunity came in the defeat of HB 372, the Omnibus Premium Reduction Act of 2019 by Rep. Kirk Talbot. This piece of legislation looked to tackle our outrageous auto insurance rates by instituting common sense legal reforms. The legislation received overwhelming support in the House but would make it no further than the Senate Judiciary A committee, the “King’s Landing” of the Senate… where all tort reform measures are scorched.

Now that session has ended, we can take the time to reflect on what’s next. Louisiana ranks 50th in best states to do business and 50th in best states in the nation; those numbers are dismal. We have some of the highest auto insurance, sales tax and severance tax rates and unfortunately the oil and gas industry is all too familiar with the impact that unnecessary Legacy and Coastal lawsuits have had on our industry. It is clear that Louisiana is in need of a change in direction and in our great democracy there is no better way to make that change than by having your voice heard in the voting booth. Elections are right around the corner, now is the time to engage.

LAGOP: Former Edwards Administration Official Admits to Stealing Over $550,000 from Hospital Charity

Prosecutors say Funes stole gift cards intended for cancer patients

(Baton Rouge, LA) – A member of the Governor’s Healthcare Transition Committee pled guilty in a Baton Rouge Federal Court today to charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

Federal Investigators caught John Paul Funes chartering private flights for his friends and family while forcing the Our Lake of the Lake Foundation to cover the expenses by creating fraudulent bills for “outbound patient transports”. Investigators also discovered Funes repeatedly stole gift cards intended for cancer patients and spent them for his personal benefit.

After being elected Governor, John Bel Edwards named John Paul Funes to his Healthcare Transition Committee and tasked the committee with developing a plan to expand Medicaid in Louisiana.

The Governor’s expansion of Medicaid was a disaster. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been wasted, tens of thousands of people have been kicked out of the program, and thousands have died on waiting lists.

Conservatives in Louisiana have been shocked at the amount of fraud and waste and have been wondering for years why an Administration would make so many mistakes with so much taxpayer money at risk.

Today we found out why.