LANDRY: Think Different: How to Change Louisiana’s Economy

CNBC has ranked Louisiana #49 in America’s Top States for Businesses for 2023. Last year, our State was ranked #48 on that same list. In 2021, we were ranked 44th. Why the low ranking? We were given F’s in Workforce, Infrastructure, Health, and Innovation. We got D’s in Economy, Business Friendliness, and Access to Capital. The only thing we seem to be doing right is that we’re cheap — but that’s not enough to stop this downward trend. 

More than 10% of mortgages in our State are underwater — the worst figure in the Nation. As pointed out in our recent lawsuit against FEMA, this will only get worse thanks to Risk Rating 2.0, or “Equity in Action,” which has altered flood maps and increased flood insurance rates astronomically. For these reasons and more, people are leaving Louisiana in droves, seeking better opportunities for themselves and their families. 

Meanwhile, the Southeast leads the Nation for economic strength, according to CNBC. South Carolina — ranking #7 for Best Economies — is booming, and they’re not that different from us. They have ports, coastal towns, and even similar demographics; but that State has greatly surpassed us in economic prosperity over the past 30 years. They don’t even have S&P 500 companies headquartered there, yet South Carolina is considered one of the most popular places to start a business and build equity in your biggest asset — your home. 

Similarly, Tennessee is boasting the nation’s second-fastest growing economy, acquired mostly through manufacturing. Georgia is reclaiming its old position as a mecca for business and prosperity. Texas added nearly 630,000 jobs last year with payrolls ranking among the best in the country. And Florida is still booming from the COVID days, with the strongest economic growth, a balanced housing market, and plenty of job opportunities. We’re even trailing behind Mississippi and Arkansas. Why? 

Three reasons: workforce, infrastructure, and taxes. Our Education system might be squeaking by on this score board, but the fact of the matter is, we have too many people investing in worthless degrees rather than critical skills that our State desperately needs, such as welding, engineering, and cyber innovation. We need to return to the trades, and prepare students for careers that can actually offer a respectable living, high quality of life, and the ability to build a family, buy a home, and achieve stability. A Gender Studies degree doesn’t contribute to our State; the ability to build, repair, and envision something different might. 

Next, our infrastructure needs investment. Take Highway 30 for example, where half a billion dollars in annual wages and over 4,000 jobs in Ascension Parish rely on this stretch of road. The highway was supposed to be widened to six lanes years ago, but no action has been taken, resulting in major bottlenecks, traffic jams, and damage to our communities. But that’s only one example of Louisiana’s decline when it comes to our critical roads and bridges. Without the proper infrastructure, we will continue to struggle economically, because who wants to build a business when no one can get there? 

Finally, our tax system absolutely needs an overhaul so that Louisiana can be a State where businesses are eager to invest. We must reform and modernize our tax code, improve customer service, and compete with states like Texas and Tennessee on a project by project basis. But all of this will take time, just as it took time for Louisiana to slide down to the bottom of the list. We must be vigilant, we need to be smart, and we must embrace change — because one thing is clear: what we’ve been doing hasn’t worked and we’re only getting left behind. 

If Louisiana is to join the ranks of Southern States that are succeeding, we must make different choices. We want the people of Louisiana to be proud of our culture and our food, but also our work, our creations, and our ingenuity. We want people to move back home, and bring their talent back to our State. But to do that, we need to imagine New Orleans being more like Charleston or Nashville; Bossier City more like Phoenix and Tampa; and our infrastructure more like leaders such as Minnesota and the Dakotas. That is possible — but it requires us to choose differently, and this is our year to do just that. 

Jeff Landry
Louisiana Attorney General

LA FREEDOM CAUCUS APPLAUDS VETO OVERRIDES

BATON ROUGE—The Louisiana Freedom Caucus (LAFC) applauds the override of several important bills vetoed by our lame duck governor. Thanks to the efforts of the caucus and conservatives in the House, there were enough votes to override three important bills.

HB 648 that prohibits surgery and use of puberty blockers solely for the purpose of attempting to change the sex of a minor child. The Senate also voted to override the governor’s veto. This bill becomes law.

HB 399 by LAFC member Rep. Kathy Edmonston to mandate that parents have to be informed about exemption options for vaccines required for attendance at Louisiana schools. The Senate failed to override this bill.

HB 125 that prohibits some ownership of agricultural land by foreign adversaries. This bill failed to get the votes to override in the Senate.

“Shamefully, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder worked tirelessly to prevent Republican members from bringing their vetoed bills up for reconsideration. Only after being informed that Louisiana Freedom Caucus members were prepared to bring a motion to remove him as Speaker did Schexnayder relent and allow the other bills to be heard,” said Louisiana Freedom Caucus Chairman, Alan Seabaugh.

Seabaugh continued, “Thankfully, House members were able to override the vetoes on three bills vetoed by liberal Governor John Bel Edwards. We are proud to have played a significant part in this historic process today. We wish a few more of our Republican colleagues would have taken their jobs more seriously and been here for the votes many of which came only one vote short.”

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We're Going to Defeat Big Tech Censorship: Louisiana AG and Gov Candidate Jeff Landry on his Historic Legal Battle

PRESS RELEASE: CFNL Releases State-Wide Poll for Governor / Legislature

Citizens for a New Louisiana is proud to release a statewide poll conducted July 6-10, which surveyed the Governor’s race and public opinion of the State Legislature. The poll was conducted by Greg Rigamer, with Bernie Pinsonat providing political analysis.

Jeff Landry continues to dominate the field, receiving 30% of those surveyed with democrat Shawn Wilson coming in second place with 20%. All other gubernatorial candidates polled in single digits.

70% of those surveyed believe that the state legislature was irresponsible in the preparation and passing of the state budget. Only 10% felt that they acted responsibly. Furthermore, 55% think the state is heading in the wrong direction compared to 24% who think it is in the right direction.

Read more: PRESS RELEASE: CFNL Releases State-Wide Poll for Governor / Legislature

Landry Reports $9 Million Cash on Hand, $4.5 Million Raised Since April

 Historic $2 million raised in the month of June 

Lafayette, La. — Today, Jeff Landry announced that he has $9 million cash on hand with $4.5 million raised from April 8 to July 7. In June, a historically difficult time to raise money, Jeff Landry raised a record amount of over $2 million. 

“I am incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from people across our state. Louisiana deserves a government as good as her people,” said Jeff Landry. “With your continued support we will finally have safer communities, a great education system, and bring jobs and talent back home.”

LANDRY: Why BESE is Wrong on LEAP

Louisiana has dominated the country recently for our athletic achievements. Last month, LSU won college baseball’s World Series - the seventh national championship in program history. In the Spring, Kim Mulkey led LSU’s women’s basketball team to a national title. And this week, LSU became the only SEC school to have the top overall pick in the four major professional drafts (MLB, NBA, WNBA, and NFL). Clearly, our State’s schools can be a breeding ground for champions. So why are we so complacent when it comes to education?  

Recently, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Second Education (BESE), announced its support for a waiver system that would ultimately remove the LEAP test requirement. If BESE were allowing students to opt-out of these exams because they were succeeding -- with excellent grades, strong work ethic, and the ability to complete a special project related to their chosen profession -- that would be one thing. But BESE is actually lowering standards at our public schools simply to pass children through the system like a subpar widget on an industrial conveyor belt – and with that I take issue.   

Granted, it is the opinion of our office that BESE is within the law in removing the LEAP requirement; but just because you can do something does not mean that you should. According to witnesses at a recent school board meeting discussing this very issue, we learned that there are students in this State who are graduating at the top of their class while illiterate. Roughly 46% of our public schools have an “A” or “B” rating while only 30% of their students can read at their grade level. And we have employers in this State complaining because their recent hires can’t read or do basic math. That is probably why some at BESE believe that the Legislature should mandate LEAP tests, removing this decision from their board entirely — because we have to uphold basic standards in education one way or another. 

As the son of a school teacher who was incredibly passionate about her work, I can tell you that if teachers were allowed to teach, inspire and fan an inherent passion for learning, rather than be tied to a multiple choice test, we might not be in this predicament. However, we simply cannot let students graduate from high school and enter the workforce if they cannot read. In fact, students should not be allowed to graduate from the third grade without being able to read — let alone reach college illiterate.   

Yet every time we lower standards for our children we harm them. And I am willing to wager that if a student is able to graduate without being able to reach the most basic levels of proficiency in reading and arithmetic, they will fail in their career endeavors — resulting in many inevitably falling into a life of crime or addiction. It can’t be a coincidence that as we lower our educational standards we also see a surge in juvenile crime, with the consequences for such crimes drastically watered down as well. By reducing our standards, lowering our expectations, and just letting people pass go without any challenges to overcome whatsoever, we produce under-educated citizens for our State who are unable to move up and out of their circumstances, further feeding our sense of hopelessness. 

Of course, this does not apply to athletics. If sports coaches at LSU have poor performances for more than one season, they get fired and their programs are overhauled. Yet our education system has been failing our children for years. And similar to our criminal justice system, we cannot repair the damage done until we have full transparency and complete accountability. Until we achieve that benchmark, voiding this exam does more than hurt our children — it gives us a false sense of security within a failing model. That is why I am calling on BESE to do the right thing and get back to the basics. Otherwise, they do more than fail our children, they fail our entire State — and that’s a trophy no one wants to win. 

Jeff Landry
Louisiana Attorney General

Landry Launches Second TV Ad: In Their Shoes

LAFAYETTE, La. — Today, Jeff Landry released his second televised advertisement in his campaign for Governor of Louisiana.  This is a seven-figure ad buy that will be broadcast statewide on tv, digital, and social media.  The ad highlights Landry’s small town background and the Louisiana values of hard work, family, and faith that were instilled in him at an early age. 

“My mother was a school teacher, my dad a small-town architect. Times were tough, but we had faith, and we had each other. 

Digging ditches in a sugarcane field, serving our country, working nights as an officer, raising a family—I have walked in the very shoes of the people who struggle way more than they should in a state as blessed as this one. 

We can have a state government that fixes problems and delivers solutions.”

Kennedy: We can lower cost of insulin without adding to federal budget

“We need to be smart enough to figure this out. And the cost? I think it can be done for $250 million a year, and I'm not talking about taking out a reverse mortgage on Alaska and borrowing more money. I'm talking about finding it in our budget.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today questioned witnesses in the Senate Appropriations Committee on the bipartisan Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2023, which he and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) introduced this March. Their bill would cap the price of insulin for all patients, including those who are uninsured, at $35 for a 30-day supply.

Key moments from the committee exchange include:

“We need to stop nibbling around the edges. We need to be smart enough to figure this out. And the cost? I think it can be done for $250 million a year, and I'm not talking about taking out a reverse mortgage on Alaska and borrowing more money. I'm talking about finding it in our budget,” said Kennedy.

 “The federal budget is 6,000 billion dollars every year—and we can’t find $250 million to cap the price of insulin? Let's do it right,” Kennedy concluded.

 Background on the Affordable Insulin Now Act:

 More than 14 percent of Louisiana’s adult population has been diagnosed with diabetes, and more than 30 percent of adult Louisianians are pre-diabetic.

 Louisiana alone spends an estimated $5.7 billion a year on direct medical expenses for those who are diagnosed with diabetes. By ensuring that insulin is affordable, the long-term cost of care for patients will decrease over time as more Americans are able to prevent complications including heart disease, kidney disease, strokes and other diagnoses.

 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, medical costs and lost work and wages for people with diagnosed diabetes total $327 billion yearly, and the American Diabetes Association has asserted that diabetics account for $1 of every $4 spent on health care in the U.S.

 A national study projected that improving access to insulin for uninsured patients could help avoid complications of diabetes and deaths related to the disease. As a result, the health care system could save substantial amounts of money on providing care to uninsured diabetes patients.

 The Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2023 would:

•  Require private group or individual plans to cover one of each insulin dosage form (i.e., vial, pen) and insulin type (i.e., rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting) for no more than $35 per month.

•  Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to reimburse qualifying entities for covering any costs that exceed $35 for providing a 30-day supply of insulin to uninsured patients.

• Be fully paid for by an offset and not add to the federal deficit.

Kennedy’s efforts to save taxpayer money by defraying insulin costs include:

• In August 2022, Kennedy introduced an amendment to President Biden’s inflation reduction Act to cap insulin costs.

• In June 2022, Kennedy penned an op-ed outlining the benefits of making insulin affordable for diabetic Louisianians.

• In September 2021, Kennedy introduced the Seniors Saving on Insulin Act and the Vital Medication Affordability Act in an effort to make insulin and epinephrine more affordable.

• In August 2021, Kennedy introduced the Ending Pricey Insulin Act to address skyrocketing insulin prices.   

Troy Hebert on Jeff Landry

Former political rivals, now allies, Jeff Landry and Troy Hebert have had a colorful past. On Friday’s program, Jim Engster discussed the Governor’s race with former Sen. Hebert and got his thoughts on Jeff Landry’s run for the seat. Below is a short segment from that program in which Hebert discusses their past, the merits of Landry’s campaign and announces his support for his candidacy.

MIGUEZ: Protect What We Cherish the Most

Continue the journey with me through a story sown from the heart of family life and the hustle of small business, to standing up for our Louisiana values in Baton Rouge. I’m ready to represent District 22 in the Louisiana State Senate, pledging to protect and serve our community. Together, we hold the power to create change! #MiguezForSenate #OurLouisiana

Kennedy announces $10 million to Ascension, St. Charles Parishes for flood protection

“I am thankful for this $10 million, which will help protect Louisianians’ properties in St. Charles and Ascension Parishes from flood damage.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $10,032,981 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana flood mitigation efforts.

“I am thankful for this $10 million, which will help protect Louisianians’ properties in St. Charles and Ascension Parishes from flood damage,” said Kennedy.

The FEMA aid will fund the following:

• $7,046,627 to Ascension Parish to elevate 37 structures.

• $2,986,354 to St. Charles Parish to elevate 16

Kennedy, colleagues urge Biden to ensure NATO countries follow through on defense spending pledges

“The lack of sufficient progress is politically and economically unsustainable. American citizens rightly question why our government disproportionately bears the burden—decade after decade—for Europe's defense.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and a bipartisan group of 33 other senators in urging Pres. Joe Biden to ensure that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members follow through on their past commitments of defense spending ahead of the organization’s summit.

Throughout last year, only seven NATO members met the defense goal, including the U.S. Excluding the U.K., none of the other members who met the requirement are major economies.

“Failure of many of our allies—including some of NATO's largest members—to meet commitments of 2% of GDP on defense has the potential to undermine American support for the alliance, severely limits Europe's ability to contribute to our shared interest in defending against Russia, and is a source of long-term instability in Europe, not to mention frustration for American taxpayers. We are not asking our NATO allies to do anything they have not already pledged to do,” the senators wrote.

The U.S., which accounts for roughly half of the combined alliance’s GDP, pays 70 percent of NATO's combined defense expenses.

“The lack of sufficient progress is politically and economically unsustainable. American citizens rightly question why our government disproportionately bears the burden—decade after decade—for Europe's defense,” they continued.

“That disparities in NATO member defense spending have persisted for so long is incompatible with genuine partnership,” the lawmakers concluded. 

Last August, the Senate unanimously adopted an amendment to require NATO members to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defense.

In 2014, during the Obama-Biden Administration, all NATO members pledged to maintain or meet the two percent defense spending guideline within 10 years.

Kennedy penned this op-ed urging Germany to pull its weight against Russia by contributing what it promised to NATO and also spoke on the Senate floor about the need for Germany to follow through on its defense spending pledge.

 The full letter is available here. 

Energy Industry Restores Our Coast and Protects Our Communities

Lawsuits against the energy industry are holding Louisiana back

Outside of charitable partnerships and investments, Louisiana’s energy industry is the number one private investor in our state’s coastal program. In a recent letter to the editor, Grow Louisiana Coalition executive director Marc Ehrhardt explains how revenues generated from offshore lease sales and energy production fund coastal restoration and hurricane protection through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA).

Not surprisingly, frivolous lawsuits against the energy industry have led to nothing and contributed $0 to coastal restoration. Instead, these lawsuits continue perpetuating the harmful lawsuit culture impacting Louisiana’s potential. Louisiana’s energy industry is restoring our coast and protecting our communities, not lawsuits.

"Over the last 15 years, Louisiana’s energy industry has contributed more than $1 billion to coastal restoration and hurricane protection through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act."

-- Marc Ehrhardt, Grow Louisiana Coalition Executive Director

Read more: Letters: Energy industry is building the coast

Louisiana Freedom Caucus Supports Veto Session

To Override Wrongs Inflicted upon Louisiana by Governor Edwards’ Veto Pen

BATON ROUGE—The Louisiana Freedom Caucus (LAFC) supports bringing the legislature back into session to right certain wrongs Governor John Bel Edwards has once again inflicted upon Louisiana.

The number one most egregious veto strikes down a law that would protect minor children from suffering irreversible surgical procedures and puberty blockers used for the sole purpose of trying to change the child’s biological sex.

Another irresponsible Edwards veto would continue the over-taxation causing the economic devastation to our beloved Louisiana that has driven out business and caused our children to move to other states for employment. Further still, he vetoed a bill that creates an obstacle for a federal effort to replace the American dollar in Louisiana with a Central Bank Digital Currency controlled by the federal government. This form of digital money allows the federal government to control what you are allowed to spend your own money on, to assess fines and automatically deduct them from your account, and to determine how much of this money you actually have.

Edwards even vetoed bills that would require healthcare facilities to tell you up front what certain things will cost and to disclose that you are not required to have certain vaccinations.

For these and other reasons, the LAFC wholeheartedly supports the veto session and will work with others to inform and garner votes to override some of the most harmful Edwards vetoes.

“On his way out the door as a lame duck governor, John Bel Edwards has vetoed several bills which are badly needed by the people of Louisiana. He has vetoed common sense tax reform, protections for innocent children and bills that give law enforcement the tools they need to fight violent crime. The Louisiana Legislature has the ability and the duty to stand up for the people of Louisiana and overturn his hurtful vetoes. We are looking forward to convening on July 18,” said Louisiana Freedom Caucus Chairman Alan Seabaugh.

“The Louisiana Freedom Caucus is ready to lead the charge in overriding the liberal agenda of the governor. Protecting our children, eliminating unnecessary taxes, and restoring funding to conservative districts cut as a means of retribution will be our main priorities,” said Louisiana Freedom Caucus Vice Chairman Larry Frieman.

“The governor’s vetoes are evidence of ‘business as usual’ in Louisiana government. The status quo bars our citizens from better health and better opportunities and prevents our state from rising out of the pits of long-term federal government dependency. We have the authority to override. We should use it!” said Louisiana Freedom Caucus Secretary-Treasurer Beryl Amedée.

LANDRY: American People 1, Ministry of Truth 0

Latest Ruling on Louisiana and Missouri vs. Biden et al.

Despite the breathtaking arrogance of the Biden Administration and his cadre of federal bureaucrats, the Louisiana Department of Justice has won an historic injunction against them: effectively stopping federal agencies and White House officials from colluding with social media companies to censor your protected speech. As of today, the Ministry of Truth is officially on notice. 

The evidence of illegal censorship in this case is both shocking and overwhelming. In fact, as Judge Terry Doughty stated in his ruling, “if the allegations made by Plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States’ history.” 

Our evidence shows systematic political bias across this federal “Censorship Enterprise,” which overwhelmingly targeted conservative political speech, especially speech criticizing the Biden Administration and its policies. For example, senior federal officials ultimately decided what Americans could and could not say on platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and others regarding COVID-19, elections, government officials, and more. Such actions made these federal officials self-appointed arbiters of truth for all Americans under the guise of fighting “misinformation” and “disinformation.”

This was done, as claimed by senior national-security official Jen Easterly, the director of CISA, to protect America’s “cognitive infrastructure,” because it was “dangerous” to let Americans “pick their own facts.” In order to control this process, officials from the White House on down pressured, threatened, and berated social media platforms to stifle the speech of their political opponents, as well as everyday Americans on issues related to the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine injuries, the now-widely accepted lab leak theory, and even the Hunter Biden laptop story. 

Our evidence also demonstrates that the FBI pressured social media platforms to perpetrate “account takedowns” of hundreds of American social media users on a monthly basis, as well as collaborated with CISA in acts of trickery and deception to further induce censorship by social media companies. The U.S. State Department also collaborated with CISA and private research groups to establish a mass-surveillance and mass-censorship program across all major social media platforms — but that stops now. 

Today’s historic ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana is meant to stop this unconstitutional censorship in its tracks. As Judge Doughty observed, “the question does not concern whether speech is conservative, moderate, liberal, progressive, or somewhere in-between. What matters is that Americans, despite their views, will not be censored or suppressed by the Government.” That is why we look forward to litigating this very important case to conclusion on behalf of all Louisianans and Americans injured by this shocking abuse of federal power.

Jeff Landry
Louisiana Attorney General

Liz Murrill says local officials acted unconstitutionally during COVID pandemic

“From the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the vast majority of leaders at the federal, state, and local levels engaged in completely irrational decision-making, while claiming complete autocratic power to justify those bad decisions,” Murrill said. “This behavior began at the federal level, with federal bureaucrats ultimately leading by example and providing justifications for similar behavior at the state and local levels with a complete disregard for the law.”

Read more: Liz Murrill says local officials acted unconstitutionally during COVID pandemic

Rep. Clay Higgins Calls for Override Session

Our Democrat Governor vetoed the bill protecting children from genitalia mutilation and chemical gender reversal.
  
His legacy is horror.

Let’s see if our Republican legislature does anything about it. We the People demand a veto-override session. pic.twitter.com/qfpMgWxPLc

— Rep. Clay Higgins (@RepClayHiggins) July 1, 2023

LAGOP: From The Chairman

Several important United States Supreme Court rulings have been handed down over the last several days. As conservatives we ought to take note of these rulings, not only because they affect us personally in many ways, but also because conservatives are guided by the laws and founding principles upon which this country was created. Unlike the progressive left, we are most certainly not guided by neo-Marxist ideology. Thankfully, most of these cases went our way.

This past Monday, the Supreme Court Justices “unfroze” action on the Louisiana congressional redistricting case, and simply lifted the hold which the nation’s highest court had placed on further action by the lower federal courts. This action relates back to the Supreme Court’s June 8th 5-4 decision in Allen v. Milligan, which rejected the Alabama congressional redistricting plan previously approved by its legislature, and required that a second minority congressional district be included in the new plan. 

Many have asked me where all this leaves the Louisiana redistricting plan? Well, the Supreme Court has now sent the case back down to the full U. S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. While the ruling in the Alabama case is certainly a serious setback for the Louisiana redistricting plan, it does not necessarily mean that our state will be forced to create a second minority congressional district. 

While Alabama and Louisiana share many demographic similarities, their geography is a different matter. It would be more difficult to create a second minority district here than in Alabama, where a large and relatively compact minority population exists in the Birmingham area. Our one minority congressional district (the 2nd) is already strung out along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge for some considerable distance, and a new minority district will be even more difficult to create without violating all of the other traditional criteria used in American redistricting plans over the last several hundred years. Stay tuned as the situation develops.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court had one of its best days ever as it more strongly reaffirmed in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, the principle that using race in college admissions is a practice which is barred under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. Chief Justice John Roberts was quoted in part as follows: “The Harvard and UNC admissions programs cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause.” That’s about as plain, simple, and forceful as it gets, and the nation can finally begin to close out a disgraceful era spanning several decades of its history, during which the American government sanctioned and even mandated racial discrimination in violation of its bedrock promise of equal treatment.

Also on Thursday, in the case of Groff v. DeJoy, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in a major case involving freedom of religion, that a postman could not be compelled to continue to work on Sundays, against his religious conviction that Sunday is a day of rest. This case overruled a 1977 case which allowed an employer to deny making allowance for religious accommodations if the employer incurred serious costs by so doing.

In a victory for the doctrine that Congress must clearly delegate its authority before any other branch of government can claim its powers, the U. S. Supreme Court today issued a 6 to 3 ruling along ideological lines striking down the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan in the case of Biden v. Nebraska. The Court found that the statute which the administration had relied upon did not give Biden’s secretary of education the sweeping authority to forgive hundreds of billions of dollars in student loans with the waive of his pen.  Ironically, the Court’s decision cited Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comments during a press conference in 2021 to the effect that only an act of Congress could forgive the debt. Thanks for the help, Nancy!

Widely touted as a $400 billion dollar debt forgiveness to college graduates which would have to be paid for out of the pockets of average American taxpayers (most of whom were not able to attend college), the true eventual cost would likely have been in excess of a trillion dollars! Had the Court ruled the other way, this would have set an awful precedent for future students to borrow excessively in the belief that such debts would eventually be forgiven. It would also have brought the nation measurably closer to bankruptcy.

In a big win for freedom of speech, the U. S. Supreme Court today ruled in 303 Creative v. Elenis that Colorado could not force Lorie Smith, a graphic designer, to create artwork which violated her religious beliefs. Ms. Smith wished to create wedding websites, but under Colorado law if she did so, she would be forced to create same-sex wedding sites. In the usual 6-3 ideological split, the majority found that the First Amendment prohibited a state from forcing a website designer to create websites with messages and photos with which the designer disagreed. This is a victory for freedom of speech, and no, it is not an anti-gay ruling by the nation’s highest court, as the progressive left would have you believe.

So there you have it. While we await the action of the U. S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in the redistricting case, we can take comfort in the knowledge that we have won important victories involving our fundamental rights.

Louis Gurvich, Chairman
Republican Party of Louisiana

Louisiana Family Forum Statement On Edwards' Veto of HB648

Friday, June 30, 2023 (BATON ROUGE) –

Today, John Bel Edwards fulfilled one of the worst promises he has ever made to Louisiana as Governor. Using a veto pen, JBE ignored the life-long threats to children by those who seek to profit from sexualizing minors without consideration of the serious harm and mental anguish that these false medical promises deliver. Governor Edwards has no right to harm a single child, yet he just did!

By issuing a veto of HB648, Governor Edwards has ignored the will of the people as expressed by their elected representatives and embraced a radical agenda that places (aberrant) adult desires over the protection of children.

HB648 by Rep. Gabe Firment protects children from politicized medical procedures. HB648 protects minors from the harms of medical experimentation in the form of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and irreversible surgeries. By enacting this urgently needed policy, Louisiana would have joined 20 other states that have passed similar legislation, which is overwhelmingly supported by a vast majority of Louisiana.

Elected officials have a duty to protect residents’ health and safety. This responsibility is even more essential when the protection of vulnerable children is involved. Children who experience discomfort with their biological sex deserve dignity and respect and need compassionate, effective mental health care. Unfortunately, political activists and profit-driven gender clinics have deceived many into believing that life-altering and sterilizing puberty blockers and surgeries would solve this struggle. Such “treatment” may yield profits for providers, but the data shows it only brings harm and regret to recipients. 

The Louisiana Senate voted 29-10, and the House voted 71-24 in a bi-partisan fashion in favor of HB648. Denominational leaders from around Louisiana implored the Governor to protect children in a recent letter.

Members of the Louisiana Legislature are now faced with the responsibility to ensure what the Governor has failed to do – Protect children and restore the “do no harm” standard of practice over the medical care provided to children.

Gene Mills, President of Louisiana Family Forum, holds that “Failing to override the governor’s veto on HB648, is a dereliction of an elected official’s duty to protect children. A veto override session is not optional, it is obligatory this year, especially now that the health and welfare of children is at stake.“

LFF’s message to the Legislature is:  Protect Louisiana children. Override the Governor’s veto. Ensure that HB648 becomes law.

AG Landry Visits with Maria Bartiromo on Crime Problem in Louisiana