Steve Scalise, the Republican House Whip from the 1st Congressional District of Louisiana, who was shot during a baseball practice last year, is the leading candidate for Speaker of the House, as per the most recent Politico, Morning Consult poll.

Scalise has not declared his candidacy for the position as he has supported the House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, but indicated that he might run if McCarthy did not.  According to this poll, Scalise might want to keep the gavel warm as McCarthy is at bottom of pack.

 No Speaker of the House has come from Louisiana, although we have been close. There was Hale Boggs, who was pegged for that position before being killed in an airplane crash. Then, a casualty from the Monica Lewinsky days, Bob Livingston opted not to take the seat and instead, abruptly retired from Congress.

Christopher Tidmore essentially calls it a game of legislative chicken. Which is what the House, the Senate and the Governor appear to be playing this Louisiana legislative session with the budget.  In a recent interview with the political columnist for the Louisiana Weekly and radio talk show host, Tidmore and with JMC Polling and Analytics, John Couvillon, the lawmakers must somehow fill a still-gaping hole in which House Republicans have basically taken taxes off the table after passing a budget protecting the popular TOPS program while shortchanging the health care and higher education vital services.