Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has announced changes in the LSU Board of Supervisors.

Today,  Edwards announced the following appointments: Jack A. “Jay” Blossman, B. Wayne Brown; Robert S. Dampf; Chester Lee Mallett; Rémy Voisin Starns and Mary Leach Werner.  They will each serve a six year term set to expire on June 1, 2024. 

It is difficult to fathom how Louisiana legislature and our Governor John Bel Edwards have gotten us in the situation where fiscal matters dealing with the budget are more chaotic now than they were after the traumas and horrors of Hurricane Katrina. But they are. 

Last night, the House Republicans ran out the clock, preventing any further opportunities to emerge for a late, last-minute deal. They were adamant that they were not going to budge on the revenues increase. Nor were the Governor and others willing to toe the line on spending and on raising taxes. 

Louisiana has been called the Culinary Mecca of America.  Folks in this part of the country can take just about anything edible and make it not just good, but quite exceptional.  And when we say anything, we mean everything.  There is virtually no limit to what a Cajun will put in a gumbo. Well, because of federal restrictions, there is one thing-horsemeat.

For years, Congress has banned the sale of horsemeat for consumption in the U.S. But that could well change under the proposed budget by the Trump Administration.Now I’ll admit that most of us do not regularly run down to our local supermarket to check on whether a fresh shipment of horsemeat has arrived.  But I’m not all that enamored by eating nutria, a large rat, that is regularly publicized as a tasty dish by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.  So, to each his own.

Forgive me, but, I think I’m coming down with a bad case of Future Shock. At least, after discussing technology and digital cities with Chelsea Collier, the founder of Digi.City, I am somewhat in awe as to how far along the way other cities and countries are in making themselves smarter, more efficient, more Internet driven.

 Louisiana Oil and Gas looks for fairness during Louisiana fiscal legislative session as the sixth special session starts today

Today, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and lt. Governor Billy Nungesser are addressing a large crowd in Lafayette Louisiana as part of a new promotion of “Our Louisiana”. The obvious goal is to fashion some type of settlement so that the State of Louisiana can balance this year’s budget and perhaps, create a fairer and more stable method to structure the receipt of revenues and the payment of government services.  The special session, starting today, is the sixth--focused upon dealing with major shortages in the state’s budget.

This just-completed Louisiana regular session was known, in part, for its division—left vs. right, Democrats vs. Republicans, House of Representatives vs. Senators. However, every once in a while, the legislators came to agreements.

The Louisiana legislative session, part two,  is finally coming to an end. Part one occurred earlier this year as a special fiscal session, in which the legislature could not agree upon a budget at all.  However, given that the legislature could not raise revenues during the part two or regular session this year, that just might occur on Tuesday, when another special session kicks off, or, shall we say, legislative session, part three?

Is Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards being fair or is he "over the top", scaring seniors with potential "kick-you-out-of-nursing-homes" letters as a result of the budget standoff with the Republican House of Representatives?  And why scare seniors, Governor Edwards, have you sent out contract-reduction letters to the Saints and the Pelicans?

 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.

Louisiana legislature elections are approaching. A large segment of those legislators who have served the state will be term limited. Is that program, started by David Vitter when he was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, really a good idea, albeit, its popularity?  Do legislators vote their conscience or the the positions of their constituency?

Also, what role does polling play during the Louisiana legislative session?