The LaGOP has turned a new page. Long-time Chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party Roger Villere has retired and the party is pleased to announce its newly elected Chairman, Louis Gurvich and other members of the executive committee.  Here is the press release:

On Thursday, the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) released a poll of Louisiana conducted by a collaborative effort of pollsters Bernie Pinsonat and Greg Rigamer, voters have strong feelings about the government and the Internet, in light of the Net Neutrality and the now almost-ubiquitous use of that service in Louisiana and in America.

What’s going to happen with the popular tuition program for Louisiana university students, called TOPS?  Will any part of the penny sales tax that was passed as a temporary measure two years ago remain on the books? Back then, the legislature, facing a nearly one-billion dollar shortfall that needed to be made up in a matter of three months, arising from the Governor Bobby Jindal administration budget meltdown worsened by lower oil prices, opted for a single penny sales tax that will sunset later this year.  

“Laughing their asses off,” though a common phrase, took its place in the political vernacular when President Donald Trump used it to describe Moscow’s reaction to U.S. investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump didn’t say if this assertion was based on personal knowledge, or information and belief, but it’s untrue, whatever its basis. Russia knows that Robert Mueller is getting the goods on its meddling and things are going to get worse.

Cirque du Soleil is returning to New Orleans this month to launch Corteo, its latest North American touring production. The Quebec-based entertainment company has made Louisiana a major hub for pre-production and launch of its North American tours in recent years.

The Louisiana legislative fiscal session starts today, is scheduled for no more than 17 days.  A week later, the regular session begins. For the first time ever, session watchers will be able to watch live streamed legislature information on Facebook and Twitter and on Bayoubuzz.com.  

Robert Mueller fired a shot across the bow of the U.S.S. Donald Trump with a preliminary set of indictments that detail some of the efforts by Russian actors to influence the 2016 election. The indictments should lay to rest many of the purely partisan efforts to discredit the Russia investigation. Though just one element of the dissection of Russian crimes against the United States, the indictment criticizes, besides unwitting Republican foils, U.S. banks, PayPal, Twitter, and Facebook, among others, for being duped by foreign actors who used purloined identities, including social security numbers and driver’s licenses.