Sound Off Louisiana

$140 of a $200 “gift” from a nail salon which an inspector of the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC) mysteriously found in a white envelope and which was returned by the LSBC with the statement that such a “gift” is “highly unethical.”

President Trump has touted how strongly his administration intends to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in the Federal government.  We wish we could say the same is transpiring here in Louisiana but, as we’ve already demonstrated, the LSBC, comprised of members all chosen by Gov. Jeff Landry, appears to be actively engaging in or endorsing:

==  Alleged fraud in testifying before the Louisiana Senate Commerce Committee that building repair costs “exceed $1 million” when, in reality, they don’t even total $200,000;

==  Waste in promoting the spending of $700,000 in computer license programming costs when IT experts say doing so is throwing the money into a “rabbit hole” and that the entire licensing function should be outsourced at substantial cost savings; and

== As we intend to demonstrate in this feature:  rank abuse!

We’re going to begin with a brief (four-minute) video of Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns addressing the LSBC on August 4, 2025 about a recurring problem he’s heard from the time he began monitoring the Board, and that being “gifts,” which is the official word chosen by the LSBC to describe what many others with integral knowledge of the Board’s operations have referred to by another term for which we’ll let our visitors use their imaginations to surmise what that term may be:

August 4, 2025:  Burns addresses what the LSBC has described as “highly unethical” behavior regarding a $200 cash payment mysteriously left with one inspector, only to be subsequently uncovered by another inspector.

When Burns first began monitoring the LSBC in 2015, he was told that cash payments were being solicited by inspectors which would prompt the inspectors to then pass the salon being inspected and cite no violations.  The name of one former inspector was provided to Burns with the statement that she was “notorious” for making such overtures to the nail salon owners.

Not that Burns had any reason whatsoever to doubt those telling Burns about the allegedly less-than-subtle overtures for cash payments, but he indicated to those making the allegations that he would not be able to publish anything of that nature without credible evidence that it was in fact transpiring.

Despite continuing to hear reports of such overtures, Burns has steadfastly maintained his stand that nothing could be published without substantiation.

When Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed HB-326 into law on June 20, 2025 resulting in the cost of cosmetology licenses being increased by 40 percent and generating approximately $400,000 a year in fresh new money for the LSBC, his signature apparently marked the final straw for some folk!  We say that because, for the first time, and a mere thirty (30) days after Gov. Landry signed the fee increase into law, Burns received highly specific statements about one such payment.  Furthermore, he was guided entailing what he should seek in terms of a public records request to the LSBC to get the substantiation of a cash payment being made.

Burns was instructed to make a public records request evidencing a “separation of service” for a former inspector, and he would uncover the fact that the inspector had resigned not once, but twice.

We are intentionally refraining from publishing the name of the inspector referenced who resigned twice because we firmly believe in the presumption of innocence until someone either pleads guilty to charges or is convicted in a court of law.

Nevertheless, everything our sources told us did in fact match the documentation we obtained, and what we are going to do is simply present the relevant documents (aside from the separation documents for which we are only going to supply dates and official reasons given for the resignations), and we’ll let our site visitors make their own judgments and/or draw their own conclusions.

We want to again stress, however, that we were receiving reports of similar activity going all the way back to 2015, and we’ve never been given any indication that the practice is comprised of isolated incidents but rather that it is a “pandemic.”  Furthermore, that word was used by a source who should be in a position to know!

Now regarding the multiple-resignation former inspector:

Date of Initial Hire:  April 23, 2018.

Date of First Separation (Resignation):  January 23, 2023.

Reason Stated for First Separation:  Resignation – “Due to inflation, I am forced to seek other employment opportunities.”

Date of Second Hire (same Inspector):  September 9, 2024.

Date of Second Separation (Resignation):  July 17, 2025.

Reason Stated for Second Resignation:  “Resign – Personal.”

Prior to the second resignation, inspector Paulette Garrett, in this hand-written note dated April 4, 2025, explains how $200 mysteriously appeared in a “white envelope” after she completed an inspection of Nail Tech II in Broussard, Louisiana, with said envelope containing $200 in cash money along with a hand-written notation of “Thank you.”  From Garrett’s hand-written note:

To Whom it May Concern:

I was at my last shop for 4/3/25 doing a (sic) inspection Nail Tech II.  After I done (sic) the inspection, I started writing violations.  After the violation I wrote the pink slips, because the owner (sic) wife paid for the violations.  I was running late in the shop, so after I was finish (sic), I went to the rest room, I came back pick up the clip board, told the owner (sic) wife have a nice day, went to my car, drove home.  I got home at 5:00 pm.  I pick (sic) up my inspection sheet off the back seat, pick (sic) up the clip board with the last inspection sheet on it.  I notice a white envelope under the sheet, it had money in it $200.  I call Tywanda Spland the Supervisor.  She told me to Bring it to the office.  I brought the envelope to the office.  The shop located (sic) at 218 A  St. Nazaire, Broussard, La  70518.  Nail Tech II.

<Paulette Garrett signature>

Garrett’s hand-written note was followed up later that same day, April 4, 2025 by this certified letter addressed to Taylor Phasarath at Nail Tech II.  Here’s the letter in its entirety:

We draw attention to the middle paragraph of the above certified letter:

Please refrain from ever providing any inspector or representative of the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology with any gifts because it is highly unethical.

As Burns stated in the video above, he deemed the use of the words “highly unethical” to be “very kind!”

For those curious, here are the violations and check payments for same from Garrett’s 4/3/25 inspection.

When Jeff Landry was elected Governor, some folk in the cosmetology industry as well as other parties were hopeful that it would be a “new day” in the cosmetology industry.

Those same people were disheartened when we stated verbally to them that the new Landry Board seemed totally and completely fixated on gradually raising the cosmetology licensing fee from $25 to $100 (which Burns has captured on video).

The first installment of that attempted increase transpired this past Legislative Session, and Rev. Freddie Lee Phillips, Jr., and Burns tried their best to convince those Legislators making the decision that the fee was not warranted, and Burns referenced the high level of complaints he fields entailing the Board.

Though Burns and Phillips succeeded in scaling the 100 percent proposed increase (from $25 to $50) to a 40 percent increase (from $25 to $35), we believe that the three (3) features we have just presented demonstrate that those in the industry who were against the increase were more than justified for their staunch opposition to the fee increase due to their extreme distrust of the Board.

Some of those folk expressed hope for a Landry veto of the fee increase; however, Burns told them there was no way that would happen because the bill never would have garnered the two-thirds majority required in both the House and Senate for the bill to pass in the first place without Landry’s strong backing.

Landry backed the bill notwithstanding two (2) of his staffers who are at very high levels who have a very thorough and in-depth knowledge of the Cosmetology Board, so that’s just one more instance of our extreme disappointment in Gov. Landry. 

Furthermore, we’re equally disappointed in so-called “fiscal conservatives” such as Sen. Alan Seabaugh, whom we’ve previously praised on this blog, who simply rolled over and voted “yes” for the fee increase.  Since only six (6) Senators voted “no,” we believe they are worthy of special recognition, and so we’re listing them at this time:

== Sen. Regina Barrow (D-Baton Rouge)

== Sen. J. Adam Bass (R-Bossier City)

== Sen. Valarie Hodges (R-Denham Springs)

== Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews (D-Monroe)

== Sen. (and we sincerely hope next U. S. Senator from Louisiana) Blake Miguez (R-New Iberia)

== Sen. Thomas A. Pressly (R-Shreveport).

The House of Representatives literally gave the bill no scrutiny whatsoever!  Nevertheless, we believe the nine (9) Members who voted “no” (and that was on the original bill calling for a $1 million a year increase), whose names appear here, are also worthy of recognition.  Here they are:

== Rep. Berl Amede’e (R-Houma)

== Rep. Raymond Crews (R-Bossier City)

== Rep. Julie Emerson (R-Carencro)

== Rep. Les Farnum (R-Sulphur)

== Rep. Michael “Gabe” Firment (R-Pollack)

== Rep. Jack “Jay” William Galle’ (R-Mandeville)

== Rep. Danny McCormick (R-Oil City)

== Rep. Michael Melerine (R-Shreveport)

== Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn (R-Hornbeck)

So, while President Trump diligently tries to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in the Federal government, it’s obvious that Gov. Landry and State Representatives and State Senators whose names do not appear on the above lists are perfectly content to keep the same fraud, waste, and abuse chugging right along in Louisiana!

Maybe Rev. Freddie Lee Phillips, Jr., can succeed in his efforts to recruit a Legislator to sponsor a bill to roll back the 40 percent increase because, as evidenced by the last three (3) features on this Board, we believe that Gov. Landry and the Legislators’ acts of providing them with that massive fee increase of $400,000 a year was grossly irresponsible!

At the May 21, 2025 meeting of the Louisiana Senate Commerce Committee, Chairman Beth Mizell asks for an explanation of the $700,000 in “licensing software costs” which the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC) submitted in attempting to procure a $1 million a year licensing fee increase.  Mizell’s inquiry prompted State Rep. Rhonda Butler, who sponsored the bill to achieve the $1 million a year fee increase, to point to LSBC Executive Director Steve Young to answer the question.  Meanwhile, LSBC staffer Kiwan Wade, who had previously said, “Yes sir,” when Sen. Mark Abraham stated the LSBC had “over a $1 million in repair costs” looks on.

In our most recent feature, Rev. Freddie Lee Phillips, Jr., openly, and in presenting in our judgment extremely credible support documentation, accused the LSBC of “fraud” in representing to the Louisiana Senate Commerce Committee on May 21, 2025 that its building repair costs “exceeded $1 million,” when, in reality, the Board’s own internal documents showed those estimated repair costs at barely 20 percent of that amount, or a mere $199,500.

The feature attracted quite a few comments and, in particular, contained a Board-sympathetic comment from “Concerned citizen.”  While we feel all of the comments are worth taking the time to read, we’d highly recommend reading the comment authored by Concerned.

In today’s feature, in conformity with what founder Robert Burns said at the conclusion of the video on the last feature, we’re going to examine another suspect representation made to the Louisiana Senate Commerce Committee, and that is the $700,000 in “programming costs” which the LSBC asserts is required to revamp its licensing software (also readily available at the above-linked LSBC internal documents).

Here is a three (3) minute video of the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Beth Mizell, being more than a little curious as to how that $700,000 figure came about, followed by a very evasive answer by LSBC Executive Director Steve Young, followed by a brief segment of Burns stating to the LSBC Membership at its August 4, 2025 meeting just what IT experts have told him on the matter:

Compilation of discussions of the LSBC’s representation that it needs $700,000 to revamp its licensing software operations.

As Burns stated in the above video, he initiated communication to the State Board of CPAs of Louisiana as well as to the Louisiana Auctioneer Licensing Board (LALB).  The Executive Directors of each Board, Lisa Benefield and Sandy Edmonds, respectively, could not have possibly been more helpful in providing their contracts with outside vendors for managing their licensing functions.  Let’s examine each:

State Board of CPAs of Louisiana:

Ms. Benefield provided the contract with their vendor.   She was also gracious enough to include a cover letter dated July 22, 2025 which succinctly states the terms of the contract.  From her letter:

We do have two contracts with a company named “Thentia Cloud” that date back to February of 2022. One contract began in February of 2022 and ended in February of 2025; it was for the development and implementation of a new licensing database. The second contract, also with Thentia, is a one-year renewal of the first contract that began February 16, 2025 and ends February 15, 2026. The first contract was for $150,000 and the second contract was for $65,600.

So, the CPA Board, which is relying upon Thentia Cloud for its entire licensing function, has been receiving this absolutely stellar service (Burns is an inactive CPA who renews his certificate every year and the process is seamless, efficient, and has been flawless) for an incredible $50,000/year (increasing to $65,600 for the 2025-2026 licensing year).  For that price, the Board needs minimal personnel to accomplish its licensing mission, and just the interest on $700,000 would make a major dent in the cost of obtaining this type of stellar service.

Furthermore, by freeing up labor via outsourcing, existing employees can be redeployed to other functions.  Then, once they retire, there is simply no need to replace them.  The reality is that much of the government functions, no differently than in the private sector, are going to be displaced by AI, and every governmental agency would be wise to stay on top of the technology curve to the fullest extent possible.  The IT experts with whom we’ve consulted have all indicated that spending $700,000 on an in-house redevelopment of its licensing operations is simply not the way to do that.

In fact, our lead IT expert whom we contacted for making the statements Burns made in the video above said:  “Robert, what the LSBC is looking at doing is no different than going to Ford Motor Company and saying, ‘look, you all make some great vehicles, but I want one custom made just for me to the exact specifications I give to you.’  Sure, Robert, Ford can do that, but they’re going to tell you that the price of the vehicle is $2 million!”

Burns then said to the IT expert, “So is it a little like saying I’ll do my own spreadsheet and program it myself rather than using Excel,” to which he responded, “Exactly!”

We want to make it as easy as possible for the Cosmetology Board to reach out to the State Board of CPAs to make inquiries about the Board’s level of satisfaction, etc.  In doing so, we’re going to reproduce the trailer on Ms. Benefield’s emails to us:

Lisa A. Benefield,
Executive Director
State Board of CPAs of Louisiana
601 Poydras Street, Suite 1770
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 566-1244 Main (504) 372-6726 Direct

Louisiana Auctioneer Licensing Board (LALB):

In 2009, Ms. Sandy Edmonds became the Executive Director of the LALB.  When she arrived, what she encountered was an office which had essentially no automation whatsoever.  We should also point out that, though the agency has only about 400 licensees, Edmonds has no support staff whatsoever; furthermore, she is able to serve as Executive Director and handle all of the functions of the office in working only 16 hours a week (her predecessor was a full-time employee and had a part time student worker).

How has she managed to do that?  By being supremely efficient, and that includes digitizing all of the agency’s records and fully automating the licensing process.  Edmonds, like Benefield, was only too happy to provide the LALB’s contract with its vendor.  They rely upon Certemy for managing the licensing operations.  The agency has been paying $5,000 a year and, though there will be an increase at the next renewal, the annual cost will remain under $7,000 a year.  Our IT experts have stated to us that the more licensees an agency has the lower the cost per licensee is going to be because of an ability to spread some fixed costs the vendor incurs over a larger base of licensees.  We would again emphasize, however, that, even at that $7,000/year upon renewal, Edmonds is able to run a full-fledged governmental agency only costing the LALB 16 hours of her time each week!

In the video above, Burns indicated that he would provide the link for Certemy video testimonials, to include the Nevada Board of Marriage and Family Counselors.  Here is the link for those video testimonials.

As we wrap up this feature, we want to present a brief (46-second) video of cosmetologist Erin Grace stating at the July, 2025 LSBC meeting the existing shortcomings of the LSBC’s online license renewals:

July, 2025 LSBC Meeting in which Cosmetologist Erin Grace laments the fact that only individual cosmetology licenses can be renewed online with other licenses (salon, teaching, etc.) having to be renewed by hand.

What we want to point out is that all these other occupational licensing agencies have multiple licenses as well.  For example, the Louisiana State Board of CPAs has individual CPA licenses, firm CPA licenses, and CPA certificate holders (which is what Burns is, hence him always having to state that he is an “inactive” CPA).  Likewise, the LALB has individual auctioneer licenses, auction business licenses, and apprentice license holders.   Licensed CPAs are also required to take a minimum of 80 hours of CPE courses every two years, and the vendor touts being able to track that (inactive CPAs are exempt from CPE requirements).  The license vendors they utilize are obviously easily able to accommodate all of these various licensing types and the CPE tracking, and such should also be the case for the LSBC!

That is going to wrap it up for segment two of this feature, and we want to extend our sincerest appreciation to Ms. Sandy Edmonds of the LALB and Ms. Lisa Benefield of the Louisiana State Board of CPAs for their roles in helping make this feature possible.  Who knows?  Perhaps if the LSBC will heed the guidance of the IT folk with whom we’ve consulted, the LSBC may one day be just as efficient and seamless in its licensing function.  Nevertheless, we feel compelled to emphasize that the IT experts with whom we have consulted have been very emphatic that spending $700,000 on an in-house revamp of the existing system is simply not the path to go down.  One expert even stated, “it will just be a rabbit hole which will have programming errors and tons of trial and error fixes, none of which would be required if outsourcing were deployed.”

We want to also express appreciation for the many comments on the last feature, and that would certainly include the comment from “Concerned citizen.”

We promise!  Nobody is going to want to miss segment three (3) of this series because, in it, we are going to focus on extensive problems transpiring out in the field (i.e. with the inspectors), and we know nobody is going to want to miss that feature, which we anticipate being published on or around Wednesday, August 27, 2025!

Rev. Freddie Lee Phillips, Jr., states his case of how officials of the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC) perpetrated “fraud” at the Senate Commerce Committee meeting of May 21, 2025.

Today’s Sound Off Louisiana feature is the first of a four-part series ahead of the next LSBC meeting.  In it, Rev. Freddie Lee Phillips, Jr., provides extremely compelling evidence to back up his firm contention that LSBC officials committed “fraud” in representations made to the Louisiana Senate Commerce Committee on May 21, 2025:

8/20/25:  Phillips states his case for his contention of LSBC officials perpetrating “fraud” in obtaining a fee increase in the 2025 Louisiana Legislative Regular Session.

Documents reference in the video above:

== Phillips’ August 4, 2025 letter hand-delivered (by Burns) and read to every LSBC Member.

From that letter:

As you are aware, I have been seeking the repair costs for this building since 4/22/25. When I got them, I was not surprised that, contrary to indications made by this Board that the costs would “exceed $1 million” that, as I stated in Legislative testimony, the numbers “are inflated.” The actual number is $199,500, and that includes a $115,000 roof replacement which I contend is itself inflated.

I draw your attention to the fact that the figures are on LSBC letterhead containing each of your names at the top of the first page.

I believe that the $1 million building repair costs representations made by this Board enabled you to obtain a $400,000 a year fee increase by means of extreme deceit, and, to be quite blunt, fraudulent representations made to the entire Senate Commerce Committee.

Because of the extreme deceit, exploitation, and, in my opinion, outright fraud that you have perpetrated against the licensees of this state, the Senate Commerce Committee, and the public at large entailing your statements to the Senate Commerce Committee entailing the fee increase, I am informing each of you that I intend to seek a State Legislator to sponsor a bill in the 2026 Legislative Session to roll back the $10 fee increase to $25. You will have obtained $400,000 through your fraudulent representations, and that amount is well over the amount you needed to solve the building issues had you simply been honest in your representations.

== LSBC’s own internal document showing that, notwithstanding representations made by LSBC officials to the Senate Commerce Committee that building repair costs “exceed $1 million,” the actual total for such repairs is $199,500.  Here are the individual components from the LSBC’s own internal document:

Roof Repair (which Phillips claims is itself highly inflated):  $115,000

Flooring:  $17,500

Electrical:  $17,000

Ceiling:  $18,000

Painting Interior:  $25,000

Retention Building:  $7,000

== LSBC interior building photos which Rev. Phillips contends were provided to Rep. Rhonda Butler for her to then disseminate to all of her colleagues (which she did) with the “additional fraudulent statements” made by LSBC officials that they lacked the funds to make the repairs (which cost, by their own internal numbers, $199,500) when, in reality, the LSBC was sitting on $1.6 million in UNRESTRICTED CASH!! 

Phillips asserts (and placed it in writing to the individual LSBC Members) that LSBC officials “exploited” the workers in that building by subjecting them to rainfall coming through the roof, etc. all as part of a “fraudulent scheme” to convince Legislators to grant them a massive fee increase which, in its original proposal in Butler’s bill, called for a $1 million A YEAR fee increase upon the licensees of this state.

That wraps it up for segment one of this series but, as Burns states in the video above, segment two will be out in just a few days, and it should prove quite revealing in its own right!