Sound Off Louisiana

Phillip “Bert” Callais, lead Plaintiff in Callais v. Landry, the redistricting case pending before the United States Supreme Court entailing the map which reconfigured U. S. Congressional District 6 which prompted then-incumbent Congressman Garret Graves not to seek reelection and provided the pathway for eventual-candidate Cleo Fields to return to the U. S. Congress after about a 28-year hiatus.

Visitors to our blog may recall our October 14, 2025 feature in which former Grant Parish DA Ed Tarpley referenced Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill as “disgraces.”  Tarpley’s basis for referencing Landry and Murrill as “disgraces” stems from his contention that they combined to, “author this unbelievable District.  This gerrymandered District…..giving the seat (of former Congressman Graves) to one of the worst Democrats in the world, Cleo Fields.”

Understandably, Landry was not pleased with Tarpley’s commentary, so he had one of his on-staff attorneys, Brett Robinson, make a request for him to speak remotely to the audience (Tarpley had also addressed the audience remotely).  Obviously, Landry’s request was granted, and he emphasized that Louisiana citizens need to respect the hard work of him and Murrill.

Recently, we had the opportunity to interview the lead Plaintiff (there are 11 other Plaintiffs) in the redistricting case, Phillip “Bert” Callais, and he provided his thoughts on Landry and the map Tarpley referenced in his lambasting of Gov. Landry:

Callais conveys his sentiments regarding Gov. Landry’s 10/14/25 statements countering former Grant Parish DA Ed Tarpley referencing Landry as a “disgrace.”

Callais is actually most passionate about “election integrity,” and he contacted Sound Off Louisiana to be afforded an opportunity to “sound off” about his very strong resolve to strengthen Louisiana’s voter integrity to include his strong advocacy for paper ballots:

Callais “sounds off” regarding his strong resolve for strengthening Louisiana’s “voter integrity” and calls upon citizens to actively participate in the process.

At several points in the interview above, Burns references this January 5, 2026 appearance of Secretary of State Nancy Landry and Burns’ recollection of her statements entailing paper ballots, etc.  We have provided the direct link to Landry’s presentation so, as Burns states on the video, if he didn’t properly state Landry’s thoughts on anything (Burns was going on memory), blame him (Burns), and not Landry!

Qualifying for the election of May 16, 2026 is now closed, and anyone can view qualified candidates for any race here.

For anyone who may be confused on the matter, be aware that the existing maps for the U. S. Congress WILL be the maps used for the upcoming elections!  Any ruling by the U. S. Supreme Court regarding redistricting will not affect the maps for the upcoming elections.

Finally, as everyone is surely aware, our endorsed candidate for the U. S. Senate race, State Sen. Blake Miguez, had to pivot after President Trump convinced Fifth Congressional District Congresswoman Julia Letlow to run against Bill Cassidy for his U. S. Senate seat.  Miguez is now a candidate to replace Letlow, and he has our full and enthusiastic support in his quest to replace her.

Further, Burns, being in the Fifth District, will obviously be voting for him.  In coming weeks, Burns may opt to produce a Sound Off Louisiana feature entailing one of Miguez’s opponents for whom Burns is extremely frustrated!

Regarding the U. S. Senate race, we are not making any public statement about whom we intend to support.  The only point we wish to make is a statement of fact:  Media reports going all the way back to May 10, 2025 demonstrate that Gov. Landry has pushed for Letlow to enter the U. S. Senate race and further that he lobbied Trump to endorse her.  So, clearly, Letlow is (and has been for a long time) Landry’s “chosen one” for the race.

Recently, Louisiana Treasurer (and former U. S. Congressman) John Fleming, who has been and remains a candidate for that U. S. Senate seat, openly stated that Landry had done as reported by the AP above regarding Trump/Letlow, causing Landry to essentially lose all composure (he’s pretty good at that!) with Landry going so far as to say that Fleming, “may not be fit to hold office.”  From the just-linked feature:

On Wednesday, while signing up to run for the U.S. Senate race, Fleming publicly said Landry had been working for over a year on a “scheme” to help win Trump’s endorsement of Letlow.

Gov. Jeff Landry on Thursday fired back at Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, who is running in a competitive U.S. Senate race against incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy and Rep. Julia Letlow, after Fleming accused Landry of orchestrating Trump’s endorsement of Letlow.

“Anyone who makes stuff up like that may not be fit for office,” Landry responded in a statement Thursday.

As we indicated above, that’s likely the last anyone will hear out of us on the U. S. Senate race, but rest assured, the television airwaves will be filled with ads by all three major contenders for that U. S. Senate race.

We want to thank Bert Callais for reaching out to Sound Off Louisiana and, as we indicated on the video above, he is welcome to return to provide updates or any other thoughts he may have at any time.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (photo courtesy of The Advocate).

Gov. Landry’s choice to head Louisiana State Police (LSP), Robert Hodges.

As 2025 drew to a close, we informed our site visitors that we’d have a number of problematic acts of LSP Troopers upon which we would be reporting as 2026 got underway.  We already published this January 14, 2026 feature entailing the dramatic “fall from grace” of former LSP Trooper T. J. Doss, who spiraled downward from being Chairman of the Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) to “technically resigning” effective August 23, 2025.

In that feature, we named the trooper (Doss) but refrained from outlining his alleged misconduct which resulted in an Internal Affairs investigation which preceded his resignation.  We refrained from providing that specificity because there were slight variations between our multiple sources entailing the alleged conduct of Doss, so we opted to just refrain from reporting upon his acts completely.

In today’s feature, we’re doing the opposite.  We’re divulging the alleged acts (see the headline of, “sending pictures of his male genitalia to females with one recipient being a minor”) but declining to identify the trooper.

The main reason we’re doing that is because we believe the core focus of the trooper’s alleged act should be upon the consistent blocking of public records on the part of Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, which we firmly believe, (with Gov. Landry’s full blessing and encouragement) has emboldened LSP Col. Robert Hodges to, in our firm opinion, outright abuse “letters of counseling” to avoid revealing to the public the true depravity of many of the troopers under his command.

In fact, we would submit that both Landry and Hodges enjoy flaunting the use of the “letters of counseling” for the sole and exclusive purpose of keeping the public in the dark.  After all, that is the core premise behind WAFB’s lawsuit against LSP, for which a scheduled hearing will transpire on February 26, 2026, and we most certainly intend to attend and report upon the result of that court hearing!

For us (though we think we speak for many on this matter), these acts are absolutely unforgivable on the part of Gov. Landry, who began his term as Governor demonstrating that he would be Hellbent on blocking public records, and he has consistently maintained his steadfast opposition to the public being afforded access to public records from the day he was sworn in until the day he leaves office, which we sincerely hope will be at 12:00 noon on Monday, January 10, 2028, which is exactly 702 days from the day we’re publishing this feature!

Let’s present our video discussion of this latest act of an LSP Trooper with former Ascension Parish Sheriff Deputy C. J. Matthews, whose entire career he placed on the line to hold another Deputy, Fred Corder, accountable for acts substantially similar to this latest LSP Trooper’s acts entailing his genitalia being sent to an underaged female:

Former Ascension Parish Sheriff Deputy C. J. Matthews provides his thoughts entailing Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and his steadfast resolve to block the public from obtaining what should be public documents to alert the public to problematic acts on the parts of LSP Troopers, with specific focus on one trooper having allegedly sent photos of his genitalia to several females, including at least one underaged female.

Here are links for materials reference within the above video feature:

=== Our extensive series of features on Matthews’ attempts to hold former Ascension Parish Deputy Fred Corder accountable for his acts entailing a 16-year-old Donaldsonville High School female.

=== Livingston Parish News feature with former Congressman Garret Graves’ quote on not running for the Fifth Congressional District seat.  Let us emphasize that quote now:

This is not the time nor office that makes sense.

It is our belief that Graves is likely sending a cryptic message that, while this time nor office makes sense, it’s our firm belief that he knows just how vulnerable Landry is, and the office which does make sense is the Louisiana Governor’s race, which will transpire next year!

For those who desire for Landry to serve a second term (and that number seems to us to be dwindling daily), Graves is likely their worst nightmare.  Furthermore, what’s that popular saying?  Something like:  “Payback’s a b#@ch!”  For those who may not follow politics that closely, it was Gov. Landry who oversaw the drawing of a map for a second minority Congressman, and he specifically targeted ousting Graves in that process!

=== Our 12/16/25 feature entailing LSP Col. Hodges being in the running for U. S. Marshal.  As Burns states in the video above, Hodges himself made it known on or around the next day, December 17, 2025, that he was no longer a candidate for that U. S. Marshal position.

=== Feature in which a gentleman in a wheelchair tells former LSP Col. Lamar Davis, “Ya’ll worse criminals than us!” [See last video on the feature].

Finally let’s present our correspondence to and from LSP on this latest despicable act on the part of yet another LSP Trooper:

Our email exchanges seeking the trooper’s investigative file.  From that correspondence:

First, our request:

Any and all documentation substantiating the fact that [Redacted] has resigned as a result of sending pictures of his genitalia to several females including at least one underage female while in uniform and on duty. Please also provide any documentation that substantiates the fact that the parents of the underage female opted not to pursue charges but wanted him terminated.

Followed by LSP’s response:

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety, Public Safety Services has reviewed your request and has determined that the records requested are exempt from disclosure under FOIA for the following reasons:
Letters of counseling or other investigations that do not result in discipline – LSP Comm Rule 12.9 provides that Letter of Counseling are not considered “public.” Any investigation that does not result in discipline is not considered “public.”

Next, let’s provide our direct correspondence with LSP public information director Captain Russell Graham:

First, our inquiry:

By way of this email, I am requesting the date of resignation of [Redacted] along with any commentary LSP may wish to make entailing that resignation with particular focus on any conduct [Redacted] may have engaged in which served as the proximate cause of the resignation.

Now, Graham’s response:

[Redacted] resigned from the agency [Redacted].  It was voluntary resignation; you would have to reach out to him for an answer on his reason for resigning.

Somehow, we kind of think we know why he resigned, but that’s not that important to us.  What is important is the lengths that Gov. Jeff Landry and LSP Col. Robert Hodges will stoop to to keep the public in the dark regarding the true state of reckless and irresponsible conduct of many LSP troopers under their direct command and which has occurred on their watches.

Seven-Hundred-Two (702) days left until we’re hopeful this nightmare ends via a brand new Governor being sworn into office at 12 noon on Monday, January 10, 2028!  Who knows, perhaps that new Governor just may be Garret Graves!  We guess “payback can indeed be a b&*ch!”

Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns in an autonomous Waymo UBER ride approaching a round about in which a crash comes perilously close to transpiring.  Burns enjoyed the 15-minute ride, of which he filmed it all, on Saturday, January 10, 2026.

Today’s Sound Off Louisiana feature, we believe, is one which everyone will find enjoyable and entertaining but is also a feature whose goal is to convey a very serious message.

Shortly after delivering a “State of the University Address,” then-LSU Interim President Matt Lee appeared before the Baton Rouge Press Club (BRPC) on September 15, 2025.  In our minds, and we think those of anyone who either attended or watched Lee’s presentation, it was most certainly a cheerleading display that was a very thinly veiled attempt to be named the permanent President of LSU.

What Lee may or may not have known at the time (we suspect that he did not know) was that LSU Board of Supervisors Member Lee Mallet had other plans.  It was Mallet who put on the full court press for Gov. Jeff Landry to push the Board hard to ultimately name Wade Rousse as President (along with James Dalton as Chancellor after going a protracted time during which the two positions were consolidated into one).

On the linked BRPC feature of Lee above, Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns broke from the typical cream puff questions being posed of Lee which enabled Lee to (in our opinion) advance his cause for becoming the permanent President of LSU.

Specifically, Burns asked Lee for his thoughts on the fact that many recent college graduates, including those from Ivy League schools, are referring to college as a “scam.”

We will cite numerous publications and TV features (especially CNBC’s morning broadcasts) which have stressed that the unemployment rate for recent college graduates exceeds that of the overall population; furthermore, to a significant extent, AI is being cited as a very meaningful contributing cause for that unemployment.

Many studies and surveys are indicating that employers are dramatically cutting back on their hirings of entry-level jobs for college graduates simply because AI can perform those tasks far more efficiently, in far less time, far more effectively, and at significantly less costs than students who’ve just graduated from college.

Before we cite some of those features, however, we want to demonstrate firsthand via video a fairly recent advancement in AI, which is to facilitate autonomous (driverless) rideshares being offered by Uber and Waymo, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet (formerly Google).

To do that, Burns made a trip to Austin, Texas which is one of two markets in which autonomous rides were introduced toward the latter part of 2025 (the other market being Atlanta, Georgia).  Here is a 15-minute ride taken by Burns on Saturday, January 10, 2026 in Austin, Texas during which a crash comes close to transpiring (and our viewers can assess for themselves who would have been at fault though we think the answer is pretty obvious):

1/10/26:  Burns takes a Waymo autonomous (driverless) 15-minute ride in Austin, Texas for which the fare was an astoundingly-low $13.12

As Burns mentions in the video above, UBER informs its customers that 27 percent of the fare Louisiana riders pay goes to cover a mandatory insurance policy.  From the preceding link (which encourages consumers to take action to bring down those costs):

At the root of the problem is personal-injury lawyers targeting the rideshare industry for unreasonably large payouts that benefit them, attracted by the arbitrarily high insurance requirements.

At Uber, safety is a top priority, and we feel strongly that every ride should be insured. 

Uber is leading advocacy efforts across the country to push for and pass commonsense legislative changes that keep all trips insured while bringing down costs, saving you more on rides.

The UBER page includes a quick signup mechanism to stay informed on efforts to bring down those insurance costs, and we obviously signed up, after which we were encouraged to “spread the word,” which we’re doing on this feature.  If anyone reading this feature would like to also sign up, just click on the previous link and do so.

As Burns makes clear in the commentary during the 15-minute ride, AI is going to advance forward at an astoundingly fast pace, and that advancement is both presently affecting the job market for college graduates, and it most certainly is going to do so at an ever accelerating pace going forward.

We have heard that President Trump plans to soon mandate to the U. S. Department of Education that AI be integrated into the learning experiences at universities in order to produce the most job-ready graduates possible.  We believe Trump is smart to do so.

As promised above, here are just a few recent publications which tout the present and expected future impacts of AI on current and future college graduates (as well as those on up through middle management):

5/30/25:  NY Times:  Job Market Apocalypse May Already Be Here for Recent College Graduates.  Quick Summation:  Companies are rapidly automating entry-level work with AI, viewing recent grads as “expensive and expendable.”  The article stresses that entry-level positions are being displaced by AI at higher rates, contributing to a crisis for new graduates entering industries phasing out junior roles in favor of AI tools.

6/8/25:  PSB News:  How AI may be robbing recent college grads of traditional entry-level jobs.

7/11/25:  CBS News:  AI is new obstacle facing recent college grads looking for jobs.  From the feature:

Experts say that because AI is currently best at the kind of rote, repetitive tasks that are a staple of entry-level work, the very nature of what such roles consist of is likely to change.

“The AI piece is becoming more integrated, which is requiring a redefinition of what an entry-level role looks like and the types of skills that might be be needed,” Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake, told CBS MoneyWatch. “So it’s critical for new graduates to make sure they are exposing themselves to AI and learning how to use it.”

7/20/25:  Bloomberg – AI’s takeover of entry-level tasks is making college grads’ job hunt harder.  Quick Summation:  Job postings are plunging for young people, resulting in much higher unemployment among them, particularly in fields like tech and finance.

9/7/25:  CNBC:  AI is not just eliminating entry-level jobs.  It’s the end of a career ladder as we know it.  From that feature:

“The key will be in how new grads harness their capabilities to become experts so they are seen as desirable tech-savvy workers who are at the forefront of AI’s advances,” she said.

But she concedes that may not offer much comfort to the current crop of recent grads looking for jobs right now. “My heart goes out to the new grads of 2024, 2025, and 2026, as they are entering during a time of uncertainty,” Doshay said, describing it is a much more vulnerable group entering the workforce than ones further into the future.

Universities are turning their schools into AI training grounds, with several institutions striking major deals with companies like Anthropic and OpenAI.

12/19/25:  Rest of World:  “Everyone is so panicked”: Entry-level tech workers describe the AI-fueled jobpocalypse.

So, as frustrated as then-Interim LSP President Lee appeared to be at Burns’ question, there was a reason he posed the question, and that reason is authoritatively outlined above.  Being blunt, given Lee’s bury-your-head-in-the-sand answer, if we were to grade him on his performance, a curve would be necessitated for him to earn a grade of “D-.”

Let’s hope that Rousse and Dalton can earn a better grade during their LSU tenures entailing AI integration into the learning experience and that LSU can continue its reputation for turning out quality, job-ready graduates.  Otherwise, both Rousse and Dalton just may be faced with some really angry graduating seniors and their parents who may join in the current chorus that so many recent college graduates are exclaiming on Tik Tok videos that college is, “nothing short of a scam.”