Sen. Kennedy’s lambasting of JBE’s criminal justice reform package reinforces his predecessor Vitter’s bold predictions days before the election for Governor.

U. S. Sen. John Kennedy

 

U. S. Sen. John Kennedy certainly didn’t mince his words in describing his total lack of confidence entailing Louisiana’s Department of Corrections’ ability to implement Gov. Edwards’ criminal justice reform initiative:

 

Sen. Kennedy lambasts Gov. Edwards’ criminal justice reform legislative initiative.
Support links for Kennedy’s itemizations:
1.  No bid on $6.3 million prison project benefiting LeBlanc’s niece’s husband.
2. Violent criminals released to play music at nursing homes.
3.  Nepotism, theft, fraud entailing prison wardens, associates.
4.  “Edmonson Amendment” for $55K pension boost.
5.  LSP infamous San Diego trip via Las Vegas.
6.   $247K compensation for one LSP Trooper alleged to engage in massive payroll fraud.

 

One can only imagine Kennedy’s predecessor, David Vitter, must be licking his chops and saying, “I told you so.”

 


Days before the runoff election, then-Republican U. S. Sen. David Vitter, whom Kennedy would succeed,
engages in a dialogue with controversial activist Gary Chambers wherein neither bites his tongue.
Note:  Then-candidate John Bel Edwards opted to skip the Southern University forum (for which Chambers
expressed frustration before the above exchange) instead opting for a trial-lawyer fundraiser for him conveniently scheduled for the same time.

 

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JBE’s Cosmetology Board members let McGrath’s licensure concerns go in one ear and out the other, so are they now prepared to kowtow to disgraced District Judge Trudy White?

19th JDC Judge Trudy White

 

During the 2015 campaign for Louisiana Governor, Republican David Vitter often referenced the fact that then-candidate John Bel Edwards, D-Amite, had one of the absolute worst voting scorecards for business of the entire Louisiana Legislature.  His score, which was always consistently in the low 20s, was even lower than that of  Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport.

 

Many would argue that, during his first two years in office, Edwards has certainly governed down his already-anemic business scorecard well down into the teens.  He has consistently supported litigation against Louisiana’s top job producers in the oil industry in order to financially benefit his trial lawyer cabal supporters.  Meanwhile, as evidenced by the following 8-minute video of highlights of the October 30, 2017 and November 6, 2017 meetings of the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC), Edwards’ appointees, who first got the state sued for its suppression of Indian eyebrow threaders, made clear their determined resolve to oppress hair braiders in categorically rejecting arguments made by the Institute for Justice’s Lee McGrath (integrated into the video below) that licensure of such hair braiders is “unnecessary.”:


LSBC v. Institute of Justice’s Lee McGrath (who emphasized 23 states exempting hair braiding licensure):
At the 1:42 mark, LSBC Chairman Edwin Neill, III stresses the need for sanitation; however, one of his own students, Chris Guidry (pictured in video), laments the fact that “20 year-olds are paying $20,000 in tuition and we’re losing them to waiting tables.”  Guidry is a very outspoken critic of the LSBC, having previously noted that it is a “straight money grab,” that it is “disgusting,” and that it does not even check for cleanliness, which, if ture, totally negates Neill’s argument for “sanitation”!!! Guidry further stated that the LSBC “has no regard for the guest or craft.”

 

So, given the adamant stand of Gov. Edwards’ LSBC appointees, we should not be surprised that, should they succeed in blocking any effort to free hair braiders from their grasp in 2018 as Gov. Edwards got John Alario to do for them in 2017, more litigation by the Institute for Justice against the State of Louisiana is beyond likely and, in fact, probable.  That, in turn, will most certainly be used as a campaign attack by whomever Gov. John Bel Edwards faces in his next election.  That will be the case irrespective of whether he does as many are now speculating and takes the politically-safer route of foregoing re-election as Governor in order to announce his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States early in 2019, or if he decides to take the far bigger political gamble of actually seeking re-election as Louisiana Governor in 2019.

 

Meanwhile, while Gov. Edwards and his LSBC appointees are busy keeping their Jack-booted heels firmly on hair braiders’ necks to stifle their economic liberties and opportunities, they are all set to hear from disgraced District Judge Trudy White at its upcoming meeting of December 4, 2017.  White, as illustrated in the previous link, is referenced as an integral part of a “pretrial supervision scheme” wherein reference is also made to alleged RICO statute violations thereof (here’s a direct link to that litigation).  Cleve Dunn, Sr., father of her 2014 campaign manager, is identified in that litigation, which was filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, as the primary beneficiary of that “scheme.”  White has also been profiled for overruling jury verdicts and, in the process, angering many black residents who were victims of violent acts, the perpetrators of which were tried in White’s courtroom.  White also had to apologize to her colleagues for running the following convict-friendly campaign ad:

 

Judge Trudy White’s 2014 television campaign ad.

Sound Off Louisiana contacted the LSBC, and we were told White’s presentation, which is highlighted on the first page of the agenda above, will focus on permitting limited cosmetology services to be performed on prison inmates.  We would assume that her request is for such services to be performed by unlicensed practitioners.  If so, that would mean she wants prisoners to have more rights than Louisiana citizens, particularly those who would seek to practice hair braiding without burdensome licensing requirements which 23 other states have deemed unnecessary.

 

 

Meanwhile, also on December 4, 2017, as evidenced by page two of its agenda highlighted above, the LSBC apparently intends to sink its fangs into one hair braider whom they are presumed to have caught operating with no license.

 

Gov. Edwards, get ready for campaign attack ads showing how your already-abysmal score by small businesses plummeted during your tenure as Governor of Louisiana, assisted by the actions of your appointees to the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology.

 

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Rep. Rick Edmonds, with faith-based Catholic charities and the Evangelical Community serving as tailwinds, informs LSLI he is going forward with Louisiana adoption reform in 2018 with or without them.

Rep. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge

 

Sound Off Louisiana viewers may recall a previous feature wherein the Louisiana State Law Institute (LSLI)’s Children’s Code Committee (CCC) objected to us videotaping their September 30, 2017 public meeting.  Isabel Wingerter, a key member of the CCC, was by far the most vocal opponent to videotaping as evidenced by the preceding link.

 

Perhaps Ms. Wingerter’s frustration was that the camera would readily capture her admitting that, despite having well over a year to discuss and prepare a report to the Louisiana Legislature, as required by HCR-79 of the 2016 session sponsored by Rep. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, the CCC had done zilch! The report is due no later than 60 days prior to the 2018 regular legislative session, or around January 18, 2018.

 

As a result of the CCC’s procrastination, Wingerter further indicated that it would now be “impossible” for legislation to be drafted in time for the 2018 session.  Upon hearing that, as evidenced by the following video clip, Edmonds made it crystal clear that he will be proceeding with legislation in 2018 with or without the CCC’s assistance:

 

Wingerter indicates having adoption reform legislation in time for the 2018 session will be “impossible,” thus prompting Rep. Edmonds to indicate that he is moving forward in 2018 with or without LSLI’s assistance.

 

Soon after Edmonds’ revelation, which certainly appeared to catch the entire CCC off guard, several discussions ensued about the nature of the problem (prior to Edmonds’ bombshell revelation, any discussion was planned for December).  Catholic Charities’ Paula Davis illustrated the problem that faith-based charities are encountering given the lucrative adoption incentives being offered to birth mothers.  She also indicated that many of these payments should be covered by Medicaid, a point emphasized by Craig Mills, an alleged adoption scam victim, who has been previously profiled on Sound Off Louisiana.  She also expressed alarm at the fact that payments are being made directly to birthmothers by adoptive couples.  The following video highlights her concerns:

 

Davis outlines competitive problems Catholic charities face from lucrative adoption incentive payments and emphasizes what a problem direct payments from adoptive couples to birthmothers presents.  The alleged scam Davis references, including the texting, may be viewed here.

 

The topic of direct payments got much more expansive, especially on the part of East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Court Judge Pamela Johnson, who indicated what a judge sees and files as payments often differs substantially from what was actually paid. The following video highlights that discussion:

 

Spirited discussion of the problems of direct payments from adoptive couples to birthmothers.  According to Mills, Louisiana’s loose regulatory framework entailing those payments have led to the state being labeled “ground zero” for adoption scams and have purportedly encouraged birthmothers to be recruited to Louisiana and to relocate from states like New York and California in order to exploit Louisiana’s loose regulations.  In addition to the Mills alleged scam referenced previously, this Central couple was recently extensively profiled as the alleged victim of an adoption scam.

 

Amazingly, at the September 18, 2018 meeting of the Baton Rouge Press Club, DCFS Executive Director Marketa Garner Walters, indicated to Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns that she has “no knowledge” of adoption scams transpiring in Louisiana.  The following brief video illustrates her making that point:

Walters indicates no knowledge of Louisiana adoption scams.

 

Sound Off Louisiana does wish to acknowledge that Ms. Walters honored her commitment expressed in the video above to speak at length with Mills over the phone.  Her staff has further promised to review not only material that he originally submitted (for which he lambasted the agency’s inaction) but also to review additional material that he indicated he’ll be presenting to the agency.

 

Finally, a key player for any adoption reform initiative for the 2018 Legislative Session will be Rob Tazman, Executive Director of the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Tazman largely kept a low profile during much of the meeting (as did Edmonds), but here is a brief video of him introducing himself:

 

Tazman introduces himself to the CCC.

 

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