LSPC issues circular calling for State Police Troopers to conform to the same political restrictions as other state civil service employees, prompting LSTA attorney Floyd Falcon to accuse the LSPC of “destroying” the LSTA and issue a subtle indication to expect litigation over the action.

Louisiana State Trooper’s Association attorney Floyd Falcon

 

On Thursday, April 12, 2018, the Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) withdrew its previously-issued circular on political activity by classified Louisiana State Troopers (Circular 190) and replaced it with Circular 191.  That circular mirrors the same provisions and restrictions which Louisiana State Civil Service utilizes for other state civil service classified employees.  As evidenced in the following video highlight, the LSPC’s action drew extremely sharp criticism from Louisiana State Trooper Association (LSTA) attorney Floyd Falcon, who also made a subtle reference of litigation over the LSPC’s action:


LSTA attorney Floyd Falcon sharply criticizes the LSPC over promulgating Circular 191.

 

The topic of LSTA political contributions has been a hotly contested issue as evidenced by The Hayride’s recent feature on the topic.  One can only infer from the tone and tenor of Hayride publisher Scott McKay’s article, when combined with the fact it has received 323 Facebook shares (as of this writing), that the public simply isn’t in favor of the LSTA becoming a political machine.  Perhaps citizens making LSTA contributions would not be happy with those contributions being forwarded on to individual political candidates whom the contributors may staunchly oppose (e.g. Gov. John Bel Edwards in next year’s election).

 

Meanwhile, retired LSP Trooper Leon “Bucky” Millet, who has been a watchdog over LSPC operations for 27 months (having not missed a single meeting), voiced his frustration that, as stated in a recent Advocate article entailing the “LSP Vegas Crew,” a recent Louisiana Ethics Board exoneration transpired last month on the whole matter.  One of the factors cited by the Ethics Board was the fact that any disciplinary action has likely prescribed because an investigation did not transpire timely.  Millet forewarned of that possibility 10 months ago.  A highlight video of Millet’s presentation on that issue, which included him voicing frustration with LSP Lieutenant Colonel  Mike Noel, follows:


Millet voices frustration with LSPC over his view that any potential “Vegas Crew” prosecution by the LSPC has prescribed.

NOTE:  For historical videos of LSPC meetings in their entireties, CLICK HERE.

 

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With Gov. Edwards going out of his way to let it be known he was watching via closed-circuit TV, the pro-cosmetology regulation crowd endures a colossal train wreck during the Senate Commerce Committee meeting of April 4, 2018.

State Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge

 

On Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at the Louisiana Senate Commerce Committee, Gov. Edwards went out of his way to let everyone in the room know that he was watching via closed-circuit TV the hearing for Sen. Regina Barrow (D-Baton Rouge)’s SB-370.  As originally drafted, Barrow’s bill would double the number of hours required for a hair braiding permit from 500 hours to 1,000 hours (she later amended it back to 500).  Her bill would also impose 16 hours of continuing education (originally 24 before amended down to 16) only upon hair braiders and not for holders of full-blown cosmetology licensees.

 

Soon after he made it known that he was watching, Gov. Edwards had to be in total dismay at the utter train wreck that ensued as evidenced by video highlights of testimony below:


Highlights of testimony at Louisiana Senate Commerce Committee meting on SB-370.

Barrow, a strong ally of Gov. Edwards, nevertheless literally defied his support for Rep. Julie Emerson’s HB-564 which would deregulate the practice of hair braiding and which cleared the House Commerce Committee by a vote of 11-3 and is scheduled for full House floor debate today.

 

After the conclusion of the March 5, 2018 Cosmetology Board meeting, during which the members expressed extreme opposition to Rep. Emerson’s bill, Sound Off Louisiana‘s Robert Burns approached Board Chairman Edwin Neill and asked, “You do know who is behind HB-564, don’t you?”  Neill responded, “Of course I do.  It’s the Institute for Justice.”  Burns responded, “Okay.  It may have Emerson’s name on it, but it’s deeper than that.”  Neill’s reply, “So you know of another co-sponsor?”  Burns replied, “Either there has been a colossal failure to communicate or someone is lying!”  Neill stated, “That’s what I don’t like about you, Mr. Burns.  You imagine all these conspiracies that exist in your mind only.”  Burns bid him a good afternoon.  When Emerson’s bill was pending before the House Commerce Committee on March 26, 2018 (three weeks later), Neill approached Burns and stated, “I was able to solve your riddle,” and had a big smile on his face upon him having gained the knowledge (which clearly he didn’t have on March 5, 2018) that none other than Gov. Edwards himself backs HB-564.

 

Perhaps in light of the train wreck depicted on the video above, at the April 9, 2018 Cosmetology Board Meeting, Neill stressed heavily that Gov. Edwards and he met privately and that the Cosmetology Board has been given its marching orders from Gov. Edwards to “review all of your regulations and remove any that are unnecessary and inhibiting job growth.”  Neill stated that in the following 56-second video clip from that meeting:


At April 9, 2018 Cosmetology Board meeting, Chairman Edwin Neill gives Gov. Edwards’ marching orders on deregulation to promote job growth.

 

What’s unclear is whether these appointees have any inclination to adhere to Gov. Edwards’ orders.  In one unfavorable sign that they may not, Board Attorney Sherri Morris, in this 10-second video clip from the April 4, 2018 Commerce Committee meeting, stated that the Board has several high-school cosmetology programs.  What Morris did not mention is the Board’s steadfast resolve to close these programs down if they can’t afford to hire a second instructor no matter how small their classes may be (the same is true of private schools, and formed the basis for the closure of Nelda Dural’s Iberia School of Cosmetology).  Here is a video clip of a public school teacher, Raynetta Frazier, begging the Board not to close her school down for that very reason:


On June 13, 2016 (six months after Gov. Edwards was sworn into office), Raynetta Frazier has to plead with Edwards’ appointees not to shut her public school down because it can’t afford a second instructor.

 

Regarding Burns’ reference to the $11,725 tuition for hair braiding during his testimony in the Senate Commerce Committee video above, as one of the proponents of Barrow’s bill rudely asked Burns what state the school is located (thus demonstrating a total lack of knowledge on her part), Burns responded, “It’s in Louisiana, and it’s owned by one of the Cosmetology Board Members (James Williams),” that flyer is provided below:

 

 

Another huge embarrassment for the proponents of Barrow’s bill was Burns having to point out that one of their key supporters, Willie Payne, had his cosmetology school license revoked for having manufactured fraudulent high school diplomas from Belaire High School for Vietnamese students who’d never set foot on the campus of Belaire High School and also had such limited grasp of the English language that they simply trusted him in signing all the paperwork he placed in front of them.  Here is video coverage of one of the victims’ plights in begging the Board to honor her Texas cosmetology license through reciprocity despite her ordeal at Payne’s school:


The husband of a Vietnamese nail salon operator has to beg and plead with the Louisiana Board of Cosmetology to let his wife “live the American dream” and operate her nail salon after she moved from Texas and was attempting to obtain a license in Louisiana through reciprocity.

 

 

The Cosmetology Board has extensive problems, to wit:

 

The Cosmetology Board has extensive problems, to wit:

  1. In early April of 2015, LSBC official Winn Johnson pled guilty to selling answers to the LSBC cosmetology licensing exam for $500/pop.
  2. Former Congressman Joseph Cao stating before the same Senate Commerce Committee that, “The Board has no respect for the law.”3.  Prominent cosmetologist Chris Guidry, who is a graduate of Chairman Neill’s Aveda Institute, stating that the “Board has no regard to the guest or the craft and is a straight money grab,” as depicted in the following online post Guidry made:

 

With all this in mind, we urge Gov. Edwards to hod the Cosmetology Board’s feet to the fire entailing following his mandate because they have an extensive history of slamming the door on aspiring job seekers, and that is particularly true for the African American community, which is one of his key support groups which placed him in the Governor’s Mansion.

 

Finally, we believe that, with all of the extensive problems of the Cosmetology Board, they simply have not proven themselves worthy of the 40% license fee increase they seek via HB-491 by Rep. Robert Johnson (D-Marksville), and we would urge House members to vote against that license fee increase when it comes up for a vote later today on the House floor!

 

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As Louisiana dentists testify to the rank corruption of the Louisiana Dentistry Board, Inspector General Street’s investigation is revealed to be so easily dismissive that a former Dental Board executive had to be reminded that he even conducted an investigation at all.

Louisiana Insector General Stephen Street

 

 

UPDATE (5/16/18):

At the request of many dentists adversely impacted by past experiences with the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry, we are supplying this full transcript of the testimony of Diana Chenevert, who served as the Board’s records retention manager in her last three years with the Board.

We also provide a  list of Edward L. “Don” Donaldson, Jr. political contributions which total just over $122,000 as of May 17, 2018.  Donaldson has been characterisized as “the most powerful dentist in the State of Louisiana.”

 

On Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at the Louisiana Senate Commerce Committee, several dentists and a former Louisiana Dentistry Board (LDB) executive, Diana Chenevert, testified to the rank corruption which has plagued the LDB for years.  They were testifying in favor of SB-260 by Sen. John Milkovich (D-Shreveport).  The bill would allow a person who has a disciplinary action brought against him by a professional licensing board or commission to elect to have the matter moved to the Louisiana Division of Administrative Law for a disciplinary adjudication by an administrative law judge.  Highlights of testimony are provided in the following video:


Highlights of testimony at Louisiana Senate Commerce Committee meting on SB-260.

 

Especially noteworthy entailing the preceding video is Senate Chairman Martiny asking Ms. Chenevert whether she reported the contents of her testimony to law enforcement (see from 19:27 – 19:59 mark of the video).  Ms. Chenevert first indicated, “no,” (i.e. that she had not reported the alleged criminal activity to any law enforcement agency); however, upon Dr. Ryan Haygood stepping out of his seat on the first row and whispering in her ear, she corrected her testimony to indicate that she had in fact reported the alleged criminal activity to Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street.

Long-time subscribers to Sound Off Louisiana are well aware of our extensive efforts to demonstrate Street’s extensive historical financial difficulties (Federal tax liens and occupational license tax liens) which demonstrate that he is in no way financially independent as he portrays.  Street has also been quite sensitive to our questioning of him regarding his independence of the Governor of Louisiana.  Most recently, we revealed former Alcohol and Tobacco Commissioner Murphy Painter’s efforts to strip Street’s Inspector General Office of its law-enforcement status.

Over two years ago, we at Sound Off Louisiana were told by several dentists that they had met with Street and that his office had “assured without any doubt that arrests and prosecutions are going to arise from all that has transpired at the Dentistry Board.”  Well, despite all of the alleged criminal acts depicted in the video above, the following letter from Inspector General Street to Sen. Barrow Peacock dated January 25, 2018 demonstrates that, even with all of that alleged criminal activity, Street managed to find a way to “close our file.”:

 

Finally, Stephen Street is required by statute to report instances of potential criminal activity to the appropriate Federal, State, or local law-enforcement agencies.  That fact is evidenced in the following highlighted statute:

 

We’d love to see evidence of Street having done so regarding the activity described in the above video, but as he will quickly tell you, all of the Inspector General’s records and work papers are privileged.  Our money is on him never having done so, and it provides yet one more reason why his office needs to be abolished just as Corey delaHoussaye called for over two years ago.

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