Month: May 2018

Sen. John Milkovich, D-Shreveport

As Sound Off Louisiana reported on a previous feature entailing SB-260, corruption on Louisiana occupational licensing boards and commissions will likely get drastically reduced by merely providing a licensee who is subject to a hearing by any of those boards or commissions with the option to have his hearing adjudicated by an administrative law judge rather than the occupational licensing board or commission members.

The veribage presented at the preceding link entalied Sound Off Louisiana fonder Robert Burns’ own first-hand experience of pure, rank corruption on the Louisiana Auctioneer Licensing Board.  As we indicated when we rolled out our first edition of the Republican Wall of Shame (RWS), our blog now has a strong following among fiscally-conservative Republican legislators.

Accordingly, several legislators read the post linked above, and Burns agreed to provide actual testimony of the episode at the Louisiana House Governmental Affairs Committee meeting of Tuesday, May 8, 2018.  That testimony is presented in its entirety in the following video clip:

Burns testifies on the need for SB-260 to apply to the Louisiana Auctioneer’s Licensing Board (LALB) from his own personal experience entailing Executive Director Sandy Edmonds’ “blatant payroll fraud.”  The attorney Burns references as prosecuting him at the “hearing” is convicted felon Larry S. Bankston, whom the LALB hired specifically for that purpose!

Rep. Ivey spoke extensively with Burns after the meeting, and he stated that he was stunned by his testimony.  Further, he said he intends to offer floor amendments which he discussed with Burns which would result in even more of a microscope being applied to these boards and commissions.

What has become obvious during this session is that, by the sheer volume of licensees across many of the licensed professions who have complained loudly to Louisiana legislators (and to Gov. Edwards), the message is now as clear as it can be that their constituents are fed freaking up with the corruption that is so rampant among so many of these occupational licensing boards and commissions.

Many legislators have pledged full support for further crackdown measures being implemented next legislative session, and we at Sound Off Louisiana want to commend Rep. Ivey and the many other Republican legislators who are going above and beyond the call of duty to respond to the loud cries of occupational licensees regarding matters such as that illustrated by Burns’ testimony above.

Rep. Ivey’s Committee-level amendments are highlighted below and, as indicated, he plans to introduce more (which he shared with Burns and for which Burns indicated full support) on the House floor when full debate transpires on Sen. Milkovich’s bill:

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Louisiana political strategist and pollster John Couvillon

Well-respected political pollster and strategist John Couvillon of JMC Analytics was the guest speaker at the Baton Rouge Press Club meeting of Monday, May 7, 2018.  His two core topics were prospects for a “Democratic wave” in the Congressional mid-term elections later this fall and what he foresees regarding  Louisiana’s Legislative races in 2019.

Let’s break down what he had to convey:

Couvillon provides his rationale for seeing a “Democratic wave” in the 2018 Congressional midterm elections this fall.

Couvillon provides his rationale for seeing a very different result in the 2019 Louisiana Legislative races and cites party registration numbers that are likely troubling to Gov. John Bel Edwards.

In response to a question by Sound Off Louisiana’s Robert Burns, Couvillon provides a quick assessment of the top three prospective Republican candidates he sees as potential rivals to Gov. Edwards in 2019.

In response to a question by Sound Off Louisiana’s Robert Burns, Couvillon provides his take on how vulnerable Gov. Edwards may be on his emphatic statements that he would not raise taxes during his 2015 campaign for Governor, only to implement massive tax increases since his inauguration in 2016 and also his vulnerability to his having taken his quest for transgendered folk to use the public restroom of their choice all  the way to the Louisiana Supreme Court (where he lost) at significant cost to taxpayers.

In response to a question by Sound Off Louisiana’s Robert Burns, Couvillon provides his assessment of voter enthusiasm for the 2019 Louisiana Governor’s race.

CLICK HERE to see Couvillon’s presentation in its entirety.

If you would like to be added to our Sound Off Louisiana email list to be notified of future posts, simply go to our home page and scroll to the bottom (mobile devices) or to the top of the right-hand column (desktops).  Supply your email address within the subscribe box.  You’ll then receive an automated email from Word Press, and all you have to do is click on the blue “confirm follow” bar contained within that email, and you’ll begin receiving great posts such as the preceding one above.

Louisiana State Sen. John Milkovich, D-Shreveport

At the Louisiana House Committee on Health and Welfare meeting of Wednesday, May 2, 2018, Louisiana State Sen. John Milkovich presented his physician’s bill of rights.  Video highlights of that event follow:

Milkovich’s heated closing, which led to numerous rebukes by House Committee members and to the ouster (not captured on video) of New Orleans attorney Jack Stolier, who, according to one source in attendance, charged directly at Sen. Milkovich upon him having uttered that Stolier engaged in an affair with the director of investigations of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.

As is obvious from the preceding video, though Stolier was unable to reach Milkovich, it didn’t stop him from yelling several times to Milkovich that “you’re a bald face liar” regarding statements Milkovich made entailing the alleged affair.

Regarding the preceding statements by Milkovich entailing Louisiana Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera not being provided with access to the investigative files of the Board, that was an interesting point of contention during the meeting as evidenced by the following video clip:

Testimony about the degree, if any, that Purpera has been afforded an opportunity to examine the Board’s investigative files.

Soon after Sen. Gerald Long, R-Winnfield, provided support for Milkovich’s bill, Dr. Greg Stephens provided testimony indicating that he had been railroaded by the Board and that Dr. David Hammond, Medical Director of the Healthcare Professionals’ Foundation of Louisiana, had essentially told him to just suck it up and take it “because you have no due process rights with the Medical Board.”  Hammond, while acknowledging his conversations with Stephens did take place, stated that Stephens was taking his comments “out of context” and presenting them “in a manner that I don’t believe is accurate.”

Sen. Long provides support for Milkovich’s bill, followed by Stephens testifying to his alleged railroading by the Board with Hammond, to some extent, refuting that testimony.

Stephens was accused of not properly safeguarding pre-signed prescription pads and prescribing to family members without adequate documentation in their medical records.  He was also cited for “performing a minor office procedure on a patient in the clinic without appropriately documenting such in the medical record or assuring that the office was able to comply with requirements for any untoward complications.”  He is no longer allowed to practice in Louisiana; however, he is practicing in Arkansas.

There can be perhaps no more public and vocal protestor of the Louisiana Medical Board than Dr. Arnold Feldman, who has directly accused Dr. Michael Burdine, a former direct competitor of his and a former member of the Medical Board, of “conducting an organized campaign to eliminate me, his key competition in Baton Rouge, by having my medical license revoked and shutting me down.”  Dr. Feldman’s testimony, in its entirety, follows:

Dr. Arnold Feldman’s testimony entailing the Louisiana Medical Board’s investigative tactics, along with that of his wife and a former employee whom Feldman insists that he was forced to terminate or face an immediate suspension of his medical license.

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