Author: Robert Burns

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!

U. S. Congressman Cleo Fields prepares to answer a question posed by Sound Off Louisiana’s Burns at the Baton Rouge Press Club meeting of Monday, July 28, 2025.

In today’s Sound Off Louisiana feature, we briefly update three (3) civil lawsuits entailing Louisiana State Police (LSP):

Kasha Domingue:

The case entailed Domingue shooting Clifton Dilley in the back and leaving him paralyzed from the age of 19.  Our site visitors may recall Domingue’s October 12, 2023 appearance before the Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) in which she failed in her efforts to have her termination over the incident converted to a voluntary resignation.  Within the last several weeks, Dilley’s civil case was settled for $9 million.

Jacob Brown:

Jacob Brown, son for former LSP Chief of Staff Bob Brown, was indicted by a Grand Jury for alleged Federal Civil Rights violations in the beating of motorist Aaron Bowman; however, on August 2, 2023, Brown was acquitted of the charges against him by a Federal Petit Jury.  His acquittal led to this August 1, 2024 lawsuit by Brown against LSP seeking reimbursement for $210,000+ in legal fees.  From the lawsuit:

Mr. Brown successfully defended himself at the trial of that matter, resulting in his acquittal.  A criminal charge was also brought against Mr. Brown in the 5th Judicial District in another matter involving an incident which occurred while Mr. Brown was acting within the scope of his duties as a Trooper with LSP. The
State dismissed this charge. (1)  Following the resolution of these matters, counsel for Mr. Brown mailed correspondence to LSP requesting that, pursuant to LSA-R.S. 42:1442, Mr. Brown be reimbursed $210,813.40 for his attorney’s fees which he incurred in the defense of the aforementioned. LSP denied this request.

As seen above, LSA-R.S. 42:1442 sets forth certain conditions which, when met, require the governing authority who employed the officer at the time to reimburse the officer for his attorney’s fees. These conditions require: 1) That the alleged criminal act must have occurred when the law enforcement was acting in good faith in the performance or in further of the course and scope of his employment; and 2) That the prosecution was terminated by dismissal, acquittal, or prescription.  At all relevant times, Mr. Brown acted in good faith in the performance or in furtherance of the course and scope of his employment with LSP. Furthermore, the aforementioned criminal charges all resulted in acquittal or dismissal by the State.  Accordingly, Mr. Brown is entitled to reimbursement of the reasonable attorney’s fees he incurred pursuant to LSA-R.S. 42:1442.

(1) Two criminal matters against Mr. Brown also arose in the 4th JDC. Mr. Brown was never indicted on these charges, and the State dismissed both matters.

LSP answered the litigation on September 6, 2024.  From that filing:

FURTHER ANSWERING, Defendant, the State of Louisiana, through the Department of Public Safety & Corrections, Office of State Police, aver that Jacob Brown was not acting in good faith in the performance or in the furtherance of the course and scope of his employment as defined by law and the policies and procedures of the law enforcement agency and he is not entitled to the reimbursement of attorney fees and expenses under LSA- R.S. 42:1442.

We reached out both to LSP and to Brown’s attorney for comment as to where the matter may stand since it has been nearly a year since any filing was made into the public record.  LSP, through LSP Commander of Public Affairs, Captain Russell Graham, responded:  “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond. However, we cannot speak to any matters that are pending litigation.”  Brown’s attorney,  Russell A. Woodward, Jr., of Ruston, declined to make comment for this feature.

Ronald Greene:

U. S. Congressman Cleo Fields (D-Baton Rouge) was the guest speaker at the Baton Rouge Press Club meeting of Monday, July 28, 2025.  Sound Off Louisiana‘s Burns posed a question of Fields entailing his thoughts of the U. S. Justice Department issuing a Pattern and Practices report in the waning days of the Biden Administration (though Burns misspoke and said the “waning days of the Obama Administration”) and the Justice Department’s subsequent retraction of the report.

Fields opted to focus almost all of his response to the question on his efforts to convince Louisiana State Attorney General Liz Murrill to settle the civil lawsuit filed by the Greene family entailing Greene’s much-publicized arrest and in-custody death on or around May 9, 2019.  Here’s Burns’ question and Fields’ response:

7/28/25:  Fields responds to Burns’ question entailing the U. S. Justice Department’s release of a Patterns and Practices Report in the waning days of the Biden Administration and the subsequent full retraction of that report three months later.

The latest filing in the Greene civil case is this Case Management Order.  We are about to present a bit of an oversimplification of the Order in the following table, but the table will nevertheless provide a basic and broad guideline of the three (3) phases of discovery which have been ordered by the Court and the fact that a mandatory nonbinding mediation is to be conducted after each phase of discovery is completed:

As is evidenced by the Fields video above, he chose to alter the specific content of Burns’ question regarding his thoughts on the U. S. Justice Department’s issuance of the Pattern and Practices Report in early January only to retract the report in its entirety about three months later.  In other words, Fields avoided providing his thoughts on the two developments by altering Burns’ question to be if he “had any more information,” which is not what Burns asked.

Fields’ avoidance of providing his thoughts on the U. S. Justice Department’s actions notwithstanding, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry certainly didn’t mince his words about his thoughts on the contents of the report.  From the above linked Domingue article:

Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, criticized the report as an attempt “to diminish the service and exceptionality of” the state police. The federal probe began in 2022 amid fallout from the in-custody death of Ronald Greene, who was beaten, tased and dragged on a rural road in northern Louisiana.

The “exceptionality of” the state police.  What a statement in light of all of the problematic LSP actions on which we’ve reported in the ten (10) years of this blog’s existence!

Lastly, let us offer our opinion on Fields’ chances of success in his attempts to convince Murrill to settle the Greene litigation.  Our own thoughts are that hell will freeze over before that happens!  Gov. Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill are both staunchly pro-law-enforcement to such a degree that they will not even acknowledge obvious serious shortcomings of LSP.  Neither Landry nor Murrill would ever be willing to accept the political blowback either of them would receive from the law enforcement community in Louisiana were they to settle the litigation.  Those are our own sentiments on the matter, but only time will tell whether we’re right or not.

Obviously, if Plaintiff Tayla Greene wishes to settle for a pittance, Murrill would agree to that, but we see that potential to be equally likely as hell freezing over first.  In short, we just don’t see the ingredients being present for a successful resolution of this matter short of a jury trial.

It will likely take almost two years (perhaps more) judging by the Order referenced in this feature to find out if any settlement is ever reached in the Ronald Greene civil matter, but our money is on it not happening and a trial being conducted on the matter.

In conclusion regarding Fields’ appearance at the Baton Rouge Press Club, the vast majority of that presentation dealt with him bashing President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”  Anyone is welcome to view Fields’ appearance in its entirety by clicking here.