Sound Off Louisiana

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.

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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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Photo courtesy of  The Hayride

UPDATE (5/7/18):

Upon joint motion of both parties, this matter was continued (delayed) without a specified date for a rescheduled hearing.

First, welcome to the newcomers to the Sound Off Louisiana blog from the last few weeks!  Those who have been subscribers for at least a few months will recall our February 7 feature entailing Gov. Edwards’ efforts to cram the services of Larry Bankston down taxpayers’ throats.

Bankston sued Attorney General Jeff Landry after Landry declined to renew his legal contract with the Louisiana State Board of Contractors.  Initially, Bankston sought an injunction forcing Landry to provide written reasons for declining to renew the contract.  When Landry readily supplied a letter with those reasons, Bankston amended the lawsuit to become a Writ of Mandamus seeking to force Landry to approve his contract.

In today’s Sound Off feature, founder Robert Burns updates the status of that litigation and also provides an update to our March 17 feature entailing Nathan Cain, former Warden at the Avoyelles Correctional Center, and his efforts to have all of the evidence gathered via a search warrant obtained and executed by Inspector General Stephen Street’s Office suppressed by challenging whether that agency even has search warrant authority:

Burns updates status of Bankston v. Landry and U. S. v. Nathan Cain.  
CLICK HERE for Landry’s answer and memorandum in its entirety.  CLICK HERE for the “damaging attention on a National scale” Landry references within the memorandum regarding Bankston.  CLICK HERE  for Judge Drell’s most recent order in the Nate Cain Federal criminal charge.  CLICK HERE to read the memorandum Cain’s attorney, John McLindon, filed in response to Judge Drell’s order.  CLICK HERE for the U. S. Attorney’s memorandum in response to Judge Drell’s order.  CLICK HERE to see the magistrate’s judge’s recommendation that the Court find that Nate Cain does NOT have standing to challenge the search warrant.

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.