Commentary

State Rep. Richard Nelson during the Police Jury Association of Louisiana forum at the Shreveport Convention Center, March 10, 2023.

Richard Nelson’s departure from the governor’s race means more than you think

BY: - September 25, 2023

A day before he announced he was withdrawing from the Louisiana governor’s race, Richard Nelson shared a quick account of his day on the campaign trail via social media. He was the featured speaker last Tuesday at the Kinder Rotary Club, which Nelson noted holds its meetings at the Reed-Riley Smith & Son’s Funeral Home.  […]

Shawn Wilson

Democrat Shawn Wilson making the governor’s runoff isn’t necessarily a lock

BY: - September 18, 2023

You can’t put it much more bluntly than independent Hunter Lundy did at Friday’s televised governor’s debate.  “Shawn Wilson cannot win this race. He has zero chance of winning the race,” Lundy said, trying to position himself as an alternative to the party favorites in next month’s election.   A look at the Republican-heavy field for […]

Hunter Biden departs the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on July 26, 2023, in Wilmington, Delaware.

Let’s see that same Hunter Biden fervor applied to everyone who shouldn’t have gun access

BY: - September 14, 2023

There’s no question Hunter Biden is a troubled person. His problems were well documented before his indictment Thursday on a federal firearms charge. The president’s 53-year-old son has admitted to having a crack cocaine problem that he didn’t disclose when he purchased a handgun in October 2018, according to a federal indictment. The charge comes […]

Louisiana governor candidates John Schroder, Sharon Hewitt, Stephen Waguespack, Hunter Lundy and Shawn Wilson take part in a debate at WWL-TV in New Orleans.

Jeff Landry won the first governor’s race debate without showing up

BY: - September 13, 2023

As a new NFL season begins it is an interesting coincidence that Attorney General Jeff Landry is employing an established football strategy to win a spot in the gubernatorial runoff: Jump out to a big lead, sit on the ball, don’t take any risks, and run out the clock. Given his big lead in the […]

Alabama Gov. George Wallace addresses a joint session of the Alabama Legislature in the Old House Chamber of the Alabama State Capitol on May 7, 1963. Behind Wallace are Lt. Gov. James Allen, left, and House Speaker Albert Brewer

That redistricting argument sounds familiar

BY: - September 12, 2023

Three federal judges order the Alabama Legislature to draw fair districts for Black voters. Lawmakers drag their feet. They submit a plan. Judges reject it for limiting the ability of Black Alabamians to choose their leaders. September 2023? Nope. September 1965. That redistricting fight 58 years ago isn’t a one-for-one match to what we see […]

Arkansas Rep. David Ray listens as Deputy Attorney General for Opinions Ryan Owsley discusses details of House Bill 1726 to a committee on March 29, 2023.

Officials can’t say they serve the people while taking shots at the public’s right to know

BY: - September 10, 2023

Pardon me if you’ve heard this before: Arkansans’ right to know how their state and local governments operate is enshrined in a 56-year-old law called the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. During this year’s legislative session, some lawmakers attempted to punch gaping holes in the FOIA’s defense against government secrecy, large enough to make much […]

Jeff Landry supporters likely unfazed by alleged ethics violations over plane flights

BY: - September 8, 2023

Someone please wake me up when we’re no longer in a place where accusations of ethical wrongdoing by elected officials can be so easily weaponized as high-caliber campaign fodder. It was really only a matter of time before what has infected the national political discourse spread down to the state level.   The Louisiana Board of […]

laborer relief work

Conditions that create jobs, not costly incentives, need to be prioritized in Louisiana

BY: - September 4, 2023

All too often, a business that’s been lured to Louisiana with generous tax breaks and other taxpayer-supported enticements fails to live up to the hype that preceded their arrival. The form that typically takes is an employer that fails to deliver promised jobs but readily accepts exemptions to their property taxes that benefit their bottom […]

A young adult with a questioning expression is surrounded by text reading Liberal? Conservative? Moderate? with an outline of the state of Louisiana in the background

Questions abound as the Louisiana governor’s race heads into the homestretch

BY: - September 1, 2023

Labor Day is traditionally the point where statewide election campaigns move into high gear with roughly six weeks to convince voters before they make their decision. For the 2023 Louisiana governor’s race, voters might also need a road map to follow the candidates who’ve either been nebulous about their platforms or aren’t making a big […]

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards is shown addressing an audience at the Andrew P. Sanchez Multi-Service Center in New Orleans on Feb. 16, 2023.

Gov. Edwards’ commuter rail investment comes at the expense of wronged Road Home recipients

BY: - August 27, 2023

Don’t you love that feeling when you’re doing the laundry and you find forgotten, crumpled cash in a pants pocket? But after that brief euphoric moment and weak laugh at the “money laundering” joke that goes through your head, you realize that you should probably do a better job managing your cash.  Perhaps you even […]

Louisiana House of Representatives

10 Louisiana Legislature races to watch in this fall’s election

BY: - August 21, 2023

With almost half of the members of the state Senate and House of Representatives going unopposed, there might not appear to be much drama in store in the fall elections for seats in the Louisiana Legislature. But dig deeper and you’ll find a fight for the fundamental heart of the Republican-dominated chambers, along with a […]

Jerry Ryan delivers Wednesday's edition of the Marion County Record to distribution worker Bev Baldwin.

Kansas newspaper raid draws plenty of attention, but journalists defy threats across U.S.

BY: - August 20, 2023

After Kansas Reflector reported on the ignominious and unconstitutional raid of the Marion County Record on Aug. 11, news outlets and commentators from across Kansas and the nation followed suit throughout the weekend. The voices of those who value a free press and free expression were overwhelming in their force and intensity. Eight days later, […]