The recent LegisGator banquet in Lake Charles, organized annually by the SWLA Economic Development Alliance, provided just as many chuckles as it usually does, beginning with U.S. Sen. David Vitter.<\/p>\n
During his opening remarks, Vitter noted that he looked forward to playing golf at the Elephant Stomp event next year with Senate President John Alario and the representative to be chosen as speaker. But that would leave them one player short of the needed foursome.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the lobbyists out there, let the bidding,\u201d Vitter said, stopping short, \u201cI mean, the application process begin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Was the joke an early sign that Vitter will back Alario as Senate president? Not necessarily. Campaign spokesman Luke Bolar confirmed it was a joke and nothing more.<\/p>\n
Then there was Congressman John Fleming, who was thankful not to hear any remarks about his flowing coiffure. \u201cI\u2019m glad you didn\u2019t make another hair joke,\u201d he said after being introduced.<\/p>\n
Fleming also stated plainly, inside another joke, that he would be a perfect fit to fill the state\u2019s other U.S. Senate seat should Vitter be elected governor.<\/p>\n
Bringing it back around to Alario, Congressman Garrett Graves said he remembered the Senate president\u2019s very first day in the Legislature. \u201cI was watching TV and my bottle got clogged,\u201d Graves said. \u201cI threw up on myself and ruined my onesie.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Dozen In Speaker’s Race<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s arguably the most important election in Louisiana that will take place after the fall elections end.\u00a0And the field is growing.<\/p>\n When LaPolitics first surveyed the race for speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives in April, 10 candidates were openly running or considering a chase for the big gavel. Today, there are 12 who hope their colleagues will support their bids in what will be an internal January election.<\/p>\n The latest to dip his toes into the pool of power is Rep. Johnny Berthelot, R-Gonzales. \u201cI\u2019m thinking about it,\u201d the former Gonzales mayor said in an interview. \u201cI\u2019m retired and have plenty of government experience. I\u2019ll be able to dedicate more time to the position than anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n Also, Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, has been making phone calls to shore up support, according to various lawmakers.<\/p>\n But the most active in the race remains Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, who is traveling to House districts around the state and having group meetings with lawmakers in various regions. Over the past two years, he’s covered about three quarters of the districts represented in the House with personal visits.<\/p>\n His political action committee, CameronPAC, which now holds $50,000, has donated $12,000 to representatives. For now, he appears to be the only contender moving money to colleagues at any real volume.<\/p>\n Henry has the support of U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. The assumption inside the rails is that Henry also has the backing of U.S. Sen. David Vitter. Vitter, however, told LaPolitics recently he isn’t supporting anyone in particular.<\/p>\n Leading the money charge is Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, who has more than $72,000 in his Leadership Next PAC. Unlike the rest of the gavel field, however, Carter is being kept busy by a challenger in his Baton Rouge district. The way his challenger, corporate communications advisor Robert Cade Cipriano is lobbing bombs at the incumbent, Carter may be forced to spend more time in the district than touring the state during the primary.<\/p>\n Rep. John Schroder, R-Covington, officially announced his re-election campaign in August. He told friends and supporters that he would also run for speaker. For the announcement, he was introduced to the crowd by Treasurer John Kennedy.<\/p>\n There\u2019s $4,700 in his Schroder Leadership PAC. But a well-attended fundraiser was held early in September. Schroder is among the small handful of candidates who lawmakers across the state say they’ve seen personally in recent months.<\/p>\n Of course, not every candidate runs to become speaker. If history is any indication, some representatives in the field want to keep their chairmanship or move up the ladder. It\u2019s often said there\u2019s no second place in politics. But many lawmakers will tell you that chairmanships can come with dropping out. That\u2019s why many in the body are keeping an eye on the leadership PACs and who has them.<\/p>\n House Speaker Pro-Tem Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, has $39,000 in his Third Coast Leadership PAC, and a final decision from him is expected some time soon.<\/p>\n Rep. Kirk Talbot, R-Rover Ridge, has put together $10,000 in seed money for his KirkPAC. He started hitting the road for personal visits recently. Rep. Chris Broadwater, R-Hammond, has been making the rounds to different districts for weeks. He’ll soon put a big push behind his House United PAC. Some lawmakers have Broadwater down as a favorite compromise candidate.<\/p>\n Rep. Stuart Bishop, R-Lafayette, said he would have a leadership PAC in place by the end of September and will be \u201cin it to win it.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Joe Lopinto, R-Metairie, said, \u201cMy hat is still in the ring.\u201d The same was said by Reps. Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, and Thomas Carmody, R-Shreveport. But neither has a PAC now.<\/p>\n Lawmakers interviewed for this story said they had either made commitments or were waiting for qualifying to end. None, though, said they were holding off on a decision until the next governor is elected.<\/p>\n Several said their only demand was that the next speaker be elected independently of the governor, who traditionally has tremendous influence over the process. Most of the candidates mentioned that.<\/p>\n There also seems to be an ongoing conversation about whether it’s better to elect a speaker who’s in his third term or his second term.<\/p>\n As political as the process is, leadership is a very real consideration, with some serious budget issues on the horizon and a new governor coming in.<\/p>\n Regional representation remains an issue, too, with Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, still considered a favorite among the elected class to keep the top job in the upper chamber. The question is whether another lawmaker from the Jefferson-Orleans region should be allowed to assume power in the House.<\/p>\n Teachers Groups Pool Election Drives\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n For the first time in the long history of both organizations, the Louisiana Assoc. of Educators and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers are pooling their resources and funding for a single election cycle.<\/p>\n The immediate goal is to communicate to its shared 40,000 members, with a universe of influence of three to five \u2014 meaning 120,000 to 200,000 potential votes \u2014 that nothing matters more than the race for governor. And by extension, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education seats.<\/p>\n Dubbed \u201cIt\u2019s Time to Get it Right,\u201d the campaign will offer recommendations for governor, BESE and legislative seats.<\/p>\n But the top of the ticket is all that matters this year, especially if the BESE races on the fall ballot produce no clear majority and the governor’s appointees to the board will make the difference.<\/p>\n Both teachers groups intend to max out financially on state Rep. John Bel Edwards\u2019 bid for governor and, much more importantly, push its members to get involved with both money and sweat equity.<\/p>\n LAE and LFT will be more involved in this governor\u2019s race than any other in recent memory, and they\u2019re communicating daily, organizers say.<\/p>\n The architects of the standalone campaign say the catalyst for the joint effort was the session\u2019s debate over paycheck protection, which the unions and others managed to stall. Major union wins on the Jefferson Parish School Board last year also set the stage.<\/p>\n As a single unit, the Get It Right campaign could become a second source of organization and money outside of the Democratic Party for Edwards. This is especially important with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu presumably sitting on the sidelines, although that could always change.<\/p>\n LAE and LFT have supported similar candidates in the past, but those election cycles have usually been marked by disagreements in other races \u2014 playing out against a backdrop of competition, sometimes-conflicting goals and scant shades of mistrust.<\/p>\n Separately, the unions have small election budgets, and even together their money isn\u2019t exactly jaw-dropping. Some radio is expected. But real value could be seen in phone banks, data gathering and the mobilization of troops.<\/p>\n The most impressive coup would be the unions getting their national counterparts to pay attention and open their money spigots \u2014 a stratagem that is in the works.<\/p>\n But more than anything else, how the unions play jointly in the election cycle is what matters. And those cards aren\u2019t being shown.<\/p>\n With Edwards expected to lead the primary field as the lone Democrat, the groups’ efforts may be best reserved for the runoff. If the unions are to participate heavily in the primary, the trick may be helping to decide Edwards\u2019 opponent.<\/p>\n Some Democrats are rallying around the idea that they want U.S. Sen. David Vitter in the runoff, which mirrors the preference of Vitter boosters wanting Edwards. Neither side appears overly enthusiastic about facing either Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle or Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne in the final showdown.<\/p>\n In a situation that could only be produced by Louisiana\u2019s open primary system, that means the pro-Vitter super PAC Fund For Louisiana\u2019s Future and the unions could have a shared goal in the primary.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, the real questions will be whether the unions can make this temporary marriage a happy one and whether it will morph into other significant team-ups in the future.<\/p>\n Selfies In The Voting Booth<\/strong><\/p>\n If you’re so excited about voting in the fall elections that you’re planning on snapping a selfie in a voting booth that you’ll later post on social media, there\u2019s something you should know.<\/p>\n For starters, you may be asking yourself why anyone would want to take a selfie in a voting booth. Some folks may just want to promote voting on Facebook and Twitter or mark an occasion.<\/p>\n Officials in New Hampshire, meanwhile, are worried voters will use the photos as a way to sell their votes, which is notable since New Hampshire is not Louisiana. So they banned such selfies. A federal judge has ruled the ban unconstitutional, according to recent coverage from The Washington Post.<\/p>\n But what of Louisiana? Our law states \u201cno person shall knowingly, willfully, or intentionally; as a voter, election official, watcher or person assisting a voter, allow a ballot to be seen, except as provided by law.\u201d<\/p>\n The question was posed directly to Secretary of State Tom Schedler, who cited the law and remarked via email, \u201cThat said, the law was obviously written before the advent of social media and the ballot selfie. I remind voters that their vote is private unless they publicly disclose it. The bottom line for me, is Geaux Vote!\u201d<\/p>\n Study Previews Legal Agenda<\/strong><\/p>\n A new national survey on state legal climates conducted by the U.S. Chamber ranked Louisiana 49th out of all 50 states.<\/p>\n Capitol players are now leveraging the study’s findings to set the session stage early for next year. Among the proposals already being floated are the elimination of the state\u2019s $50,000 jury trial threshold and the amending of state venue laws to require a closer connection between a lawsuit and the area in which it may be filed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Legislature should prioritize legal reform in its 2016 session,\u201d said Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Assoc. of Business and Industry.<\/p>\n According to the Lawsuit Climate Survey, New Orleans\/Orleans Parish was the fifth worst city or county nationally for the fairness and reasonable nature of its legal environment.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite some modest reforms in recent years, the perception that Louisiana has one of the worst legal climates in the country persists today,\u201d said Jim Harris, president of the Coalition for Common Sense.<\/p>\n The group is asking lawmakers to improve judicial transparency by putting court budgets and contracts, as well as personal financial disclosures of judges, online. The same move was attempted this year, but ran into problems during committee hearings.<\/p>\n For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The recent LegisGator banquet in Lake Charles, organized annually by the SWLA Economic Development Alliance, provided just as many chuckles as it usually does, beginning with U.S. Sen. David Vitter. During his opening remarks, Vitter noted that he looked forward to playing golf at the Elephant Stomp event next year with Senate President John Alario [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[63,32],"yoast_head":"\n