“First, with regards to the reappointment of Ronnie Jones, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board needed an injection of new leadership after seven years of Jones serving as chairman and even more years as a regulator.
“I applaud Gov. John Bel Edwards’ appointment of Lt. Col. Mike Noel, who, as the governor says, brings a “wealth of experience and knowledge” to the Board.”
—State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, on her reasons for objecting to the reappointment of Ronnie Jones as Chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.
No reflection on the abilities of Noel, but while Carter Peterson felt that new blood was needed after Jones’s seven years, she seems to have ignored the fact that Noel spent 17 years regulating gaming as head of the Gaming Division of State Police.
Her apparent disregard for logic and reason as evidenced in her statement above may well be part of the explanation of how she has run the Louisiana Democratic Party into the ground since her election as Chairperson in 2012.
Now Carter Peterson is seeking election to Congress from Louisiana’s Second District. She hopes to fill the seat vacated by the capable Cedric Richmond now serving as a Senior Advisor to President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
So, with a lot riding on who represents citizens of the state’s 2nd Congressional District, perhaps a closer look at Carter Peterson’s performance in the Louisiana Legislature might be appropriate.
From 2017 through 2020, she missed 45 percent of all votes in the legislature despite drawing a salary of $22,500 per year, plus per diem and mileage. That’s more than 1,770 votes she missed.
And if one thinks 45 percent is a tad on the high side, consider this: in 2020, she missed a whopping 85 PER CENT Of VOTES.
But here’s the real kicker: In the pandemic-shortened legislative session of 2020, State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson missed an eye-popping 20 of 24 days – but collected her per diem (at $161 per day) for all 24 days ($13,685) and $1,225.90 in mileage payments (mileage for about a dozen round trips to and from New Orleans).
Legislators, it should be pointed out, generally stay overnight in Baton Rouge during the session, returning home on weekends and Carter Peterson is one of those fortunate lawmakers who gets to rent an apartment at the Pentagon Barracks across the street from the Capitol at bargain basement rates.
To get an idea of what a generous perk those apartments are, go HERE for a story I did more than 10 years ago.
Last year’s payout comes to almost $15,000 ($14,910.90) for non-attendance – in addition to her $22,800 legislative salary. That’s a total of $37,710.90 for a part-time job when many Louisianans don’t make that much at their full-time jobs.
And as the really campy TV commercials say, but wait. There’s more.
Carter Peterson also holds down, presumably, a full-time job (since 2014) with DENTONS LAW FIRM in its energy division. The June 5, 2014, news release announcing her appointment said, in part, “Her significant experience in Louisiana business and government, and work nationwide, gives her a unique perspective that will be of tremendous value to our clients.”
Among Dentons’ clients are Entergy and the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board.
So esteemed is Carter Peterson that she is not even listed among Dentons’s “professionals” on the firm’s web page. Still, she pulls down more than $100,000 per year, according to FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORMS filed with the State Ethics Board.
And then there is her husband, Dana Peterson, who serves as an assistant superintendent for the Louisiana Department of Education at $136,536 per year, according to Carter Peterson’s 2019 financial disclosure.
With those kinds of salaries, she still feels the need to rip off Louisiana taxpayers for sessions she didn’t attend. That’s real class.
With the legislature charged with approving budgets for all state departments, it would be interesting to know whether or not she abstains when matters concerning the Department of Education or the Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, come up for legislative action.
…If she shows up to vote at all, that is.
Louisiana Voice 
Great piece and public service, Tom. Ms. Peterson has been a big disappointment as head of the state Democratic Party and, based on your report, in the discharge of her responsibilities in the state senate. This and the other evidence you present should lead voters to reject her bid, but it probably won’t. She is sure to draw big donations and voters have been led to believe, even more today than in the past, that all politicians do what she does. Will this ever change – for the better? Do enough people really care?
Good questions. Wish the answers were yes and yes. But…
Tom, you just confirmed the very gut feeling that I have had about her since my meeting her as a member of the Baton Rouge Press Club. This is very fine work and states exactly what I have FELT was to often going on with many involved or trying to be associated with our legislature and state government. For example, Grants that are claimed (because there is no effective accounting oversight ) to be performed cheaper, than by a government employee that instead payrolls friends/relatives (ex. married sister or bother in law -different name not so obvious associated with principal) that have relative eyepopping salaries for persons with apparent credentials qualifying for just a minimum wage job. Another the famous RFP (request for proposal) that claims to meet a legal competitive bidding standard, because career state employees are just too dumfounded or stupid to create bidding standards, (Ex. Like a road must meet state and federal published engineering and construction standards. Or Police car must meet same), instead the value of the color of car (but that only one brand has) is 90% of bid value and price is 10%, vastly higher price wins – right, correct, you do know this. How do you think we got the brand of red light cameras in Baton Rouge and at then even higher revenue loss to the public….But you DID already know this, RIGHT?
At least it is now fully public knowledge that the long sought-out standard for our sister state, Texas is now complete…..Commercial apartment constructed within the catch basin levees, subdivisions in dedicated overflow areas with ut levees … Stop and inspect Louisianans coming from a state with a democratic governor and hundreds of thousands more covered with health care compared to Texas… but just a short time later the much larger population republican led states of Georgia and Florida get no such treatment, No statewide mask mandate as it is just a flu that will on its own pass. After Enron manipulating shutting down of contracted generation stations to soar the market why should there be any reserve capacity or maximum per hour cost? Thus it can be officially awarded: The state of TEXAS is now a BANANA REPUBLIC located within the United States – even with the senator and his financial executive wife seeing no problem publicly heading to Mexico…along with a Lt. Gov. stating publicly what is wrong potentially dying for the economics to stock shelves, while he has never been seen to do so….
Question, Did we rub off on our neighbors, OR did they rub off on us?
PS I have lots to do and these politicians do not deserve more than my draft quality. And as I have previously stated their pronouncements (its just a flu – or hydroxychloroquine is the answer, or windmills are to blame or the green new deal) are all, always, to be considered lies until proven otherwise.
Love these good ol’ fashioned biting exposés.
As the old saying goes concerning Peterson: All hat and no cattle.
I was stunned when she blindsided Edwards last year with the blackballs of his very competent nominees. I wasn’t impressed with her leadership of the Democratic party before that, but her actions made it obvious that she cared only about herself and not at all about the party. It is sad, because I would love to see a smart, competent black female candidate who had a chance at giving us a female congressperson. But she is part of the old cronyism system that is out to get whatever she can without legitimately serving the people.
Ronnie Jones is a great officer, shocked when Ms. Petersen vetoed him. She appears to be lining up for Republican jobs. I am voting for Candy Christopher ( I live in 5th) She is a smart competent female, so proud of her. ron thompson