Louisiana Voice

Want to know who controls Congress? Your legislature? Perhaps even your local governmental agencies?

All you have to do is go here, type in dates, say from 01/01/2003 to 01/01/2026, and arbitrarily put in an amount of from $500 to $5000 and for “Contributor’s Name, you’ll have to repeat the process, depending on how many contributors you’re looking for. But for the same of argument, type in “oil” one time, then go back later and type in “petroleum,” and later, something like “refinery.”

If you want to expand your search, you may want to take a look at “nursing home,” “pharmaceutical,” “insurance,” “chemical,” or any special-interest group that comes to mind.

But for the time being, let’s limit our search to oil, petroleum and chemical interests and you might better understand why the Louisiana Legislature is incrementally removing the safeguards that were established to protect us from the systemic poisoning of our water and air.

It wasn’t enough that two years ago, Gov. Jeff Landry signed off on SENATE BILL 503 by Sen. Eddie Lambert (R-Gonzales), creating Act 181 which set up criminal penalties for citizens who monitor air quality in their neighborhoods with the use of an affordable monitor that had been approved by the EPA.

LouisianaVoice REPORTED LAST JUNE on the first anniversary of SB 503, which established unrealistic fines of $32,500 per day, up to $1 million for intentional violations, a pretty arbitrary term in and of itself. The new law prompted a LAWSUIT that claimed vulnerable communities (like the 100-mile stretch along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, for example) without warnings of poor air quality. And just today (April 16), a Senate committee, bending to opposition from the petro-chemical industry, failed to approve improved air monitoring at Louisiana industrial plants.

But apparently even all that wasn’t good enough to satisfy the petro-chemical industry. Now comes House Bill 804 which shields oil companies from climate lawsuits, according New Orleans news service THE LENS.

The bill was authored by Rep. Brett Geymann (R-Lake Charles).

Okay, he’s a Repugnantcan and he’s from Lake Charles, another area of the state dependent largely on the petro-chemical industry.

Geymann served in the Louisiana House from 2004 to 2016, after which he was term-limited. But in 2021, he returned after the resignation of Stephen Dwight. Interesting how some of these guys seem to make a career out of public “service.”

Going back to 2003, the year he first ran for the House, we find that the petro-chemical industry, affiliated companies, law firms, political action committees (PACs), lobbyists and individuals contributed a whopping $155,875 to his campaigns. And that includes only those contributions of $500 and up.

Granted, he may well have had beaucoup smaller contributions of $10, $25, $50 and even $100 from individuals not connected to those industries.

Lambert on the other hand, racked up $133,650 from the petro-chemical industry and affiliated organizations since 2009.

So, let’s be realistic. With dozens of oil and gas interests, lobbyists, etc. kicking in a minimum of $500 each and you, with your single $25 contribution, are seeking damages for your chronic respiratory condition aggravated by the repeated release of toxic chemicals, just who do you think is going to capture a legislator’s attention? That’s pretty much a no-brainer.

I’m not saying Louisiana legislators are for sale but it surely looks as though some, at least, might be for rent.

Of course, that applies just as accurately to judges, Public Service Commission members, Insurance Commissioner, Attorney General (check the contract awarded by that office to contributing attorneys, insurance companies and utility and transportation companies). And don’t thing for a nanosecond that pay-to-play doesn’t influence (read: dictate) congressional legislation.