Louisiana Voice

Folks, please don’t forget that April is one of our two months per year that we hold fund raisers. With the double shot of the Trump and Landry nonsense, we stand to be quite busy. And with public records becoming ever more difficult to obtain, our legal costs are going to rise like tariffs on Canadian lumber.

I humbly ask for your support (as you always have) so that we can continue to make good trouble and to fight the good fight (apologies to John Lewis and the Apostle Paul).

Remember, the largest single contribution from an individual will receive a first-edition copy of Huey Long’s autobiography, Every Man a King. There also will be other giveaways. For example, all contributions of $50 or more will receive a free copy of my latest book, 101 Wrongful Convictions in Louisiana.

The resistance is more critical now than ever before. Not to be too much of an alarmist, but our courts, our schools, our freedom of speech and the very rule of law are under siege. I’m old enough that I won’t be hurt that badly, but our children and grandchildren are going to be the ones who will bear the brunt of what’s being done to undermine our way of life.

You may contribute by clicking on the yellow DONATE button to the right of this post, or by sending a check to Tom Aswell, 107 North College West, Denham Springs, LA. 70726.

Your contribution, large or small, is greatly appreciated.

The state adopted a new constitution in 1974 which said, in part, that the Louisiana Attorney General’s office was limited in its ability to intervene in a local matter. One provision that allowed AG participation in a matter was upon specific request by a local governing authority, i.e. police jury, school board, city council, etc. It was a provision fought bitterly by then-Attorney General William Guste but the local district attorney lobby was too strong to overcome.

 The other condition for intervention, according to State Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Pineville), is on the direction of the governor.

Anyway, that’s what Johnson’s HB-64 says.

The bill, pre-filed with a couple dozen other bills as the April 14 opening day of the 2025 session approaches, appears to be an attempted power grab by Gov. Jeff Landry via Liz Murrill and the AG’s office.

The bill proposes that nothing in present law shall limit the authority of the attorney general as she (no gender-neutral there) deems appropriate, “to render such special services or assume full charge and control of all legal proceedings…”

The bill harkens memories for us old-timers of the 1950s and -60s legislative efforts in combatting desegregation by saying, “Proposed law provides that it is a declared interest of the state that the attorney general preserve and defend the state’s autonomy, independence and sovereignty in all legal matters and disputes including but not limited to the federal government.”

It also says that the proposed law “provides that the state’s sovereign interests refer to any matter, concern or situation that directly or indirectly affects the states or rights of the state and its citizens.” Oh, joy, bring out the separate water fountains and rest rooms.

It also brings back memories of when Earl Long, the realist, called out staunch segregationist Leander Perez, who insisted on preserving the KKK white heritage by shouting, “Whatcha gonna do now, Leander? The feds have the A-bomb!

But we’re not finished yet. The bill also says that the proposed law would allow the attorney, “in her name,” or through special counsel (read: favored private law firm), represent the state and all departments and agencies of state government, state boards and commissions, state officials and employees…as we as any local political subdivisions… in order to preserve, protect, and defend the interests of the state.”

It further stipulates that no entity, state or local, “may enter into any judgment by consent in federal court without the approval of the attorney general and the governor when the proposed judgment creates or establishes continuing jurisdiction or creates binding obligations.”

That language would prohibit a local entity like say, the Orleans Parish prison or a local school board from negotiating a consent decree over prisoner treatment, or method of desegregation without the attorney general and governor’s say-so.

Get this: it also says the proposed law would apply to any pending consent decree or “any judgment that imposes continuing jurisdiction of any court over the state or any state department,” including local school boards.

Talk about adding to the layers of bureaucracy.

Butch Browning, back when he was the state fire marshal, got himself in something of a pickle by allowing himself to be photographed in full uniform – complete with a full array of military medals and decorations that he never earned.

Now, it seems, Gov. Jeff Landry may have committed the same faux pas one of his campaign ads during the 2023 election. The ad, shown here, depicts a photo of warrior Landry over which the text says, in part, “…Jeff became a decorated veteran of Desert Storm.”

The only problem with that is that he most probably was never in Iraq, Kuwaiti, or any other Mideast country.

The text of the ad also said, “He also received the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, a National Defense Ribbon and the Louisiana War Cross.”

Well, bully. Those are generally awarded for meritorious service, but what defines “meritorious?” Well, it can be just about anything that’s outstanding in any way.

“I looked at Jeff Landry’s campaign page and one of the pages had his [and] it had a picture of him from the standard basic training photo,” an individual who actually was in Desert Storm from Louisiana. “[H]e had ‘MP’ (military police) stenciled on the front of his helmet. In the bio, it stated he was a ‘decorated veteran of Desert Storm.’

Desert Storm warrior (?) Jeff Landry

He may have been a veteran of the Desert Storm era. That’s far different than being an actual veteran of Desert Storm.

I was a Vietnam-era veteran but I never set foot in the country, so I was not a Vietnam veteran.

“In 1990, there were only two MP units in the entire state of Louisiana. One was the 239^th out of Baton Rouge, near the airport. The other MP unit was the 39^th in Jackson Barracks in New Orleans,” the person said.

“There around 115-120 MPs in the 39^th and they were activated for Desert Storm. Then needed more people so they took volunteers from the 239^th out of Baton Rouge. Sixteen people from the 239^th volunteered to join the 39^th. I was one of them,” she said. “Jeff Landry was not.”

He also was not in the 39^th. “I had a friend who still has our orders to double check and his name was not on our list,” she said. “When I looked at Landry’s listing of his medals, I saw that he received four. Conspicuously absent from his list of medals is the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal and/or the Southwest Asia medal. Those are two that he would definitely have received had he been ‘in country’ for Desert Storm.

“I don’t know what happened between basic training and Desert Storm,” she said. “Why did Landry start out as an MP but wind up elsewhere? He may have washed out of MP school, or changed units to be closer to Lafayette? I don’t know. I am fairly certain that when Desert Storm started, he was in an infantry unit from Lafayette that was activated for Desert Storm but only made it as far as Fort Hood (in Texas).”

“Technically he is a veteran – but it’s highly disingenuous to phrase it as ‘decorated veteran of Desert Storm.’ It implies that he somehow was awarded something for some sort of distinguishing service overseas – and he never left training in Texas. Its deceptive. But it’s par for the course as well,” she said.

Attempts to reach Landry for comment were unsuccessful. We received no answer when we twice called the governor’s office but we did leave a voice message asking for a call-back and we sent the governor an email asking for comment but never heard back.

I’m working on a major story I hope to break later today but first, I’m already a day late in announcing our annual April fund drive.

It’s only the blood that keeps the heart of LouisianaVoice pumping, folks, so please try to see it in your own hearts to support our efforts. I only come to you twice a year as opposed to some who hold monthly fund drives or erect pay walls to force your paid subscription.

We have a president, a governor and a Musk who have gone mad with their power grabs and it’s going to take grass roots action to overcome their wreckage of human rights, education and health care. When I say grass roots, I’m talking about people like you and like the efforts of this blog to do its part.

I don’t want to charge a subscription fee because I want LousianaVoice to be available to everyone in the hopes that those who have the means and desire will contribute to the efforts of this service. I am convinced that is a fair method.

Just as was done last October, a special prize is being offered to the individual who makes the largest single contribution. The prize this year will be a first-edition copy of Huey Long’s autobiography, Every Man a King, shown here:

You may contribute one of two ways: By check to Tom Aswell, 107 North College West, Denham Springs, LA. 70726 or by credit card by clicking on the yellow rectangular button at the upper right of ths post.

As always, I deeply appreciate the support given LouisianaVoice since its inception way back in 2011.