My Recent Trip to the State Capitol: Musings on the LA Legislature #8
Some First-hand Observations from the Regular Session
Hello all,
A weeks ago (April 18th), I made a daytrip over to the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge. So, I wanted to share some of my observations and experiences in today’s post.
To start off my trip, I went over to the State Capitol building to observe a couple of House Committee meetings. I first went over to the House Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, & Rural Development committee in order to talk with conservative legislator Rep. Danny McCormick. Rep. McCormick is a strong defender of the 2nd Amendment in the Legislature, so we here at the Louisiana First Standard appreciate the good work he’s done.
After watching the House Agriculture committee for a while, I went over to the House Judiciary Committee and caught up with Rep. Kathy Edmonston for a few minutes before committee meeting started. Rep. Edmonston has been a conservative stalwart since she first was elected to the Legislature in 2019—especially when it comes to COVID-related issues.
In both committee hearings, I definitely could tell that I was one of the only non-lobbyists or non-politicians. Average people don’t go to the Legislature since committee hearings are during the middle of the day. Overall, the heavy lobbyist influence sets the tone at the Legislature—which is why most bills in the Legislature have nothing to do with the important issues affecting Louisiana. Special interests reign in Baton Rouge whether we like it or not.
After the House Judiciary committee meeting, I got some lunch in the State Capitol’s cafeteria, and then headed over to the House chamber for the afternoon floor session.
I also got to talk a fair amount with Rep. Chuck Owen—who is a frequent writer on The Hayride. So, I appreciated getting to meet with him for the first time.
Now, there weren’t any highly controversial bills in the State House chamber on the day that I visited. So, I didn’t see anything entertaining disputes.
Overall, my day at the Legislature was highly informative and a solid learning experience. While the Louisiana Legislature is still a long ways away from becoming a Conservative bastion, there are still some solid “Louisiana First” fighters doing good work in the regular session. So, I’m glad that I was able to highlight a few of my favorite elected officials in the Legislature.
Before I left the Legislature, I decided to go to the Capitol building’s observation deck to get a solid view. There’s also a gift shop on the top floor, so I also purchased a Huey Long bobble head as a memento from the Legislature.
The Louisiana State Capitol is also tallest State Capitol building in America—even taller than the US Capitol building in Washington DC. So, I could see all of downtown Baton Rouge from the Capitol’s observation deck.
Anyways, thank you all for reading, and may Christ Jesus bless the state of Louisiana! Only Louisiana First!