House passes GOP budget funding TOPS, cutting money for health

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House passes GOP budget funding TOPS, cutting money for health
By William Taylor Potter and Matt Houston
Manship School
News Service
BATON ROUGE – The GOP budget – that called for full TOPS funding and a $235 million cut from the Department of Health’s funding – passed the House relatively unscathed following five hours of debate Thursday, the only action at the Statehouse.
Following the addition of a few amendments, House Bill 1 passed, 63-40, more than half a billion dollars million less than Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, had requested in his $30 billion budget.
The vote followed party lines with only Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, voting with the majority, and the division between Republicans and Democrats was clear from the meeting’s opening prayer from Rep. Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe.
“In a selfish prayer, you give [Republican leader] Lance Harris the wisdom to turn around and lead the Republicans in the way they should go.”
The approved budget only appropriates 97.5 percent of what the Revenue Estimating Conference’s forecast for revenue, a Republican-inspired precaution to prevent midyear shortfalls, something that has plagued the state in recent years.
HB1 now goes to the Senate which historically has attempted to have its way with revenue and spending bills which can only originate in the House. The Senate is expected to move the bill to committee sometime next week.
The Legislature has until sundown June 8 to come up with a fiscal plan for the next fiscal year that begins in seven weeks.
Rep. Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, criticized the budget for not making specific cuts and “punting” to the administration.
Throughout the debate, tensions flared between two of the House’s prominent Democrats – Leger and Rep. Sam Jones of Franklin – and Republican Rep. Cameron Henry of Metairie, who authored House Bill 1.
Leger and Henry sparred over cuts to the Department of Corrections, Leger accusing Henry of micromanaging how the department handles funded vacant positions. Moments later, Jones questioned whether Henry knew how cuts to the Department of Health would affect people.
Jones criticized Henry for not knowing the effects of his cuts, saying it was part of the appropriations process.
Henry said that question would be best directed to Rebekah Gee, secretary of the department, and encouraged Jones to call her to testify. Jones did not.
Jones had an amendment that would restore about $148,000 to the Office of Veterans Affairs to ensure no veteran’s cemeteries close. Homer Rogers, the office’s deputy secretary, said the office needs to buy new vehicles and computer software. He said it’s possible two cemeteries will close without the money.
The amendment failed 52-46.
The only major change to the budget came through an amendment from Rep. Patricia Smith, D-Baton Rouge. She proposed the House eliminate an amendment that the House Appropriations Committee added that would have appropriated $190 million of the federal flood relief money for the Comite River diversion project.
Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, had proposed the amendment during the committee meeting.
Several legislators, including many from northern Louisiana, argued money should not be taken from homeowner assistance programs, particularly if the project would only benefit a small portion of the state. Hodges said the project would prevent future floods, but she eventually withdrew her objection to Smith’s amendment.
“I appreciate the dialogue,” Hodges said. “I think we can work together to find a better solution to this problem.”
An amendment – dubbed a “golden bullet” by its author, Rep. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge – to spur nursing home reform and save up to $200 million was voluntarily withdrawn a bill to that effect was scheduled be considered by the House Health and Welfare Committee later in the session.
In an unusual move, Leger supported the conservative Edmonds, saying he believed the bill would be killed in committee. Edmonds ultimately withdrew the amendment after the bill’s author, Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, took the podium and asked to give the bill a chance.

Highland Elementary staff at Thursday’s St. Landry Parish School Board meeting were, from left, Carolyn Faul, Bonnie Ventress, Jaimie Lavergne, Sheila Fuselier, Krystle Smith, Monique Smith, Principal Lorie LeDoux, Caressa Thomas and Melanie Frank. (Photo by Harlan Kirgan)

Lorie LeDoux, left, Highland Elementary principal, accepts a certificate from Ginger LeCompte, executive director of the St. Landry-Evangeline United Way, naming the school as The Leader in Me participant. (Photo by Harlan Kirgan)
Highland is one of 4 schools tapped for leadership program
Staff Report
OPELOUSAS — Highland Elementary is one of four St. Landry Parish elementary schools selected for a leadership program intended to transform schools by instilling leadership skills into students.
The pilot program through the St. Landry Parish-Evangeline United Way and the United Way of Acadian was announced at Thursday’s meeting of the St. Landry Parish School Board.
The other elementary schools to participate are North and Grolee in Opelousas and Lawtell Elementary.
The four schools will be the first in the parish to implement The Leader in Me, a whole school transformation model that empowers students with the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century.
The program is based on the Stephen Covey book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”
Leadership is taught directly to students, but more significantly, integrated seamlessly with everyday lessons across all curricular area, according a United Way news release.
Ginger LeCompte, executive director of the St. Landry-Evangeline United Way, said, “While we have traditionally focused on conventional measurements for classroom success, we have often either ignored, or at least reduced our attention on the most important condition for learning – the culture of the school.”
She added, “When we create a culture that says every child is capable and every child is a leader, and then prove it with an environment that projects positive and practical ways to apply that philosophy, the student is transformed. The Leader in Me provides a methodical approach to creating that culture. This paradigm truly alters the school community, and by extension, the entire parish.”
St. Landry Parish Superintendent, Patrick Jenkins said, “This partnership with United Way for The Leader in Me aligns with our district’s mission to provide high quality instruction while working collaboratively with families and communities to maximize every student’s potential.”
He added, “We are so excited to have the United Way’s financial and logistical support that will enable us to implement such a powerful program.”
Margaret Trahan, CEO/president United Way of Acadiana said, “United Way of Acadiana has implemented this program in 35 schools, and we are excited to share our experience and provide logistical support for this project. In our role as a partner, and as neighbors, we have a common interest in seeing all Acadiana schools flourish and produce the best students and leaders possible. The Leader in Me has proven to be a win-win for our communities.”
Lorie LeDoux, Highland Elementary principal, said, “I expect us to have a complete turnaround. Miraculous things are going to happen and you going to be reading about Highland Elementary in great ways. We are very excited. I’ve been wanting this program for the last four years and when we had the opportunity, I seized it.”
Highland, North and Grolee are D schools in the state accountability system. Lawtell is a C school.
Nine St. Landry Parish schools applied for the program.
The application and selection process was competitive in the sense that all nine schools that applied were worthy, according to LeCompte, but funding for only four schools is available at this time. Selection was based on the degree and level of demonstrated commitment by the school administrators and staff and the level of need for significant improvement in challenging areas such as academic proficiency, behavior or attendance.
At least half of the initial funding for this project is available because of the generosity of Keith and Ginger Myers and family, through the Myers Family Foundation.
“Our interest and engagement in St. Landry Parish aligns with the interest and mission of the St. Landry-Evangeline United Way in making a positive difference in our community. We look forward to this partnership,” Keith Myers said.
Already a serious investor in Leader in Me in the region, the William C. Schumacher Family Foundation has also committed half the funding for these four schools. The combined generosity of both foundations establishes the necessary resources for full implementation over the next five years in these chosen schools.
Myers added, “We are confident that when the results of this first year or two of implementation are provided, others will join our efforts.”
LeCompte said the goal is to have 90 percent of the parish schools involved in the leadership program.
Trahan said, “Everything works better if Leader in Me becomes the foundation for that school.”
She added, “Imagine students that are empowered to be leaders. who take responsibility for their own learning, who set goals for themselves and then work to achieve those goals, who understand that things like homework have to come before they go out to play...”

Eunice city workers Perry Jones and Derius Kennedy pick up debris after storms raked the area April 30 and Wednesday. (Photos by Harlan Kirgan)
City leaders point south
to flooding problemsBy Harlan Kirgan
Editor
Eunice officials estimated from 15 to 18 inches rain fell from April 30 through Wednesday flooding streets and low-lying areas.
The worst of the weather occurred Sunday, but severe storms returned Wednesday morning to renew the threat of flooding.
Floodwaters threatened Faith Christian Worship Center on Stanford Road, but the church was spared.
Heather Ardoin, senior pastor, said the water backed up from Bayou Des Cannes lapped at the sandbags along the church, but stopped there.
“It did not enter the building,” she said. “It got right up to it, but thankfully the 500 or so sandbags we filled that day stopped it from going any farther. We are very thankful.”
In August the church was flooded as was much of the property in the area around the Eunice City Lake in northwest Eunice.
There were reports of hundreds of people in the area left without power in the siege of storm weather.
Perhaps the worst report of damage was to Plaisance Elementary, which is in the midst of a $1.7 million restoration project after being flooded in August 2016.
Phillipe Prouet, of Poche’ Prouet Associates, reported that at about 3 a.m. April 30 a tornado hit the campus causing at least $125,000 in damage.
The St. Landry Parish School Board’s wind insurance deductible is $25,000.
Prouet told the School Board on Thursday the twister damage included roofs, canopies and fencing.
Parish President Bill Fontenot, in a report to Parish Council committees Wednesday, said, “Most of the flooding has taken place in Eunice, but the rest of the parish is sandbag ready for whatever good sandbags can do.”
South St. Landry Parish was also hit hard with some roads covered by downed trees, he said.
It was the worst weather since the August 2016 floods that paralyzed South Louisiana.
On Thursday, Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot and the Board of Aldermen discussed the week’s flooding at a meeting to set the agenda for Tuesday’s board meeting.
The mayor said, “If Acadia Parish doesn’t do their part cleaning out their canals ... is there anything the city can do as far as legal action against Acadia Parish if it would get to that point.”
He added, “It might be costly, but what else can we do?”
Alderman Dale Soileau said he would like the city engineer, Karl Aucoin, to determine how much it would cost to clean all of the drainage, but he also noted a need to meet with drainage officials outside the city.
Fontenot said he met with an Acadia Parish drainage official to show how the canal along west of La. 13 is relative clear in Eunice, but clogged with trees in Acadia Parish.
The mayor planned to meet with State Rep. Phillip DeVillier Friday afternoon to determine if there is anything the state can do to help Eunice drainage.
Fontenot said state workers on Wednesday cleared debris piling up on the La. 13 bridge south of Maple Avenue.
“I really believe that if we can have Acadia Parish do their part I really think the city would drain faster,” he said.
Alderman Jason Bertrand said much of the problem was the volume of rain from April 30 to Wednesday.

Eunice military father surprises children at baseball game
By Myra Miller
Lifestyle Editor
What a surprise when two children threw out the first pitch before the April 26 Carolina Mudcat’s minor league baseball game in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, only to be surprised that the catcher was their father.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Lance “Todd” Daigle, a Eunice native, surprised his two youngest children, Karley and Cameron, during a pre-game ceremony at Five County Stadium.
Daigle, who is stationed in Goldsboro, arrived home from a six-month deployment in southwest Asia. This was Daigle’s fourth deployment, but the first that he returned home unannounced to his children.
His wife, Emily, was the only person aware of the homecoming as she helped present Cameron, 11, and Karley, 13, with a Carolina Mudcats VIP Experience which included a meal, and the opportunity to throw out the game’s ceremonial first pitches.
Daigle arrived at the field and was outfitted in a Mudcats uniform, and catcher’s equipment before being escorted to the bullpen where he would hide out.
After the children were taken to the pitcher’s mound, Daigle made his way behind home plate. Karley and Cameron both threw a pitch to the catcher.
Daigle approached the children to present them with the baseballs, then took off his face mask to reveal his identity.
Todd said it was a process to get everything in motion, “I emailed the Carolina Mudcats, and had help from my wife. It was confirmed on April 1, that we had the VIP package. Karley thought that it was a big joke,” said Daigle.
The couple’s children are huge sports fanatics. They children play baseball and soccer.
“So, this was just the Extreme for both of them, not only the game, but the whole package. And I arrived home a week earlier than expected,” said Daigle.
Todd Daigle is the son of Ellis and Deanna Daigle of Eunice. His wife, Emily Babineaux, is also from Eunice. Babineaux is the daughter of the late Tee Babineaux of Eunice and Yvonne Babineaux of San Antonio, Texas. Todd’s oldest son, Bailey Babineaux, resides in San Antonio.
Todd is a 1995 Eunice High School graduate and his Emily is a 1997 Eunice High graduate.

Air Force Tech Sgt. Lance Todd Daigle surprised his children at a baseball game where stayed behind a catcher’s mask. Daigle is with his children, Cameron, 11, and Karley, 13. The sergeant had returned to North Carolina following a six-month deployment. (Submitted Photo courtesy of Sgt. Lance Todd Daigle)

With the Carolina Mudcats mascot are, from left, Emily, Cameron, Todd and Karley Daigle. (Submitted Photo courtesy of Sgt. Lance Todd Daigle)

Day of Prayer
The National Day of Prayer was held Thursday at the Liberty Theater. Above, ministers gathered to pray for Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot. From left, are Rev. Tim Moffett, Monsignor Robert Romero, Judge Terry Hoychick, Fontenot, Rev. Chris Frye and seen in back right, Youth minister Weston Weaver. At left, Angie and Terry Hoychick led the attendees with “Amazing Grace.” (Photos by Myra Miller)
Eunice observes National Day of Prayer
The 2017 National Day of Prayer was held Thursday evening at the Liberty Theater.
This year’s theme “For Your Great Name’s Sake,” based on scripture from Daniel 9:19, “Hear us...forgive us...heal us,” brought the community together in prayer.
Some local civic and church ministers led prayers for our nation, families, to end abortion, schools and teachers, churches, prayer to stop racism, the community, policemen, firefighters, first responders, and a prayer for neglecting intimacy with God.
Worship songs were sung by Judge Terry and Angie Hoychick, “Amazing Grace,” and “God Bless America.”
Local ministers lifted up a prayer over Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot.

St. Ed fair
continues
St. Edmund Catholic School’s spring fair continues today at the the campus at 331 N. 3rd St.
The school’s largest fundraiser provides family fun events such as fair rides; a variety of foods, including boiled crawfish, shrimp and crawfish, fried fish, burgers and fries, cotton candy and funnel cakes; kids’ games and activities; live auction; bingo; Blue Jay Boutique; and a 5K Color Fun Run/1 Mile walk.
The fair is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today
Today, walkers and runners can register at 7 a.m. for a 5K Color Fun Run /1 mile walk to begin at 8 a.m. There will be a live auction at 2 p.m. and a Big Bingo at 5 p.m.

With the Carolina Mudcats mascot are, from left, Emily, Cameron, Todd and Karley Daigle. (Submitted Photo courtesy of Sgt. Lance Todd Daigle)

Millage, noise ordinance up for board adoption
By Harlan Kirgan
Editor
A millage adjustment and an amendment to the city’s noise ordinance are among the items on Tuesday’s Eunice Board of Aldermen agenda.
Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot and aldermen Jack Burson, Dale Soileau and Jason Betrand meeting at City Hall Thursday to begin forming the agenda for the meeting scheduled to begin with public hearings at 6:15 p.m.
The millage adjustment follows a roll back of the amount after a reassessment. The general alimony millage is to increase from 6.59 back to 6.77. The street millage is to be moved from 4.87 to 5.
The noise ordinance amendment allows an exception for city-sponsored events such as Mardi Gras.
In general loud noise is prohibited from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; and from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Fontenot said he may name members of economic development board if another ordinance is revised.
LAWCO’s 25-year franchise agreement is to expire at the end of this month, but it will be extended as the city seeks answers to a few questions, Fontenot said.
Burson said the LAWCO franchise has been a success for the city noting water problems in area cities.
The aldermen will also launch the budget process with an eye to a June adoption.

Did you know? Sex crime unit monitors offenders
From the desk of St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz
Second in a series of four
Our sex crime unit monitors and tracks down all sex offenders in St. Landry Parish. Sex offenders convicted of a sex crime in the State of Louisiana are placed into a tier system according to the crimes they have been convicted of.
If the Louisiana court system does not tier the offenders upon their sentencing dates, the Louisiana State Police will look at the offenders court sentencing minutes and what they were convicted of and will place the offender into a tier status; either Tier I, Tier II, or Tier III.
Tier I offenders must reregister once a year, for 15 years. After 10 years, an offender can apply for post conviction relief and if granted, they can be removed off of sex offender registration for good behavior and a clean record.
The following crimes are general examples of tier 1 placements.
TIER 1: Registration as a sex offender for a period of 15 years for the following offenses
LARS 14:43.1 Sexual Battery—when the victim is 18 years or over, under 18 Tier II
LARS 14:43.5 Intentional exposure of AIDS Virus
LARS 14:80 Felony Carnal Knowledge of a Juvenile
LARS 14:81 Indecent Behavior with Juveniles
LARS 14:81.4 Prohibited Sexual Conduct between an Educator and a Student
LARS 14:92(A)(7) Contributing to the Delinquency of Juveniles (to perform any sexually immoral act)
LARS 14:106(A)(5) Obscenity by Solicitation (of a person under the age of 17)
LARS 14:283 Video Voyeurism
All registered sex offenders must have a flagged ID with bold red letters under the photo reading SEX OFFENDER including driver’s licenses and must be renewed every year. When the offender pays their notification fees, a postcard is mailed out to everyone who lives in a one mile area if the offender lives in the rural area, and everyone gets a notification within three tenths of a mile if the offender lives in the city limits. The newspaper flyer has to run in the local paper for two consecutive days. These notification fees are good for 5 years.
*Multiple lesser sex offenses as in Tier I; can also lead to a Tier II or a Tier III Classification

A thinking mom’s message for Jimmy Kimmel
I feel your pain. But please use your brain.
On Monday, late-night TV comedian Jimmy Kimmel delivered an emotional monologue about his newborn son. His baby was born with a congenital heart defect that required emergency open-heart surgery.
Millions of American parents, myself included, have walked in Kimmel’s shoes. We’ve experienced the terrifying roller coaster of emotions — panic, helplessness, anger, anxiety, relief, grief and unconditional love— that comes with raising chronically ill kids.
But Kimmel didn’t use his high-profile platform to educate the public about coping with rare diseases. Or to champion the nation’s best and brightest pediatric specialists and medical innovators. The Tinseltown celebrity turned his personal plight into a political weapon, which his liberal friends were all too happy to wield. Top Democrats tweeted their praise for Kimmel’s advocacy of expanded government health care regulations:
“Well said, Jimmy,” Barack Obama gushed.
“Thanks @jimmykimmel for sharing your story & reminding us what’s at stake w/health care,” Hillary Clinton effused.
The Huffington Post piled on: “Jimmy Kimmel’s Humanity Underscores Heartlessness Of GOP’s Approach To The Poor.”
I don’t need lectures from Huffington Post and Hollywood elites about having a heart. Neither do the rest of America’s parents, whatever their political affiliations, who know what it’s like to stay up night after endless night with suffering children, wondering whether they would ever be able to breathe normally again or see the light of the next day.
Kimmel doesn’t need more maudlin Twitter suck-uppery. He needs a healthy fact-check.
“Before 2014,” he claimed, “if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you’d never be able to get health insurance because you had a pre-existing condition, you were born with a pre-existing condition.”
This is false. If parents had health insurance, the child would have been covered under the parents’ policy whether or not the child had a health problem.
Kimmel continued: “And if your parents didn’t have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a pre-existing condition.”
The term “pre-existing condition” is used to describe uninsured chronically ill people who apply for insurance coverage, not for a child in need of immediate care. Moreover, in the U.S., virtually all hospitals are legally obligated to provide emergency treatment to every patient who urgently requires emergency medical care regardless of the patient’s insurance status. This would include a newborn with an urgent heart condition. This requirement does not apply only to patients who enter an emergency room. It applies to all patients who set foot on a hospital’s property.
Kimmel then dramatically asserted: “If your baby is going to die, and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make.”
I repeat: It does not matter if you are rich are poor or if you are uninsured. If your baby is in the hospital, he or she will receive emergency care no matter what.
“This isn’t football,” Kimmel implored. “There are no teams. We are the team, it’s the United States. Don’t let their partisan squabbles divide us on something every decent person wants.”
Kimmel implies that opposition to Obamacare-style insurance mandates is both un-American and indecent. Had he been less hysterical, he would have acknowledged that different health care systems have pros and cons — and decent Americans can have legitimate differences of opinion on such matters.
In the land of make-believe, it would be wonderful if everyone had free access to the same high-quality care Kimmel and his family did at Cedars-Sinai and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
In the real world, Obamacare plans have severely curtailed the number of doctors and hospitals that customers can use. Command-and-control regulations on guaranteed issue, community rating and pre-existing conditions favored by Kimmel and company are driving up costs for everyone. Limited access to specialists and long waits have become the increasing norm — just like that other model of government-run health care, the Veterans Affairs system, where the despicable practice of “death by queuing” spiked under Obama.
Moving toward a nationalized health system might play well with an emotion-driven late-night comedy audience. But sober observers know it would mean undermining America’s superior access to cutting-edge diagnosis, innovative treatment, top specialists and surgeons, technology, and drugs.
Compassion without clear thinking is just a waste of Kleenex.
Michelle Malkin is host of “Michelle Malkin Investigates” on CRTV.com. Her email address is writemalkin@gmail.com. To find out more about Michelle Malkin and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

Predictions for Mother’s Day 2037

Whether it’s a matter of hardwired instincts or dutifully handed-down rituals, we can all nod our heads and acknowledge that there are certain statements or behaviors that are typical of almost all mothers.
Even in another 20 years, Mother’s Day will still bring to mind universally recognized traditions. But technology, economic conditions and social mores will bring subtle variations in the way mothers express themselves.
Some mothers will take disciplinary matters into their own hands, but others will continue to punt to their husbands. (“You’re really in trouble, young man. Just wait until your father reconnects to the Matrix!”)
Sometimes authorities even more fearsome than Dad will be invoked. (“As long as you’re living under MY roof, you’ll obey the rules of the One World globalist government.”)
Children’s caterwauling expressions of fear, anger and disappointment may be dealt with a little differently in the geopolitical world of 2037. (“Stop your crying right now or I’ll GIVE you something to catch your tears in so we can re-process them and maybe survive this water crisis.”)
As consumers continue to copy the daring fashions of Golden Globe nominees, it will be reflected in parent-child confrontations. (“You’re not leaving this house wearing THAT, young lady. I need it to tie up the sandwich bread bag.”)
Moms will still be proud of their offspring, but regulatory overkill will make it harder to show it. (“I’d love to put your crayon drawing on the refrigerator door, but the mandatory government sugar and sodium warnings take up all the room.”)
Advances in cosmetology may also change the nature of keepsakes. (“No, I didn’t have your baby shoes bronzed, but I did have my stretch marks bronzed…”)
Moms will still embarrass their kids in front of their friends. (“You’re going to see ‘Fast & Furious 24’? Is that about David’s first two dozen diapers?”)
Piles of dirty laundry and dirty dishes will still be something for mothers to deal with. (“Clean your room! This place looks like a plant-based, laboratory-grown meat substitute lives here!”)
Issues of an aging population will not go away. (“You’re the oldest and should know better – and should also appear before the Death Panel first and make room for the younger ones.”)
Elon Musk and other space-travel proponents will give little white lies a fresh twist. (“You can’t find Spot the dog? Oh, he has just gone to Mars to frolic. Rabies and tire tread marks are actually an advantage up there…”)
Science will also render some parental concerns less monumental. (“Don’t put that in your mouth! You don’t know WHERE it has been! What? Thanks to Google Earth and geocaching apps you DO know where it has been? Carry on.”)
Mothers will continue to lose sleep over the well-being of their traveling kids; but if the current trend toward mayhem continues, stereotypical phrases will take on a more macabre tone. (“Be sure to suicide-bomb as soon as you get there. Just so I’ll know you arrived safely.”)
Yes, two decades from now, mothers will still say puzzling, hypocritical and aggravating things. They will also still love us and will still utter sweet observations like, “Remember, you’ll always be my baby. Or the clone of my baby. Or the brain of my baby’s clone transferred into an immortal robot body. Or something like that. Somebody kiss my brain and make it feel better!”
Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol.com and visits to his Facebook fan page “Tyree’s Tyrades.” Danny’s weekly column is distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons Inc. newspaper syndicate.

Attakapas Gazette first community newspaper
South Louisiana has a long history of community newspapering, beginning with the Attakapas Gazette, one of the first newspapers published in Louisiana outside of New Orleans.
Its publisher was Theodore Jean Devalcourt, who was born in October 1796 in Baltimore, according to the book “Acadians in Maryland,” although Devalcourt is not an Acadian name.
The late Alton Broussard, who was my journalism prof umpteen years ago and who studied old Louisiana newspapers, speculated that the Devalcourts probably fled the Haitian revolution that broke out in 1791.
Theodore probably came to St. Martinville about 1820 and we know that he first published his newspaper in late 1824. A copy preserved in the state archives dated Nov. 27, 1824, carries the folio number of Vol. 1, No. 4.
According to Broussard, “The first St. Martinville newspaper set a standard that would have been hard for subsequent papers to follow if they had tried. Devalcourt was years ahead of his time in editorial judgment and probably could be classed as a very good printer for his day.”
He said that the Attakapas Gazette was one of the “most vigorous and enterprising of the newspapers published throughout the long and interesting history of … St. Martinville.”
The four-page newspaper was published weekly on Saturdays with two pages in French and two in English. Its news report reached beyond the community and, Broussard noted, “one of its unique features was its departmentalization of the news under four headings, ‘Parish of St. Martin,’ ‘Lafayette,’ ‘St. Mary,’ and ‘Miscellany.’”
Devalcourt may have spoken French better than English, as Broussard notes that the French section “seems to have had a higher literary quality than the English section.” That difference might also have been because of the Attakapas Gazette readership.
“The French section … was serving a highly literate and highly educated class of people,” Broussard said. “Many of the French residents of St. Martin [at that time] were first generation stock who had been educated in France. Their sons in turn were sent to France for their higher education.”
What the English section lacked in finesse, it made up in humor, Broussard found.
“How much of it was original is impossible to say, but at least one may recognize the editor’s ability to select the ridiculous for amusement. In some cases an entire column was devoted to short stories and jokes,” he said.
The English version also usually contained at least one poem. The edition of Nov. 27, 1824, for example, printed two of them, “The Maid of Abutina,” and “Napoleon’s Farewell to France.”
Advertisements gave some indication of the times. An 1830 edition listed prime pork selling for $9.74 a barrel, imported Bordeaux brandy at $1.12 a gallon, gunpowder at $4.50 a keg, and bacon and ham at seven cents a pound.
Advertisements in an 1841 edition listed a number of steamboats that regularly visited the town, including the Bayou Belle, Ajax, Zephyr, Fuselier and A. Porter.
Theodore Devalcourt married Marie Catherine Felonise Guidry in St. Martinville in 1827.
He died on Sept. 27, 1847, and was buried in St. Martin de Tours cemetery. The Attakapas Gazette was apparently published for at least another several years after his death, as it is named in the census of 1850.
A collection of Jim Bradshaw’s columns, Cajuns and Other Characters, is now available from Pelican Publishing. You can contact him at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

Writer: Recognize Gen. Sherman only for the evil war strategy
Most know about Sherman’s march through Georgia to the sea, but little is known about his army’s turn to the north through the Carolinas. Sherman believed in total war. He burned the homes, the crops and killed farm animals so that the civilians had no food or shelter. If our generals during World War II had followed Sherman’s recipe for war, they would have been tried for war crimes.
Sherman followed the same total war strategy in abolishing the American Indians after the Civil War. He gave orders to attack the tribes that were “hostile”. The trouble was that all Indians were considered hostile. Sherman’s orders to Custer that resulted in the massacre of the Southern Cheyenne Indians on the Washita River serves as one example of Sherman’s total war strategy. They waited for winter’s bitter cold to attack at daybreak. They killed men, women and children and those that got away starved or froze.
At a meeting in the 1990s of the University committee for naming facilities, consideration was given to naming a building for Sherman. Pat Bacot was present and he vividly recalled the impact that Sherman had on the people of South Carolina. After his presentation to the committee, there was no one present who made a motion to name anything for Sherman. If the parade ground is named for Sherman there must be an effort to educate ROTC students regarding the evil in Sherman’s total war strategy. There have been efforts to revise this history but the correct facts always prevail.
James Wharton
Professor and Chancellor Emeritus
Baton Rouge

From The Eunice News files
The following items are from May 2002 filed of The Eunice News.
Rep. Greg Fruge said he would oppose new taxes in the 2002 session.
The National Day of Prayer was observed at the City Hall parking lot. Among those pictured were Annetta Papillion, Jailyn Papillion, Nicholas Simar, Jenifer O’Donnell and her children, Allison, Auston and Emily.
Kate McGee, of Eunice, was the recipient of LSUE’s Outstanding Service Award. McGee served as vice president of the Student Government Association. Jessie Guillory, of Eunice, received the Outstanding Leadership Award, Guillory, a former Student Government Association president, provided leadership in helping organize a variety of student activities.
Cadi Pedigo, of Eunice and daughter of Roger and Gail Pedigo, won the 2002 Church Point Buggy Festival Teen Queen title. She was a freshman at Eunice High School.

Demonstrators arrive to support monument bills
By Sarah Gamard
Manship School News Service
BATON ROUGE — Demonstrators waved Confederate flags outside the Louisiana State Capitol Thursday in protest of New Orleans’ contentious decision to replace four monuments in his city representing Confederate leaders and in support of three bills before the Legislature that aim to protect those monuments.
Unfortunately for the demonstrators, the Senate had adjourned Wednesday night for the weekend and the House was tied up the entire day in debate over the bill that funds the state’s operation for the next fiscal year.
Most demonstrators waved various Confederate and American flags and hailed from northern and central Louisiana, including Prairieville, Marksville, Opelousas, Jennings, Oak Grove, Morehouse Parish and Monroe. A couple were from Texas.
Amanda Jennings from West Monroe was one of the demonstrators wearing a Confederate baseball cap and a large, matching flag. She said she was physically attacked Sunday night when protesting at the monument of Confederate president Jefferson Davis.
New Orleans is in the process of removing four Confederate-oriented statutes in prominent public locations to an undisclosed warehouse to await on ultimate decision on where to put them.
“We were completely peaceful and had been the entire time,” Jennings said. ”We’re way outnumbered.”
Jennings said college students, who she termed “terrorists” harassed her and her fellow demonstrators. After that, “paid agitators” pushed her and threw full Coke cans at her group. “It’s very organized,” she said.
”ISIS and all these terrorists groups, that’s what they do. They attack our history [until] we don’t have any history. And then no one will know that we ever stood up to our government.”
Jennings maintains the Confederate statues and Confederacy in general do not represent racism or white supremacy.
“What they have in the history books is not true...They can’t refer to us as white supremacists, either. We’re fixing to sue a few.”
The demonstrators support three bills this session:
— House Bill 71 by Rep. Thomas Carmody, R-Shreveport, would ensure conservation of public military memorials. It passed the House Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee, 10-8,Wednesday and awaits debate before the full House next week.
— Senate Bill 198 by Sen. Beth Mizzel, R-Franklinton, would require legislative approval before local or political subdivisions remove monuments. It is before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.
— House Bill 292 by Rep. Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, would prohibit the state, parishes, cities and all other political subdivisions from destroying, removing, moving, storing or hiding historic memorials or structures, images or plaques related to any U.S. war or conflict, American presidents, or the nation’s founding. It is in the House Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee.

Pro-Confederate monument demonstrator Amanda Jennings of West Monroe, forefront, was part of a demonstration Thursday at the Louisiana Statehouse in support of bills that would preserve monuments of Confederate leaders. She charged she was physically attacked by “paid agitators” April 30 when fighting to preserve the Jefferson Davis monument in New Orleans. (Photo by Sarah Gamard/Manship School News Service)

Gas tax hike still on session agenda
By Jeremy Alford
LaPolitics.com
While House and Senate leaders contend a proposed increase to the state gasoline tax still has a long road ahead in the ongoing regular session, supporters aren’t letting up on their push to generate more money for Louisiana’s overwhelming transportation needs.
Still, it’s not the kind of political assessment supporters want to hear as the session nears its midway point, with adjournment scheduled for June 8.
Throwing the issue for a new curve this week was President Donald Trump, who told Bloomberg News that he would “certainly consider” supporting a hike in the federal gas tax if the revenue were directed to infrastructure spending.
The federal retail gasoline tax is already 18.4 cents and on the state level the levy is 20 cents. Neither has been increased since the early 1990s.
Republican consultant Roy Fletcher of Baton Rouge said Trump’s statement, which stopped short of an endorsement or an announcement of any real plan, may introduce a new variable into the debate in the Louisiana Legislature.
While some conservatives might think Trump’s words of encouragement offer them some political cover to increase a tax that’s still seeking to gain footing at the Capitol, Fletcher said the possibility of gasoline being double-taxed is something to consider as well.
“If the feds possibly increase their rate — and we don’t know if that’s even the case — does someone want to do something here before that happens?” Fletcher asked.
Or, he added, does it become an issue that’s worth putting on hold, at least temporarily?
Prior to Trump’s statement, and even as he was giving it to Bloomberg News on Monday, the ongoing shotgun approach to increasing the state’s gas tax was looking tougher with each passing day.
Attention turned weeks ago to getting at least one of the related bills introduced out of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee and onto the House floor, but little progress has been made.
Many committee members believe that an increase upwards of 17 cents, as proposed in one measure, will be a challenging sell.
As such, other options are starting to appear on the table, like the possibility of a different funding source, like a small portion of the state sales tax. But those options appear to be taking a back seat to the public discussion over the gasoline tax.
There have likewise been very informal discussions — talks that core supporters aren’t necessarily a part of — about fallback positions, such as making sure, at the very least, certain legislative elements of the various proposals out there stay intact, like scaling back administrative costs; prioritizing projects; and indexing current and future revenue.
That said, none of the teams behind the push for a greater gas tax in Louisiana are throwing in the towel.
There are still rays of hope to be found on the issue, with supporters promising more outreach and education — a daunting task with just half of the session remaining.
There are also some hardcore politics at play. Some Republicans, with an eye to 2019, don’t want to give Gov. John Bel Edwards the benefit of having orange barrels all over the state’s highways when he runs for re-election.
Corporate tax overhaul pushed to next week
Legislation that started to get a closer look by Capitol players late last week, due to its intent to lower the corporate income tax rate, failed to get a full hearing on Monday before the House Ways and Means Committee because its author asked for more time to tweak the proposal.
Rep. Kenny Havard, R-St. Francisville, said his HB 648 was incomplete as drafted and that the amendments he needed to get the legislation into the right posture were still being put together. He added that his goal is to get back in front of the committee by next week at the earliest with the finalized measure.
With his legislation Havard wants to lower the top corporate rate of 8%, which he called the “highest in the nation,” and move the state toward a flat tax. Havard is calling his concept the “Business Flat Tax” and he told committee members that it would not apply to sub-chapter S-Corps or limited liability companies.
The idea came under fire last week by Stephen Waguespack, the president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, who called it the “governor’s backup plan.”
It was a clear reference to Gov. John Bel Edwards’ failed commercial activity tax on gross receipts.
Havard’s bill deals instead with gross margins.
“It will apply to profit and not receipts, making it completely different from the governor’s plan or the CAT tax,” said Havard. “Its going to be completely different than that.”
He added that the legislation, once properly amended, would eliminate “loopholes” and remove or reduce certain tax credits and exemptions. If certain financial triggers are met, under Havard’s plan, even the franchise tax would be rolled back completely.
Havard offered an overall mission for the legislation in one sentence for the committee: “That all of our profitable corporate taxpayers pay at least little something so that other companies and individuals don’t have to make up the difference.”
Political History: Louisiana on canvas
Did you know that our state has an official painting?
It’s oil on canvas from a father-and-son duo, Johnny O. Bell and Johnny F. Bell.
It took the Bells 10 years the develop the full idea and to complete the painting, before the enacting legislation was authored by late state Sen. Mike Cross and approved by the Legislature in 1995.
There was an early version of the painting, now in the possession of the Cross family, that included slaves in a cotton field, but it was rejected by senators and the Bells had to start over.
When a final version was approved, three duplicate paintings were made, with the governor’s office, lieutenant governor’s office and the late Sen. Cross each getting one.
The canvas is dominated by images of a magnolia flower, a Catahoula Leopard cur, an alligator, a pelican and our state flag — and by state law, it is the official painting of Louisiana.
They Said It
“That was really cool how that happened. Now the devil really is in the details.”
—Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, on how one of his legislative proposals was assigned the infamous number of HB 666
“As you can see, we are hungry for any good news.”
—Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, on recent news that the state had saved money on early debt repayments
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.