October 31, 2023

Dear Friends,

With the governor’s race concluded, the state's political focus has shifted to choosing leadership for the 2024 Louisiana Legislature. The Senate has selected Sen. Cameron Henry, (R) from Metairie, as its incoming president. The race for the House speaker remains undecided.

Legislators formally vote on their new leadership on January 8th when the members are sworn in for the new term. Nevertheless, the Republican supermajorities in both chambers aim to finalize their selections before Christmas.

Currently,12 candidates have expressed interest in becoming Speaker. Reps. Phillip DeVillier (R) from Eunice, Daryl Deshotel (R) from Marksville, and Jack McFarland (R) from Jonesboro have emerged as contenders. Others include: Tony Bacala of Prairieville, Julie Emerson of Carencro, and Brett Geymann of Lake Charles.

Louisiana Illuminator reports that in a historic shift for the state, it appears that Democrats will play a minimal role in the House speaker selection process.

Following the November runoff, Republicans are poised to secure a supermajority (70+ seats), making it possible for the GOP to secure the 53 votes required to win without any support from the Democratic Caucus. This marks the first time in the state's recent history that Democrats are anticipated to have such little influence in the House speaker selection.

Last week, Governor-elect Jeff Landry announced the members of his transition team. Over the next two months, this team of seven men and one woman will formulate policies, suggest cabinet appointments, and create a political strategy designed to carry out Landry's conservative agenda. 

Kyle Ruckert, a seasoned Republican political strategist who has previously crafted campaign strategies for U.S. Senators David Vitter, John Kennedy, and Bill Cassidy, is leading the team. 

The co-chairs of the team consist of four prominent GOP donors who are avid supporters of Landry, including Lane Grigsby, a contractor, Shane Guidry, CEO of Harvey Gulf International Marine, Steve Orlando, an executive in the oil services industry, and Eddie Rispone, a former gubernatorial candidate from 2019 who now chairs the board of ISC Constructors.

Additionally, the team includes former U.S. Representative Ralph Abraham, who competed for a spot in the runoff during the 2019 governor's race. Tim Hardy, a lawyer who previously served as an environmental advisor to GOP Governor Buddy Roemer and represents petrochemical firms, will also be part of the panel.

Completing the list of co-chairs is the governor-elect’s wife, Sharon Landry, whom Jeff Landry described as a "silent influence" in his decisions ever since he secured a congressional seat in 2011.

Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear the monumental free speech case of Missouri v. Biden. They blocked a lower court's injunction, however, that had been preventing the Biden administration from cooperating with major tech companies to restrict American speech. This action effectively reinstates the controversial government censorship until the Supreme Court makes a final ruling on the case.

The injunction, initially handed down by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty and later broadened by the Fifth Circuit Court, prohibited various governmental agencies, including the Surgeon General, White House, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and eventually the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) from engaging in communication with social media companies to regulate speech. 

The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider the case before the end of June. In the meantime, the court's ruling to prevent the injunction implies that the First Amendment rights of Americans are currently under threat, and the security of the 2024 election is at risk.

Friends, this Halloween, John Stonestreet from Breakpoint reminds us that “Halloween” originated as “holy evening,” referring to Catholic Christians preparing for the Feast of All Saints on November 1st. Kirk Cameron argues that the holiday offers us an opportunity to declare Jesus' triumph over sin, evil, and death. Philippians 4 provides a guide for Christians today to focus upon “whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable.”

In His Service,

Gene Mills
President, Louisiana Family Forum

P.S. LFF has completed 25 years of impactful ministry thanks to your support. We want to achieve even more for our great state, expand our reach, and build a lasting Louisiana legacy, but we need your help. Have you considered including LFF in your long-term legacy giving plan? Will you? Every dollar we receive will help magnify your voice and advance your values.