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Senator President Page Cortez (R-Lafayette) and other leaders expressed to the people of Louisiana, in a legislative news 2/25/21 press release, that “As leaders of the legislature, we believe it’s our responsibility to be transparent and keep you informed.” That message quickly crashed and burned. And it seems not everyone in the free press shares that sentiment either, which may explain why there has been little to no reporting of Act 507 (2022) in the mainstream media publications.

It’s been more than nine months since Governor John Bel Edwards signed Senator Cortez’s SB490 into law on June 16, 2022 creating Act 507.  Last June, a majority of legislators voted to create a new weaponized, state police force for the legislature only.  The measure was the brainchild of term limited leaders of the Senate and the House, but Senator Cortez was the bill’s only sponsor.

After adjournment of the 2022 Regular Session, Speaker of the House Representative Clay Schexnayder (R-Gonzales) issued another press release, stating ”we (the legislature) placed an emphasis on prioritizing families, taxpayers, and job creators over government expansion…and we’re not done yet.”  Creating a new police force exclusively for only the legislature is nothing less than in your face and in your checkbook, unnecessary government expansion.

It’s disappointing that this newsworthy example of government expansion went mostly unreported by the mainstream media. In the interest of sharing significant information with other readers who may not already have knowledge of how $2 million of state taxpayer dollars will soon be squandered, I suggest they visit the Louisiana legislature’s website to educate themselves about this 2022 legislation that can best be characterized as self-indulging, government expansion at taxpayer expense.

 

Victor L. Buccola

Destrehan