For St. Mary lawmakers, MN shootings hit home

FRANKLIN — The weekend shootings that killed two Minnesota state legislators echoed as far as St. Mary Parish.
The three state legislators who represent St. Mary appeared at a Chamber of Commerce legislative session round-up breakfast Wednesday at the Bayou Bend Wellness Center. After the talk about capital outlay funding and the bills they’ve sponsored, the lawmakers reflected on the threat of violence that has become part of the job.
“It’s a different world we live in,” said state Sen. Robert Allain III, R-Franklin. “But we will adjust to that and maintain our open door policy.”
Joining Allain at the event were state Reps. Vincent “Vinny” St. Blanc, R-Franklin, and Beryl Amedée, R-Gray.
All three expressed confidence in the security precautions they live with now.
“We now have more security than we’ve ever had …,” St. Blanc said. “I’m not scared. I just worry about my family. …
“We’re still going to be there for you. It’s just not as easy.”
St. Blanc said he received emails about the Minnesota tragedy at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, just hours after the shootings were discovered. Investigators almost immediately classified the shootings as political violence.
St. Blanc and Amedée both serve on the House Education Committee. They pointed to instances in which they were warned to wait for a security escort before leaving hearings.
Amedée said that’s not the case with other committees on which she serves. She wondered aloud why that should be. Her answer was that the Education Committee deals with children and issues that arouse emotion.
“People can be vicious …,” Amedée said.
“I pray for our country. I pray for our state. …
“I don’t feel in danger. I feel safe. Thank you for praying for us.”
Allain said he has made two reports to Louisiana State Police about potential threats.
“You may have noticed we’re not putting as much on social media,” he said. “Some of that is out of concern about putting out where you’re going to be ahead of time.
“I always want you guys to know everywhere we’re going to be and what we’re planning on doing. But family safety comes first.”
Looking back on the session that ended last week, Allain said the parish’s delegation obtained about $9.4 million in Priority 1 capital outlay funding for roads, bridges, sewage systems, law enforcement communications and more, spread equally across the parish.
Another $5 million is on its way to organizations including Chez Hope, ARC/Center of Hope and the Council on Aging.
“That was huge,” Allain said. “This delegation did a lot more than any other delegation. But don’t tell anybody we got this much.”
Allain said he authored a new law that provides for the testing of gypsum, a sometimes troublesome byproduct of manufacturing, so that it can be safely used as fertilizer.
St. Blanc said his bills expanded eligibility for READ Act funding, which provides books for pre-K to fifth-graders who need help with their reading skills.
Another bill allows Apple to buy back computers that school systems no longer need.
Amedée pointed to her own bill designed to protect the exercise of religion. A response to COVID-era restrictions, the law prevents the state from applying rules to religious organizations than those that apply to secular entities such as businesses.
Amedée said the bill also prevents regulators from taking such actions as forcing churches to obey stringent building and occupancy codes directed as schools just because they host events related to home-schooling.