RSS Feed

Much awaits the Louisiana Legislature when the 2020 primary election cycle comes to an end.
The political spotlight will most certainly shift, and lawmakers shouldn’t be surprised when it lands squarely on them.
A lawsuit filed by Gov. John Bel Edwards against House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and the entire Legislature over the Executive Branch’s coronavirus restrictions tops the list of what’s next.
A hearing before Judge William Morvant in the 19th Judicial District Court has been set for Nov. 12. 
The political stakes are high for this courtroom drama.
A majority of members in the House have signed a legislative petition to temporarily pause the restrictions, and the governor is suing to halt that maneuver.
Attorney General Jeff Landry, meanwhile, has waded into the lawsuit by filing a legal petition on behalf Schexnayder asking the judge to remove Edwards’ coronavirus restrictions.
In related news, a group of House members learned last week that they were the targets of public records requests filed by the Executive Branch in relation to the lawsuit. The prevailing theory in the lower chamber is that Team Edwards is looking for communications that show lawmakers were somehow aware that their petition effort would eventually be found unconstitutional.
In his lawsuit the governor argues that the state law permitting House members to approve a petition to override his executive order is unconstitutional because only one chamber of the two-chamber Legislature needed to act. 
The November primary election may also lead to one or more special legislative elections.
Three state representatives were on Tuesday’s ballot as part of campaigns to secure different elected jobs, including Rep. Stephen Dwight, R-Lake Charles, for Calcasieu Parish district attorney; Rep. Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, for the 5th Congressional District; and Rep. Joe Marino, I-Gretna, for a Jefferson Parish judgeship.
As of writing this early Tuesday morning, both Harris and Marino were hoping for runoff spots in their respective races. Dwight, in contrast, seemed to have the clearest path to victory in his bid for Calcasieu Parish district attorney, which would in turn trigger this year’s second special legislative election.
Should that happen, former GOP Rep. Brett Geymann will be willing and ready to make a run for his old seat in House District 35. A few other names are floating around, but the most formidable belongs to Republican Hal McMillin, who’s being encouraged to get in the race-to-be.
A former police juror and auctioneer who offers hunting and fishing tips on the local NBC affiliate, McMillin is seen as a possible candidate who could easily raise the money to compete. 
Arguably the biggest question mark hovering over Dwight’s likely departure involves his gig as chairman of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The position is a key one for the Legislature, especially with redistricting expected to begin in earnest next year.
Based on several interviews with committee members and lawmakers from across the ideological spectrum, expectations are for Rep. John Stefanski, R-Crowley, to get the gavel.
An attorney from Crowley who currently serves as vice chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Stefanski said in an interview last week he is definitely interested in the job.        
The appointment of the next chairman of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee will be one of the most important political decisions that Speaker Schexnayder will make this term.
Because whoever does get the job will have to hit the ground running in a real way and be prepared to collide with what promises to be a contentious process. 
That decennial process is a bit behind schedule right now. By this time during the last redistricting cycle, lawmakers had already completed training sessions and attended national seminars.
Lawmakers at this time last cycle were also finalizing plans for a series of statewide public meetings by the House and Senate governmental affairs committees.
Once elections are out of the way and a new chairman is appointed, the redistricting process will have to come together in a hurry, along with everything else the Legislature has paused this year. 
For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on Twitter@ LaPoliticsNow

A recent string of drunken driving charges continued Monday with an arrest by Morgan City authorities.
Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair reported these arrests:
—Brandon Edwards, 33, Versen Street, Berwick, was arrested at 10 p.m. Monday on a charge of driving while intoxicated (first offense).
Officers were called to Roderick Street for an individual causing a disturbance. A witness advised that Edwards had caused a disturbance and was attempting to park in a parking lot on Roderick Street. The officer observed Edwards had difficulties attempting a parking maneuver in the parking lot.
When officers made contact with Edwards, they observed he was in an intoxicated condition. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department.
Once at the Morgan City Police Department, he was given an intoxilyzer test and submitted a breath sample of 0.215g%. He was booked and incarcerated.
—Robert Charles John, 45, Gordan Avenue, Abita Springs, was arrested at 12:17 p.m. Monday on warrants for theft under $1,000, forgery and monetary instrument abuse.
John was located at the St. Bernard Parish Detention Center on an active warrant held by the Morgan City Police Department. He was transported to the Morgan City Police Department and booked on the active warrant.
—Tamara Curtwright, 30, Clements Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:26 p.m. Monday on a charge of disturbing the peace-intoxicate.
Officers were called to an address on Roderick Street for a disturbance. They came into contact with Curtwright.
Officers observed she was in an intoxicated condition causing a disturbance. She was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking and incarceration.
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard reported this arrest: 
—Zachary Mahfouz, 27, Second Street, Berwick, was arrested at 1:18 p.m. Monday on a warrant for simple criminal damage to property.
About 1:15 p.m. Monday, officers with the Berwick Police Department responded to a residence on Second Street in reference to a theft complaint. Officers made contact with Mahfouz and learned that he was named in active warrants through the Berwick Police Department.
Mahfouz was placed under arrest and transported to the Berwick Police Department where he was booked on the warrant.
Mahfouz remains incarcerated on a $500 bond
Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:
—-Devin Paul Guillot, 34, Bayou Drive, Pierre Part, was arrested Saturday on charges of simple burglary, possession of Klonopin (Clonazepam), possession of amphetamines and criminal trespass.
On Saturday afternoon, deputies responded to a Lee Drive address and made contact with the complainant, who indicated items had been stolen from a shed early Saturday morning. Deputies were able to review video surveillance and were able to identify Guillot as the suspect.
Deputies located Guillot at a Bayou Drive address and recovered the stolen property. After arresting Guillot, a pat down search incidental to his arrest yielded multiple doses of Clonazepam and amphetamines. Guillot acknowledged his participation in the burglary.
Guillot was booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center with a bond set at $42,500.
–Bobby Joe Blake, 31, Elm Hall Avenue, Napoleonville, was arrested Friday on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and resisting an officer, and a warrant for failure to appear in Iberville Parish on charges of possession with intent to distribute Schedule I and II controlled dangerous substances and possession of a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance.
On Oct. 12, deputies attempted to stop a U-Haul truck for traffic violations near La. 70 and Bayou Drive in the Pierre Part area. The vehicle attempted to elude deputies, which resulted in a lengthy pursuit that ended west of Belle Rose.
At that time, two women identified as Kaitlin Alida Chedotal, 25, North Curtis Street, Pierre Part, and Marcie Ann Templet, 22, La. 1 South, Donaldsonville, were arrested on felony charges and incarcerated.
Two men fled the scene. Later that night, the suspect vehicle driver was apprehended. He is identified as Jarvis D. Alleman, 25,Verret Street, Pierre Part. He remains incarcerated on multiple felony counts as well as a probation violation.
Blake remained a fugitive until his arrest Friday night near Belle River. Blake was booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center with a bond set at $35,000.
—Chrissy Rhodes Thomas, 40, Canal Boulevard, Thibodaux, was booked in Assumption Parish on Friday on charges of felony identity theft, four counts of felony bank fraud and four counts of attempted monetary instrument abuse.
On April 20, deputies responded to a complaint in the Labadieville area in which a property owner indicated that someone had stolen her identity, resulting in financial crimes being committed. The complainant believed that the suspect was her rental property tenant, identified as Thomas.
Detectives initiated an investigation and learned that someone had opened accounts at a number of financial institutions.
The applications were all done online, and two of the I.P. addresses were saved and ultimately traced back to the owner of those I.P. addresses.
Thomas created email addresses that attached to her personal bank account. Once loans were approved, funding flowed into Thomas’ account.
At the conclusion of the investigation, detectives requested and were granted arrest warrants for Thomas.
On Oct. 16, Thomas was arrested by Lafourche Parish. Thomas was transferred to Assumption Parish on Friday and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center with a bond set at $90,000.
—Bruce Fair Jr., 23, Thomas Street, Paincourtville, was arrested Friday on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of Hydrocodone and possession of a firearm in the presence of controlled dangerous substances.
Detectives initiated a stop in the 5700 block of La. 1 in Paincourtville and came into contact with the driver now identified as Fair.
As part of an ongoing investigation, detectives secured a search warrant for Fair’s vehicle. During the search, a firearm and a quantity of the drug Hydrocodone was recovered. Fair is a convicted felon. In 2017, Fair was convicted of possession with intent to distribute marijuana in Lafourche Parish.
Based on these findings, Fair was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center with a bond set a $75,000.
—Kentrell Lang, 39, Telegraph Street, Napoleonville, was arrested Saturday on charges of bank fraud, felony identity theft and misdemeanor theft.
On June 7, deputies responded to a complaint in which the victim alleged that his bank card had been stolen from his residence and used without his consent at multiple convenience stores near Napoleonville..
Based on the investigative findings, detectives believe Lang stole the card and that he, along with Kentrell Sanders, 39, Jefferson Street, Napoleonville, attempted illegal transactions once they possessed the card.
Sanders was arrested early in the investigation and remains incarcerated in lieu of $25,000 bond.
On Saturday, Lang was located at a location in Napoleonville and attempted to flee as deputies approached him.
He was quickly apprehended and subsequently booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

St. Mary had three new COVID-19 cases and Assumption had two in Wednesday's midday report from the Louisiana Office of Public Health.

St. Martin's case count was adjusted downward by 10 to 2,273.

St. Mary's new cases raise its pandemic case count to 2,047.

Assumption's two new cases make it's pandemic total 816.

No new deaths were reported Wednesday, so the tolls remain 87 in St. Mary, 64 in St. Martin and 24 in Assumption.

Statewide:

--371 new cases raise the pandemic total to 185,144.

--9 new deaths make the toll 5,746.

--4 additional COVID-positive people are in hospitals for a total of 623.

--7 fewer people are on ventilators for at total of 77.

Leonore Singleton, 69, a native and resident of Morgan City, died Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, at Ochsner Hospital in Jefferson.
Visitation will be Thursday, 10-11:45 a.m. at Jones Funeral Home in Morgan City. Masks and social distancing required.
Services will be at noon and can be viewed on the funeral home Facebook page. Burial will follow in Morgan City Cemetery.
She is survived by three brothers, Irvin Singleton and Larry Singleton, both of Morgan City, and Henry Singleton of Gibson;
five sisters, Edna Woods, Audrey Howard, Marie Singleton and Barbara Singleton-Turner, all Morgan City and Rosa Sledge of Baton Rouge; and a host of other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents and four brothers.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.