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House Speaker Clay Schexnayder is quite the gearhead, having worked as a certified mechanic before managing and then eventually owning his own garage in Ascension Parish.
If you ask Schexnayder, a Republican, about it, he’ll likely start his story where most should — in the beginning.
“When I was 8 years old my dad bought a brand new Snapper riding lawnmower, really the first decent one in the neighborhood,” Schexnayder said last week during an interview from his Gonzales district office.
“He brung it home and told us not to touch it, so I went out there and tore the engine down. I wanted to see how it ran. Other than him scolding me and buying a gasket set to put it back together, that was it. I put it back together and we used it to cut grass for many years to come. That’s how it started. That’s how it all started.”
But being under the hood wasn’t good enough for Schexnayder.
He wanted to be behind the wheel as well and started racing IMCA/UMP modified cars on dirt tracks on a circuit that includes Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.
Schexnayder participated in 200 to 300 races between 1998 and 2013, developing a need (and “love”) for speed along the way.
Schexnayder, however, learned just how dangerous speed could be during one of his first races at a popular track in Mississippi’s Pike County.
“We were a little overconfident, you could say, and we were running in like a 30 car field that night and running top 10,” the speaker recalled. “If you know UMP modifieds, it’s an open wheel, like an Indy car, but it’s dirt. It’s very touch and go. You’re doing upwards to 100 miles per hour. I got bumped in the straightaway and the car went airborne. It tore down the catch fence along the grandstands and I landed in the grandstands about five rows up.”
The legislator-to-be, who said he witnessed it all in “slow motion,” wasn’t injured in the accident.
“When he hit me and the car went airborne, everything happened really slow,” he said. “I’m airborne watching everything play out and I’m just hoping people moved really quick, and, oh, they were moving fairly quick. By the time we hit the grandstands we were clear of everybody.”
In that situation, it could be argued that speed was a bad thing.
In Capitoland, however, a little momentum can go a long way — and over in the Senate there indeed seems to be a need for speed.
The regular session of the Louisiana Legislature set to convene in roughly three weeks, and within 14 days of that start lawmakers should be well into their first hearings on tort reform.
That was the roadmap offered up last week by state Sen. Barrow Peacock, a Shreveport Republican who addressed a mostly conservative audience assembled by the Louisiana Coalition for Common Sense and Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch.
If Peacock, a Senate judiciary chairman, sticks to his plan for bills that will be assigned to his committee, the timing of this centerpiece issue — tort reform, in some fashion — could influence the pacing of the entire regular session.
Since it’s the first session of a new term, that pacing along with its aftermath may color the next four years as well.
A rapid and deliberate pace could help lawmakers avoid last-minute dustups over the budget and capital construction bill, which have proved to be final-day thorns in recent sessions. Then again, progress can be just as infectious as panic in Capitoland, and a rushed approach could throw the entire session into the grandstands.
Whatever you do, don’t blink. While the budget might seem like a mess right now — there’s technically no executive proposal because a state board can’t agree on a revenue estimate — that uncertainty will not last.
Lawmakers will convene their regular session on March 9, and by early April a revenue prediction should adopted by the Revenue Estimating Conference.
(Keep your fingers crossed.) If that does come to fruition, the Legislature may find itself in a mad dash to finish the budget before the session adjourns on June 1.
As of Tuesday morning there were 89 bill filed in the House and 49 introduced in the Senate. That number is going to climb.
During the last regular session to kick off a term in 2016 lawmakers introduced 1,644 bills.
That’s all to say there will be plenty of distractions in the regular session, from overheated, time-consuming debates that yield no policies at all to a mountain of local bills that only matter to certain areas of the state.
Despite all of the drama and politics lawmakers are going to have to pick their lane. Whether they choose a session that moves at a super-charged pace or one at the speed of a snail, we’ll still have to witness it all the same.
Let’s just hope it doesn’t play out in slow motion.
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on Twitter
@LaPoliticsNow.

Louisiana is one of a handful of states noted for choosing general election candidates with “jungle primaries,” in which all candidates run together in a primary regardless of party.
But that’s not the way the April 4 presidential preference primary will work.
If you want to take part in picking a major party presidential nominee, you’ll have to be registered as either a Republican or a Democrat, you can vote only in the primary for the party in which you’re registered, and if you're not registered already, you’ll have to be registered by March 4 in person or by mail.
You have until March 14 to register with the GeauxVote online system.
This is the word from the Secretary of State’s Office:
“The parties govern by their rules who can vote in the election. Presently only registered Democratic voters can vote in the Democratic Party primary, registered Republicans in the Republican Party primary, and registered Independents in the Independent Party primary. These primaries are closed to all other registered voters.”
Louisiana requires each party to have at least 40,000 registered voters to have a state-run primary.
The Secretary of State’s Office sample ballot for St. Mary contains only Democratic and Republican presidential primaries, plus Democratic state party posts and parish posts for both parties. No Independent primary is on the ballot.
Early voting will be 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. March 21-28 (except Sunday, March 22). The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 4:30 p.m. March 31.
How much mystery will be left in the presidential nomination process when Louisiana votes isn’t clear yet.
Through the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, President Donald J. Trump hasn’t faced a serious reelection challenge. His best-known opponent is former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld.
The Democratic ballot is a long one and contains the name of candidates who have withdrawn, including Andrew Yang, Cory Booker and Michael Bennett.
Democratic voters will see New Hampshire Sen. Bernie Sanders and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the front-runners after Iowa and New Hampshire. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has also picked up momentum in the early steps toward the nomination.
They’ll also see former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who have worn the front-runner mantle only to fade in the first two contests.
And the ballot will include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the self-financing billionaire who has shaken up the race with a late entry.
There will be a lot of action before Louisiana’s primaries. The Nevada caucuses are Saturday, followed Feb. 29 by the South Carolina primary, seen as a test to see which Democrat can attract African American votes.
March 3 will be Super Tuesday, when 14 states plus American Samoa have primaries.
As of Feb. 1, St. Mary had 32,911 registered voters. Among them, 13,774 were registered as Democrats, 9,682 as Republicans and 9,455 as other or no party.
In 2016, St. Mary Democrats went for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a big way. She got 1,996 votes here, or 73%. Sanders got 20%.
Trump got 1,601 votes, or 53% of the Republican total to 29% for runner-up Ted Cruz of Texas.
Nationally, both primaries were dogged by allegations that party officials were rigging the system to favor of Clinton in the Democratic field and to hinder Trump in the Republican field.
In 2012, President Barack Obama got 805 St. Mary Democratic votes, or 77%. On the Republican side, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum got 854 votes, or 51%, to beat eventual nominee Mitt Romney’s 26%.

Officers stopped a Berwick man who was driving 64 mph in a 30 mph zone while intoxicated, Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair said in a news release.
—Carl Keiffer, 48, of Parro Lane in Berwick, was arrested at 3:24 a.m. Saturday on charges of reckless operation of a motor vehicle, speeding 64 mph in a 30 mph zone, improper display of license plate, first offense driving while intoxicated and resisting an officer.
An officer observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Brashear Avenue. The officer captured the vehicle speed at 64 miles per hour on the police unit’s radar. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was identified as Keiffer. The officer suspected driver impairment and a field sobriety test was given that Keiffer did poorly on. When officers went to place him under arrest, he resisted officers. He was eventually placed in handcuffs and transported to the Morgan City Police Department where he was given an intoxilyzer test and gave a breath sample of .190g %. He was jailed.
Blair also reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 111 calls of service and the following arrests were made:
—Quintin Dewayne Douglas, 28, of Tiffany Street in Patterson, was arrested at 12:04 a.m. Saturday on a charge of first offense possession of marijuana. Officers were called to a local motel for a fire alarm and they came into contact with Douglas as he exited the room from where the fire alarm activation had occurred. Officers detected the odor of marijuana emitting from the room and they located suspected marijuana in Douglas’ possession. He was jailed.
—Jason Ray Blake, 38, of Eraste Landry Road in Lafayette, was arrested at 7:23 p.m. Saturday on charges of two headlights required and driving under suspension. An officer observed a traffic violation in the area of La. 182 and Myrtle Street. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was identified as Blake. A computer check revealed his license was under suspension. He was jailed.
—Jordy Paul Rousse, 33, of Joan Drive in Cutoff, was arrested at 9:15 p.m. Saturday on charges of first offense possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia He was jailed.
—Casey Alan Cruz, 20, of Versen Street in Berwick, was arrested at 10:12 p.m. Sunday on a charge of second offense possession of marijuana. An officer observed a traffic violation in the area of Brashear Avenue and conducted a traffic stop.
Cruz was identified as a passenger in the vehicle. The officer detected the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle and Cruz was found in possession of suspected marijuana. He was jailed.
Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported the following arrests:
—Mathilda M. Martin, 48, of Rosario Street in Patterson, was arrested at 9:14 p.m. Friday on a charge of disturbing the peace intoxicated (public intoxication). She was jailed and later released on a $357 bond.
—Bobby Mouton, 45, of Tall Timber Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 11:27 p.m. Friday on charges of disturbing the peace and domestic abuse and on a warrant for Morgan City Police Department for failure to appear on the charge of battery on a police officer. He was jailed with no bond set.
—Kevin J. Gant, 33, of Fern Street in Patterson, was arrested at 10:34 p.m. Saturday on charges of aggravated battery with medical attention and simple criminal damage to parish property. He was jailed with no bond set.
—Darbin J. Sanchezflores, 30, of Cleveland Street in Patterson, was arrested at 3:26 a.m. Sunday on charges of possession of a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance, no seat belt, general speed law, improper display of temporary tag, stop sign violation, failure to signal turn, expired driver’s license, cancelled license plate and expired license plate. He was jailed with no bond set.
—Carlos D. Hudson, 41, of Tiffany Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 7:19 p.m. Sunday on charges of domestic abuse battery and resisting an officer. He was jailed with no bond set.
—Desmond J. Richard, 38, of Mike Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 10:27 p.m. Sunday on warrants for failure to appear on the charges of theft less than $1,000, failure to appear for possession of methamphetamine less than 2 grams and resisting a police officer with force or violence, failure to appear for felony criminal neglect of family and felony improper telecommunications, and for warrants for the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office.
He was jailed with no bond set.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith reported no arrests.
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported no arrests. Intoxicated Berwick man arrested during traffic stop

August 12, 1930 – February 16, 2020
Ruby Mae LaFont LeBlanc, a longtime resident of Franklin, passed away peacefully at the age of 89 in the early morning hours of Sunday, February 16, 2020, at the Franklin Health Care Center. She was born in Golden Meadow on August 12, 1930 and was one of six children born to Hubert and Marie LaFont.
Ruby was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to many. In her early years she worked as an Avon sales representative and later worked in the home raising her family. A parishioner of Church of the Assumption in Franklin, Ruby was a devout Catholic who served her church as a Eucharistic Minister and was a member of Ladies Altar Society as well as the Catholic Daughters, Court Assumption. Some of her favorite pastimes were quilting, playing solitaire, and spending time with family and friends.
Those she leaves to cherish her memory include her three grandchildren, Thelma Jean LeBlanc Self and her husband Joe of Marrero, Jason LeBlanc and his wife Chavaun of Houston and Brent LeBlanc and his wife Maricor of Seattle, Washington; ten great grandchildren, Heather Griffin, Joseph Self, Melinda Ricker, Melanie Gomez, Kayla and Krystal Self, Tate and Sloane LeBlanc, and Gabriel and Ellie LeBlanc; seven great great grandchildren; her sister, Gloria L. Eymard; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and family members.
She will deeply missed though the family takes great comfort knowing that she placed her faith in the Lord and is now reunited with her loved ones who have gone before her including by her husband, Frank J. “Dookey” LeBlanc Jr.; son and daughter-in-law, Brian LeBlanc and Marie Julie Prevost LeBlanc; son, Mark LeBlanc; step-son, Frank “Joey” LeBlanc; parents, Hubert Anatole LaFont and Marie Hebert LaFont; siblings, Duffy, Hubert Jr. and Ines Lafont, and Isabella Lafont Vizier; and an infant great granddaughter, Rhiannon Daley Harper-LeBlanc.
Funeral services will be held Friday, February 21, 2020, at Church of the Assumption during a 1:30 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial. Father Michael Russo will be the Celebrant for the Mass with Father Joel Faulk concelebrating. Following she will be laid to rest in the Franklin Cemetery Mausoleum.
A gathering of family and friends will be held Friday at the church from 11 a.m. until time of services, with the Holy Rosary being prayed 11:30 a.m.
Family and friends may view the obituary and express their condolences online by visiting www.iberts.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, La. 70538, (337) 828-5426.