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NEW YORK (AP) — Born into a family of Cornhuskers and raised in the Buckeye state, Joe Burrow left his roots behind and became a Heisman Trophy winner at LSU.
The quarterback won the Heisman on Saturday night in a record-breaking landslide, becoming the first LSU player to bring college football’s most prestigious award back to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 60 years.
Burrow received 2,608 points and 841 first-place votes, a record 90.7% of all the first-place votes available. Burrow also set a record for percentage of points available received with 93.8, breaking the mark of 91.6% set by Troy Smith of Ohio State in 2006. Burrow was named on 95.5% of all ballots, breaking the record of 95.2% set by Oregon’s Marcus Mariota in 2014.
Burrow’s margin of victory of 1,846 points broke the record of 1,750 set by O.J. Simpson of Southern California in 1968.
Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts was second with 762 points. Quarterback Justin Fields of Ohio State was third and defensive end Chase Young of Ohio State was fourth.
Burrow transferred last year to LSU from Ohio State, where he was a sparingly used reserve. After finishing strong for the Tigers in 2018, he broke out this season, setting a Southeastern Conference record with 48 touchdown passes and leading top-ranked LSU (13-0) to its first College Football Playoff appearance.
Burrow’s victory was a foregone conclusion, but after he was announced as the winner it still overwhelmed him.
“That’s the most I’ve cried in 23 years of living,” Burrow said later.
After hugging his parents and coaches, Burrow made his way to the stage inside the PlayStation Theater in Times Square. He started his acceptance speech, stopped and took 23 seconds to compose himself before rattling off the names of LSU’s other offensive players.
“All my teammates have supported me, welcomed me with open arms. Kid from Ohio, come down to the Bayou, and welcomed me as brothers,” Burrow said, with about two dozen former Heisman winners standing behind him on stage.
“What a special moment,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “I thought Joe handled everything first class. It’s the first time I’ve seen him get that emotional.”
The Tigers will face No. 4 Oklahoma and Hurts on Dec. 28 at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
“I’m ready to get back to Baton Rouge and start practice on Monday,” Burrow said.
Burrow, a senior, blended perfectly with first-year LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady and produced the most prolific offense in school history. Playing in a version of the offense Drew Brees runs for the New Orleans Saints, Burrow has shown accuracy and quick decision-making similar to his childhood idol. With at least one game left, Burrow has passed for 4,715 yards and is completing 77.9% of his passes, on pace to set an NCAA record.
The kid who grew up thinking he might play college basketball has blossomed into the possible first overall pick in April’s NFL draft, and LSU’s second Heisman winner.
Halfback Billy Cannon won the Heisman for LSU in 1959. The 60-year gap between Heisman victories for LSU is the largest for any school with multiple winners.
Burrow is the 17th quarterback to win the Heisman since 2000, and the third straight QB to win the award after transferring, joining Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018).
Burrow’s dad, Jimmy Burrow, was a longtime college football coach who played at Nebraska. He spent the last 14 years of his career as defensive coordinator at Ohio University in Athens before retiring to spend his weekends watching his son play.
“It’s been a dream season for him as well,” Burrow said.
Joe Burrow grew up in The Plains, Ohio. His older brothers both played at Nebraska.
His father’s old boss, Ohio coach Frank Solich, hoped the youngest Burrow boy would play for the Bobcats, but Joe took off in high school. Burrow was Mr. Football in Ohio in 2014 and signed with Ohio State the next year.
In Columbus, Ohio, Burrow joined an already loaded quarterback room with J.T. Barrett, Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller. Burrow redshirted as a freshman and played a little in 2016.
In 2017, he was competing with Dwayne Haskins to be Barrett’s backup and broke his hand in preseason practice. That opened the door for Haskins to position himself as the quarterback of the future for Ohio State.
After spring practice in 2018, having already graduated from Ohio State, Burrow decided to transfer. LSU wasn’t his first choice, but Orgeron recruited the quarterback hard.
“He gave me an opportunity when not a lot of people thought I was going to do anything,” Burrow said. “He trusted me with his program.”
Burrow was interested in Nebraska, but that interest wasn’t reciprocated. Cincinnati seemed like a possibility, playing for former Ohio State assistant coach Luke Fickell.
A visit to LSU, with its 100,000-seat stadium, history of winning, southern hospitality and SEC competition, won over Burrow. Orgeron has called Burrow his most important recruit and maybe the most important recruit in the history of LSU football.
That might have sounded like hyperbole a few months ago.
Not anymore.
“It’s been a long and winding (journey),” Burrow said, “and there’s still more chapters to be written.”
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drew Brees has a knack for making history when the only NFL game to watch is being played inside the Superdome.
There was the Sunday night in 2012 when Brees’ 40-yard pass to Devery Henderson gave him touchdown passes in 48 straight games, eclipsing a mark set by Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas half a century earlier. That streak finally ended at 54 games — a mark which still stands.
Six years later, on a Monday night in the dome, Brees broke Peyton Manning’s previous career record of 71,940 yards passing in even more spectacular fashion: a 62-yard touchdown pass to then-rookie Tre’Quan Smith.
Brees entered this weekend three touchdowns shy of breaking Manning’s career touchdowns passing record of 539 as the Saints prepared to host one of Manning’s former teams, the Indianapolis Colts, on Monday night.
New England’s Tom Brady, with two touchdowns Sunday at Cincinnati, increased his career total to 538, one ahead of Brees.
Brees said he was more focused on winning and refining an offense that scored 46 points — albeit in a narrow loss — against San Francisco’s highly rated defense a week earlier.
“Obviously, before the season you know you are a certain distance away, but then once the season starts, you just focus on winning games and doing what I need to do as a quarterback of this team to put us in the best position to succeed,” Brees said. “With that, I guess the statistics come, and maybe they add up, and then all of a sudden, you’re close enough to be within striking distance of some of those things.”
For Brees, three touchdowns is striking distance. He had five against the 49ers in Week 14 — one of 90 career regular-season games in which he’s had at least three TDs in his 19-year career.
The enduring success of the 40-year-old Brees, who now has 76,577 career yards passing, is “great for the game, “ said Colts coach Frank Reich, who played QB in the NFL for 13 years.
“I don’t always like going up against it,” Reich added. “I just think that he has really set the standard as far as accuracy. I don’t know Drew at all, but I just know a lot of people that do know him. His work ethic, I think that is why he is still playing at a high level at this age.”
To Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Brees’ longevity has become an element of what makes him so hard to scheme against. Eberflus figures that whatever coverage any team throws at the Saints, Brees has “definitely seen it,” and possesses the precision to attack it.
“There is no doubt,” Eberflus said. “He’s an elite player at his position and he’s been that way because of his timing and his accuracy.”
Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, who played in the Big Ten for Wisconsin, in his home state, was a few months short of turning 7 at the end of the 2000 college season, when Brees was a Heisman Trophy finalist and leading Purdue to the second of just two Rose Bowls in school history.
Around 17 years later, Ramczyk was a rookie at Saints practice, botching protections to the point that Brees was evidently irate. But Brees wasn’t going to let his frustrated outburst become the rookie lineman’s enduring memory from that day.
“I’m trying to figure all this stuff out, a ton of pressure,” Ramzcyk recalled. “After practice, he came up to me. ... He was there for me. He said, ‘If you have any questions, come to me. Let me know.’
“It was so genuine, so sincere, I was like, ‘OK, this guy’s got my back. He’s looking out for us,’” Ramczyk added. “It’s a great connection that he has with not only the (offensive) line but everyone on this team. We all trust him 100 percent and he has a ton of trust in us.”
Now in his third NFL season, Ramczyk was able to celebrate Brees’ yards passing record with him in 2018 and hopes to do the same soon for the all-time touchdowns mark, be it this week or later.
“This is a guy that I was watching growing up,” Ramczyk said. “To be on his team is a pretty awesome thing.”
Same goes for Smith, who caught Brees’ last touchdown pass last week and could very well be the target of the record breaker, only one season after his memorable TD catch on a long pass down the right sideline gave Brees the yardage record.
“That would be crazy if that happens,” a grinning Smith said.
“As a second-year player here, it’s wonderful to be around somebody who is just so great in everything they do and so precise, and being alongside of him helping him break records,” Smith said. “I feel honored just to be in his presence. Just a great guy in general. I’m just trying to take it in. I’m still in awe. I’m just here for the ride and having fun while doing it.”
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints coach Sean Payton is trying not to let New Orleans’ latest bout with key injuries undermine his club’s Super Bowl aspirations.
A pair of starting defensive linemen who are both former first-round draft choices — end Marcus Davenport and tackle Sheldon Rankins — left last week’s loss to San Francisco with what turned out to be season-ending injuries.
But as the Saints (10-3) prepare to meet Indianapolis (6-7) on Monday night, they do so having already demonstrated how resilient they can be without prominent players in the lineup.
The Saints went 5-0 while record-setting quarterback Drew Brees was out with a thumb injury early this season. Star running back Alvin Kamara, top receiving tight end Jared Cook, left tackle Terron Armstead, left guard Andrus Peat, top cornerback Marshon Lattimore and return specialist Deonte Harris have missed games with injuries this season as well. Rankins also sat out the season’s first three games while finishing up his recovery from an Achilles tendon tear in last season’s playoff opener.
Yet by Thanksgiving, the Saints were NFC South Division title holders for a third season running and are still in contention to capture one of the top two playoff seeds in the conference.
“It’s been a little bit more than we’re used to,” Payton said of the injuries to top contributors. “You start with Drew, but it is what it is. You learn as you get older that there are certain things you can control. Those are the things you spend more time focusing on than the things you can’t.”
The Saints are somewhat fortunate that they entered this season emphasizing depth on the defensive line. They still have experienced, productive players across their defensive front — just fewer of them. And they will be tested against Indy’s sixth-ranked running game, featuring Marlon Mack.
“One of the things this year that we felt was beneficial was our depth at the defensive line position, carrying eight each game and getting into a rotation.” Payton said. “So that when you lose two starters, the depth helps you.”
The Colts could use a break, having lost five of six. They’re now one loss from playoff elimination as they meet a Saints squad that odds makers have favored by more than a touchdown.
Indianapolis coach Frank Reich doesn’t expect New Orleans’ normally stout defensive front to crumble.
“They’re rotating guys who substitute that are good players. I’m sure they feel like us and most teams do, these backups are going to step in and do a good job,” Reich said. “We certainly know we are going up against a good front.”
QUIET KAMARA
Dynamic Saints running back Alvin Kamara is coming off a relatively quite game by his prolific standards, with just 25 yards rushing and 18 receiving against San Francisco. That marked his second straight game with fewer than 100 yards from scrimmage, and third in the last five.
But Brees doesn’t sound worried about Kamara, who needs just 38 yards receiving to become third player in NFL history with at least 500 yards receiving and 500 yards rushing in each of first three seasons.
“There’s just only so many balls to go around,” Brees said. “Alvin is one of our playmakers. We want to get on the ball. We want to give him opportunities.”
FOURTH-QUARTER WOES
The Colts have blown second-half leads each of the past three weeks, putting their playoff hopes in peril.
Indy has slid from the top of the AFC South to third place, and the reason is simple. Houston, Tennessee and Tampa Bay have outscored the Colts 31-0 in the fourth quarter.
“Very frustrating,” tight end Jack Doyle said, but added that he believes the Colts “have the right group of guys” to bounce back.
JUMPING IN
Rookie Parris Campbell became the fifth Colts receiver to land on injured reserve this season when he broke his foot last week.
Indy filled his spot by bringing back a familiar name, Dontrelle Inman.
The Virginia alum was one of the Colts’ midseason acquisitions last season, finishing with 28 receptions 304 yards and three TD catches in nine games. But the Colts and Inman couldn’t agree to terms during the offseason. He wound up playing four games for the Los Angeles Chargers before returning to Indy.
He’ll try to take pressure off of four-time Pro Bowler T.Y. Hilton, who has missed five of the last six games with an injured calf and was limited in practice this week.
ROSTER MOVES
The Saints moved quickly to add a pair of free-agent veterans — tackle T.Y. McGill and end Noah Spence — but it remains to be seen how they perform in New Orleans’ scheme.
“There’s a vision with each one relative to what they do well and how we would use them. They are in good football shape and I’m anxious to see how they do.”
McGill was a teammate of Colts QB Jacoby Brissett at North Carolina State. He wasn’t allowed to touch Brissett in practice, but now might get his first chance to sack him.
ARE YOU READY?
Indy is making its first Monday appearance since October 2016.
That might be a bigger deal for some than Colts 2018 All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard, who enjoyed watching pro wrestling as a kid.
“I’m not going to lie, I watched Monday Night Raw,” the reigning defensive rookie of the year said. “But it’s really special when you know the whole world is watching.”
May 11, 1960 — November 27, 2019
George Boesel Cain Jr., 59, was born on May 11, 1960, to George B. Cain Sr. and Gloria Rita St. Pierre in Monroe, Louisiana, and passed away suddenly on November 27, 2019, in Morgan City, Louisiana.
George, also known as “Hotshot” to his Mom and immediate family, spent his early years living at The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home in Monroe, Louisiana. His adult years were spent in Morgan City, Louisiana, raising his son and daughter, spending time with his grandchildren and fishing/crawfishing in the Atchafalaya basin.
Health was never on George’s side but being the noble man he was, he never quit fighting! He was just not built that way. He was young at heart and simply refused to grow up or grow old. Actually, most days he could be found riding around town on his hover board and had to be told more than once by Morgan City PD to “turn the music down.” He was well known for his enjoyment of music and dancing almost as much as he enjoyed his children and grandchildren. George was extremely kind-hearted and would give anything he had to help someone else, almost to a fault. He also loved to tell jokes and make people laugh.
He was preceded in death by both parents, George Cain Sr. and Gloria Cain Warren, stepfather, Russell Warren, and sisters, Sandra Kay “Sandy” Cain and Sheila “Patty” Grow.
Those left to cherish George’s memory are his daughter, Valerie Cain Keller (Joseph), son, Travis (Brittany) and their mother Pam. Brothers John Cain (Jenny) of Morgan City, Louisiana, Jim Cain (Linda) of Eagle River, Alaska, and his sister, Kim Naquin (Justin) of San Antonio, Texas. Also survived by his four granddaughters, Alaina, Elora, Liliana and Arianna, one grandson, Neil and numerous nieces and nephews.
Arrangements are being taken care of by Hargrave Funeral Home of Morgan City. Memorial services will be January 14, 2020, at Hargrave Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the family to offset the funeral cost.
November 18, 1935 — December 13, 2019
Joyce Lee Vicknair, 84, a resident of Morgan City, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 13, 2019, at her home surrounded by her loving family.
Joyce was born on November 18, 1935, in Biloxi, Mississippi, the daughter of Gustave Theriot and Adonia Crochet Theriot.
Joyce loved her family and cherished every moment that she was able to spend with them. Enjoying her life as a homemaker loving and raising her children, she wanted to extend that love to other children, so she operated a day care for children. She loved to travel and had the wonderful opportunity to travel abroad visiting many different countries that some only dream about visiting. In addition to traveling abroad, Joyce also loved to travel all over the United States. Joyce was a faithful and dedicated parishioner of Holy Cross Catholic Church where she was a member of the Ladies Altar Society and the Bereavement Committee.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by four daughters, Dianne Swiber and husband Henry Jr. of Morgan City, Shelley LeBlanc of Lafayette, Elizabeth Lindsay and husband Steve Douck of Morgan City, and Joy Lynn Dismer and husband COL Paul Dismer of Scott AFB, Illinois; one son, Russell J. Vicknair of Morgan City; 10 grandchildren, Henry A. Swiber III and wife Lisa, Shannon E. Swiber, Kevin M. Swiber, Michael P. Swiber and wife Misty, William D. Lavergne and wife Kristi, Jennifer L. Vicknair and wife Jennifer Chehardy, Stephanie E. Smith and fiancé Mike Beadle, Paul D. Dismer Jr., Laura E. Dismer, and Brittany Bell and husband Tyronne; 12 great-grandchildren, Ashley L. Boykin, Hunter T. Boykin, Ian R. Martin, Lanie E. Martin, Lexie D. Martin, Amber R. Swiber, Catherine M. Lavergne, Caroline A. Lavergne, Aiden V. Chehardy, Angelise M. Birdsall, Arabella E. Smith amd Emily Bell; and one brother, George J. Theriot and wife Katie of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, Gustave and Adonia Crochet Theriot; stepfather, Viltz Landry; husband, Lovence J. “Vic” Vicknair Jr.; two sons, Robert J. Vicknair and George J. Vicknair; one granddaughter, Sarah M. Dismer; two great-grandchildren, L.J. Smith and Amelia M. Chehardy; three sisters, Hilda Barrileaux, Ivy Maniscaleo and Ida LeBlanc; and four brothers, Pete Theriot, Hilton “Joe” Theriot, Junius Theriot and Ernest Theriot.
Pallbearers will be William Lavergne, Michael Swiber, Henry Swiber III, Kevin Swiber, Paul Daniel Dismer, Scott Guagliardo, Sam Guagliardo and Ian Martin. Honorary pallbearers will be Russell Vicknair, Henry Swiber Jr., Steve Douck, COL Paul Dismer and Aiden Vic Chehardy.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. A visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Tuesday, December 17, 2019, at Twin City Funeral Home with a rosary being prayed at 7 p.m. The visitation will resume from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Following Mass Joyce will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery.
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana State University is looking for a new system chief, after President F. King Alexander was appointed Friday to lead Oregon State University.
Oregon State’s Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to hire Alexander in a special meeting, confirming that Alexander was leaving the LSU job he’s held for more than six years. He’ll start his new position in Corvallis, overseeing a university with 32,000 students, on July 1, though Alexander said he’ll start working with the transition team in April.
“We found the best of the best, Dr. F. King Alexander. From our perspective, Dr. Alexander is the total package,” said Rani Borkar, chair of the Oregon State University Board of Trustees.
Borkar described Alexander as a strong leader who helped diversify LSU’s student enrollment and advocated nationally for college affordability and research institutions.
Alexander, 56, who appeared at the board meeting, praised the land-grant institution and told those assembled: “I’m just thrilled to death to be the 15th president of Oregon State University.”
In a phone call after the meeting, Alexander told The Associated Press he had “mixed emotions” about leaving LSU. He said he didn’t seek another position, but was recruited by Oregon State officials starting in April.
His last day as LSU president will be Dec. 31. The university said he’ll be a faculty member, conducting research and working with the system’s governing board on the transition, until March 31.
Alexander will succeed Ed Ray, who is retiring from the Oregon State job at the end of June after 17 years as president. Ray will continue in a teaching role at the university.
At LSU, Alexander has been in charge of a multibillion-dollar system with 50,000 students across four university campuses, a law school and medical schools in New Orleans and Shreveport. His salary, including housing and car allowances, topped $660,000 a year. His pay package with Oregon State, according to the employment agreement, includes $630,000 in salary, an additional car allowance and supplemental retirement pay. He’ll also be provided with a university residence.
When he took charge at LSU, the university system was struggling through years of state budget cuts. Alexander was a vocal proponent of increased financing for his campuses and spoke frankly and publicly about the damage he believed was being done by the slashing. The cuts have ended, and the governor and state lawmakers recently boosted higher education spending.
The exiting LSU president noted the flagship university in Baton Rouge will see its largest-ever fall graduating class next week and has broken records on academic achievement.
“We’re leaving it in good shape. The university has great momentum thanks to the people there,” Alexander said.
Alexander’s tenure provoked some controversy, including about his decision to loosen some admissions standards. But he recently received a positive job evaluation by the university system’s governing board. In a statement, Board of Supervisors chair Mary Werner thanked Alexander “for his outstanding leadership at LSU and his untiring advocacy for public higher education.”
LSU law school dean Thomas Galligan will serve as interim president while the university system board conducts what it described as a national search to replace Alexander.
Alexander’s departure for another university had been rumored for months.
Before his hiring by LSU in 2013, the Oxford-educated Alexander had worked as president of California State University Long Beach. The Kentucky native was raised in Florida and has held positions at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana; University of Wisconsin, Madison; and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was president of Murray State University in Kentucky from 2001 to 2006, a job previously held by his father.
Alexander’s degrees are in political science and comparative education policy.
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana State University is looking for a new system chief, after President F. King Alexander was appointed Friday to lead Oregon State University.
Oregon State’s Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to hire Alexander in a special meeting, confirming that Alexander was leaving the LSU job he’s held for more than six years. He’ll start his new position in Corvallis, overseeing a university with 32,000 students, on July 1, though Alexander said he’ll start working with the transition team in April.
“We found the best of the best, Dr. F. King Alexander. From our perspective, Dr. Alexander is the total package,” said Rani Borkar, chair of the Oregon State University Board of Trustees.
Borkar described Alexander as a strong leader who helped diversify LSU’s student enrollment and advocated nationally for college affordability and research institutions.
Alexander, 56, who appeared at the board meeting, praised the land-grant institution and told those assembled: “I’m just thrilled to death to be the 15th president of Oregon State University.”
In a phone call after the meeting, Alexander told The Associated Press he had “mixed emotions” about leaving LSU. He said he didn’t seek another position, but was recruited by Oregon State officials starting in April.
His last day as LSU president will be Dec. 31. The university said he’ll be a faculty member, conducting research and working with the system’s governing board on the transition, until March 31.
Alexander will succeed Ed Ray, who is retiring from the Oregon State job at the end of June after 17 years as president. Ray will continue in a teaching role at the university.
At LSU, Alexander has been in charge of a multibillion-dollar system with 50,000 students across four university campuses, a law school and medical schools in New Orleans and Shreveport. His salary, including housing and car allowances, topped $660,000 a year. His pay package with Oregon State, according to the employment agreement, includes $630,000 in salary, an additional car allowance and supplemental retirement pay. He’ll also be provided with a university residence.
When he took charge at LSU, the university system was struggling through years of state budget cuts. Alexander was a vocal proponent of increased financing for his campuses and spoke frankly and publicly about the damage he believed was being done by the slashing. The cuts have ended, and the governor and state lawmakers recently boosted higher education spending.
The exiting LSU president noted the flagship university in Baton Rouge will see its largest-ever fall graduating class next week and has broken records on academic achievement.
“We’re leaving it in good shape. The university has great momentum thanks to the people there,” Alexander said.
Alexander’s tenure provoked some controversy, including about his decision to loosen some admissions standards. But he recently received a positive job evaluation by the university system’s governing board. In a statement, Board of Supervisors chair Mary Werner thanked Alexander “for his outstanding leadership at LSU and his untiring advocacy for public higher education.”
LSU law school dean Thomas Galligan will serve as interim president while the university system board conducts what it described as a national search to replace Alexander.
Alexander’s departure for another university had been rumored for months.
Before his hiring by LSU in 2013, the Oxford-educated Alexander had worked as president of California State University Long Beach. The Kentucky native was raised in Florida and has held positions at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana; University of Wisconsin, Madison; and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was president of Murray State University in Kentucky from 2001 to 2006, a job previously held by his father.
Alexander’s degrees are in political science and comparative education policy.
Prince Hall Masonic Lodge 116 of Berwick joined with the management team from Walmart in Bayou Vista and donated Christmas aprons to the cafeteria staff at Foster W. Prescott Elementary in Franklin. Cafeteria staff members are listed from left: Carlene Clark, Consuelo Jones, Monica Poole, cafeteria manager; Debbie Davis and Kristen Gray.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana is suing the state of California over its decision to ban the import and sale of alligator products, saying the ban will hurt an important Louisiana industry and ultimately could hurt the state’s wetlands.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday, Louisiana said the economy surrounding alligators has played a key role in bringing back the American alligator population and is an important factor in protecting wetlands and other species besides alligators that depend on the wetlands.
“California has nevertheless attempted to destroy the market for American alligator products notwithstanding the fact that no such alligators live in California,” the lawsuit says.
According to The Times-Picayune/the New Orleans Advocate, California banned alligator skins and meats in the 1970s but repeatedly issued exceptions that allowed sales. The newspaper reports that the most recent exemption expires on Jan. 1 of next year, and this time California’s legislature did not pass another exemption. The newspaper reports the alligator ban was backed by a coalition of animal rights and environmental groups.
Louisiana said in its lawsuit that because most of the state’s coastal habitat is privately owned, the state does not have direct control over how it is managed. But the alligator industry provides economic incentives for landowners to take steps to protect marshlands that serve as habitat for the alligators.
The state argues that if California’s ban goes into effect, “landowners will be forced to greatly reduce or cease their erosion control efforts because they will be unable to economically sustain those efforts, resulting in irreparable harm to their property as well as harm to Louisiana’s sovereign environmental interests in wetland preservation.”
According to the lawsuit, California’s large economy often means that their product standards become de facto national standards so California’s alligator ban will have effects in other states. Louisiana says the upcoming ban is already having effects up and down the supply chain with the price of alligator hides decreasing, and alligator farmers reducing their investments.
Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874
Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255