In a move that will bolster the reach and resources of the Louisiana Committee for a Conservative Majority, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy has become a board member and leading voice for the group, alongside Attorney General Jeff Landry. The group was formed in 2006 when Republicans held only 38% of the state House and Senate. That was when former U.S. Sen. David Vitter was at the helm, with Landry coming along in 2016 to recreate LCCM. While heavyweights like Boysie Bollinger and Eddie Rispone are still members, Kennedy’s introduction adds a new dynamic. When LCCM, then operating as LCRM, first made huge strides in 2007, the goal was simple—construct a Republican majority at the Capitol. This cycle, LCCM’s mission is more complex and the endgame is no longer about party gains. Instead, it’s about policy gains, and electing conservatives to the Legislature. So while Kennedy has no plans to run for governor and appears to be comfortable in Washington, he has taken a hands-on interest in who gets elected to the state House and Senate. As for what his endgame might be, only time will tell.
—To close out this term, Gov. John Bel Edwards has assembled a new legislative affairs team, bringing in some new and old faces to the Fourth Floor. Both of Edwards’ chamber liaisons departed the administration earlier this year. Senate liaison Adam Eitmann landed a post with a Washington State technology agency, while House liaison Adam Keyes went to Valero, where he is is currently working as their state governmental affairs manager in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Zac Lemoine, previously a policy advisor to LSU President F. King Alexander, has taken over as the administration’s ambassador in the lower chamber. Edwards also brought in former state Sen. Marty Chabert to work his old stomping grounds across Memorial Hall. Chabert is pulling triple duty, as the Senate gig comes in addition to his work on the Board of Regents and in the Oil Spill Coordinator’s office. Plus, Chabert’s younger brother, a Republican, still occupies his old seat. “He ain’t doing me any favors in the GOP caucus,” Sen. Norby Chabert said with a laugh. Longtime lawmaker Noble Ellington is still in his post as Edwards’ legislative affairs director. As Ellington spent time in both the House and the Senate during his career inside the rails, he is handling bills in both chambers, with a particular emphasis on areas of expertise such as agriculture. Special Counsel Erin Monroe Wesley heads up the legislative affairs unit with assistance from Executive Counsel Matthew Block. While the Edwards Administration has a new lobbying team, members said they haven’t seen too much of a change yet in the Fourth Floor’s approach to relations in the chambers. “It is a little early to tell,” said Rep. John Stefanski. “When we move forward with the governor’s agenda, particularly the teacher pay raise, I think we will be able to see more.”
They said it: “Life’s not always fair, especially in this building.”—Sen. Danny Martiny, on life in the Capitol, to The Associated Press. Â
