Senate candidate Troy Hebert’s legal attempt to force LPB and the Council for a Better Louisiana to include more candidates in next week’s Senate debate gets a hearing today in a Baton Rouge courtroom. Political consultant and former-Secretary of State, Jim Brown, says Hebert is right on the money for filing the suit after only 5 of the 24 candidate were scheduled to be in the debate.

“We’re taking public taxpayer’s dollars and letting some outside group of business people called CABL, whatever CABL is, and they’re dictating the whole terms of the debate,” Brown said.

For a candidate to participate, he or she must have polled at least 5% and raised over $1 million in campaign funds. Brown says it’s not fair to the voters not to include all of their options in the political forum.

“They’re leaving out a former US Congressman, Congressman Cao down in New Orleans, Col. Maness, who got I think 16% in the US Senate race two years ago,” Brown said.

Brown told the Jim Engster Show that this debate could have a huge impact on the outcome of the election, and it’s not fair for a business group to decide who can participate.

“Outside business interests trying to dictate who the US Senator is going to be. I don’t like it. I think it stinks, and I hope Troy Hebert wins his lawsuit,” Brown said.

CABL president Barry Erwin says for the public’s benefit it’s best to hear from candidates who have a viable chance to win.

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