Secrecy in Louisiana Senate President Election Causes Concern

Politicians like to preach transparency when they're looking to earn your vote. Once they are elected, the last thing it seems they want you to know is exactly what they are up too. Apparently hiding the process from the electorate is all part of the grand tradition that has been part of choosing a President of the Louisiana Senate, at least since 2015.

The elected hired hands in Baton Rouge will be quick to tell you that the Senate President's election is held in the wide-open chambers for any and all to see. What they don't tell you is that the process of determining who might be chosen for that position is more secret than Colonel Sanders's 11 herbs and spices. Well, at least what the Colonel is cooking is a lot easier to swallow than the hogwash happening in the Lousiana Senate.

PAR, the Public Affairs Research Council whose motto includes the words Independence, Integrity, and Results, is suggesting that the Louisiana Senate's secret nomination process for Senate Presidential candidates could be unconstitutional. At the very least the process does not conjure up images of independence, integrity, and results. In fact, the whole "let's keep voters in the dark" mentality looks a lot like a cover-up.

The rule that allows the Senate to seek nominees in secret has been in place since 2015 when John Alario was elected to the position. The Senate President is one of the most powerful positions in state government so there really is a lot at stake with who is elected to do the job.

Hopefully, the fact that you're reading this article will be enough of a catalyst to make you call your Louisiana State Senator and ask them to overturn that "secrecy rule" before a new Senate President is chosen in January. If you're not sure who that person is you can get than information right here.

If you ask me, the Senate created a rule that is in direct violation of the state's open meeting laws. That should not be. However, it will continue to be if you sit on your hands and do nothing. Which is probably what you'll do anyway since not even half of us bothered to vote in the last election. Shame on us. We could be doing so much better.