Yes, It’s Completely Constitutional For The U.S. Government To Promote Christianity
The states pushing legislation to display the Ten Commandments in public schools are all but guaranteed to end up at the Supreme Court.The states pushing legislation to display the Ten Commandments in public schools are all but guaranteed to end up at the Supreme Court.Louisiana’s lawsuits undermine Trump’s vision of energy dominance
One of Donald Trump’s main objectives over the next four years is to restore America’s energy independence. “Drill baby, drill!” didn’t make it into his second inaugural, but it might as well have. He and his team, led by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, went straight to work on efforts to reduce the nation’s dependence on energy imported from politically unstable parts of the world.
To get there, they’ve got to overcome lots of roadblocks. One of them, strangely enough, emanates from the newly renamed Gulf of America, where Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has seemingly partnered with settlement-seeking trial lawyers and radical environmentalists on activities that impede the growth of the nation’s energy sector.
You’d think the leaders of a state hunting for every dollar it can find would consider the revenue impacts before deciding whether to go on with lawsuits.
Energy analyst David Blackmon pointed out in a recent Forbes column that Landry is a plaintiff in lawsuits against energy producers working to help Trump fulfill his promise of energy independence. This doesn’t make much sense. Perhaps the president asked him about it when both were in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX.
Even if he didn’t, here are the facts: 43 lawsuits have been filed, starting in 2013 while Landry was serving in the U.S. Congress. These lawsuits, brought by several Louisiana parishes, aim to hold private entities responsible for coastal erosion — a problem that, like many environmental issues, is a “commons” problem.
This means that because coastal erosion generally happens in nature, no single person or entity is automatically responsible unless a court finds that someone or something is. With states and local governments facing budget constraints, they have increasingly partnered with special interests to ask courts to hold deep-pocketed corporations accountable for the costs of remediation.
As Blackmon also noted, the Louisiana-based Pelican Institute for Public Policy, a nonpartisan think tank, found the state has suffered significant economic consequences because “when the risk of getting sued increases, the expected costs faced by companies increases, and as a result, drilling activity decreases.”
In its report, Pelican found:
- Between 53 and 74 fewer oil wells were drilled offshore Louisiana than would have been drilled if the threat of lawsuits was lower in the state.
- This decrease in drilling activity led to economic losses in the range of $125.7 million to $320.3 million during those 34 months for Louisiana’s oil and gas economy, which work out annually to something in the range of $44.4 million to $113 million per year.
- Given that the average royalty rate in the coastal zone of Louisiana is approximately 20%, Pelican estimated Louisiana’s state and local governments lose $8.9 million per year to $22.6 million per year in royalty revenue.
Focus on that last point. According to the think tank, Louisiana is “losing more in royalty revenue than oil and gas producing companies are losing in profit, which are likely less than 20% of revenues on average, due to litigation risk.”
You’d think the leaders of a state hunting for every dollar it can find would consider the revenue impacts before deciding whether to go on with the lawsuits. Instead, as the state’s attorney general, Landry supported the parishes’ right to bring claims under the State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act and agreed not to endorse any substantive defenses raised by defendants.
Landry’s critics complain this decision may have compromised his obligation to uphold state law since, significantly, the courts later affirmed some of these defenses. In any event, it has left some of them asking if he favors the interests of the plaintiff bar over those of the oil and gas industry, a critical economic driver in the state he leads.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has recently forecasted that natural gas and oil will be the most used fuels in the U.S. through 2050. Trump’s day-one executive order on “Unleashing American Energy” encourages “energy exploration and production on Federal lands and waters, including on the Outer Continental Shelf, in order to meet the needs of our citizens and solidify the United States as a global energy leader long into the future.”
It’s basic economics. Increased energy demand (as the EIA predicts) combined with continual increases in supply produce lower prices. By suing the producers for billions, the governor and the other plaintiffs are handcuffing the companies providing abundant and affordable energy. Landry, unusual for such an allegedly market-friendly conservative, appears to be on the opposite side of President Trump when it comes to promoting America’s energy dominance.
Bills Aim To Stop Big Tech, Big Government From Silencing Speech Again
'I think we empower an army of citizens to hold their government accountable,' Sen. Eric Schmitt said of his Censorship Accountability Act.Louisiana governor's seemingly tone-deaf tweet following New Orleans massacre draws online ire
A tweet issued by the governor of Louisiana just hours after a driver mowed down more than a dozen people in New Orleans in an apparent act of terrorism has drawn heavy criticism on social media.
At around 3:15 on Wednesday morning, as revelers were still happily ringing in the new year, a man driving a truck with an ISIS flag apparently affixed to it came barreling down Bourbon Street and plowed into a crowd, leaving at least 15 people dead and 35 injured.
After striking the pedestrians, the suspect in the incident, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Texas, then exited his vehicle and engaged in a shoot-out with police. Jabbar died at the scene, and two officers were wounded but are now in stable condition.
New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Chief Anne Kirkpatrick claimed that the suspect had an "intentional mindset" and "was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage he did."
The apparent act of terrorism in the heart of one of America's oldest cities shocked the nation. Even the Sugar Bowl matchup between the University of Notre Dame and the University of Georgia, set to be played at the Superdome in New Orleans Wednesday night, was rescheduled for Thursday afternoon because of ongoing safety concerns.
'So your "guests" are more important than your constituents ... you’ve been heard loud and clear.'
Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, 54, who just assumed office a year ago, responded quickly to the incident. By 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday, he had taken to social media to comment on the murderous rampage, ask for prayers for the victims, and provide updates about public safety. By 4 p.m., Landry had even declared a state of emergency, citing his responsibility to protect against "dangers to the state and people."
Those social media messages from Landry were generally well-received.
However, a tweet he issued at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, about a half-hour before the Sugar Bowl was originally scheduled to kick off, prompted a very different reaction.
"Ate dinner tonight in New Orleans. Proud to be a part of this incredibly resilient city. See everyone at the game tomorrow!" Landry wrote cheerfully.
He also included a photo of himself giving a thumbs up while gathered with six others outside Bon Ton Prime Rib, an expensive restaurant located just a few blocks from where investigators, first responders, and other personnel continued to clean up the scene, identify the deceased, and disengage possible explosive devices before they could detonate and injure or kill more people.
— (@)
The online backlash against Landry's seemingly tone-deaf post was swift and fierce:
- "We’re all in this together, am I right?Except some are eating at fancy steakhouses while others are being slaughtered in the street.A**hole," wrote YouTuber David Freiheit, the Canadian lawyer and former litigator better known as Viva Frei.
- "15 people DEAD in a terrorist attack ... let’s celebrate with a STEAK DINNER!!! Such vile people ..." added another popular comment from a user identified as D.S.S.
- "Fire your social media team.The optics could NOT be any worse here," said Michael Flynn Jr., son of General Michael Flynn.
- "Were you dropped on the head as a child?" joked Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of the Federalist.
The barrage of criticism led Landry to issue a follow-up post, insisting that altering his official schedule that day would be to "cower to radical islamic terrorists."
"It’s important to understand that we have many visitors in the city of New Orleans right now. Safety is our top priority and we want our guests and the world to know that Louisiana does not cower to radical islamic terrorists," Landry stated about 90 minutes after the original post.
"Our restaurants and all New Orleans has to offer remain open for business!"
— (@)
The follow-up post did little to quell the anger:
- "So your 'guests' are more important than your constituents ... you’ve been heard loud and clear," wrote one user.
- "Wow, I'm glad I don't live in LA. You didn't even take a moment to show some respect to the ones who lost their lives nor their families. You had yourself what looks like a celebratory meal," added another.
- "You’re not making yourself look any less heartless or sociopathic with this attempt to justify your original post," said yet another.
Landry did not comment further on why he decided to dine at a fine restaurant amid such suffering and then brag about it on social media.
However, he did issue another tweet Thursday morning, calling for continued prayers for the victims and their families. "We remain committed to doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our people and to honor the victims as we seek justice," he added, along with a video of his appearance on Fox News with guest host Tammy Bruce.
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Leftists lose it after Louisiana becomes first state to require Ten Commandments in every classroom
Louisiana state Rep. Dodie Horton (R) was successful last year in getting "In God We Trust" displayed in every classroom in the state. She went a step further this year, introducing a bill that would require K-12 public schools, colleges, and universities to display the Ten Commandments on campus and in the classroom.
House Bill 71 was wildly successful in both chambers of the state legislature, passing 82-19 in an April House vote, then 30-8 in a state Senate vote last month — with all opposing Senate votes cast by Democrats.
Horton told "Washington Watch with Tony Perkins" after the vote, "Our children deserve all that we can give them. I've been wanting to get God back in the classrooms since ... removed many moons ago. So this is progress and it's just a great day for our Louisiana students."
Republican state Rep. Michael Bayham, one of the bill's authors, told the Washington Post, "It's our foundational law."
"The Ten Commandments is as much about civilization and right and wrong," continued Bayham. "It does not say you have to be this particular faith or that particular faith."
Despite threats of legal action and subversion from leftists and other anti-religion groups — who are otherwise keen to have LGBT propaganda and pride displays exhibited in school settings — Republican Gov. Jeff Landry ratified the legislation Wednesday, saying, "If you want to respect the rule of law, you've got to start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses. ... He got his Commandments from God."
Landry was evidently unswayed by the concern-mongering of various anti-religion groups, including the New York-based Center for Inquiry. The CFI implored the governor to veto the legislation, telling him in a June 14 letter that a failure to do so leaves Louisiana classrooms with a "dishonorable distinction."
The out-of-state anti-religion group said the introduction of framed pictures of historical documents aback the classroom amounted to "force-feeding public school students ... religious doctrine." The CFI suggested further that the law didn't reflect the will of voters, even though Louisiana voters elected the lawmakers and the governor who ultimately passed the law.
Blaze News previously reported that the law requires every public school governing authority and the governing authority of each nonpublic school that receives state funds to display the Ten Commandments "in each building it uses and classroom in each school under its jurisdiction."
Each governing authority has some latitude regarding the nature of the display; however, the Ten Commandments must feature prominently in a framed document at least 11 inches by 14 inches. The text, which must be "printed in a large, easily readable font," is to read:
The Ten Commandments[:] I AM the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
The displays are to be accompanied by a "context statement" noting that the Commandments "were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries," "were also included in public school textbooks published by educator William McGuffey," and "also appeared in textbooks published by Noah Webster."
The ratification of the legislation left the ACLU, the ACLU of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation incensed.
They claimed in a joint statement that the Ten Commandment displays will "send a chilling message to students and families who do not follow the state's preferred version of the Ten Commandments that they do not belong, and are not welcome, in our public schools."
The radical groups, now threatening a lawsuit, glossed over the legislation's stress on the Ten Commandments' historical significance besides its religious importance, and claimed, "Politicians have no business imposing their preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools"
'I can't wait to be sued.'
"All students should feel safe and welcome in our public schools," said the anti-Commandments coalition. "H.B. 71 would undermine this critical goal and prevent schools from providing an equal education to all students, regardless of faith."
Gov. Landry made clear while in Nashville Saturday that he's keen on crushing such challenges in court, reported the Tennessean.
"I'm going home to sign a bill that places the Ten Commandments in public classrooms," said Landry. "And I can't wait to be sued."
In anticipation of legal challenges from those prickled by timeless prohibitions against murder, stealing, adultery, lying, dishonoring parents, and idolatry, state Sen. Jay Morris made sure to include amendments to the bill highlighting the U.S. Supreme Court's recognition in 2005 that "it is permissible to display the Ten Commandments on government property."
In a 5-4 decision, the court found in Van Orden v. Perry that "simply having religious content or promoting a message consistent with a religious doctrine does not run afoul of the establishment clause."
Extra to noting a previous legislative allowance for the publication of the Ten Commandments "and other historically significant documents for posting in court houses and other public buildings to address 'a need to educate and inform the public as to the history and background of American and Louisiana law,'" Morris noted the Supreme Court's 2019 recognition of the Ten Commandments' significance.
Schools have until Jan. 1, 2025, to get their classrooms in order.
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Gov. Landry Signs Bill Protecting Louisiana Elections From Ranked-Choice Voting
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed legislation Tuesday prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting in elections.Gov. Landry Won’t Say If He’ll Sign A Bill Shielding Louisiana’s Elections From Ranked-Choice Voting
GOP Gov. Jeff Landry is remaining mum on whether he plans to sign a bill shielding Louisiana's elections from ranked-choice voting.Today's top stories
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