Title: Louisiana Keynotes Oct 2022
Original CoS Document (slug): louisiana-keynotes-oct2022
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Attached File: Louisiana_Keynotes_October_2022_(2).pdf
Created: 2022-10-15 21:30:10
Updated: 2023-10-14 23:00:00
Published: 2022-10-27 14:00:00
Converted: 2025-04-14T20:07:25.625652528
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mericans have
come to
expect the
power of
government
to reign
down from the
top. We think of it as
similar to a monarchy,
with the President as
authority #1, then our
Congress, followed
by the court system.
The state government
then falls beneath the
federal, and local
government least of
all.
In reality, this
is almost exactly
backwards. Our
Constitution begins
with, “We the People,”
setting the citizens
as the sovereign. The
name of our nation is,
“The United States of
America.” This sets the
individual states as the
mechanisms through
which the people
govern themselves, and
the nation as a union
of states.
Returning to a
government closest
to the people, we find
school boards. How
many of us know who
sits on our school
board, representing us
in the administration
of the resources,
and policies of our
schools?
How many of us know
what is required of
our children in the
classrooms, and on
the school campus in
general?
Recently, Mr. Ryan
Thames protested
sexually explicit books
in the children’s section
of the Livingston Parish
Public Library. He asked
that they be moved to
the adult section.
Can you guess how his
request was handled?
Gateway Pundit’s
Christopher Alexander
wrote of this issue in
his article,
“Louisiana Republican
Leaders Muted By The
Leftist Cabal”
“The books’ content is
so graphic that it had
to be redacted from a
local news article, and
no media outlets have
seen fit to publish the
actual material. What
makes the situation
even more alarming is
that the books were not
accidentally placed in
the kids’ section, they
were intended for their
consumption. In any
other setting besides
a public library, an
adult who provided
the material at
issue to a child
would likely
be arrested.”
https://www.
thegatewaypundit.
com/2022/09/
louisiana-
republican-
leaders-muted-leftist-
cabal/
The first question that
comes to my mind
is, who intended this
material to be made
available to children,
and why?
This reminds me of
audio clips that I’ve
heard from school
board meetings
throughout our nation,
where parents have
been shouted down,
and disciplined for
reading excerpts from
the very books that had
been assigned to their
children.
These parents have been
denied the opportunity
to read aloud to adults
material that has
been made available
or assigned to their
children by public
school administrators.
Can you guess why they
have been restrained
from reading it?
They
have
been
told that it
is due to the
pornographic nature
of the material. This
is being done by those
that are employed
to protect and
educate these young,
impressionable minds
in public libraries and
schools throughout
our nation, state, and
communities.
As of the writing of
Mr. Alexander’s article,
the only Louisiana
legislator supporting
this objection to public
libraries’ behavior is
Rep. Valarie Hodges.
Louisiana Association
of School Librarians
President, Amanda
Jones, had filed suit
against Mr. Thames
and Michael Lunsford,
founder of the
watchdog advocacy
group Citizens for a
New Louisiana. The suit
was dismissed by a
Livingston Parish Judge.
Are Louisiana State tax
resources being
used against
citizens, while
introducing
pornography
to minors
(criminal
activity) at the
same time?
Can this travesty
really be coming to
our schools, and/or
libraries?
Parents in Virginia
began realizing the
threats to their children
during the virtual
schooling of the
Covid lockdowns. As a
result, the citizens of
Virginia have almost
completely replaced
their government.
Whether we believe that
their replacements will
be faithful or successful
in correcting these
problems, the social and
emotional well-being of
our children is at risk.
It is of utmost
importance who
controls our school
systems, and who has
intimate access to our
children.
Do you know who
represents you and
your children on your
school board? If not,
perhaps this would be
a good time to become
acquainted with who
the candidates are for
these positions in the
upcoming election.
Dave Landry
State Content Writer
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Louisiana’s Trek to Paper Ballots and COSLA Support
ouisiana’s voting
systems have been
highly regarded
for election integrity.
The Heritage Foundation
ranks Louisiana ninth in
the nation on its Election
Integrity Scorecard, which
compares each state’s election
laws and regulations.
(https://www.heritage.org/
electionscorecard/index.
html)
However, Louisiana is in the
midst of a transformation
with its election systems.
Secretary of State Kyle
Ardoin has reported for a few
years that the aging voting
machines we’ve been using
need replacement. He and
his staff twice attempted to
issue requests for proposals
to voting machines vendors,
but political resistance led to
stopping the process.
Then in the 2021 legislature,
Secretary Ardoin joined
with state senator Sharon
Hewitt to support and pass a bill
Act 480, which defined general
parameters for the next voting
system, and COSLA heavily
supported this legislation.
Act 480 created a Voting
System Commission to make
recommendations for the next
voting system.
The key change is that
Louisiana is going to paper
ballots as the official tally of
election results. Act 480 of the
2021 legislature specifically said
the new voting system, “shall
produce an auditable voter-
verified paper record.” This
is an election integrity measure
Louisiana has not had in my
lifetime. The record must be
on “paper,” and many of us
have never voted with paper.
The voter must be able to verify
his or her vote, which means
typically the voter must be able
to look at the ballot and verify
that the votes on the ballot
are accurate.
Finally, that filled-in ballot
must be “auditable,” meaning
it can be checked if necessary.
In essence, the paper ballot is
the official vote, not the count
coming off a machine.
There is significant evidence
that electronic voting machines
are not trustworthy. Secretary
Ardoin himself publicly
lambasted Dominion Voting
Machine representatives over
their failure to advise Louisiana
of the compromises reported in
the Georgia litigation.
None of the criticism of
electronic systems is a criticism
of the parish Clerks of Courts
and Registrars of Voters who
conduct elections on the
ground in Louisiana.
Dale Clary serves as COSLA
Legislative Liaison.
He was a member of the
Secretary of State’s Voting
Systems Commission.
Dale Clary
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I remember hearing
people complain about
politics and their
concerns about our
country when I was a
child. Even in the late
1980’s, many people
were concerned about
where the country was
heading.
The year that President
Clinton ran, my school
participated for the first
time in a mock election
for the students. The
library at the school
was set up as a polling
place. We went in with
our IDs and were given
the chance to cast our
votes for president. I
don't remember who I
voted for but I remember
the activity and the
discussions that went
with it. Some of my
fellow classmates told
the teacher that their
parents didn’t vote
because their vote didn’t
matter anyway. Even
as a child I knew that
thinking was wrong.
But wait-look what
happened in the last
couple of elections with
the Electoral College
vs the Popular Vote.
The Electoral College
was included in the
Constitution to keep the
large population cities/
states from running over
the smaller population
states.
I would like to look
closer to home. We
are in the midst of
the campaigns for
midterm elections. In
this election cycle the
Electoral College is not
in play, so table that
issue. Right now in
the upcoming election
EVERY vote will be
counted, and EVERY
vote counts. This is your
chance to have input
on who will make the
important decisions that
will affect your everyday
lives. Remember that
just because you don’t
like who got elected,
doesn’t mean that your
vote doesn’t matter.
My grandfather once
told me, “If you
don’t vote you can't
complain.”
Bethany Coker
State Communications
Coordinator
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You can also contact your local Clerk of Court’s office for information about Election Commissioners.
Information about becoming an Election Commissioner is available at the Secretary of State’s website.
In the search box type “Election Commissioner”
To Serve as a Commissioner
You must:
• Be a qualified voter or a 17 year-old U.S. citizen
(enrolled in 12th grade) able to handle the duties
of a commissioner
• Attend the general course of instruction
for new commissioners and pass the open book test
You will be
Paid:
• $200, if you attend the required pre-election class
• $100, if you miss the required pre-election class
To Serve as a Commissioner-in-Charge
Qualifications:
• Must have worked at least 2 elections in
the last 4 years
• Must be proficient in all commissioner responsibilities
• Must attend a yearly course of instruction for
Commissioners-in-Charge
• Must pass an open book test
You will be
Paid:
• $250, if you attend the required classes and handle one
precinct
• $350, if you attend the required classes and handle a
consolidated precinct
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KeyNotes is published periodically
by Convention of States Action Louisiana.
Newsletter Team includes:
Julie Sandifer - State Director
Bethany Coker - State Communications Coordinator
Newsletter Editor & Designer - Glenda Hardey