April 4, 2025: Liberation Day for Plaquemine Parish, Louisiana.

 It was liberation day when a jury in Pointe a-la- Hache found Chevron liable for the erosion of coastal wetlands in Plaquemine Parish and ordered Chevron to pay $745 million in damages plus interest to restore those wetlands.  The Parish filed the suit in 2013 and took 12 years to go to trial.  The suit was one of 40 other law suits against the industry that are awaiting trial or settlement.

As usual, supporters of the industry and the industry itself repeated the negative positions of the past how the decision would harm Louisiana and the industry's future, etc., etc., and etc.  The same old worn out BS after President Obama held BP accountable for the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion that killed 11 rig workers and caused billions of dollars in damage to Louisiana's environment.  Chevron will appeal the jury verdict and stretch the matter out as long as they can.

The trial and verdict, and the 40 other suits pending should remind people that it was all unnecessary if the state would have lived up to its responsibilities and held the industry liable and accountable for the damages they caused to the environment.  Instead, they turned their backs and looked the other way all those years.

The media informs us the trial took 4 weeks but the media failed to keep the people up to date on the testimony and other things going on during the trial.  How could the media fail to keep the people informed on such an important issue???

The people of Louisiana should be mindful and thoughtful that in Louisiana we still have a jury system that works and still believes in checks and balances.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Louisiana's Voters Reject Governor Jeff Landry's Constitutional Amendments.

 On Saturday night March 29 at the voting booth, Louisiana rejected four amendment changes sought and approved by Gov. Landry and the GOP controlled state legislature.  The vote reminded people of the nationwide protest of the past 6 weeks against President Trump and Elon Musk purposed changes, firings, unlawful actions and threats to social security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Trump, Landry and the GOP love to change the constitution so there are no guardrails for their extreme agenda.  Landry, (little Trump Jr.) and the state legislature threw in various issues to the amendments such as teachers pay in amendment 2.  Democratic Governor John B. Edwards administration funded teacher's pay raises without trying to change the constitution.  Landry and the state legislature failed to address the issue in the regular session, so that leaves the question?  What are they going to do about it now?

The overall vote to defeat the amendments were in the 60% range, well within the range when Louisiana voted for Trump and Landry.  But the amendment vote is a Johnny come lately vote and is too little and too late for Louisiana because both men have caused enough damage already and their policies, or should I say ideology, favors business over the interest of the people.

Louisiana voters knew what Trump and Landry stood for when they voted for them.  They also knew of Trump's past failures and that he was a convicted criminal.  They also knew Landry and the GOP controlled legislature would put business interest above the public interest and needs.  And do not act surprised if the Landry years look like the past Jindal years.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio