To view this on the COS website, click here [[https://conventionofstates.com/files/louisiana-keynotes-oct2022|louisiana-keynotes-oct2022]] To download the pdf file from the COS website, click here [[https://conventionofstates.com/files/louisiana-keynotes-oct2022/download|Louisiana_Keynotes_October_2022_(2).pdf]] ---- ====== Louisiana Keynotes Oct 2022 ====== Attachment: 3186/Louisiana_Keynotes_October_2022_(2).pdf | \\ \\ \\ \\ {{:public:cb_mirror:files_17401_pdfto001.png?nolink&918x1188|}}\\ \\ \\ \\ {{:public:cb_mirror:files_17401_pdfto002.png?nolink&1836x1188|}}\\ \\ 2\\ \\ 3\\ \\ 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\\ \\ \\ \\ {{:public:cb_mirror:files_17401_pdfto003.png?nolink&1836x1188|}}\\ \\ 4\\ \\ 5\\ \\ **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**//\\ \\ \\ \\ {{:public:cb_mirror:files_17401_pdfto004.png?nolink&1836x1188|}}\\ \\ 6\\ \\ 7\\ \\ 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**//\\ \\ //** **//\\ \\ \\ \\ {{:public:cb_mirror:files_17401_pdfto005.png?nolink&1836x1188|}}\\ \\ 8\\ \\ 9\\ \\ **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. **//\\ \\ www.sos.la.gov\\ \\ //**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 \\ \\ \\ \\ {{:public:cb_mirror:files_17401_pdfto006.png?nolink&1836x1188|}}\\ \\ 10\\ \\ 11\\ \\ \\ \\ {{:public:cb_mirror:files_17401_pdfto007.png?nolink&918x1188|}}\\ \\ ** Paid for by Convention of States Action, President Mark Meckler**\\ \\ **5850 San Felipe, Ste. 580A, Houston, TX 77057 Phone: (540) 441-07227 **\\ \\ //**Not authorized by any candidate or committee or in support of, **//\\ \\ //**or opposition to, any candidate, committee or proposition.**//\\ \\ **FOLLOW US: **\\ \\ //**Interested in signing the petition, getting involved or joining one of our Teams?**//\\ \\ //**For more information go https:%%//%%conventionofstates.com**//\\ \\ 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**//| ---- | __Page Metadata__ || |Login Required to view? |No | |Created: |2022-10-16 01:30 GMT| |Updated: |2023-10-15 03:00 GMT| |Published: |2022-10-27 18:00 GMT| |Converted: |2025-11-11 12:24 GMT| |Change Author: |Bethany Coker | |Credit Author: | |