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Articles by Michael Lunsford
LUNSFORD: Surprise! LAGOP Endorsements Are Political
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — The Louisiana Republican Party has endorsed three candidates for two congressional seats, including two Republicans running against each other in District 6. Naturally, everyone is upset. The latest round of consternation began with the party’s endorsement of Sen. Blake Miguez in Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District, followed several days later by an endorsement of another candidate in the same race, Sen. Rick Edmonds.
LUNSFORD: StateLens — A NewLouisiana Solution Goes National
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Several years ago, I realized that keeping up with the legislature would require more than a shared Google Sheet. A spreadsheet doesn’t notice when a bill changes, and that’s a big problem. But, like so many other grassroots organizations that try to keep up with legislation, it was cheap with no barrier to entry — so we persisted.
LUNSFORD: Stewart Cathey’s Bureaucratic Tax Machine
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — There are two ways to raise taxes. The first is the traditional way. A legislator introduces a tax bill. It receives committee hearings. Members debate it. They cast their votes. Then they return home and explain those votes to the people who elected them. Sen. Stewart Cathey (R-5/10) appears to have found another way.
LUNSFORD: Lagniappe Village – New Iberia’s Latest Tax Increase
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — New Iberia may be just one more tax away from prosperity—at least, that appears to be the theory. City officials are considering another 1-cent sales tax to support a private development project approaching $40 million. Their justification includes jobs, retail growth, and economic development. The complication? New Iberia already has a 10.5% sales tax, while one existing shopping area they’re adding to reportedly has 25 vacant storefronts.
LUNSFORD: Trump’s Election Packet Mirrors Louisiana’s New Voting System
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — When President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office Thursday evening, much of the attention naturally focused on his claims regarding the 2020 election and the declassification of intelligence and cybersecurity documents.
Amanda Jones Update---The Case Moves Forward
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — We recently learned (through the news, believe it or not) that Amanda Jones had been awarded approximately $50,000 in attorney fees in her ongoing defamation suit against Citizens for a New Louisiana. While the headline is sensational, the legal reality is considerably less dramatic. In fact, it’s unfortunate that the only legacy news representative we heard from was WBRZ’s investigative reporter, Bess Casserleigh.
LUNSFORD: The Predictable Closing of Comeaux High School
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Citizens for a New Louisiana has long argued that Lafayette Parish does not suffer from a revenue problem. It suffers from a priorities problem. The closure of Ovey Comeaux High School may be the most visible consequence of those priorities yet. At the very moment Ovey Comeaux High School was earning its first “A” rating, recording the most academic growth in the district, and being voted Acadiana’s Best High School, the school system was preparing to close it.
LUNSFORD: Clay Higgins Warned Us About The Epstein Files-He Was Right
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — It was described as “the single most egregious violation of victim privacy in one day in United States history.” Nearly 100 Epstein victims had their identities exposed after the Department of Justice released files with flawed redactions. The documents included email addresses, photos, and names that were never meant to be public. The worst part is, Congress was warned all of this would happen, and careened forward anyway.
LUNSFORD: HB190: Louisiana’s New Software Law - A Gift to Trial Lawyers
(Citizens of a New Louisiana) — Last week, the Louisiana House quietly passed Laurie Schlegel‘s (R-7/10) HB190, a bill that creates a brand-new legal liability for software developers. On its face, the language sounds harmless enough.
Op-Ed: Ambiguous bill regulating software developers would lead to more lawsuit abuse Original
Louisiana's HB190, recently enacted as a new provision in the state's Civil Code, sounds innocuous on the surface: it requires software developers to exercise "reasonable care" when creating programs that deliver interactive or personalized user experiences based on user data.
LUNSFORD: Strike One: Livingston Library’s Avoidable Culture Clash
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — After years of turbulence, including board replacements, public accusations, media headlines, and finally the removal of the prior director, the message from parish leadership could not have been clearer: the library system needed stability. The parish council had cycled a few board members once, but drama continued. The parish council then fired the whole board: the drama remained. At some point, the only constant left was the director. And so the board acted.
AG Murrill --- Move the Vulgar Kids Books
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — On February 6, 2026, Attorney General Liz Murrill issued Opinion 25-0069, resolving a question that has lingered in Louisiana’s library debate for years: what does “access” actually mean under La. R.S. 25:225? Anyone who remembers what happened to a parent in Livingston Parish knows that checkout restrictions are not the proper benchmark for evaluating a children’s section.
LUNSFORD: The Shadow War on Blake Miguez: Fake Grassroots Group Turns on Its Own
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — For years, we have watched a strange and increasingly destructive phenomenon take hold inside Louisiana’s political landscape: a small but noisy faction that claims to be “more Republican than the Republican Party” consistently spends all of its time and energy attacking Conservative Republicans. During the Jesse Regan vs. Brach Myers special election, this behavior became impossible to ignore.
LUNSFORD: 2026: Our Year for Alignment, Leadership, and Opportunity with StateLens
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — As we enter 2026, Citizens for a New Louisiana finds itself in a moment we’ve been working toward for years. Our mission has always been clear: expose waste, defend transparency, and equip citizens to hold government accountable. That work continues. What has changed is our capacity — not only to inform, but to connect, coordinate, and amplify voices that too often operate in isolation. That capacity now has a name: StateLens.
LUNSFORD: The Myth of Safe Seats: Rethinking Louisiana’s Senate Races
(Citizens of a New Louisiana) — It all started with a phone call. As a data guy by nature, it’s difficult to answer an opinion question like which state Senators may be out of sync with their districts. However, thanks to the data-driven approach to everything we do here at Citizens for a New Louisiana, I set out on a mini-adventure to discover the answer. To be frank, many people in Louisiana’s political realm play everything by gut instinct, guesswork, or they just make it up as they go.
LUNSFORD: Vindicated! Kyle Ardoin Wasn’t the Censor After All
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — For years, an aggressive faction in Louisiana politics has accused former Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin of participating in a grand conspiracy to censor Louisianans. This group disrupted meetings, hijacked Republican events, belittled volunteers, and launched constant online attacks. They portrayed Ardoin as a “censor-in-chief,” warned that he was “colluding with Big Tech,” and insisted he was secretly suppressing conservative speech.
LUNSFORD: Louisiana’s Infant Mortality Crisis The Advocate Got Wrong
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — We’ve all read The Advocate’s “sweeping exposé” declaring that Louisiana’s infant mortality crisis is “shocking,” “inhumane,” and “unacceptable.” According to the paper, our state has “one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the developed world — and it’s not getting any better.” The article vaguely insists that Louisiana lawmakers have “passed up many chances to do more” and demands that somebody — anybody — finally act.
LUNSFORD: New Orleans Bailout? Not So Fast!
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — The Times-Picayune called the New Orleans bailout approval a “major victory” for Mayor-elect Helena Moreno. But was it, really? The city admitted it can’t meet payroll and agreed to hand its checkbook to the state, all in an effort to avoid the stigma of being placed under fiscal administration — Louisiana’s version of financial custody for insolvent governments. However, what the Louisiana Bond Commission did may actually be more austere.
Tim Burchett, Michael Lunsford, Andy Harris, Michael Rubin
On today’s program: Casey Harper, Managing Editor for Broadcast at The Washington Stand and Host of the “Outstanding” podcast, reports on the debate over a proposed Israeli two-state solution, President Trump’s planned meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince on F-35 jet sales, and the latest actions to unseal the Epstein files. Tim Burchett, U.S. Representative from the 2nd District of Tennessee, examines developments as President Trump’s reconsiders releasing the Epstein files.
LUNSFORD: Jeff Landry on Louisiana’s New Era: From Opposition to Ownership
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Governor Jeff Landry’s address to the Louisiana Republican Party on Saturday, November 1, was a call to maturity. Standing before a packed LAGOP crowd in Alexandria, he waved his prepared notes and joked that he might not even need them. “There’s so much to talk about,” he said. “So many things I want to tell you.” Between the laughter and his playful jabs at Will — “Write that down!” — Landry’s message landed squarely: the season of fighting is over.
Julie Emerson: The Quiet Power Behind Louisiana’s Conservative Comeback
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Louisiana politics is like football — passionate fans, rival teams, and more drama than policy. Everyone’s got a jersey, a hashtag, and a side to cheer for. But while the loudest players chase the spotlight, a handful of quiet workhorses actually move the ball down the field. One of them is Julie Emerson. A decade ago, she knocked off a liberal incumbent in what was one of Louisiana’s historically Democrat districts.
LUNSFORD: Not So Fast: Carbon Capture and the US Senate Race
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — A recent article circulating on social media claims that State Treasurer (and candidate for U.S. Senate) John Fleming has long opposed Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). At the same time, claiming that Louisiana Freedom Caucus member, state Senator Blake Miguez supposedly played a role in “bringing CCS to Louisiana.” The article frames this contrast as proof of ideological purity on one side and corruption and compromise on the other.
LUNSFORD: Oklahoma Joins New Louisiana Movement: Expanding Transparency Beyond Louisiana
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — In 2024, Louisiana citizens witnessed something revolutionary: a public, data-driven legislative dashboard that gave everyday people the same access to bill tracking, committee data, and vote analysis once reserved for insiders.
🥾 Court Boots Amanda “Banana” Jones... Again
On September 5, 2025, a federal judge in Baton Rouge handed librarian-turned-activist and Livingston Parish Public School System employee Amanda “Banana” Jones an unwelcome surprise: her lawsuit against New Jersey’s Dan Kleinman won’t be heard in Louisiana. Instead, she’ll have to pay lawyers to traipse all the way to New Jersey to continue her charade. Judge Brian A.
Guest column: Congress should enact needed debanking laws. Here's why.
Most of us take it for granted that we can open a bank account, process a payment or apply for a loan without politics getting in the way. But across the country, a troubling practice known as “debanking,” driven by regulators in Washington, threatens that. Debanking happens when financial institutions deny services for certain individuals or businesses based on perceived political, religious or social reasons.
LUNSFORD: East Baton Rouge Christian Library Employee Fired Over Pronouns Policy
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — People often ask, “What does government transparency have to do with all this library drama?” It’s a fair question. Our primary mission has always been to follow the money, tracking how taxpayer dollars are spent and sounding the alarm when something’s off. We did that in the public library space years ago when we discovered vulgar books being shelved in the library’s children’s section.
It’s Not Over--They’re Still Trying to Gaslight Us About the Library!
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — a recent Lafayette Parish Council meeting, a familiar narrative resurfaced — one we’ve heard before from those trying to rewrite history. During public comments, a speaker claimed there were never any inappropriate or offensive books in the children’s section of the Lafayette Public Library. We’ve Been Down This Road Before. This kind of statement isn’t just misleading, it’s a form of gaslighting.
LUNSFORD: 106 Million Dollars in Frivolous Spending (VIDEO)
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Count along with me as we look through some (just some) of the ridiculous, frivolous spending contained in a single Senate committee amendment to Louisiana’s state budget. It adds up to $106 million, and that’s not even everything! [VIDEO] Advertisement Advertisement Interested in more news from Louisiana? We've got you covered! See More Louisiana News No trending posts were found.
LUNSFORD: Long Gone: LDH ‘Misplaces’ $103 Million… in Another State?!
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — As Iago quipped in Disney’s Aladdin, “Oh, there’s a big surprise! That’s so incredible, I think I’m gonna have a heart attack and die from not surprise!” That’s exactly how we felt, cracking open the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s latest report on the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH). The headline? Over $103 million in Medicaid payments for people who don’t live here. Yes, you read that right.
LUNSFORD: How Radical Activists Weaponize the Courts
(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Last week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a landmark ruling in Little v. Llano County, one that might finally stop the barrage of frivolous lawsuits masquerading as First Amendment crusades. The court reversed an earlier, deeply flawed panel decision in a sweeping en banc decision.
LUNSFORD: We’re Changing Everything… AGAIN!
(Originally posted in Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Too many bills, not enough time—that’s what we kept hearing. So we built a solution: Louisiana’s first real-time public dashboard for tracking state legislation — sortable, clickable, and constantly updated. It’s built for the public but powerful enough that lawmakers are using it, too.
LUNSFORD: Private Jets, Billion-Dollar Claims, and Your Sky-High Insurance Rates
(Originally published in Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Last week in Baton Rouge, a few lawmakers reminded us who they really represent. On the campaign trail, they promise to serve. But once elected, they behave more like rulers than representatives. Our former state treasurer, John Schroder, used to say, “There’s just something about that building.
LUNSFORD: How One Bad Bill Might Hand the GOP a Constitutional Superpower
(Originally posted in Citizens for a New Louisiana) — A curious bill filed by freshman legislator Rep. Dixon McMakin (HB200) might change the trajectory of Louisiana’s entire closed primary debate. Though framed as “just a local bill,” its real goal is a state takeover of East Baton Rouge’s Republican Parish Executive Committee (RPEC). Specifically, the bill mandates that certain public officials (like Rep.
(Originally published in Citizens for a New Louisiana) — A new survey reveals just how deep Louisiana’s insurance crisis runs and who the public blames for letting it fester. Louisianans are angry, premiums are soaring, and trust in lawmakers is circling the drain. A new survey shows who voters blame and what they want done. The numbers don’t lie, and this time, they’re damning.
LUNSFORD: Wait, SPLC Thinks Exposing Taxpayer Waste is… Racist?
If you haven’t heard of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), consider yourself lucky. Their purpose (at least as I understand it) is to label people and organizations as “hate groups” so that others feel morally justified in viciously attacking them. Sounds like a great bunch of folks, right? So, imagine my surprise when the Southern Poverty Law Center mentioned Citizens for a New Louisiana.
LUNSFORD: Federal Appeals Court Throws Out St. Tammany Library Cuckoos
(Originally posted on Citizens for a New Louisiana) — In a decision that could reshape the ongoing battle over public libraries in Louisiana, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has dismissed a lawsuit filed by former members of the St. Tammany Library Board of Control. The ruling vacates an earlier district court decision and orders the case dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
LUNSFORD: William Mills Honored with 2025 Horatio Alger Award
(Originally published on Citizens for a New Louisiana) — We don’t often talk about ourselves or our board. However, sometimes, an occurrence of such magnitude occurs that I feel strongly compelled to tell you about it. I’m excited to share that one of the board members of the New Louisiana Foundation, the tax-deductible 501c3 research organization affiliated with Citizens for a New Louisiana, has recently been named the recipient of a prestigious national award.
LUNSFORD: The Court Fight Between Louisiana And Big Pharma
On January 20, a new administration began addressing our nation’s pressing problems, including health care costs. Drug costs are unaffordable for many, especially those in small communities with limited access to medical care. Working-class families understandably feel powerless against big, profit-hungry pharmaceutical corporations. They are often forced to decide between taking needed medications or paying other important bills.
LUNSFORD: The December 2024 Constitutional Amendments
Why, oh, why do they always do this to us? Here we go again with the December 2024 Constitutional Amendments. Every time there’s an election (and even sometimes when there isn’t), the population of Louisiana is bombarded with requests to modify our state’s Constitution. In November, Louisiana overwhelmingly decided to lock up even more money as a dedicated fund. What’s funny about that decision is we are now dedicating non-existent Greene New Deal money flowing from the Biden administration.
;LUNSFORD: The December 2024 Constitutional Amendments
Why, oh, why do they always do this to us? Here we go again with the December 2024 Constitutional Amendments. Every time there’s an election (and even sometimes when there isn’t), the population of Louisiana is bombarded with requests to modify our state’s Constitution. In November, Louisiana overwhelmingly decided to lock up even more money as a dedicated fund. What’s funny about that decision is we are now dedicating non-existent Greene New Deal money flowing from the Biden administration.
LUNSFORD: The Bacala Amendments - Fixing the Spending Cap Problem
(Originally posted in Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Continuing our coverage of the Constitutional amendments appearing on the upcoming December 2024 ballot, we present two separate amendments to address Louisiana’s spending cap problem, authored by the same legislator and focused on the same issue: the state budget! Do you support an amendment to require that the legislature wait for at least forty-eight hours prior to concurring in a conference committee report or amendments to a bill...
LUNSFORD: LA 3rd Special 2024 Followup: The Rest of the Package
In our article on Monday, I expressed some concerns about a few of the bills up for this special session on tax reform. After publishing that article, the governor called and encouraged me to avoid getting stuck on a bill or two. Instead, he said it would be a better public service if I explored the bills as a package. He also wanted me to mention to you that he called. In short, he said, each bill is like a puzzle piece. Without all the pieces, the whole picture will not be clear.
LUNSFORD: Hoodwinked! Louisiana Advances Carbon Capture
(Originally posted in Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Although the image suggests this article is about the Public Service Commission race, it’s not. However, the PSC race has presented a unique opportunity for a teachable moment. It’s also a great time to show you some behind-the-scenes things we do here. Further in the article, we’ll discuss how Carbon Capture and Sequestration is becoming even more ingrained in Louisiana policy. First, it’s important to tell the story of how we got here.
Across the state of Louisiana, our criminal court system is broken. We all know it and have known it for many years. Despite this, until recently, no one seemed willing to do the work to fix it. Others will downright block any attempt even to conduct a meaningful evaluation! Perhaps this is one reason Senator Jay Morris (R 9/10) has a constitutional amendment scheduled for December’s ballot. We’ll crack that open in another article soon.
LUNSFORD: Smurfing in Louisiana - Fraudulent Funding of Election Campaigns?
We are all familiar with the “smurfs,” those tiny blue creatures living under the forest’s canopy in mushroom homes. But are there other smurfs amongst us? The ones we are talking about are also blue, as in Democrat Party blue. “Smurfing” is very similar to the money laundering practice known as “structuring.” Large donations are broken up and structured into smaller transactions to avoid detection. Before we proceed, it is essential to remember that our research primarily relies on public records.
LUNSFORD: Louisiana’s Missing $306 MILLION: Where Did It Go?
(By Michael Lunsford/Citizens for a New Louisiana) — There is a fiscal cliff ahead! The total budget shortfall is expected to be between $650 and $950 million. Additionally, not renewing JBE’s erroneous tax hike will equate to about $450 million in revenue that stays in our pockets instead of going to the state. You know the drill.
It’s On: Congressman Elbert Guillory
(Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Citizens for a New Louisiana on July 4) Happy Independence Day Today is a great day for all kinds of beautiful things to happen. As my son would say, stay strapped or get clapped. In some weird new post-millennial language, that means today is the first day you can conceal carry a firearm without needing to beg the government’s permission. That’s because Senator Blake Miguez’s and from the 2024 Second Extraordinary Session became law today.
LUNSFORD: Congressman Kyle Ardoin?
(By Michael Lunsford/Citizens for a New Louisiana, 1 July 2024) — Congressman Kyle Ardoin has a nice ring to it, no? There are so many complexities with Louisiana’s congressional districts lately that it’s understandable for Garret Graves to step aside and reassess. After redistricting in 2022, Graves’ District Six mostly circled the Baton Rouge area and southward.
LUNSFORD: Congressman Kyle Ardoin?
Congressman Kyle Ardoin has a nice ring to it, no? There are so many complexities with Louisiana’s congressional districts lately that it’s understandable for Garret Graves to step aside and reassess. After redistricting in 2022, Graves’ District Six mostly circled the Baton Rouge area and southward. However, due to federal court interference in our redistricting process (which we’ve since discovered was unnecessary) the new map stretches from a portion of East Baton Rouge Parish northward.
PORT OF IBERIA: Betting on the Wrong Horse
(By Michael Lunsford/Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Betting on the wrong horse is a common saying we are accustomed to. Taken literally, it is when you bet or place money on the horse that doesn’t win the race. But it has also come to mean everything from making bad investments to wrong decisions. In the political world, it indicates that someone has financed or supported the losing candidate. That is the meaning we will explore today.
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