LaPolitics Report

In the first episode from Season 7, LABI President Will Green explains the quick pace of the ongoing regular session and what it means in terms of policy proposals to watch. Plus, a deep dive on the expected realignment of the state Transportation Department and the litany of insurance bills on deck for lawmakers. As for our regular history segment, listen closely for an excerpt from Huey Long&#39...

Recorded in November 2016, this episode spotlighted then-Congressman Ralph Abraham (now the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health) discussing his life in a small town as both a physician and veterinarian. While it may sound sleepy, Abraham's travels have brought him everywhere from the Amazon to Haiti as a mountain climber, pilot and leader on mission trips. We also kicked off this episo...

Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson III drops into the studio to explain the differences between a police jury form of government and home rule. Plus, everything you ever wanted to know about local politics but were too afraid to ask.

In the second part of this series on consultants, the minds behind Robinson+Kennedy, political consultant Preston Robinson and media consultant George Kennedy, dive deep into the creative process. How do campaign ads come together? How do multi-member firms agree on things like messaging? They have the answers...

This week's audio haul leads off with a special episode (appearing out of chronological order for your political needs) featuring State Rep. Neil Riser, the former chair of the Senate and Revenue Fiscal Affairs Committee. Riser was asked to come on the LaPolitics Report podcast to discuss Gov. Jeff Landry's tax agenda for the upcoming November special session. And that he did, offering a historica...

Appearing in episode No. 70, Mary-Patricia Wray of Top Drawer Strategies kicks off a two-part series on consultants.

Will the recent storm on the East Coast impact our insurance market? Will there be a special session on insurance? Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple weighs in on all of it, and a lot more. Plus, we kick off this episode with one of Huey Long's most unforgettable speeches.

How do married couples in politics make it all work? Rep. Troy Hebert and his wife, Kristie Hebert, the first woman chair of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association Board. Plus, we kick off this episode with words of marital wisdom from Louisiana's own odd power couple: James Carville and Mary Matalin.

In this week's archived episode of the LaPolitics Report podcast, we take a deep dive into the beating heart of any successful political infrastructure: fundraising, the mother’s milk of elections. Recorded in May of 2017, this episode features Sally Nungesser of Nungesser Consulting. She has raised money for a long list of politicians, including but not limited to former President George W. Bush,...

A fourth-time delegate to the Republican National Convention this week, state Rep. Mike Bayham is the guest for episode 67 of the LaPolitics Report podcast. While he's backing former President Donald Trump this go around, Bayham on three other occasions sought to back candidates who weren't the front-runners. "Oh, we got a lot of pressure," Bayham said, reflecting on various effo...

Will Congressman Garret Graves, who is not seeking re-election this fall, run for the Public Service Commission? That question gets answered on the new episode of the LaPolitics Report podcast. Graves also discussed his first race for elected office against the late Gov. Edwin Washington Edwards, and revealed the meetings that led to his decision to not run against Gov. Jeff Landry last year.

Recorded in September 2016, this LaPolitics Report podcast features a sometimes comical conversation with USA Today Network of Louisiana reporter Greg Hilburn about politics and family. There have been many changes to journalism since Hilburn first started as a scribe, covering sports at times, and we discuss all of that as well. You definitely won't want to miss what he has to say about going thr...

Recorded in November 2016, this interview with former Associated Press Capitol Bureau Chief Melinda Deslatte features a serious conversation about the evolution of political journalism in Louisiana and what the future might hold for her trade. Now with the Public Affairs Research Council, Deslatte dished up some keen insights on the legislative process, which wasn't surprising — due partly to term...

Alfred "Butch" Speer, a member of the state Ethics Board and the former clerk of the House of Representatives, has survived constitutional conventions and more than one round of redistricting. He's also forgotten more about regular sessions than most of us will ever learn. Recorded in February 2015, this episode features a terrific overview of how Speer landed one of the Legislature’s most high-pr...

This latest episode arrives in May 2024, the 10th anniversary of the passing of LaPolitics founder John Maginnis . In addition to writing a couple of valuable books on Louisiana politics, and creating the state's most popular trade publication for politicos, Maginnis produced a DVD set called "How to Get Elected." The guest for this episode, consultant Jason Hebert of the Political F...

This is it! The very first episode of the LaPolitics Report podcast, featuring John Alario, one of only three American politicians to have served as both a House speaker and Senate president in the same state Legislature. Recorded in August 2016, Alario opened up about what he considered then to be his future in politics and his greatest regret at the Capitol. He also discussed the role of Donald...

Recorded in October 2016 during season two of the LaPolitics Report podcast, this episode features Commissioner of Administration (and then-state House Speaker) Taylor Barras. He explained how he learned about politics in a grocery store, via the family business growing up, and told us what it was like using Huey Long's old desk. You'll even hear why Huey had special switches installed under that...

Episode 64 features Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who focuses most of his interview on this year's proposed constitutional convention. He offers his take on the Senate's perceived opposition and answers a question about what role (if any) former President Donald Trump could play in a potential ratification vote. Landry also reflects on his earliest memories of politics in Acadiana and offers...

Recorded in December 2016, this opening to the third season of the LaPolitics Report featured Liz Mangham, a founding member of Southern Strategy Group’s Louisiana office. She discussed the lobbying trade in the Bayou State, her paintings and what it was like working on Kathleen Blanco’s successful run for governor. A fierce defender of the governmental relations practice, she said she believes &q...

Recorded in August 2016, this episode features Randy Haynie, a well-known lobbyist around the Capitol and the former president of the National Association of State Lobbyists. Haynie took us through the days when lobbyists weren't even required to register with the state, up through modern reporting requirements. He spoke about public perceptions, the different kinds of lobbyists you’ll find at...

One of the most storied names in Louisiana politics — Cleo Fields — is the guest for Episode 63 of the LaPolitics Report podcast. A former and current member of the Louisiana Legislature's upper chamber, Fields is the chair of the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee. That's the panel that drafted Louisiana's new Black-majority congressional district, which Fields intends to run f...

To followup on a series of tax-related episodes, we brought in Jason DeCuir, who formerly served as chief of staff, assistant secretary and executive counsel at the Louisiana Department of Revenue. DeCuir is the co-owner and partner of Advantous Consulting and the founding partner of Advantous Law. From gubernatorial appointments and department-level hires to the 2025 session and the approaching f...

This April 2017 interview with Francis Thompson (then a state senator, now a representative again) was one of the longest we've recorded, and rightfully so. Thompson is Louisiana's longest serving lawmaker — and he has much to impart. In this unmissable episode, Thompson shares some terrific stories about his very first day in the state House in 1975, the sometimes harsh politics of late G...

Like every episode, No. 61 opens with an audio blast from the past in the form of a 1935 Universal Newsreel on a topic near and dear to Louisiana politics. After weighing in on our regular history feature, Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Chairman Franklin Foil dives into a winding interview that culminates with news on the proposed constitutional convention. A member of Gov. Jeff Landry’s consti...

Recorded in January 2017, this show from the LaPolitics archives (episode 17 from season one) featured E.L. "Bubba" Henry, the former House speaker and Young Turks member who chaired the 1973 Constitutional Convention in Louisiana. Bubba discussed what life was like on the House floor during the late 1960s and 1970s, and he shared what he learned from running for governor. Does Louisiana...