Well, it’s that time again. Under federal law, legislature all over the nation have to reapportion congressional districts. And boy what a mess there is in Louisiana. It’s the heck with the voters.  The only priority seems to be protecting those in office. What a mess. I write about this “insider trading” in my new...Read More

Monday, May 13th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana GET THE POLITICIANS OUT OF REAPPORTIONMENT! If you want to witness political favoritism and inside political wheeling and dealing  at its worst, just witness the mess that has been created by the legislature as well as federal judges in Louisiana.  Dysfunctional politics is about the best way to...Read More

May 6th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana                                                                                       I’M TOO YOUNG TO BE EIGHTY...Read More

Another year, another birthday. Right? I’ve had a number of them, but it’s hard to believe that I’ve reached the hallmark of being 84. That really sounds like an old guy. I guess I should not be that concerned as long as my health holds up.  What’s the Toby Keith song? Don’t let the old...Read More

It’s my birthday this week. Hitting  the 84 year mark. So what do I do to celebrate? Simple. Gather a few family members and friends for a crawfish boil. How can you beat that!Read More

It’s open season as the Louisiana Legislature tries to jam through a new constitution in a matter of days. How irresponsible. Take a listen to our new podcast to see what you think. You could get it by going to ww.datelinelouisiana.com.Read More

The public’s right to know is under attack in Louisiana. The old saying certainly makes sense today. “Beware and keep your guard up when the legislature in session in the Bayou state is in session.”   There is a major effort to limit the public right to know, and keep public records and deliberations under...Read More

Monday, April 29th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana OPEN GOVERNMENT UNDER ASSUALT IN LOUISIANA! Does the average Louisiana citizen have a legal right to follow the internal workings of government in Louisiana? Not just in Baton Rouge at the state capital, but in deliberations that take place by school boards, city councils, police juries and any...Read More

The trial of former President Donald Trump is underway with the jury having been selected.  So now it’s up to the judge to see that the rules are followed, and that Trump gets a fair shake, right? Will not quite. Whether you like Donald Trump or not, any neutral observer would determine the Trump has...Read More

Monday, April 22nd, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  TRUMP HAS FAT CHANCE IN NEW YORK COURT!  Let’s just call it like it is. Former President Donald Trump doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of been found not guilty in his current New York Court case. Now I know the case has just barely started. But...Read More

One of the most colorful and controversial characters in American history passed away this week.  Some called him the Juice, others called him  O.J., and even others called him a killer. His trial for murdering his wife captivated America like no other. So many highs and lows. One of the greatest football players ever to...Read More

April 15th, 2024. (Tax Day) Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE SAGA OF O.J. SIMPSON! O.J. Simpson died last week. Many younger people will just say “So?” To anyone over 50, his life and his actions created riveting news, and poised him, both good and bad, as one of the most recognizable personalities in American history. O....Read More

State constitutions are important. They sit out the framework that affects every citizen in the state. Louisiana has needed a new state constitution for years. I know. I helped write the last constitution. I write about what’s going on in the Louisiana legislature in my new column. The Governor is pushing for a new constitution,...Read More

Monday, April 8th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TREAD CAUTIOUSLY FOR A NEW  LOUISIANA CONSTITUTION!  There has been a lot of chatter in recent months about the need to rewrite Louisiana’s Constitution. And for good reason. This original slim document has now blossomed into the nation’s seventh longest state charter with over 83,000 words. The United...Read More

Let me tell you this. Throughout most of my life, I’d loved riding motorcycles. But there was a caveat. I always wore a helmet. Now in Louisiana, the legislature is coming close to doing away with the mandatory requirement that motorcycle riders wear a helmet.  Is this really a freedom of choice issue? I write...Read More

Monday, April 1st, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN MOTORCYCLE HELMET DEBATE! One of the hot issues in the current session of the Louisiana Legislature, meeting at the state capitol in Baton Rouge, is the repeal of a law that currently mandates the wearing of a safety helmet when riding a motorcycle.  Proponents...Read More

Madness taking place all this month and April. It means big money for the college oversight group, the NCAA, as well as many individual basketball players. There are pros and cons to how the present system works. Some things I don’t like. I take a look at March madness in my new column now posted,...Read More

Monday, March 25th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana MARCH MADNESS MEANS BIG BUCKS FOR COLLEGE ATHLETES! Are you all fired up and into March madness? It’s my favorite sports time of year. Now I understand you may disagree, but I’ll take the college basketball tournament over any other sporting event, even the Super Bowl. The college basketball...Read More

Is there anything that could be done about the outrageous insurance rates that Louisiana drivers and homeowners are paying? The little Southern state leads the entire nation in the high cost of basic insurance. A new legislature has a governor committed to helping the new insurance commissioner with the problem. But can any official really...Read More

To listen to Jim’s new podcast, go to www.datelinelouisiana.com.  Read More

Monday, March 19th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana GOOD AND BAD NEWS FOR LOUISIANA INSURANCE! Throughout Louisiana, it’s common knowledge that the Bayou State has the highest insurance rates in the country when it comes to ensuring both homes and automobiles. This is not new news. This current unworkable insurance market has been the same old,...Read More

The Louisiana legislature met recently to find ways to crack down on crime. And yes, there are so many solutions that are being implemented all over America. So what did our Bayou State guys and gals do? They just stuck it to the old guys. Violent crime is taking place all over Louisiana by young...Read More

Monday, March 11th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA LEGISATURE PUNTS ON CRIME SOLUTIONS!      The Louisiana legislature just finished the special session on crime spending several million dollars to come up with more ways to reduce the violence that continues to plague the Bayou state. Their solution seems to be to stick it to...Read More

It’s Super Tuesday week with presidential primaries taking place all over the nation. So where is Louisiana in the mix? Irrelevant! Louisiana does not get into the race for president until March 23, several weeks away. By that time, decisions on other candidates have been made all over the nation. Why are we last? Why...Read More

Monday, March 4th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA SHOULD HAVE HAD THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY!      This is a big election week all over America.  Super Tuesday is the name given to the holding of presidential primaries and caucuses  in 15 states and one U.S. territory, all who will hold elections on March 5, 2024....Read More

What’s all this talk about being too old to run for public office? OK, OK. Biden and Trump are both pretty old guys. Kind of like me. So are all of us over the hill and not fit to serve in making policy and running the state or the country? Good question! I take a...Read More

Monday, February 26th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HOW OLD IS TOO OLD TO BE IN PUBLIC OFFICE!  Age has never seemed to be such a big issue in American politics. Do we let our elected officials stay in office way too long? Should there be restrictions as to when older politicians must step down?  Or...Read More

A blockbuster sale of Louisiana’s largest insurance company has been put on the back burner, and it’s probably dead on arrival. Well it should be. Hundreds of thousands of policy holders in Louisiana get their health insurance she will cross. I most satisfied. So why the necessary reasoning to sell the company? I know something...Read More

Monday, February 19th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHY THE BLUE CROSS SALE FAILED! Blue Cross, Blue Shield is Louisiana’s largest health insurer, and one of the state’s largest employers. A major effort was undertaken by the Blue Cross Board to sell the whole system to a company called Elevance Health located in Indianapolis Indiana. Elevance...Read More

There are lots of Louisiana parties in the nations capital last week. The annual Washington Mardi Gras ball. All well and good. Besides partying and asking for campaign contributions, how do your congressman actually vote? Do you know? There are lots of important issues that come up before the Congress. Do you know what position...Read More

Monday, February 12th, l2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana BESIDES RACKING IN CAMPAIGN DOLLARS, WHAT ELSE DOES YOUR LOUISIANA CONGRESSMAN DO? So have you been following the antics of your congressmen in Louisiana recently? Oh yeah, we all read were they had a huge gathering. in Washington DC last week. Lots of partying. And, of course, numerous...Read More

There is growing support all over the country for either abolishing or restructuring the federal bureau of investigation. The FBI has become an embarrassment for America, and find the respect with countries all over the world. Here’s the latest article from the Future of Freedom Foundation “Among the worst mistakes America has ever made is...Read More

Look out, are you Swifties and you Mega supporters.  The election police may be after you. That’s right, the new Supreme Court decision has determined that it’s OK to prohibit people from The election police may be after you. That’s right, the newif you do, you will be kicked out of the building both. Is...Read More

Monday, February 5th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HERE COME THE ELECTION POLICE! Alright all you Swifties.   I have some bad news for you. When you go to the polls to vote for president on election day,  no Taylor Swift hats or shirts will be allowed. This policy of cutting off poor Taylor’s paraphernalia will no...Read More

                                                                                      New Podcast now ready for listening at www.datelinelouisiana.com.Read More

Monday, January 29th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana INSURANCE REGULATION LACKING IN LOUISIANA!  When I first took over as insurance commissioner in 1991, things were really in a mess. Regulation by the Louisiana Insurance Department was nonexistent. Companies were rarely if ever examined as required by state law. I shut down forty  insurance companies that were...Read More

Who wants to hear more complaints about insurance companies and what policyholders are paying? We would all like to leave this problem behind and see that the cost of our insurance drops considerably. You know what? Under present circumstances, ain’t going to happen’.  The present Insurance regulatory environment is the worst I’ve ever seen. And...Read More

Here is the first rate well research article on how dangerous the FBI has become in America. You can see some of the information below. You can read the whole article from the Future of Freedom Foundation by Clicking Here. “Among the worst mistakes America has ever made is to bring into existence the Federal...Read More

Louisiana legislators must be sure glad there’s a big party in Washington DC this weekend, the annual Washington Mardi Gras ball. They can get away from all the controversy they have stirred up back in Baton Rouge.  The new governor called a special session of the legislature to reapportion congressional district. They did so, and...Read More

Monday, January 22ed, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA VOTERS DISTURBED BY LEGISLATIVE ANTICS! Remember, back in the days when members of the Louisiana congressional delegation were easily accessible, and regularly in touch throughout their districts? When you saw your representative at local fairs and festivals,  riding parades, shaking hands, and having their picture taken with...Read More

To listen to this Podcast, Click Here.Read More

The football coach LSU fans both loved and hated, has retired from the game. Some say he was the best there ever was. But like him or  loath him, Coach Nick Sabin was one heck of football coach.  He gave LSU and national championship been retired at our rival, Alabama. I write about Coach Nick...Read More

Monday, January 15th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana COACH NICK SABAN AND LSU!      I don’t normally write a sports column, but a few words would seem appropriate after Alabama’s football coach Nick Saban announced his retirement last week.  Simply put, love him or hate him, Nick Saban was the nation’s best college coach in recent years,...Read More

                    All right, all you guys. No slacking off for the New Year. It’s 2:30 AM here and I’m getting psyched up for my 4 o’clock workout. Anybody want to join me? Have a Happy New Year.  JB      Read More

So now we have Secretaries of States stripping away former President Donald Trump’s right to run again for president. I did not know that individual states could determine federal elections. And I have some background. I served as Louisiana Secretary of State for eight years.  Will the Supreme Court act to let Trump run? I...Read More

From our friend John Whitehead at the Rutherford Institute.  Many articles, podcasts and videos about the protection of individual rights at www.rutherford.org.    Read More

Monday, January 8th, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  BAD IDEA TO KEEP TRUMP OFF THE BALLOT!      Here is the election question dominating the national news.  Can a minor state official decide the outcome of the presidential election?  The Maine Secretary Of State apparently thinks so.  She recently ruled that former President Donald Trump is...Read More

Much of what’s going on in the world, as well as the United States, seems to be going to hell in a hand-basket. How are our public officials responding? Right now, just about all of them in Washington on vacation. The president just flew down to the Caribbean to take a week off. Legislators in...Read More

Monday, January 1st, 2024 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHY NOTHING IS GETTING DONE IN WASHINGTON! Poor ole’ Joe Biden. The current president really has his hands full. Some think the world is going to hell in a hand basket, and the Biden team is enmeshed in pouring billions to other countries. The President has just approved...Read More

Well Happy New Year to all of my viewers and listeners. I hope you are looking forward to 2024. I am, because this past year has been somewhat questionable in terms of safety on the international front, common sense in Congress at home, and many problems to address here in Louisiana. Do you make New...Read More

                                                                        You can listen to a new episode of Dateline Louisiana by going to www.datelinelouisiana.com.Read More

  December 26th, 2023 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NEW YEAR THOUGHTS FROM THE BAYOU STATE! Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I always do.  A New Year always brings with it promise and uncertainty, but this coming year brings with it a greater foreboding than we have experienced in the past.  The Chinese have a saying:...Read More

Hey, are you in the holiday spirit? My favorite time of year, and the same could be said for many. One of my favorite things about Christmas is to watch several wonderful holiday movies. I’m a real movie buff, and there were lots of choices to choose from. So if you have a favorite holiday...Read More

Monday, December 18th, 2023 Baton Rouge, Louisiana MOVIES AT CHRISTMAS TIME! I don’t know about you, but I’m a real movie buff.  I have always really liked going to the movies.  My love for the big screen started all the way back to the 1940s where every Saturday morning I was at the local theater...Read More

The FBI again embarrasses itself as one of his former agents confessed to working as a spy for the Russians.  He received a sentence of four years. He should’ve been charged with treason and sentenced for life. Time and time again, in recent years, the FBI has proven to be an embarrassment to our country....Read More

Book banning? Censoring books that you can read? That happened centuries ago, right? Well, not quite right. There’s a new major effort across the country to ban books that our kids can read, particularly in libraries in schools and public libraries.  Louisiana’s new governor, Jeff Landry, is right in the mix of those who want...Read More

Louisiana has come close to having a Speaker head up the United States House Representatives.  But the potential candidates have never quite made it. Until now. Take a listen to our new podcast to hear the history of speaker candidates coming so close. You can listen by going to www.datelinelouisiana.com.Read More

Monday, December 11th, 2023 Baton Rouge, Louisiana BOOK BANNING IN LOUISIANA! Is there a widespread effort here in Louisiana to ban certain books?  As many of you know, I publish books, and am an avid reader.  In all my years living here in the Bayou state, I can’t remember any effort to control what books...Read More