Louisiana moves to bring power back to ‘We The People’

Louisiana made big steps in taking power away from an incoherent, disorganized, politicized government and bringing it back to We The People when it passed legislation regarding (1) New Orleans Charter Schools and (2) the call for a Convention of States to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
Senate Bill 432 was signed into law and transfers oversight of 52 charter schools in New Orleans away from the politicized, “overly bureaucratic and occasionally corrupt” Orleans Parish School Board — and gave it to the local board which can make independent decisions about curriculum, personnel and budgeting. The Bill focuses on protecting the rights of disadvantaged children and the rights of low-income parents to seek admission for their children to any school in any neighborhood. The Bill also requires that each school sign a contract that includes performance objectives and requirements for responsible operation — this form of competition and accountability has resulted in the New Orleans public schools sending twice as many to college as they did before Hurricane Katrina.
The Legislature also passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 52 that made Louisiana is the eighth state in the nation to call for a convention of states under Article V of the U.S. Constitution limited to proposing constitutional amendments to rein in a runaway federal government and bring the power back to the states in accordance with the 9th and 10th amendments under the Bill of Rights. “Utilizing the Article V process allows for citizens to work with their state legislators to remind DC who they work for” — and could result in amendments that limit federal spending and debt, limit the terms of Congress, and create better state checks on Congress, the Executive Branch, and the judiciary.
These are big steps in the right direction!
Steve Gardes, CPA
Lafayette