St. George Leaders and Blocking Incorporation
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St.St. GeorgeGeorge LeaderLeader November 7, 2019 • Vol. 1, No. 3 • 16 Pages • Circulation 30,000 online • Mail: P. O. Box 2, St. George, LA 70801 • 225-261-5055 Trial Lawyer Mary Olive Pierson Sues Leaders of the St. George Movement Norman Browning, Chris Rials Sued Personally For Their Roles in Forming City of St. George BATON ROUGE - A trial law- yer with a long history of supporting leftwing causes and politicians has filed suit against the leaders of the movement to incorporate the City of St. George. St. George incorporator Norman Browning and his assistant chairman Chris Rials have been targeted with the suit filed by Baton Rouge attorney Mary Olive Pierson. The litigation could end up costing Browning, a small businessman, and retiree Rials hundreds of thousands in attorney fees. Although Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome is LEFTWING ACTIVIST and trial lawyer Mary Olive Pierson is one of the named plaintiffs funding a suit targeting St. George leaders and blocking incorporation. in the suit, Pierson is the TARGETED — St. George chairman Norman Browning and vice person actually funding the chairman Chris Rials have been sued personally by Mary Olive Pierson. IN THE NEWS RECENTLY litigation. The City of Baton Mary Olive Pierson graduated from the LSU Law School. Rouge is not a plaintiff in the DONATIONS TO DEFEND ST. GEORGE Early on, she practiced with Pat Screen and Shelly Bey- suit and the mayor-president Checks to Online, go to chock. Over the years, she has represented a world of cli- is not suing in her official Our Promising Future, LLC StGeorgeLouisiana.com ents, some of an unsavory sort. Not known for her social capacity. Pierson said she Post Office Box 77006 Scroll down to ‘Donate’ graces, she was referred as a “red headed barracuda” in is taking the case pro bono. Baton Rouge, LA 70879 Pay by Credit Card the Business Report. One of her former clients, Johnny Because of the enor- Anderson, has been in the news lately, the subject of TV mity of the potential costs, help defend the right of the Contributions can be sent spots in the governor’s race. He allegedly engaged in Browning and Rials are people of St. George to in- by mail or made online as sexual harassment at the Governor’s office. seeking contributions to corporate and themselves. indicated above. Ballot Edwards Opposes St. George, Rispone Supports It Nov 16, 2019 Governor John Bel Edwards D Eddie Rispone R Secretary of State CandidatesSecretary of State Differ onRispone StG Hoping Kyle Ardoin R Gwen Collins-Greenup D Also on Ballot in For Big Turnout BESE District 6 Nov. 16 Election In St. George “Ronnie” Morris R See RESIDENTS on Page 3 Gregory Spiers R Two statewide ST. GEORGE - GOP candi- races will ap- date Eddie Rispone is hop- Senate District 16 pear on the ing for a large voter turnout Franklin Foil R Nov. 16 elec- in the City of St. George in Beverly Thompson D tion ballot. Be- his quest to oust incumbent House District 68 sides governor, Gov. John Bel Edwards in Taryn Branson D the other race the election on Saturday, Scott McKnight R is for Secre- Nov. 16. St. George is one Kyle Ardoin tary of State. of several conservative vot- House District 70 Republican in- ing areas in the state that Belinda Davis D cumbent Kyle Rispone needs to win big. Barbara Freiberg R Ardoin is fac- Edwards is the only Dem- ing the Demo- Ballot - Other Areas ocrat governor in the South, cratic challeng- and Republicans think he is Dist. Judge Div. L er Gwen Col- vulnerable because of his “Ron” Johnson D lins-Greenup. tax-and-spend policies. “Trae” Welch R Ardoin led The candidates for gov- with 41 percent ernor disagree on the City House District 67 in the primary, Dr. Leah Cullins D Gwen Collins- followed by of St. George. Rispone has Larry Selders D Greenup Collins-Green- been an active supporter Photos by Woody Jenkins Woody by Photos and donor to St. George Candidates endorsed by Republican up with 34 percent. Repub- Party of East Baton Rouge Parish are since 2014, while Gov. John in RED. Candidates endorsed Demo- lican Thomas J. Kennedy Bel Edwards has repeatedly cratic Party of EBR are in BLUE. followed with 19 percent. The Central City News endorses all DEMOCRATIC, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES for Louisiana voiced his opposition both candidates in RED plus those in MA- The Secretary of State governor are in the final days of the Nov. 16 runoff election. Democrat- to the City of St. George ROON. Candidates in BLACK are not oversees Louisiana’s elec- ic Gov. John Bel Edwards (left) and Republican businessman Eddie endorsed. and the Southeast Commu- tions and manages business Rispone offer a liberal/conservative contrast. President Donald Trump filings and state archives. has made two trips to Louisiana to campaign for Rispone. nity School District. 2 St. George Leader November 2019 CAFÉ AMÉRICAIN SEAFOOD & Oyster Bar 27276 Crossing Circle at Juban Crossing Christmas Parties Make Reservations Today (225) 243-5495 Live Entertainment Live Music On Our Patio, Every Friday Night! Try Our New Nightly Specials • New Drink & Wine List Watch Quick Tour Always Fresh Locally Owned Click on QR Code Our Seafood Hometown Quality Never Frozen Meeting Facilities Over 20 Lunch Specials Under $12.99 • M-F 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 27276 Crossing Circle at Juban Crossing • Denham Springs, LA • (225) 243-5495 Just Across the Bridge At Juban Crossing! November 2019 St. George Leader 3 Local Republicans Had Many Victories Oct. 12 Republicans Hope to Finish Job BATON ROUGE - The night of Sat- urday, Oct. 12 was a watershed mo- ment for Republicans in East Baton Rouge Parish. Republican Party of They hold four of six parishwide offices, and a majority of the Met- East Baton Rouge Parish ro Council and the parish school board, along with the city govern- Endorsed Candidates ments and school boards in Central and Zachary. But could they hold November 16, 2019 those offices through the 2019 elec- tions after a large majority of parish Election voters had supported Democrats for Eddie Rispone President and Govenor? Governor The answer was yes! The GOP held all parishwide offices and most of the rest on the ballot. They hope to complete the job on Nov. 16 with their candidates for state and local offices: • Governor - Eddie Rispone • Secretary of State - Kyle Ardoin • BESE - Greg Spiers • Senate Dist. 16 - Franklin Foil • House Dist. 68 - Scott McK- Kyle Ardoin Greg Spiers Franklin Foil Scott McKnight Trae Welch night Senate - Dist. 16 • District Judge - Trae Welch Secretary of State BESE Dist. 6 Senate - Dist. 68 Judge Div. L Newspapers Endorse Two Rep. Candidates BATON ROUGE - The St. George Leader, Capital City News, and Is- Community Press trouma Journal have endorsed two additional candidates: Dr. Leah Also Endorses These Candidates Cullins in House District 67 and in Other Races on November 16, 2019 Barbara Freiberg in House District 69. Editor Woody Jenkins said, “Both candidates are individuals of Dr. Leah Cullins SeeBarbara OCT. 12Freiberg on Page 4 high integrity with much to offer.” House - Dist. 67 House - Dist. 69 We give you saving solutions It’s a win-win situation. When you set up an auto Save the planet with bank draft, you can say Paperless billing goodbye to the hassle of monthly check writing. While you are taking that stress out of your life, enroll in paperless billing to do your part in eliminating wasted paper. Sign up now at DEMCO.org or on the free DEMCO mobile app Save time with automatic bank drafts /DEMCOLouisiana 4 St. George Leader November 2019 Candidates for BESE: Differing Philosophies Morris, Spiers in Runoff for BESE ST. GEORGE - One race, which the chatoula High School who is now Oct. 12 primary left unresolved, in the technology business. Spiers State Board of Elementary will appear on the ballot through- has been endorsed by the Republi- & Secondary Schools out much of East Baton Rouge can Party in East Baton Rouge Par- 6th District Parish in the election planned for ish, Ascension Party, and Livings- Ronnie Morris (R) o Saturday, Nov. 16. ton Parishes. He is also endorsed Greg Spiers (R)* o It is a seat from District 6 on by teachers organizations. He is a *Spiers is endorsed by Republican Party the State Board of Elementary and strong opponent of Common Core Secondary Education (BESE) cur- and most charter schools. rently held by Kathy Edmonson Morris, a supervisor at Exxon, LABI is Kathy Edmonson (R-As- (R) of Ascension Parish. has been endorsed by LABI and cension). She is a more traditional St. George is a key battleground the Republican Party of Tangipa- conservative Republican who op- for both races. hoa Parish and is a supporter of poses Common Core. She decided BESE District 6 includes 1/8th charter schools. not to run for reelection but for the of the state and includes South BESE makes some aspects of Louisiana House from Ascension Baton Rouge, the new City of St. education policy in the state. Sev- Parish. George, Central, Zachary, Ascen- en of the eight elected members of Morris or Spiers will take her sion Parish, Livingston Parish, both the current and the new BESE seat. Morris is expected to align Tangipahoa Parish, and Washing- were supported by the La. Associa- with the other LABI candidates on ton Parish. tion of Business & Industry, which the board, whereas Spiers would The runoff candidates are Ron- Jenkins Woody by Photos also supports Supt. John White, likely be a traditional conservative nie Morris and Greg Spiers.