Louisiana

Edwards budget chief Jay Dardenne to pay $3,000 fine for late campaign finance reports • Louisiana Illuminator

Published

2 years ago

December 10, 2024

Edwards budget chief Jay Dardenne to pay ,000 fine for late campaign finance reports • Louisiana Illuminator

The Louisiana Board of Ethics assessed Jay Dardenne, a longtime elected official who was also Gov. John Bel Edwards’ commissioner of administration, a $3,000 fine for filing four campaign finance reports months after their deadlines passed.

Dardenne, who also served as Louisiana’s lieutenant governor and secretary of state, initially faced a much larger fine. The penalty for his four tardy reports was $12,000, but the board voted to reduce it to $3,000 after Dardenne personally apologized at its Friday meeting.

“I do not have any excuse I can make for failing to timely file those reports,” he told board members. “In those previous years that I filed, I had gotten in the habit only annually.”

The four reports in question were connected to Dardenne’s political action committee, JAY PAC, and should have been submitted during the fall and winter of 2023. He made a few small campaign contributions out of that account for state elections at the time.

Dardenne, who is a Republican, donated between $250 and $500 to a small group of candidates, including Baton Rouge state Reps. Dixon McMakin and Barbara Freiberg, Secretary of State Nancy Landry and former state Rep. John Stefanski, who ran for attorney general last year.

The fine for missing a PAC campaign reporting deadline was $200 per day for up to 15 days, at which point it reached a maximum of $3,000. Dardenne’s four reports were between 75 and 162 days late, according to information the ethics board provided.

Dardenne set up JAY PAC during his unsuccessful bid for governor in 2015 and said Friday he hasn’t used it much in recent years. It contained no more than $7,600 total last year, according to publicly available campaign finance reports.

He said he recently drained the PAC by making a few charitable donations with its remaining funds and intends to close out the account by the end of the year.

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The ethics board also assessed two state senators fines for failing to submit their own PAC campaign finance reports on time.

Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, was assessed a $1,000 fine for failing to file a campaign finance report for Kirk PAC 33 days late in 2019.

The board chose to reduce Talbot’s penalty from $3,000 to $1,000 after Talbot’s former accountant told the board Friday he was responsible for the overdue submission. Phillip Rebowe said he was locked out of his files, including the PAC’s paperwork, when he left an accounting firm and wasn’t able to file the paperwork by the deadline.

Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, was assessed a $500 fine for filing his LA PAC campaign finance report 15 days late in the fall of 2023.

The board voted to cut Luneau’s fine from $3,000 to $500 after Luneau appeared Friday and said his accountant had only recently taken over the PAC’s paperwork from the accountant’s dying father. Steven McKay didn’t file the report on time because he was newly assigned to Luneau’s accounts and not familiar with PAC deadlines yet. Plus McKay was caring for a sick parent who was also his business partner, the senator said.

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Louisiana

$604 Mega Millions jackpot has Louisiana players dreaming big

Published

9 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

4 Mega Millions jackpot has Louisiana players dreaming big

ST. MARTIN PARISH — As the Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $604 million, excitement is growing in St. Martinville, where a quick stop at a convenience store has many imagining what they would do if they won.

The jackpot, the largest Mega Millions prize offered so far this year, drew plenty of attention at Simmis Mart. Some customers were ready to buy tickets, while others simply enjoyed thinking about the possibilities.

Charlotte Wilson said she has noticed that major lottery jackpots often seem to be won outside Louisiana, but that has not stopped her from hoping.

“When they do hit it’s always out of state. It’s never in Louisiana in a little small town, but if you do hit and I win!” Wilson said.

The excitement extended beyond customers. Store employee Vicky Williams admitted she would not mind seeing some of the jackpot come her way.

“I need to get some of that. I could use some of that money,” Williams said.

Among those purchasing a ticket was Shakina Hart, who said playing the lottery is something she has done before, “I’ve played it in the past, but never won the Mega Millions, so yes, I’m hoping I’m winning on this,” Hart said.

For Wilson, hitting the jackpot would be about more than the money. She already knows exactly how she’d put it to use.

“First of all, I’ll buy me a house and a nice car, and I’ll take care of the homeless people because they have a lot of those that need somewhere to live who are hungry and homeless,” Wilson said.

Hart said her priorities would center on her family, especially her children’s education.

“I have one that wants to be a lawyer and one that wants to be a doctor, so the money would definitely help with their school funding and basic care needs,” Hart said.

The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Friday July 10th. While the odds of winning remain long, the growing jackpot has many people holding onto the same thought: What if their numbers are the ones called?

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Louisiana

Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows Welcomes Inaugural Class – Leaders for a Better Louisiana

Published

19 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows Welcomes Inaugural Class – Leaders for a Better Louisiana

Nearly 40 years after launching Louisiana’s premier statewide leadership development program, Leaders for a Better Louisiana is proud to announce the inaugural class of Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows, marking an important new chapter in the organization’s longstanding commitment to developing informed, connected leaders equipped to address the state’s most pressing challenges.

Building on the proven model and legacy of Leadership Louisiana, the Health Fellows program brings together leaders from across healthcare, business, public policy, higher education, philanthropy, and community organizations to gain a deeper understanding of the systems, opportunities, and challenges shaping health outcomes across Louisiana. Throughout the year, fellows will participate in immersive sessions across the state, engaging directly with healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, workforce leaders, and innovators while exploring the issues that influence the health and well-being of Louisiana’s people and communities.

“The strength of Leadership Louisiana has always been its ability to bring together accomplished leaders from different sectors and regions to learn from one another while developing a broader understanding of our state,” said Sheree Blanchard, Director of Leadership Louisiana. “The Health Fellows program extends that tradition by focusing on one of Louisiana’s most significant opportunities for improvement. We are excited to welcome this outstanding inaugural class.”

The inaugural class represents a broad cross-section of Louisiana’s healthcare and civic leadership, with participants serving in hospitals, health systems, higher education, business, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and community-based organizations throughout the state. Together, they bring diverse expertise and perspectives that will strengthen dialogue and collaboration around Louisiana’s health challenges and opportunities.

“From the beginning, our vision was to create a program that mirrors the excellence and impact of Leadership Louisiana while taking a comprehensive look at the many factors that influence health outcomes,” said Blanchard. “This first class reflects the caliber of leadership we hoped to attract, and we look forward to watching these fellows build lasting relationships and develop new ideas that will benefit communities across Louisiana.”

Leadership Louisiana has graduated more than 1,600 leaders over nearly four decades, creating one of the state’s strongest cross-sector leadership networks. Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows builds on that foundation by providing participants with a focused exploration of Louisiana’s healthcare landscape while reinforcing the program’s longstanding commitment to collaboration, informed leadership, and service to the state.

The 2027 Health Fellows class will begin its yearlong experience this summer with sessions held in multiple regions of Louisiana.

View the complete roster of the Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows inaugural class.

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