Louisiana
Lawmakers advance bill to intervene in land dispute for wealthy drug distributor • Louisiana Illuminator
State lawmakers advanced a bill Tuesday that intervenes in a land dispute and threatens to block construction of an interstate power line at the behest of a small group of north Louisiana landowners, including the wealthy owner of a large pharmaceutical company that made billions during the opioid crisis.
Paul Dickson Sr. is a principal owner and former board chairman of the Shreveport-based Morris & Dickson Co., one of the largest wholesale pharmaceutical distributors in the nation. It was the target of a federal investigation that revealed one of its own agents was secretly negotiating with the company to preserve its federal license.
Senate Bill 108, sponsored by Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, stands to benefit Dickson in his dispute with a Texas power company. It cleared the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure without objection and will head to the House floor for consideration.
The bill is tailored in ways that would effectively prohibit a single business from exercising its expropriation rights, which allow governments and certain companies to force the sale of private land for public use. It’s typically used for development of a project that serves a public need, such as a new highway or, as in this case, a power line. In exchange, the owner must be paid, at minimum, fair market value for their land.
Proponents of Seabaugh’s measure tout it as a way to protect landowners from businesses and projects that don’t benefit the people of Louisiana.
“We’re here because of one project,” Seabaugh told the committee.
The project Seabaugh targets — Pattern Energy’s Southern Spirit Transmission line — would deliver electricity to the regional power grid that covers most of the state.
The Southern Spirit Transmission project is a 320-mile line that will begin at a power station in DeSoto Parish and deliver wind power from the Texas grid to a power station in Choctaw County, Mississippi, crossing through North Louisiana. Onshore wind has been the cheapest source of electricity for the past several years in the United States and around the world, according to a study by the financial firm Lazard.
Although the line would end in Mississippi, it would feed electricity into Louisiana by way of the regional Midcontinent Independent System Operator grid. The MISO grid covers most of Louisiana, and Mississippi and spans into a large swath of the Midwest and into Manitoba, Canada.
Dickson told the committee Seabaugh’s bill won’t kill Pattern Energy’s project but will merely give the landowners a better advantage in their negotiations.
“It needs to be negotiated in the private sector,” Dickson said. “It will get done well… Right now, the landowner’s hands are tied behind his back. Senate Bill 108 gives the landowner the ability to negotiate by removing the threat of expropriation.”
Pattern Energy has claimed the project will bring economic development to towns and parishes in North Louisiana, but Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, D-Bossier City, said he hasn’t heard from any of those local officials. Campbell is against the Pattern transmission project but has not taken a position on Seabaugh’s bill.
“I’m troubled by the way they do business,” Campbell said in a phone interview, referring to Pattern Energy. He said it has been difficult to get straight answers from the company.
Seabaugh told the committee the power line would not deliver “one watt of electricity” to Louisiana and that the company would claim lucrative state tax incentives such as the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP). When it was his turn to testify, Pattern Energy executive Adam Renz failed to give concise answers in response to Seabaugh’s accusations, neither of which were accurate.
Instead, Renz gave lengthy, detailed explanations on the concepts of inter-regional interconnection, the history of the Southern Spirit project and the geography of the MISO grid. His long discourse continued even after lawmakers specifically pointed it out, asking for shorter answers.
Louisiana legislation could jeopardize flow of power from Texas
When Renz finally did say electricity would indeed flow to Louisiana and that “we’re not using ITEP — you have my word,” half of the committee members had long ago left the room.
Pattern Energy land director Shannon Gwen and attorney Scott Keaty were more concise in their testimony. Gwen explained how the company has nearly acquired 60% of the land needed for the project and that it begins land negotiations with offers of at least 120% of market value. Keaty said he had deals worked out with the two landowners until Seabaugh filed his bill.
“We have not taken anybody’s property,” Keaty said. “We have not initiated any expropriation proceedings.”
The company has rerouted the transmission project 11 times at the request of one landowner who is still not satisfied, he said.
Even if Pattern Energy were to initiate expropriation proceedings for the land, it would have to do so through lawsuits filed in the landowner’s parish and would have to show the judge why the project is in the best interest of the public. Gwen said the company also includes value for any timber on the land and even pays the landowner’s legal fees if they hire an attorney to negotiate.
Many others testified against Seabaugh’s bill, including Public Service Commissioners Mike Francis, R-Crowley, and Davanté Lewis, D-Baton Rouge.
Lewis said the bill is a big solution for what is a small contested issue. He said it will have “significant ramifications” for improving Louisiana’s grid and signal to other companies that Louisiana will change the rules on them at the finish line.
The Louisiana-based utility Southwestern Electric Power Cooperative (SWEPCO) currently imports cheap electricity from wind turbines in Oklahoma — in the same way Louisiana would benefit from the Southern Spirit line — through the MISO grid, Lewis said.
“If Oklahoma passed this same law, it would undoubtedly raise the rates for people in Louisiana,” Lewis said.
At the end of Tuesday’s hearing, the committee members who had left the room finally returned, having missed testimony given in support of the project. Even those lawmakers who stayed and voiced some sympathy to Pattern Energy’s position were confronted with one final question from Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Pineville, who had returned to his chair just before the bill’s fate was decided.
“Sen. Seabaugh, I have just one question, and I don’t think I heard it in your testimony earlier: Do you know if the governor supports or opposes your bill?” Johnson said.
Seabaugh replied that Gov. Jeff Landry “quietly supports it” but admitted he doesn’t “quite know what that means.”
“If he opposed it, he wouldn’t likely be quiet, would he?” Johnson asked.
“I think that’s probably correct,” Seabaugh said.
When committee chairman Rep. Nicholas Muscarello, R-Hammond, asked if anyone objected to moving the bill favorably to the floor, the lawmakers remained silent.
Paul Dickson Sr., who testified at Tuesday’s committee hearing, is a principal owner and former board chairman of the Shreveport-based Morris & Dickson Co., one of the largest wholesale pharmaceutical distributors in the nation and, according to Dickson, the second oldest company in Louisiana. “I ran a company that currently does $5.5 billion a year in sales,” Dickson told lawmakers. “That’s bigger than Pattern [Energy]. I know who makes decisions in companies, and the people who will decide whether or not this power line goes through Louisiana after this bill is passed will make an economic business decision.”
Dickson was president of Morris & Dickson when it mishandled more than 12,000 suspicious large orders of the highly addictive drugs oxycodone and hydrocodone during the height of the nation’s opioid crisis, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
Last year, the Associated Press reported on secretive negotiations between Dickson and top DEA officials. The DEA was investigating Morris & Dickson’s distribution of opioids and filed formal charges against the company in 2018 for violating the Controlled Substances Act.
Dickson had met with a DEA official, Louis Milione, on at least two occasions beginning in 2016 to negotiate a way for the company to stave off punishment and keep its distributor’s license. That following year, Milione left the DEA and received a $3 million consulting contract from Morris & Dickson.
Dickson’s company continued operating under its license for over four years after a judge recommended it be revoked in 2019. The DEA’s decision to stall on the judge’s ruling was highly unusual, according to officials quoted in the AP story. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, a Biden appointee, rehired that same agent in 2021 as her top deputy and continued to stall on the judge’s ruling until the situation made national headlines last year. Milgram revoked the company’s license in May 2023 right after the AP reached out to her for comment on the matter.
The company didn’t stay in trouble for long. In February, the DEA announced it had negotiated a settlement with Morris & Dickson in which the company admitted all wrongdoing, promised not to break the law again and paid a $19 million penalty. In return, Morris & Dickson got its DEA license back.
Dickson also owns Sports South, one of the region’s largest firearm distributors. He is also a major Republican donor, giving $24,999 to Seabaugh and more than $40,000 to Gov. Jeff Landry over the past several years. Landry’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment on this story.
Dickson has also donated smaller amounts totaling $2,000, to Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, D-Bossier City, who opposes the Pattern Energy transmission line project Dickson wants to stop, but he hasn’t taken a position on Seabaugh’s bill.
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Huntington’s Jamarion Washington is a Times Athlete of the Week.
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U.S. News & World Report has released a database comprised of the top elementary and middle schools in 2025 in each state.
The rankings of schools can even be narrowed down by city and district levels.
Top 10 elementary schools in Louisiana
There are numerous Louisiana elementary and middle schools ranked within U.S. News’ database, and here are the top ten best ranked elementary schools statewide in Louisiana.
No. 1 T.S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School
According to U.S. News, T.S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School, located in Lake Charles, is ranked number one in Louisiana elementary schools and is a part of Calcasieu Parish Public Schools.
The student population of T.S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School is 300, and the school serves K-5.
No. 2 Metairie Academy for Advanced Studies
According to U.S. News, Metairie Academy for Advanced Studies is ranked number two in Louisiana Elementary School and is a part of Jefferson Parish Schools.
Metairie Academy for Advanced Studies enrollment is 368 students, and the school is kindergarten through fifth grade.
No. 3 Gretna No. 2 Academy for Advanced Studies
U.S. News says that Gretna No. 2 Academy for Advanced Studies is number three in Louisiana Elementary Schools and is a part of Jefferson Parish Schools.
The student enrollment at Gretna No. 2 Academy for Advanced Studies is 357 and serves the grades pre-k through fifth grade.
No. 4 Airline Park Academy for Advanced Studies
Airline Park Academy for Advanced Studies in Metairie is a part of Jefferson Parish Schools and is ranked number four in Louisiana Elementary Schools, according to U.S. News.
Airline Park Academy for Advanced Studies’ enrollment is 418 students and teaches pre-k through fifth grade.
No. 5 South Highlands Elementary Magnet School
South Highlands Elementary Magnet School in Shreveport is a part of Caddo Parish Public Schools and is ranked number five in Louisiana Elementary Schools, says U.S. News.
The student enrollment at South Highlands Elementary Magnet School is 517 and the school serves grades pre-k through fifth grade.
No. 6 Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School
Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School is part of East Baton Rouge Parish Schools and is ranked number six in Louisiana Elementary Schools, according to U.S. News.
Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School’s student enrollment is 464 and the school serves pre-k through fifth grade.
No. 7 Fairfield Magnet School
Fairfield Magnet School, located in Shreveport, is a part of Caddo Parish Public Schools and is ranked number seven on U.S. News’ list of the top Louisiana Elementary Schools.
Fairfield Magnet School has a student enrollment of 515 and teaches pre-k through fifth grade.
No. 8 Ray St. Pierre Academy for Advanced Studies
Ray St. Pierre Academy for Advanced Studies is located in Westwego, which is a part of Jefferson Parish Schools, and is ranked number eight in U.S. News’ list of Louisiana Elementary Schools.
Ray St. Pierre Academy for Advanced Studies teaches pre-k through fifth grade and the enrollment is 336 students.
No. 9 Phoenix Magnet Elementary School
Phoenix Magnet Elementary School, located in Alexandria, is a part of Rapides Parish Public Schools and is ranked number nine in U.S. News’ list of the best Louisiana Elementary Schools.
Phoenix Magnet Elementary School serves pre-k through fifth grade and student enrollment is 351.
No. 10 B.R. Foreign Language Academy Immersion Magnet
B.R. Foreign Language Academy Immersion Magnet is a part of East Baton Rouge Parish Schools and is ranked number ten in U.S. News’ list of Louisiana Elementary Schools.
Immersion Magnet’s student enrollment is 548 and serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.
Louisiana
Louisiana’s legislative leaders say they have a tax deal; final votes expected Friday • Louisiana Illuminator
State lawmakers have agreed to a pared-down version of Gov. Jeff Landry’s tax overhaul package but one that would still affect most people and businesses in Louisiana. The deal, hashed out in back-room negotiations Thursday, is expected to receive full approval Friday.
“A lot can change overnight, but as of right now, we’re comfortable with the number of votes we have…in the Senate,” said Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie.
“I believe we have the votes [in the Louisiana House],” Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Johnson, R-Pineville said.
The revised package calls for pushing the current sales tax rate of 4.45% to 5% for five years, starting July 1, 2025, when the state’s next fiscal year starts. It would drop to 4.75% in 2030 but still remain higher than the current 4.45% rate.
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In exchange for these higher, permanent sales taxes, most Louisiana residents would receive an income tax cut. The state would move from a three-tiered income tax system with a high rate of 4.25% to a flat rate of 3% accompanied by a significantly higher standard deduction threshold.
On the business side, the corporate franchise tax will be eliminated altogether, and the corporate income tax would move to a flat rate of 5.5% — right between the current lowest rate of 3.5% and highest rate of 7.5%.
The Legislature has also agreed to dissolve some government funds dedicated to special purposes and end some business and industry tax breaks to shore up state revenue. This includes ending the state’s many incentive programs such as the Quality Jobs and Enterprise Zone tax credits, among others..
A portion of the state inventory tax credit, which helps businesses cover their local parish tax bills, will be phased out for some employers in 2026. Money from the vehicle sales tax that was going to large transportation projects – such as the new Baton Rouge Interstate 10 bypass bridge and Interstate 49 expansions – will now be diverted for general government expenses.
In an interview Thursday night, Henry said he did not expect the current deal to leave Louisiana with a significant budget shortfall as some had feared. Still, lawmakers held off on taking votes on the tax package until Friday because they are waiting for the final revenue estimates to be finished by staff.
“Staff needs the time … . And we want time to read and digest the bills before we vote,” House Republican Caucus Chairman Mark Wright, R-Covington, said.
Landry was also throwing a political fundraiser Thursday night in Baton Rouge, and any tax votes taken before Friday would likely have coincided with the event.
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Legislative leaders are also combining the bill that cuts income taxes with the legislation to increase sales taxes in order to pin down conservative Republican votes. Once the proposals merge, lawmakers will no longer be able to vote for the tax break without the corresponding tax hike.
“It’s to lock people in. You can’t vote for the tax cuts without voting for the revenue, too,” said Sen. Gerald Boudreaux of Lafayette, chairman of his chamber’s Democratic Caucus.
Republicans have supermajorities in the Senate and House, but Democrats will be needed to reach the 70 votes required to pass the sales tax hike legislation. Certain conservative Republicans have refused to vote for any bill that included a tax hike, which means bipartisan support becomes even more important to get the package across the finish line.
Much of the negotiations over the past two days has taken place between Landry and Senate Democrats, who had reservations about raising Louisiana’s sales tax rate to pay for an income tax reduction.
Louisiana already has the highest average sales tax rate in the nation when local parish rates are included. High sales taxes are more of a burden for poor people, who end up spending more of their paycheck to cover their cost.
Boudreaux said Democrats were given some concessions for agreeing to support Landry’s tax package. They were assured certain health care services wouldn’t be cut, and funding for early childhood education and juvenile vocation programs would be prioritized, he said.
The state funding formula for higher education might also be reworked to direct more support to Louisiana historically Black colleges and universities, according to Boudreaux.
The votes appear to be on tight margins, however.
Wright, as the head of the House Republican Caucus, expressed concern that the Legislature would start “losing people” who would vote for the tax bills the longer they waited to vote on Friday. Some lawmakers have made it clear they don’t intend to push their holiday travel to support the tax overhaul.
The special session must end by 6 p.m. Monday.
“It’ll be interesting because I heard they may have more Republicans missing as the day goes on, especially around five o’clock,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Matthew Willard of New Orleans, who has opposed Landry’s proposal.
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Sixteen candidates have applied to become Nexus Louisiana’s new permanent leader.
Anita Tillman, co-chair of the selection committee overseeing the Nexus CEO search, provided an update at Thursday’s board of directors meeting.
Tillman says executive search firm Isaacson Miller presented 10 candidates to the committee on Oct. 31, and a second round of candidate presentations will be held on Dec. 5.
Semifinalist interviews will be conducted virtually on Jan. 14. The presentations serve as a way to discuss what the organization is looking for and give feedback to Isaacson, Miller about the type of candidates the firm should recruit.
Some prospective candidates have expressed interest but have yet to apply, according to Tillman.
“Once those interviews happen, and we drill it down to whatever the outcome is, then those candidates will be moved over to the full board to do rounds of in-person interviews and make their decision,” Tillman says.
The in-person interviews are tentatively scheduled for the week of Feb. 10 and the search is expected to be completed before the end of February.
Nexus Louisiana began accepting applications for the position on Nov. 1. Part of the job description says that the new president and CEO will be critical in providing internal and external leadership. The individual will assess and align the organization’s structures while advocating for Nexus Louisiana as a critical driver of entrepreneurship and innovation in the Baton Rouge region across the state and globally.
Nexus has been without a permanent leader for two years following longtime CEO Genevieve Silverman’s departure in June 2022 after 14 years. Nexus management consultant Calvin Mills has handled leadership responsibilities since 2022.
View a description of the position.
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