Friday marked 200 days since Gov. Jeff Landry’s inauguration. Since then, the Legislature has held one regular and two special sessions. Plans for a constitutional convention were scrapped last week.
Landry appeared on Talk Louisiana this week for an interview with Jim Engster. Landry shared his thoughts on upcoming court cases regarding a new law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every classroom in the state. They also discussed state political history, Landry’s past and his future goals in office.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Jim Engster: Governor, you've been a busy man.
Gov. Jeff Landry: We've been busy. Yeah, we sure have. Of course, I stay busy irrespective of what it is. I'm not one to sit around. And so we've done a lot… a lot of good things. And I think a lot of the things that we've done… [are] basically like seeds that will continue to sprout and do good things for the state.
Engster: What do you view as your principal accomplishments so far?
Landry: I think we've had so many wins… I like to make sure that we live up to the promises that we make [to] people, especially on a campaign trail, because I think that is the one thing… it creates… angst amongst the population when politicians and those that seek their votes don't live up to the promises they make. And so I think when you look at the things that we went out there and we campaigned on and we started to deliver on… I could mark a number of wins. I think we had a great crime session.Which was brief, but packed with a lot of good things… during the regular session, the things that we did on education are going to continue to sprout very meaningful things for the kids of this state, and we're working on the economy. And I think we've got some real good things that are working there as well. So we've, we've got a number. I can't say that there's one thing that I'm the most proud of. I'm just really proud of the people that stayed, who seem to have been, or seem to continue to be, very responsive and want some institutional or structural changes to the state.
Engster: You still want a constitutional convention?
Landry: Look, it's not so much what I want [as] what we need… a lot of the things that I wanted during the session or wanted to try to accomplish in order to make our job as governor and working with the legislature easier, we got, from a legislative standpoint. The thing that I think we all need is some reforming or refreshing or restructuring of the constitution. So, it's… it's not so much what I want. I think it's so much of what we need. We can't really reform the tax code. We can do some things and we will, but if you really want to take good structural changes to make Louisiana part of this new industrial South, then it has to be competitive on the tax side.
Engster: Any disappointments so far?
Landry: Any disappointments? Um, no, not, not really. I mean, I can't think I don't, I don't go back and say, you know, I look, I think that I am — it is, you can say it is a little disappointing that we're not going to be able to change some things in the constitution or wholesale change some things, and I think we've lost an opportunity. I don't know if we'll get it, get to do it over the next couple of years, but I'm not wanting to say, you know, to live back on there and say, “Hey, okay, we got it. We've done it. I understand where we are.” And so now we're going to find a path to serve the people in the state.
Engster: Well, I've mentioned your back story and you've done a lot of things. You were a farmer, law enforcement officer, a military veteran, congressman, attorney general, governor, lawyer and you worked in the state legislature back in the day. Was that a kind of a framework for where you are now?
Landry: Well, I wasn't a farmer, I was a farm hand. Big difference.
Engster: Sugar cane, right?
Landry: Yeah. I think, um, look, I think that when you look back, when I look back at the things that I did in my life, and a lot of times when I go and speak and they read through all of those things, I tell people, it's kind of like what happens to kids that were born in the in the 70s and Generation X of, I guess that were ADD without the medication, you know, they just bumped around. But I think that each one of the things that I did in my lifetime gave me an opportunity and a perspective to see things in a different light. Certainly the time I spent on the farm, um, taught you hard work. You had to get up early in the morning and you work late and worked hard, especially in the summer. The summers has always seemed to remind me of my farm time because it was hot.
Engster: Well, I count, I think five governors you've worked with. If you could — kind of a lightning round here. Mike Foster, what about him? What's your impression or your remembrance of the late governor Foster?
Landry: Yeah. Oh, I had a great relationship, um, with Mike. Cause he was in the state Senate when I worked for Craig Romero. In fact, him and Craig might've been seatmates in the Senate. You know, Mike was like a pragmatic governor, you know, when you think about where we were up until Mike Foster came along, we had some pretty colorful governors, and Mike was, was not really a colorful governor, but he was a very effective governor. I think he saw government more like a business. I, I’ll never forget the first time I saw him at a political event when he decided that he was going to run and he got up there and he said, “Look, I'm not much for speeches, I'm not much for doing these things, but I like me and I'm going to run the state (inaudible).” And then he got off the stage! I was, like, scratching my head. Um, but he was, um, he was very effective, you know, um, he was kind of like a quiet, pragmatic governor.
Engster: And he was governor when we had money, and it's always nice to have money.
Landry: It is. Believe you me, I, I've watched it. You know, I spent eight years as the attorney general under some of the toughest economic times that the state government has had, you know, when, when both myself and [former] Gov. John Bel Edwards got elected. The state was on that fiscal cliff. And so I remember it.
Engster: Well, before we get to the other governors — the 0.45-cent sales tax is about to expire. That could create a big hole. The easy thing to do, I think, would be to renew it. But that's not your plan, is it?
Landry: No I don't think so. I mean, and look, the budget that we put forth, um, and that we're preparing for the state legislature, um, anticipates not having the 0.45-cent sales tax being renewed. Um, I think that, um, I'm hoping and encouraging our cabinet members to be able to create efficiencies like we did over at the attorney general's office and see how, how much we can narrow that hole, and then whether or not we can restructure some things on the tax side that fill remainder of that hole, and then also gives us some opportunities to lower the income tax, maybe get rid of the inventory tax, get rid of the corporate franchise tax, do some things of that nature.
Engster: Now, Edwin Edwards, the next governor you worked with, he was born in 1927 and Huey Long was elected the next year. You were born in 1970 and Edwin Edwards was elected the next year. And people may be surprised, but I think you had a fairly close relationship with him, didn't you?
Landry: I did. I did both him and some of the folks that worked with him. Um, I remember because Craig actually got elected when I started to work in the Senate and Romero, he had got elected in a special — I think Edwin was in for a year or two between that time. And of course, we all know that the Senate seems to share a special relationship with the governor, certainly back then it was even closer. And so we got to know [him] and got to work with him. I went dove hunting a couple of times with them up in Lake Providence, you know, they had those big dove hunts during — I think Francis Thompson did those dove hunts back then. And of course I was 20— I think I was 20, maybe, right? 21, 22.And so it was, it was kind of — it was, like, a real fun time, you know? There was a, a lot of things moving around and, and — but I did get to watch the effectiveness that, that, that Edwin had, you know, for good or for bad. He was extremely effective. He was an unbelievable communicator. Um, a lot of people would say he did a lot of great things, mostly for himself, but he could have done a lot better for the state as well. It depends on on who you talk to. But I did get an opportunity to watch, um, how he worked through it. It was a different, there was a patently different, process between Edwin Edwards and Mike Foster, right? I mean, two completely different people, right?
Engster: Have you always been a Republican?
Landry: Always. I registered as a Republican in 1988.
Engster: When you were 18.
Landry: I was 18, when I turned 18. Barely, you know, I might, yeah, registered. Yeah. And because I went into the national guard at 17, my mother signed me in. I was, you would not have wanted to interview me at 17!
Engster: Maybe I would have.
Landry: You might have, you might've had real fun with it! My mother would have probably said no. Um, but you know, I remember going into the courthouse in St. Martin Parish. I never forget this. Um, and registering to vote, Ronald Reagan was at the end of two terms, and so I signed up and he was a Republican, so I checked Republican, and I turned my paperwork in, and the nice lady who was there, who had been there forever, gave it back to me. She said, “I think you made a mistake.” You know, St. Martin Parish was a big Democratic stronghold. I said, “what do you mean?” She said, “Well, if you, if you register as a Republican, you won't be able to vote.” I'm like, “I won't be able to vote?” You know? And, and, you know, she kind of alluded to the fact that most everybody was a Democrat.
Engster: Well, that was, that would be in closed primaries. And you're an advocate of closed primaries. Why?
Landry: I am. Yeah, I am. Because I think that — look, I think that when you look at those, again, if you look at those states that seem to be able to have, um, a great government, I think that having a two-party system has served us well in this country. And I think that when one party has an opportunity to choose their candidate, and the other party has an opportunity to choose their candidate, and then those two meet on the ballot under which everyone else gets to elect, then I think that, I think it serves well.
Engster: And as it stands now in the federal cycle, two years from now, we will have closed primaries.
Landry: Right, which I, I ran in. I mean, this is nothing new. I mean, what I'm, I'm offering is not something that we haven't done before. It's not something that the state hasn’t done.
Engster: But we'll do it again in two years. And we'll have another segment with Gov. Jeffrey Martin Landry after this time out.
Engster: This is Jim Engster. You're listening to Talk Louisiana; Robin Dow producing and another segment with Jeff Landry, the governor of Louisiana, who as stated, was a member of Congress and attorney general. I know he liked being AG and he held that post for eight years, but he also had two years in Washington. And those who knew you then said you really liked it. Do you have Potomac fever?
Landry: Not anymore. I got rid of it. But I did enjoy it.
Engster: It's a great city, isn't it?
Landry: It is. It is. It's an unbelievable city, and actually serving in the U.S. House is, um, was an honor. I mean, I met so many people. Um, and of course the pace was a little bit more in tune with, you know, my character, right, and the things that I like. Because it's fast-paced and you move real fast. We did a lot. In fact, I did an interview the other day, you know, I came in in that 2010 election cycle, which brought 95 new members to the House of Representatives, the largest class, I think since, 1927 or ‘21.
Engster: That was the shellacking that President Obama referred to, and you came in and you served one term and they took your seat away from you.
Landry: Like Davy Crockett!
Engster: But you liked it and the speculation for a while was that you had run for the U.S. Senate which you still may do. But there is an election in two years. Is that a possibility?
Landry: No, I like the job that I do. I think that Louisiana has a great opportunity to really — we really have an opportunity to turn Louisiana… into a great position, you know, we can get where the wind is to our back and we can really fill our sails. Something that I think we haven't had an opportunity to do — look, I remember, my father was the one who discouraged me from trying to run against Charles Boustany at the time. He was like, “You should go run for the Senate.” And when Mary Landry was running in, and of course I'm, you know —
Engster: You might've won.
Landry: I, I might've won. And then we'd be having a different conversation.
Engster: Another congressman did. But Bill Cassidy, I think it's fair to say we'll have a tough race and hopefully we'll be talking with you about that one in two years. But you say you will not be a candidate. Now, another one of your Acadiana people, Kathleen Blanco, was one of the governors you knew and served with. Your thoughts about her?
Landry: Yeah, you know, I knew Nicole, her daughter, Nicole, and a number of, of the family, um, throughout because we both grew up in Lafayette. Um, you know, I think, you know, Kathleen had, she had a rough time. I mean, you know, after Katrina... it was real hard for her to recover. Of course, her and Craig had a very, um, contentious relationship. Her, Craig, Troy Hebert at the time —
Engster: Your buddy?
Landry: — seemed like the Acadiana folks couldn't get along. Um, you know, it's kind of —
Engster: Now he loves you.
Landry: Yeah. Oh, look. Look, he beat me! I mean, it's —
Engster: It’s easy to love someone you whipped, huh?
Landry: — which was another interesting time. You know, I think that race taught me a lot as well. And, um, and of course, you know, and so, so I think that it, it was tough. I think it was hard for Kathleen to really recover after, after Katrina. I mean, that was a really shocking time. Um, but never did hold — In fact, I, I visited with her a number of times as attorney general and still see — in fact, I talked to Monique, who's now the parish president over in Lafayette. I think she's doing well.
Engster: And then after Kathleen, we had Bobby Jindal. You know him well.
Landry: Yeah. Yeah.
Engster: I mean, actually, believe it or not, he's, he's a few months younger than you are, and he's been out of office for nine years. But anyway.
Landry: Well, he got elected real, real young. Um, and of course, Mike, you know, Foster just, you know, adored him. He was like an adoptive son to Mike. Um, and so that's kind of how we, I got to know him and, um, and yeah. You know, was able to work with him, of course, through that, through his two terms. So, I was in Congress at the end. Towards the end of his second term.
Engster: And then there was John Bel Edwards, who you crossed swords with a time or two.
Landry: Yeah, well, it was different. Um, you know, it was different. I mean, I mean, um, yeah, I mean, we both came in at, at the exact same time. I think it was a big shocker for a lot of people in Louisiana that Louisiana had elected a Democrat governor in which — was a movement the Republican Party growing throughout the South. Um, and of course, we came in at a time when the, when state government was facing a huge, huge deficit, um, that he had to fill and so there was a lot to do. You know, of course, again, you got to remember for me, it was natural because when I, when I got elected into Congress, I came in during that wave and Obama was the president. We still, the Senate was still controlled by the Democrats. So I was used to fighting on ideological principles. You know, didn't bother me in the least bit.
Engster: Last time we talked, governor, you, you said that you thought we were in a, a culture war in this country. And, and I think that's fair no matter how you stand on any issue. And some people are on either side and most people are somewhere in the middle. But that was brought to bear with the 10 Commandments. Your thoughts about what has happened since that law was passed and signed by you?
Landry: Yeah, you know, it's amazing. I never, I mean, I guess you could call me naive. But I never believed that that was going to be such a, um, either contentious, or such a spark out there, such a hot topic, if you would. I mean, look, you know, when you think about it — and, you know, I did an interview the other day and, and, um, um, with the report and we were talking about it: The 10 Commandments, it's like the foundation for a rule of law. I mean, Moses has always been considered the lawgiver, right? And those commandments have been a tenant. I didn't know they were a bad way to live your life. And I really think the Supreme Court got it wrong. I think the founders got it right when they wrote the Constitution and when they wrote the Bill of Rights. I think the Supreme Court breathed, you know, this life into this separation of the church and states, which was never defined in the First Amendment. And so I think that, you know, I've met with the attorney general. I think she feels the same way I feel, and I think that we're going to position this thing in a way that we can actually take it to the Supreme Court and win. Now, that may cause some people to say, “Well, I can't believe why we do this.” And in the report it actually said, “What about… kids who raise parents, parents are atheists, whatever?” You don't have to look at it! I mean, I mean, like, is it a bad way to live your life? Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal.
Engster: Well, we have had one professor on this show who said that he won't have it in his classroom and he's a college professor. So what happens to people who object in that way?
Landry: Well, and if I, I'd have to go back into the statute and look, and I don't know if it pertains to higher ed, but it's certainly from K-12. And so maybe I'll tell him just, you know, don't teach in K-12 and he'll be all right.
Engster: I think it applies to colleges too, it does. But um, it's, it's an issue that some would say is a distraction. We have huge issues —
Landry: I mean, why, why is it a distraction? We don't say it's a distraction at the Supreme Court. It's on the back — it's on the doors of the United States Supreme Court. Moses is the only face that faces the Speaker of the House in the House chamber. I mean, it is… woven inside the fabric of what America's law and government is. And so the fact that it is such a big deal, um, questions whether or not those people actually believe in America. You know, I mean, I'm thinking about, I mean — America was designed to say that you, Jim, have natural rights that government cannot take away from you, that government cannot infringe upon you. Those rights are only given to you by God. If there is no God, then you don't have the right.
Engster: But we do have this thing called separation of church and state, but you're, you're going to make the argument before the court and it'll be fascinating to see how it goes.
Landry: Oh, absolutely. Look, I hope that we could come in and spend a whole two segments on it.
Engster: Well, I'd love that. I'd love that. What about the shooting of former President Trump? How did that affect you? What were your immediate thoughts and your thoughts since?
Landry: You know… the sad part is, is that when I heard about it… it was a shocker for what it means to the nation. It didn't shock me that it did — you know, two weeks before, he was in New Orleans and we got to ride in, um, the Suburban with him, both Sharon and I, and he was actually talking about security. And he said, you know, “When I become the nominee, I get more security.” I'll never forget that. Because when, when they told me about the shooting, I thought about what he was saying. I said, “You know what, if someone was going to shoot at him, they had to do it —” I mean, that was a week before the convention. And so once the convention happens, he gets way more security. We all knew, it was no secret to anyone out there, that they had been asking for more security.
Engster: But it says something about our country. And of course, it was with an assault weapon, too, which makes it a much easier shot. Um, well, I mean 148 yards. But, but, uh, I mean, we shot
Landry: John Ken, they shot John Kennedy with a, with, with a carbine, (inaudible) that was an assault rifle.
Engster: You know that, that was what they say.
Landry: That's what they say, right. Exactly. No, no, no —
Engster: A $12.88 rifle, by the way.
Landry: It, it does. I mean, look, do I — I think that that shooting is going to affect the country. Just like the assassination attempts and the actual assassinations that occurred in the 60s from then-President John Kennedy, his brother, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, I mean, you just go down the line. Sad day. Sad day.
Engster: — Martin Luther King, George Wallace in ‘72, but hopefully it'll affect us in a good way. Thank you, governor. Always a pleasure. Keep going.
Landry: Thank you.
Jim Engster: See you soon.
