Capital City News

By Woody Jenkins, editor St. George Leader  On March 29, four constitutional amendments will be considered by voters statewide. Amendment No. 2 has a poison pill: It removes constitutional protection against property taxes for most church property and all nonprofit organizations.  If Amendment No. 2 passes, property tax exemptions for churches and nonprofit organizations will […]

When I entered the City Council race, I approached the proposed Home Rule Charter for St. George with an open mind.  Like many of you, I recalled the early incorporation efforts led by folks like Chris Rials, who pitched a public-private partnership model like Sandy Springs, GA, or our neighbors in the City of Central.  […]

As the founder of the St. George movement and incorporator of the City of St. George, I am proud to support the proposed Home Rule Charter.  Since our movement began in 2013, we have committed to establishing a transparent, effective government that truly serves the people. This charter delivers on that promise by embedding our […]

The controversy over funding the parish library system is just the beginning of a conversation that has to play out over the next few years in East Baton Rouge Parish. The reality is this: Local government has plenty of money, enough money to provide a high level of services to the public for the next […]

By Patty Cook, St. George City Council The proposed St. George Home Rule Charter includes several potential benefits emphasizing efficient, localized governance, and strong public engagement.  Here are some of the pros: 1. Balanced Representation • The City Council includes both district-elected and at-large members, ensuring that local neighborhoods have representation while maintaining a citywide […]

By Chris Rials I am the co-incorporator of the City of St. George and Treasurer of the St. George Transition District. I am opposed to the St. George Home Rule Charter (HRC) that will be on the March 29, 2025, ballot. Let me state right at the begin- ning the four major problems with the […]

By Michael Lunsford, Citizens for a New Louisiana This is the “tax reform” special session. It includes a second bite at the recent failed attempt to call a constitutional convention. Readers might remember the 2024 regular session when Louisiana’s freshly-minted Congressman-elect Cleo Fields refused to take the matter up in the Senate and Governmental Affairs […]

If there was one thing Coach Sid Edwards and former Rep. Ted James agreed on in the run up to the Nov. 5 election, it was that the City of Baton Rouge needed more police officers and better pay in order to attract and keep the best possible people on the job. Edwards said Baton […]

Make no mistake. Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, was a significant day in the history of the City of St. George and East Baton Rouge Parish. Like a massive tsunami, voters in St. George and across the parish crashed through strongholds and flattened the political power structure of City-Parish government. The parish will likely never be […]

Woody Jenkins, Editor St. George Leader  Scott McKay of TheHayride.com offered a theory in his talk on the races for President and Mayor-President at the Chamber of Commerce of East Baton Rouge Tuesday.   He calls it the Fun Rule.  His theory is simple: Forget the polls, the mailings, the TV spots, the lies, the […]