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More Louisiana legislators this year agreed with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on issues ranging from Bible study in schools to insurance coverage for contraceptives, according to the ACLU's recently released 2001 legislative scorecard.
The ACLU issues scorecards every other legislative session, when lawmakers vote on non-budget bills. The 2001 survey measures how lawmakers voted on 14 bills on which the ACLU took a position. It indicates that during this go-round, 43 percent of House members and 48 percent of senators -- a combined 44 percent -- voted with the ACLU. That's compared to the 1999 average of 9 percent for both houses.
"I think the extreme religious right wing lost some of its clout," says ACLU executive director Joe Cook. "Another reason we did better this year was that it's an election year."
One House member and four senators voted with the ACLU on all 14 bills, while three representatives and six Senate members ranked 0 percent.
Some express surprise at their rankings. Sen. Diane Bajoie, D-New Orleans, says she had "no idea" she had scored a 100 percent rating.
"I don't always agree with [the ACLU's] positions, but I did think they had some good issues this session," she says. "Most of these issues I've always supported."
Sen. Art Lentini, a Kenner Republican, says that he's not bothered by his 0 percent ranking. "It just depends on what issues you use," Lentini says. "My first term, the guy that sat behind me was a minister -- Rev. [B.G.] Dyess (D-Alexandria). The Christian Coalition did a similar type of survey, and Rev. Dyess got, like, a 50 percent rating."
Lentini points out that lawmakers will often vote against a bill if they disagree with amendments or riders to it, and not necessarily its main objective. "You could vote for or against something that's outside the actual guts of the bill," he says.
Among the issues the ACLU surveyed included bills to decriminalize Louisiana's sodomy law; to ban discrimination against homosexuals in the workforce; to require the posting of "In God We Trust" signs in public schools; and to review and/or repeal mandatory minimum sentences for most non-violent crimes.
"We've made some progress, but we still have a long way to go," says Cook. "The majority still have a failing grade."
Not since Police Superintendent Richard Pennington re-negotiated his contract for a golden parachute has there been so much gossip about command changes at the NOPD.
Sources at both City Hall and the department say that this week Pennington will announce a successor to former assistant superintendent Ronal Serpas, who starts his new job Wednesday (Aug. 1) as chief of the Washington State Patrol. His last day at NOPD was July 27.
The No. 2 person is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department, including the administration of discipline and oversight of the department's weekly COMSTAT meetings, during which district commanders are held accountable for crime trends tracked by computer. Whoever follows Serpas will take command at a time of resurgent crime rates, hiring and retention woes, lagging salaries, and increased political demands on the department for protection with the coming campaign season for mayor and the city council.
So who will be the next No. 2 commander at the New Orleans Police Department? By late last week, sources say, NOPD's back-up quarterback battle had whittled down to two men, both New Orleans natives with more than 20 years of NOPD experience: Deputy Superintendent Maj. Duane Johnson and Capt. Jerry Ursin of the Public Integrity Division (PID).
Appointed deputy chief in 1993 by then-police chief Joseph Orticke, Johnson is in charge of the Technical Services Bureau, overseeing the department's fleet of vehicles and other equipment. He has extensive experience in both police command assignments and administration. Supporters say he is honest and polices "by the book." Critics call him rigid. Friends and foes alike within the NOPD have nicknamed him "Dudley Do-Right."
Transferred to PID in April, Ursin is perhaps best known as a former commander of the Vieux Carre District, a diverse district known for feuding neighborhood factions and political pressure groups. Ursin is "a taskmaster with a kick-ass side," says one veteran NOPD insider. He is viewed as more flexible than Johnson.
Yet critics say Ursin lacks administration experience. The grandson of Jules Ursin, a police driver in the 1960s for then-NOPD Chief Joe Giarrusso Sr., Ursin is also more politically connected than the average cop, a quality which garners both admiration and disdain from other cops. One source says Ursin may enjoy the support of a number of law enforcement politicians such as District Attorney Harry Connick; Ursin also has worked as a personal bodyguard for New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson.
If Johnson wins the No. 2 spot, Ursin may slide into Johnson's old slot at TSB, sources say.
One of the big surprises in the battle for the No. 2 spot was the fading fortunes of 1st District Capt. Eddie Compass, who has long been mentioned as Pennington's successor. Popular with the public and cops under his command, Compass may have lacked the right kind of political support for the post -- at least this time around.
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