In a historical veto override session last week, the Louisiana Legislature failed to acquire enough votes in the Senate and House to override Gov. John Bel Edwards veto of several bills, despite the bills receiving enough votes when they were first passed to override the vetoes.

For the first time in 50 years, and the first time since Louisiana adopted it’s new constitution in 1974, the veto override session was held and opponents of the Governor said he and his allies pulled out all stops to insure his vetoes was not overridden.

Louisiana Talk Show Host Moon Griffon called out four legislators, Ronnie Johns of Lake Charles, Patrick Connick of Marrero, Franklin Foil of Baton Rouge, and Louie Bernard of Natchitoches, accusing them of selling out to the Governor in order to receive infrastructure projects for their districts and in one case, Johns, to be named as the Louisiana Gaming Commissioner.

Griffon was featured on Newsmax’s “Stinchfield” television show last week where the host, Grant Stinchfield, said the legislators were “sticking it to gun owners” and are “turning (their) back on the Constitution and (their) constituents.”

This was in response to the Senate failing to get enough votes to override the Governor on his veto of a bill that would have allowed Louisianans the right to carry concealed guns without a permit.

“The charade needs to stop,” said Stinchfield. “Trading votes or even no-show votes for a high-paying state job is disgusting.”

Many others also reported the novotes by some Senators were part of an elaborate plan to get projects or positions by the Governor.

“Consider me skeptical about the reasons why Constitutional Carry died in Louisiana this session,” said columnist Cam Edwards (no relation to the Governor). “If I hear about a shiny new infrastructure project in Patrick Connick’s district or Ronnie Johns being appointed Gaming Commissioner you’ll never convince me that objections from police were what really derailed the veto override attempt. Instead, that will be confirmation that the worst kind of politics killed the bill: a governor’s back-scratching and arm-twisting and the willingness by some lawmakers to play along.”

Since the Concealed Carry bill failed to garner enough votes to override the veto in the Senate, the House never had an opportunity to vote on the override.

But one bill that did get enough votes in the Senate to override the Gov.’s veto was the bill that prevented biological males from competing in biological female sports in Louisiana.

The Senate voted to override the Governor (each chamber must have two-thirds vote to override) but it was the House that failed to acquire enough votes.

The House came up two votes short of confirming the override on this particular bill (68-30), although the bill originally passed in the House during the regular session by a vote of 78-19.

Members who flipped their original votes last week were: Roy Daryl Adams, No Party-Jackson; Chad Brown, D-Plaquemine; Robby Carter, D-Amite; Mack Cormier, D-Belle Chasse; C. Travis Johnson, D-Vidalia; Jeremy LaCombe, D-Livonia; and Pat Moore, D-Monroe.

Representatives who had voted for SB156 in May but didn’t vote on the override effort were: Wilford Carter, Sr., D-Lake Charles; Kenny Cox, D-Natchitoches, and Malinda White, No Party-Bogalusa.

LaSalle Parish Representatives and Senator all voted to override the Governor on each bill that was presented.

District 22 Representative Gabe Firment said he was incredibly disappointed in the vote that fell just two votes short.

“Nine Democrats and one independent that originally voted for the bill changed their votes and defeated the veto override,” he said. “What a sad day for women and girls in the State of Louisiana.”

Firment said that despite the setback, he will continue to not be deterred “from fighting the tough fights.”

“My votes will always reflect the values and priorities of the people I serve in District 22,” he stated.

In response to so many legislators changing their votes and the failure to override the Governor, the Republican Party of Louisiana called for drastic changes in the House as a consequence of actions by Democrats.

“I am calling on Speaker Clay Schexnayder to immediately replace all Democrat House Committee chairs with Republicans who are members of the Conservative Caucus,” RPL Chairman Louis Gurvich said. “If this does not happen, then a broader conversation about how the House of Representatives is run will become necessary.”

The chairmen went on to point out that 67 of 68 House Republicans voted for the override of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act and the only Republican to vote against the override was Representative Joe Stagni of Kenner, who is being targeted for recall.

“Finally, we must address the fact that Senators Louie Bernard, Pat Connick, and Franklin Foil voted to sustain the Governor’s override of the Constitutional Carry, while Senator Ronnie Johns failed to show up and vote,” Gurvich continued. “We encourage the voters to hold them accountable as well.”

While all 28 bills the Governor vetoed were subject to being overridden by the Legislature during the special session, these were the two most prominent bills and were in fact the only two where a vote was held to potentially override the vetoes.

The session ended Monday, July 26, with the Legislature failing to override the Governor on a single vetoed bill.