LaPolitics Report

On the LaPolitics Report Podcast microphone is former Senate Health and Welfare Chairman Fred Mills. He'll keep you laughing in this episode that was recorded in October 2016 as he doles out lessons on marketing, medicine and Marcel Proust. The chairman also spent some time presenting a roadmap for health care policy in Louisiana and talking about his childhood as a mayor's kid. But it's the questions — yanked from the Proust Questionnaire — he fields at the end of the interview that offer a real glimpse into Mills' personality.

Also in this episode:

— A rendition of the legendary “Whiskey Speech,” read by author John Grisham. It's a winding bit oratory that was written in the 1950s by late Mississippi senator and judge Soggy Sweat, who then used it on the campaign trail.

— An entry into the LaPolitics' series "Going Negative." This week it's all about the Seven Golden Rules.

Baton Rouge pollster Bernie Pinsonat discusses the Independent Party and offers four tips for evaluating a poll in this episode that was recorded in January 2017. We also hear a little bit about Pinsonat’s background, his upbringing in Livonia and his time working for former U.S. Sen. J. Bennett Johnston. To kick it all off, however, we dip into the audio archives to listen to former state Sen. Robert Adley roasting late Gov. Edwin Edwards.

Louisiana Realtors CEO Norman Morris is the latest guest on the LaPolitics Report Podcast. From what path he followed into Capitol politics to how he discovered the power of associations, Morris offers a roadmap for anyone interested in government relations. With an eye to association management, the longtime Realtors CEO discusses counting votes, tracking bills and working with governors. He also touches on the ongoing regular session, which federal issues have his membership concerned and what to expect out of the real estate market in coming years. Plus, we turn the dial back for our regular history feature to revisit that time a Louisiana governor was rained on (literally) during his inauguration. Think you know who it was?

Republicans are roughly a year or less away from capturing a plurality in Louisiana's voter registration, pollster John Couvillon said in the latest episode of the LaPolitics Report Podcast. "The bigger picture, which is also worth communicating to you, is the Democratic plurality in voter registration is steadily shrinking," said Couvillon, founder and president of JMC Analytics & Polling. He added, "I think later this year and/or early next year you will have a Republican plurality in our state. And that actually is already the case in many rural parishes." Couvillon also discussed the approaching fall ballot and the hot races brewing in New Orleans; what the next round of redistricting could hold for the Bayou State; and his real feelings about the convergence of artificial intelligence and polling. Plus, we turn the dial back for our regular history feature to revisit that time a Louisiana governor was sprung from prison. Think you know who it was? Listen now!

How does the Legislative Communications Office operate? What's up with the new studio inside the Capitol? Why were security protocols updated again for the regular session?

For answers to all of these questions —and much more — Meg Casper Sunstrom, the chief communications officer for the Louisiana Legislature, joins us for Episode 75 of the LaPolitics Report Podcast.

A former journalist who has worked her way through the ranks of state government, Sunstrom discusses the difference in outreach between the House and Senate; how best to track the regular session; and what's next for her office.

Plus, we hear from the late, great Gov. Earl Kemp Long on why Louisiana is better at taxing its citizenry than Texas.

Recorded in September 2016, from Episode 2 of our very first season, New Orleans Councilman (then-Rev and Fist Chair) J.P. Morrell sat down for a conversation that may have focused a little too much on comic books and tennis shoes. But that doesn’t come up until the end of the show. Before that, it’s a quick run through the world of New Orleans politics and a deep dive into in the Louisiana Legislature of yesteryear. What is it like being the only child of a political family? How does the business lobby really operate? He answered all of these questions, plus much more… Like why folks may have to start calling Rick Ward Spider-Man and Helena Moreno Wonder Woman. We also went back in time with an audio clip from the 1960 congressional campaign of Earl Long.

Recorded in March 2017, this episode (Episode 22 from Season 4) features Louisiana AFL-CIO president Louis Reine reflecting on his youth in Baton Rouge, from growing up in a small business to slowly making his way into the ranks of organized labor. He also offered an overview of what unions do, their biggest political challenges and the policy milestones that have influenced the way they operate. Plus, we kicked off this episode with the campaign song from the 1971 gubernatorial campaign of John G. Schwegmann. We even chat a bit about those grocery bags...

In the first episode from Season 7, LABI President Will Green explains the quick pace of the ongoing regular session and what it means in terms of policy proposals to watch. Plus, a deep dive on the expected realignment of the state Transportation Department and the litany of insurance bills on deck for lawmakers. As for our regular history segment, listen closely for an excerpt from Huey Long's "High Popalorum/Low Popahirum” speech and some exhibit highlights from the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.

Recorded in November 2016, this episode spotlighted then-Congressman Ralph Abraham (now the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health) discussing his life in a small town as both a physician and veterinarian. While it may sound sleepy, Abraham's travels have brought him everywhere from the Amazon to Haiti as a mountain climber, pilot and leader on mission trips. We also kicked off this episode with a blast from our political past featuring late Gov. John McKeithen. In a television interview from yesteryear, you’ll hear McKeithen explain the real politics from one of his most memorable endorsements.

Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson III drops into the studio to explain the differences between a police jury form of government and home rule. Plus, everything you ever wanted to know about local politics but were too afraid to ask.