Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature Week 9

[00:00:10] Welcome to The Pelican Brief with your host, David Tatman.

[00:00:28] Welcome to The Pelican Brief.

[00:00:30] I am your host, David Tatman.

[00:00:32] Thank you so much for tuning in.

[00:00:35] So today we talk about what happened during week eight of the 2024

[00:00:40] regular session of the Louisiana legislature and what to expect in week nine.

[00:00:45] The legislative bodies continue to work very quickly during this session.

[00:00:50] However, week eight was kind of an abbreviated schedule.

[00:00:55] The House and Senate worked only three days, Monday through Wednesday.

[00:00:59] There was no real reason given for this, but I expect it had to do with the fact

[00:01:05] that the Rolling Stones were playing at Jazz Fest on Thursday,

[00:01:09] and the legislators would rather be at that concert

[00:01:12] than be stuck in the Capitol. So and

[00:01:16] I I will tell you, I went to the Stones concert

[00:01:19] and it was definitely worth taking a day off.

[00:01:22] I'm glad they were off so that I could go. It's quite a show.

[00:01:26] In fact, Mick Jagger even talked about our governor, Jeff Landry.

[00:01:30] But you can read that in the paper.

[00:01:32] So they still did a good bit of work during the week.

[00:01:37] The committee schedules were really packed

[00:01:41] and they worked late each night to try to clear their calendars.

[00:01:45] I will tell you that I've noticed that both the House

[00:01:48] and Senate floor calendars are filling up.

[00:01:51] So we could be in for some long days and long nights

[00:01:56] in the next few weeks of the session.

[00:01:59] So about four and a half weeks left.

[00:02:02] And there's going to be a lot of action in that time.

[00:02:05] What's going to be some of that action?

[00:02:07] Well, let's talk about the Constitutional Convention.

[00:02:10] We talked about it last week.

[00:02:12] CC 24 is what we're calling it on this show.

[00:02:15] As we mentioned, the proposed Constitutional Convention,

[00:02:19] you know, continues to be the subject of speculation.

[00:02:22] Many insiders are saying that it won't happen.

[00:02:26] HB 800 by Representative Bobo Ye has have been heard in the committee

[00:02:31] and is currently scheduled for a full debate on the House floor

[00:02:36] on Tuesday, May 7th.

[00:02:39] There have been some amendments as the bill currently stands.

[00:02:43] The Constitution, the Constitutional Convention,

[00:02:46] CC 24 would still begin at 530 p.m.

[00:02:50] on Monday, May 20th, 2024.

[00:02:53] There would be 171 delegates that has remained consistent.

[00:02:58] They're the new version of the bill would have it.

[00:03:04] And on June 3rd,

[00:03:07] so that the submission of a proposed

[00:03:10] constitutional convention would be no later than June 3rd.

[00:03:12] However, there's a provision in the current form of the bill,

[00:03:16] not the original bill, but would allow the constitutional

[00:03:20] convention delegates to extend that to July 15th,

[00:03:23] which was the original date for submission of the Constitution

[00:03:27] and the original bill.

[00:03:29] And then, of course, the idea of the governor was on recently on a podcast.

[00:03:34] The idea is that he would like to see the Constitution

[00:03:38] voted on at a high turnout election.

[00:03:41] And that would be the fall election, fall presidential election.

[00:03:46] And so that's kind of his reasoning for wanting to do it now.

[00:03:51] And it does make sense that if you were going to do that,

[00:03:54] you would want it to be in a

[00:03:58] an election where voter turnout is going to be really high

[00:04:01] and not like in some special election.

[00:04:03] So the biggest issues that changed

[00:04:08] on the in the bill this week or the timeline

[00:04:11] for C.C. 24, as I mentioned, there are some other significant changes,

[00:04:16] and that is that the constitutional convention would not touch

[00:04:21] articles one through four of the Constitution.

[00:04:24] Article one is the rights portion of it.

[00:04:27] Things like property rights, then two, three and four deal

[00:04:31] with the legislative branch of government, executive branch of government

[00:04:34] and then government processes and how all that works.

[00:04:38] There is also the Minimum Foundation program,

[00:04:42] which funds K through 12 education in Louisiana, has been

[00:04:47] taken off the table as well as the homestead exemption.

[00:04:52] And so the bill as it stands now

[00:04:55] has the tri-cameral format where the House and the Senate

[00:04:59] and the gubernatorial delegates are all separate bodies

[00:05:05] for the purpose of the convention.

[00:05:08] And also there would be

[00:05:12] there has been a provision put in there that would not allow

[00:05:14] for any private funding of C.C. 24.

[00:05:18] There was in the original bill.

[00:05:20] So just in time for this big vote on the House floor

[00:05:25] on Tuesday, a poll by Foshae Strategies.

[00:05:31] This is Ron Foshae's group out of

[00:05:34] Washington, D.C., shows that only one percent

[00:05:37] of Louisiana voters

[00:05:40] polled thought the Constitutional Convention should be a priority

[00:05:44] or one of the governor's top priorities.

[00:05:47] And while Governor Landry remains really popular overall,

[00:05:52] the polling for C.C. 24 is not an issue

[00:05:57] that resonates with Louisiana voters.

[00:06:00] And at least in this poll, good poll, big sample size,

[00:06:04] very reputable firm.

[00:06:05] So this is not this is a nonpartisan

[00:06:10] organization that did this poll.

[00:06:12] And the focus wasn't on the Constitutional Convention,

[00:06:15] but it was really to find out which issues were biggest

[00:06:19] and most important Louisiana voters.

[00:06:20] And just by the way, while the Constitutional Convention was at

[00:06:26] one percent, one percent crime was at twenty nine percent.

[00:06:30] And of course, there were different breakdowns.

[00:06:33] But and you can look at that poll.

[00:06:35] You can go online.

[00:06:37] You can look at it in Foshae Strategies.

[00:06:38] You can also go to places like the Advocate

[00:06:41] where they have listed that poll.

[00:06:43] And and so just take a look at it.

[00:06:47] You know, this is going to be a big issue.

[00:06:48] You know, it was always thought that the Constitutional Convention

[00:06:52] process and progress through the through the through the process

[00:06:57] was going to hang up in the Senate.

[00:06:59] I do believe that there is enough pushback to where it perhaps

[00:07:02] may struggle on the House floor.

[00:07:05] Remember, it needs a two thirds vote in order to pass.

[00:07:08] That would be 70 votes in the legislature.

[00:07:12] So we'll see.

[00:07:14] And the Democrats in the caucus have already lined up strongly against it.

[00:07:19] They would have to get almost every Republican vote.

[00:07:22] And there have been some Republicans who have suggested that they do not support it.

[00:07:27] So it would be a close vote on the House floor.

[00:07:29] My guess is if they don't have the votes, they won't bring it up.

[00:07:32] But but we'll see.

[00:07:34] So that's the Constitutional Convention.

[00:07:36] Keep an eye on it.

[00:07:37] We're going to keep reporting on it as long as it's alive,

[00:07:39] because it's a big deal and.

[00:07:43] See where we go.

[00:07:45] So let's talk about some other big issues that have been moving

[00:07:48] through the process.

[00:07:50] Consumable hemp.

[00:07:52] What is consumable hemp?

[00:07:54] Well, you know, hemp is a cousin of the cannabis plant.

[00:07:58] Maybe it's like a sister in law in Louisiana.

[00:07:59] It doesn't really matter.

[00:08:00] But anyway, I'm sorry.

[00:08:02] I digress.

[00:08:03] Hemp is usually, you know, it's a plant that while it is

[00:08:08] in the family of the cannabis plant, it does not usually have

[00:08:13] the same potency that a cannabis plant would have.

[00:08:16] And back in 2000, I think it was the 2018 farm bill,

[00:08:22] Congress descheduled hemp.

[00:08:25] So hemp and cannabis were on the same level as a schedule one

[00:08:30] narcotic federally, but the farm bill

[00:08:34] descheduled hemp.

[00:08:35] And so farmers wanting to grow this is another crop,

[00:08:38] another potential cash crop for them.

[00:08:42] The Congress descheduled this particular item hemp.

[00:08:47] And hemp has a lot of applications.

[00:08:49] It can be used.

[00:08:50] I mean, originally, you know, the old term smoking rope was hemp.

[00:08:55] And the reality of it is you can make ropes with it.

[00:08:59] The hemp fibers are used and they even make plastics with hemp.

[00:09:04] And there's a lot of applications.

[00:09:06] And really in the big picture, the one that ended up coming out

[00:09:10] and being the biggest cash crop is not one of those.

[00:09:13] But but the idea was to allow farmers to grow hemp.

[00:09:18] And so they have been in Louisiana in 2019.

[00:09:22] We passed some pretty significant legislation

[00:09:25] that also provided for the sale and distribution of hemp products.

[00:09:31] A lot of this was pushed by those who use CBD products, cannabinoids.

[00:09:38] You know, it's kind of a supposedly a wonder drug.

[00:09:43] It eliminates inflammation.

[00:09:47] It can be helped in treating depression and all kinds of things.

[00:09:51] But, you know, when this all started, these products

[00:09:55] weren't even allowed on the shelf today.

[00:09:58] There are over 1500 licensed sellers of hemp in Louisiana.

[00:10:04] This is not just these hemp stores that you see all around.

[00:10:08] Or the CBD stores.

[00:10:10] These and those boutiques are still up and running.

[00:10:14] And there's lots of those.

[00:10:15] But Rouse's supermarkets and most convenience stores now sell these products.

[00:10:20] So consumable hemp, when it was first passed in 2019.

[00:10:25] So in 2020, we had a look at what the

[00:10:30] revenue from those products was about five hundred thousand dollars.

[00:10:34] And in in 2023, it had risen to thirty three million dollars in sales.

[00:10:41] So clearly it has exploded in growth.

[00:10:44] And I would expect the twenty twenty four numbers to show significant increase

[00:10:48] in increase as well.

[00:10:51] So the laws were passed beginning in 2019 that would allow for those products

[00:10:56] like THC infused seltzers, gummies, extracts.

[00:11:02] There were other bills that were passed along the way that opened

[00:11:05] the door for these products and other products like Delta eight and Delta nine.

[00:11:09] So I don't take CBD products or hemp products.

[00:11:15] I've not taken Delta eight or Delta nine, but I am told

[00:11:19] that they give you a similar buzz to cannabis or marijuana,

[00:11:24] which is the slang term for it.

[00:11:25] So keeping you know, these are these are products that are now on the shelf.

[00:11:31] And so there are a couple of bills that address these products directly,

[00:11:34] because I think it the cat kind of got out of the bag a little bit on it,

[00:11:38] because we don't have recreational marijuana.

[00:11:41] Although I would tell you if you it's very easy to get them.

[00:11:44] I don't have one, but it's very easy to get a medical marijuana card

[00:11:49] and to get medical marijuana.

[00:11:50] It's not it's not a big hurdle.

[00:11:53] And so if you want to go through the trouble, you can get it.

[00:11:56] So there are a couple of bills that deal with the hemp portion of this

[00:12:00] and the CBD portion, and that one of them we mentioned in last week's show,

[00:12:04] which is Senate Bill 237 by Senator Thomas Pressley from Shreveport.

[00:12:10] It would eliminate consumable hemp in Louisiana.

[00:12:12] So it would get rid of that entire industry.

[00:12:15] And those products would be off the shelf in places like Rouse's

[00:12:18] and convenience stores.

[00:12:20] The legislation stems from concerns for those who believe

[00:12:24] that the hemp industry basically is legalized cannabis or marijuana.

[00:12:29] It's the THC that is the psychoactive ingredient in both

[00:12:34] marijuana and in hemp that this goes seeks to sort of get rid of.

[00:12:41] It it has been referred to the House Criminal Justice Committee,

[00:12:46] which is interesting because usually these bills have been heard

[00:12:49] in the Agriculture Committee.

[00:12:51] But that's where it is.

[00:12:52] And we'll get that bill scheduled soon and see what it has to say.

[00:12:56] There's another bill moving through the process.

[00:12:59] That is House Bill 952 by Representative Dustin Miller of Opelousas.

[00:13:05] Dustin's bill is more of a slow approach.

[00:13:09] It it places some restrictions on the industry, things like maximum dosages.

[00:13:16] It would change the packaging, but it would not be a complete ban.

[00:13:21] That bill will actually be debated in the Senate Agriculture Committee.

[00:13:27] So keep an eye on on those bills.

[00:13:32] Right now, Dustin Miller's bill, I believe, limits the THC

[00:13:38] content of the product to be less than eight milligrams or less.

[00:13:44] And to give you an example, while it is cannabis in Colorado,

[00:13:48] Colorado requires dosaging on on THC,

[00:13:53] and it limits it to 10 milligrams per dose.

[00:13:58] So it will just we'll just have to see how that goes.

[00:14:01] But keep an eye. It could be an interesting conversation.

[00:14:04] We talked about last week, a bill about protesting.

[00:14:07] And so we're going to continue to keep an eye on House Bill 173

[00:14:12] by Representative Brian Fontenot of Tibbado.

[00:14:14] It would create the crime of approaching a police officer

[00:14:19] when lawfully engaged in law enforcement duties.

[00:14:22] The bill also would expand penalties for those individuals

[00:14:26] who block public streets, come within 25 feet of a police officer

[00:14:31] in those circumstances.

[00:14:33] It would also prohibit picketing at private residence.

[00:14:37] So this is a very similar bill that was passed in the legislature last year,

[00:14:41] but was vetoed by then Governor John Bell Edwards.

[00:14:45] This is particularly timely because we've seen a lot of the protests around

[00:14:51] the the the Israeli war.

[00:14:56] Palestinian pro Palestinian protesters at Tulane University and LSU

[00:15:01] and other universities across the state and at the state capital.

[00:15:06] And some of those have been become pretty significant.

[00:15:10] So this this law would affect how police can handle those particular

[00:15:15] situations, and I know everybody's got a keen eye on those protests.

[00:15:20] So keep an eye on it.

[00:15:22] It's very timely.

[00:15:24] So we talked also last week about public records.

[00:15:27] We talked about Senate Bill 582 by Senator Heather Clout of Turkey Creek,

[00:15:33] which provides for records relative to governmental functions.

[00:15:37] There are several bills on the subject matter,

[00:15:41] but it appears that this is the bill and it is the

[00:15:45] the press is apoplectic over this.

[00:15:48] I mean, there last week, I said they were having kittens

[00:15:52] and I had a couple of reporters call and give me a little grief about it,

[00:15:54] which is fine.

[00:15:56] But, you know, I mean, I'm kind of like the Sean Payton

[00:16:01] mantra, do your job, go out and do the work.

[00:16:04] You'll find the story.

[00:16:06] But now instead of having kittens, I'm going to say they're having seizures.

[00:16:09] Let's see how many calls and reports I get on that.

[00:16:13] If you read the articles or watch the news channels,

[00:16:16] you know how left leaning everything is.

[00:16:19] They don't report it.

[00:16:20] They take a position and promote that position.

[00:16:23] It's actually advocacy.

[00:16:24] It is not press.

[00:16:26] Therefore, I don't think it should have the same positions

[00:16:29] and same freedoms that that the true press of,

[00:16:34] you know, when I was a child was around.

[00:16:36] I'm not sure if I even like this bill, but I can tell you that

[00:16:41] public records requests are often used to harass

[00:16:45] elected and appointed officials at the cost of taxpayers in Louisiana.

[00:16:49] Millions of dollars in state revenues and local revenues

[00:16:53] are used to address these issues.

[00:16:56] I'm all for the public access to the information,

[00:16:59] but the truth is you can get most of this online if you want to.

[00:17:03] I think Louisiana checkbook.

[00:17:04] Think about all of the local governments who have

[00:17:07] engaged that whole putting public records online.

[00:17:12] Those are great.

[00:17:13] But this is this is look, it was weaponized against me

[00:17:17] in my time in the East Baton Rouge Power School Board.

[00:17:19] We had to hire a full time employee dedicated to those requests

[00:17:23] for the few individuals that made all of these requests.

[00:17:27] One of them made 450 requests in a year.

[00:17:30] I mean, what do you do?

[00:17:31] That's more days than there are any year.

[00:17:34] And it never amounted to anything.

[00:17:35] There was nothing that ever came from those public records requests.

[00:17:39] You know, just don't believe what you read

[00:17:42] because I would I would tell you, I was harassed

[00:17:45] through public records requests personally when I ran for my third

[00:17:48] and final term on the East Baton Rouge Power School Board.

[00:17:51] The request came from a company in California with no tie to Louisiana.

[00:17:55] Obviously somebody in Louisiana hired them

[00:17:58] and wanted to hide behind that public records request.

[00:18:01] It it you know, they wanted my they wanted all my emails

[00:18:05] and communications as a school board member, which they have a right to get.

[00:18:08] Now, some of those some of those emails may have dealt

[00:18:11] with, say, a personnel matter or a medical matter

[00:18:15] that would not be appropriate for public records requests.

[00:18:19] So we had to go through every we couldn't just give them our emails.

[00:18:22] We had to go through and make sure we weren't violating any other laws.

[00:18:25] And there were hundreds of emails that were removed

[00:18:28] from that public records request because they discussed the personnel

[00:18:31] matter or a discussion with personnel about things that were covered.

[00:18:35] The health of a student, you know, medical issues that,

[00:18:39] you know, are currently covered by

[00:18:44] federal law, which we were not able to discuss.

[00:18:47] So students in specific names.

[00:18:49] So we had to redact things on those.

[00:18:51] And so we sent over thousands of documents to this company in California.

[00:18:55] Nothing came of it.

[00:18:56] So just remember, most public records requests are available.

[00:19:00] I mean, most public records are available online.

[00:19:03] You can still ask for a public records request.

[00:19:06] But another thing this bill does that I think is really important is

[00:19:09] you ought to produce an ID who whoever wants that public records

[00:19:12] request ought to say what it's for and they are to say who they are

[00:19:16] when they ask for it.

[00:19:17] Of course, they can hire a company out of California to do it

[00:19:20] if you have resources.

[00:19:21] But I just you know, you still could get two records.

[00:19:25] You just have to get those records where you think something's going on.

[00:19:30] You can get a court order.

[00:19:31] So reporters need to do their jobs and stop whining.

[00:19:34] It is not becoming of those

[00:19:37] those very talented members of the press who are my friend.

[00:19:41] So we'll now move to insurance.

[00:19:45] So the big news on the insurance reform front is that the Senate

[00:19:49] judiciary has stalled efforts to address high auto

[00:19:53] insurance rates in Louisiana.

[00:19:56] Most of the bills that were filed were to bring Louisiana in line

[00:20:00] with what other states were doing to prevent us from being outliers.

[00:20:05] Several of the several of the bills were quote unquote voluntarily deferred

[00:20:10] and others were amended and watered down so much that it don't think

[00:20:14] they're worth the paper that they're written on.

[00:20:17] And those bills were passed out of committee.

[00:20:19] We don't know exactly what's going to happen in those bills.

[00:20:22] My guess is there's going to be efforts to strip those bills

[00:20:26] that watered those amendments that watered the bills down on the floor.

[00:20:30] But we shall see.

[00:20:32] So the other bills that were voluntarily deferred are likely dead for the session.

[00:20:37] Don't expect any noticeable changes in audible

[00:20:42] automobile insurance rates to drop any time soon or frankly ever.

[00:20:47] This was a pretty big hit to the Louisiana Association of Big Business

[00:20:51] and Industry, or as we refer to them, lobby.

[00:20:54] They took the lead on the effort to make Louisiana liability laws

[00:20:59] like most other states lobby is seen as one of the most powerful groups

[00:21:04] in in Louisiana and at the state capital.

[00:21:08] And so this is something we'll continue to watch,

[00:21:11] but it does look like many of those bills are dead.

[00:21:15] So there is better news on the property insurance front.

[00:21:19] So your homeowners insurance and your business insurance and things of that sort.

[00:21:24] Commissioner Tim Temple's package designed to make Louisiana more in line

[00:21:28] with other states from a property perspective and less of an outlier

[00:21:32] on that property insurance is moving through the process.

[00:21:35] Most of the legislation in the property

[00:21:38] and insurance package simply amends laws in Louisiana

[00:21:42] to to kind of take us from being outliers to being more mainstream.

[00:21:47] You know, we continue to hear stories about families

[00:21:51] that are losing their homes because they can't afford the insurance.

[00:21:54] Others are going without coverage or dramatically reduce coverage.

[00:21:58] This this package put forth by Commissioner Temple is going to move the needle.

[00:22:03] Now, quickly, that needle moves. We don't know.

[00:22:06] We know that there are insurance coverage issues worldwide

[00:22:10] across the country and and particularly in Louisiana.

[00:22:13] Hopefully we will we will be able to see some some relief from that.

[00:22:20] Another issue that has popped up that we haven't talked about is vaping.

[00:22:25] So vapor products have been a major issue in our state.

[00:22:29] They're a major issue with young people getting access to them.

[00:22:32] And, you know, there are a lot of people who believe that vaping is,

[00:22:37] you know, a harm reduction strategy.

[00:22:40] So better than smoking a cigarette

[00:22:43] that is combusting as you draw the smoke in your lungs.

[00:22:48] Vaping is fluids and and they contain usually nicotine,

[00:22:53] although they can contain other things.

[00:22:56] And so there was a bill passed last year that's now being litigated

[00:23:00] that would dramatically limit vapor products to those that are either

[00:23:05] approved by the FDA or awaiting a final judgment on litigation.

[00:23:09] So House Bill 621 by Representative Joe Stagney would prevent

[00:23:15] it goes a little further from the bill.

[00:23:16] Last year, it it it it it reinstates the

[00:23:21] the bill last year that is currently being litigated.

[00:23:24] And it adds some provisions that outlaws direct shipping

[00:23:28] of vapor products from foreign nations and those individuals who are not approved.

[00:23:33] And so that really tightens up the vaping space.

[00:23:36] However, another product is

[00:23:41] is raised its head, and that is synthetic nicotine.

[00:23:45] So this has become a pretty big fight at the session.

[00:23:50] So what is synthetic nicotine?

[00:23:52] It is nicotine that is not derived from tobacco.

[00:23:55] So there are some some synthetic nicotine products that aren't made.

[00:24:01] They're made in a lab.

[00:24:02] And I don't know if anyone knows what the formula is,

[00:24:05] just like we don't know what the formula is for cigarette tobacco.

[00:24:08] But for the most part, it's created in labs.

[00:24:11] It is it is used in vapor products.

[00:24:13] But more recently, it is used in these pouches that are usually

[00:24:18] sold in in in in how strong they are.

[00:24:22] So you can get a one milligram pouch and you put it in your mouth

[00:24:26] just like you would put in like a, you know,

[00:24:29] a dip or a moist snuff product like Skoll or Copenhagen.

[00:24:34] I think Skoll has little pouches.

[00:24:35] I think Copenhagen does too.

[00:24:37] But this is not tobacco.

[00:24:38] This is nicotine.

[00:24:40] So straight nicotine.

[00:24:41] You put it up as they used to say, you put a pinch between your cheek and gums.

[00:24:47] For those of you who are older, old enough to remember that

[00:24:51] this is not tobacco based.

[00:24:53] So products like on juice had Velo and others.

[00:24:59] These are the products that are being discussed and debated.

[00:25:02] Now, the FDA has banned these products completely.

[00:25:08] However, Louisiana is poised to pass a bill to make them legal in Louisiana.

[00:25:13] They would still be federally illegal.

[00:25:15] But House Bill 970 by Representative Bo Boje again from New Iberia.

[00:25:20] Same guy's got the Constitutional Convention.

[00:25:22] Really good, strong legislator.

[00:25:24] Good man has a bill to to do just that, to make those products

[00:25:30] legal in Louisiana.

[00:25:31] So keep an eye on this one.

[00:25:32] This one will be one to watch

[00:25:35] because there are a lot of products in that space

[00:25:38] that are like juicy fruit and things like that, that seem more aimed at children

[00:25:46] than at 60 year old men like me.

[00:25:49] So keep an eye on this one.

[00:25:51] We'll watch it as it goes through the product.

[00:25:53] That bill is passed the House and is now in the Senate.

[00:25:56] And while the pending Senate referral,

[00:25:59] I'm my understanding is they're going to suspend the rules

[00:26:02] and here at the next day.

[00:26:04] So there won't be a lot of time for public input.

[00:26:06] If you're interested in it, you can watch it.

[00:26:08] We'll likely be in committee on Tuesday of this week.

[00:26:11] So that is our show for today.

[00:26:14] We thank our listeners.

[00:26:16] I love when I'm out at dinner or at a party and somebody comes up and says,

[00:26:21] hey, I love your podcast.

[00:26:23] I would love it more if they would

[00:26:26] would get involved in social media comment.

[00:26:30] It helps build our audience like it, share it with your friends.

[00:26:34] Subscribe that the podcast is doing very well.

[00:26:37] Again, we do not monetize this.

[00:26:40] I do this at my own expense to communicate with my clients

[00:26:43] and with the general public.

[00:26:46] And we want to continue to do that.

[00:26:48] So you can find us on all of the podcasting platforms.

[00:26:53] Apple, Spotify, Amazon, you name it, we're on it.

[00:26:58] You can find us on all social media platforms,

[00:27:01] places like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, X, whatever it's called now.

[00:27:07] And the handle on the social media platforms is at Pelican Brief two to five.

[00:27:12] You can watch us on YouTube if you can bear it.

[00:27:15] If you can bear looking at my face, that handle is a little different.

[00:27:18] It's at the Pelican Brief two to five.

[00:27:21] You can also find us on the web.

[00:27:25] Www pelican brief podcast dot com.

[00:27:29] And you can also email me David at Pelican Briefs podcast dot com.

[00:27:35] And I would be happy to interact with you.

[00:27:39] I would love to hear your take on what we're talking about.

[00:27:43] Good, bad or otherwise.

[00:27:44] If you could take a moment and go rate us on Spotify,

[00:27:48] on Apple, on any of those platforms, we would really, really appreciate it.

[00:27:53] Even if you don't like us, go on and rate us.

[00:27:56] We just want to be rated.

[00:27:57] And so we're enjoying doing this podcast.

[00:28:00] There's a lot of good information coming.

[00:28:02] We enjoy the comments.

[00:28:04] Thank you so much for all of our faithful listeners.

[00:28:08] Couple of shouts out to legislators who are faithful listeners.

[00:28:12] Sometimes they don't agree with maybe my lean on things,

[00:28:16] but it's always a very cordial and informed conversation.

[00:28:20] So thank you so much for tuning in.

[00:28:23] And until next week, we are the Pelican Brief.

[00:28:35] The Pelican Brief is an off script production.