Louisiana regulator head removed
The head of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board has been removed by state senators.
US.- Louisiana senators have removed Ronnie Jones from his posistion as head of Louisiana Gaming Control Board. The lawmakers decided not to sign his reappointment during the final day of the regular legislative session.
Jones, who has held the position since August 2013, was among 11 appointees to state agencies and boards not to receive approval for reappointent from the Senate this week.
Two other members of the Gaming Control Board received approval for their appointments.
Jones expressed surprise at the decision. The Associated Press quote Jones as saying: “It was a total surprise to me. After the Senate had adjourned, I got a call from a staffer with the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee. He said, ‘I have to tell you that you were not confirmed.’ I said, ‘Excuse me?’ He said it again, and I said, ‘Wow’.
“This isn’t how I anticipated 46 years (of state service) wrapping up. I respect the process, but I don’t think it serves the citizens of the state very well.”
Republican Sen. Sharon Hewitt, who chairs the Senate committee that holds confirmation hearings and manages the process said she could not say what objections any senator may have raised to reconfirming Jones.
“There’s not a whole lot I can really say about that,” she said.
“All of those discussions would happen in executive session, and so I’m not able to share any of that. I’m sworn to confidentiality, as is every senator and staff member that was involved.”
That list of people who were not reappointed to their jobs includes people appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards: Billy Nungesser, Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, one of Strain’s top assistants, Fred Bass, and Walt Leger, who was rejected for his position as president of the New Orleans convention center board.
The Louisiana Gaming Control Board regulates Louisiana’s riverboat casinos, the New Orleans land-based casino, more than 2,000 video poker sites and slot machine facilities at four racetracks.
