| Good Morning, The 2022 political election season touched off last week without much drama despite intense wrangling to ensure the congressional districts would be safe for incumbents. After months of legislative debate and court challenges, Louisiana’s six-member congressional delegation qualified to run from districts whose voters had elected them before. Congressman Mike Johnson, of Bossier City, was automatically reelected when no opponent qualified to challenge him. U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson; Troy Carter, D-New Orleans; and Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge; drew opponents who are neither well-known nor well-financed. Among the challengers to Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Start, is a former St. Landry police juror she beat the last time out. Only U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, is facing a well-financed Republican challenger in his bid for reelection. Two of the most conservative aspirants for governor in next year’s election started carping last week about an effort by Attorney General Jeff Landry to again use the State Bond Commission as a weapon against politics he doesn’t like. “This is a bad, bad road to get on,” State Treasurer John Schroder said at Landry’s effort to hold up lending for construction dollars as a way to scold New Orleans leadership for saying they wouldn’t enforce the state’s ban on abortions. Although an ardent supporter of the abortion ban and angered by what the New Orleans officials were saying, Schroder said the panel that vetted and approved when public agencies could seek loans for government projects was the wrong venue for that expression. Landry’s representative – he didn’t attend the hearing – said withholding funds was the best way to enforce state law on local governments. The Bond Commission approved dozens of projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars – many for New Orleans. But the panel agreed to delay a preliminary authorization for eventually borrowing $39 million next year to use for finishing a power plant to operate the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board pumps. Meanwhile, the talk among some in the group of ardent Donald Trump supporters, who meet regularly for breakfast in Livingston Parish, was indicative of a growing number who think the GOP leader for the past few years, maybe, should step aside for another conservative standard bearer. They agree on what they call Trump’s accomplishments, believe that the 2020 election was stolen from him, and that the Jan. 6 congressional hearings falsely portray Trump as the bad guy. But the men differ on one key question: whether Trump should run for president in 2024. Some of the men in the breakfast club are hoping he will. But others say he is too divisive to win again and accomplish his agenda in Washington. State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley is asking federal officials whether new sex discrimination rule changes proposed by the Biden administration will require Louisiana public schools to open all bathrooms and girls’ sports teams to transgender students or face financial penalties. As always, check throughout the day for the latest Louisiana political news at theadvocate.com/politics or NOLA.com/politics and on Twitter at @MarkBallardCNB, @tegbridges, @samkarlin, @WillSentell. Here are a dozen articles, commentaries and editorials that will catch you up for the week to come. One last item: Thank you to our subscribers. Your support means a great deal to us. If you're not yet a subscriber, we’ve got a special offer you can check out here. – Mark Ballard | 