CenLamar | Est. 2006

  • Jindal’s Unconstitutional “Tim Tebow” Law Proves Louisiana Legislature Cares More About Football Than Education

    In many parts of Texas, high school football isn’t simply a tradition; it’s a religion, a way of life, and a mega-million dollar industry.  It’s been the subject of bestselling novels, movies, and at least one hit network television show, Friday Night Lights, based on the novel of the same name. Last year, a high school in Allen, Texas made international headlines after opening a $60 football stadium, a decision that perfectly epitomizes the enormous imbalances in public education funding and financing. When the stadium in Allen was under construction, Texas Governor Rick Perry, along with the state legislature, cut more…

  • State Senator Mike Walsworth: “I’m Not a Scientist” and I “Don’t Know Anything About Science”

    In the upcoming weeks, the Louisiana State Senate Education Committee will, once again, consider a bill to repeal the misnamed Louisiana Science Education Act. Last year, during the committee hearing, State Senator Mike Walsworth, a Republican from Ouachita Parish, asked a series of questions that- months later- made him the star of a viral video on YouTube. And not to brag, but I was actually the first blogger to post this e.coli video, only a few hours after Zack Kopplin had uploaded it onto YouTube. Unfortunately for me, I buried the lede. There were so many absurd things said during…

  • From the Vault: A Column I Wrote When I Was 17

    As a disclaimer: First, I didn’t write the headline. Second, I was only seventeen when I wrote this– more than thirteen years ago, and my understanding of these issues has, well, “evolved.” And third, again, I was just seventeen, writing for a conservative audience in a conservative newspaper; I wasn’t trying to be unnecessarily provocative, though I remember thinking I’d pulled off a coup by getting The Town Talk to publish something that referred to God as female. I’ve referenced this article before in my posts about the Louisiana Science Education Act and my friend Zack Kopplin, who was seventeen…