Never blunder a great hand! That is the lesson Louisiana Republican Joe Stagni is learning right now.
Louisiana Republican Joe Stagni was one of a handful of representatives in the state to shut down the Constitutional Carry bill that Republicans worked hard to bring to the table last year. Representative Stagni sided with Democrat Governor John Bel Edwards and killed the Constitutional Carry bill as well as a bill targeting transgender athletes.
Republicans in the state were calling for “consequences” after the bill failed and now Rep. Stagni’s constituents are abiding by those calls.
From The Advocate:
The petition filed Wednesday with the Louisiana Secretary of State argues state Rep. Joe Stagni’s voting record is “at odds with the views of most of the residents of his district,” which includes portions of Jefferson and St. Charles parishes.
It chastises Stagni for voting against legislation that would have allowed people to carry concealed handguns in Louisiana without a permit or training. And it dings the two-term Republican for refusing to sign a petition – at the height of the coronavirus pandemic – that sought to curb Edwards’ public health emergency powers.
Stagni, who served eight years on the Kenner City Council before he was elected to the state Legislature, said the petition paints a “false and misleading” portrait of his voting record.
“I have full faith and confidence in the voters of District 92 that they will see through this charade,” Stagni said in an interview.
Representative Stagni had an opportunity to keep that title, all he had to do was stay true to his campaign promises. Even if Stagni does not get recalled from office, it is unlikely that he will remain a Representative for long as public support for his continued political career is failing.
