How many times have you said to yourself, "If only the Louisiana Legislature got involved, that would make it all better"? I am pretty sure you can count the times you've said that on no hands using no fingers. Usually when the legislature has to stick their fingers into a pie, that pie is pretty messy. Welcome to the mess the Louisiana High School Athletic Association has become.

I do understand and freely admit where high school sports are involved there will always be a controversy. The LHSAA has done an okay job of weathering most of the storms over the years. However, the decision to continue the split between public and private schools in high school playoffs has really gotten some people angry, upset, and just plain appalled. 

Now the Louisiana House of Representatives wants to have their say in the way high school sports should be administrated. The House will take up debate today on legislation that would end the public-private school split.

Just because you go to a Catholic school doesn’t mean you should be separated from somebody else.

The comments of River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot as reported by the Louisiana Radio Network.  Talbot has authored the legislation that is before the full House this week. In his bill if the LHSAA continues their playoff split there could be a withdrawal of state support.

That’s probably really more of our role as government is just to make sure that these kids are treated fairly and everybody has an equal opportunity.

This proposal has gotten the attention of the LHSAA. Their member principals have decided to have a special meeting in June. It is expected in that meeting that the playoff split and possible loss of state funding would be a high priority.

This is the same organization that couldn't have a special meeting back when game officials wanted a raise. I guess when there is a threat of losing money even the almighty LHSAA can find the time to call a special meeting. Hypocrisy? I will let you, the reader, make that call.

Despite that special meeting being called Representative Talbot is going ahead with his legislation.

If you do it by region or something like that, or obviously by school size, that’s one thing, but let’s just make sure that everybody is getting a fair shake.

A fair shake that would be new for the LHSAA which is used to shaking down sponsors, broadcasters, fans, teams, and game officials who aren't willing to yield to the  authoritarian iron fist of the state's only high school sports sanctioning body.

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