Good Message, Bad Messenger- Strain was making a bid for free publicity
Associated Press (LA) (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A challenge to Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom's use of employees for construction projects, by one of Odom's opponents in this fall's election, was killed Tuesday by a House committee.

The agriculture department under Odom often does construction work in-house, using department employees who don't necessarily have construction backgrounds, including white-collar workers and specialists in agricultural fields.

Rep. Mike Strain — one of two Republicans challenging the Democratic commissioner in the October election — proposed legislation that would prohibit state officials from requiring their employees to perform tasks for which they aren't trained and which can jeopardize their safety.

Strain's bill didn't mention Odom's office specifically, but lawmakers on the committee said the bill was clearly directed at the agriculture commissioner. Rep. Juan LaFonta, D-New Orleans, said Strain was making a bid for free publicity.

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Panel defers Odom work legislation
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/7640321.html

By MARSHA SHULER
Advocate Capitol News Bureau (excerpt)

Strain’s candidacy became a part of the debate.

“How’s your (campaign) fundraising going, Rep. Strain?,” asked Rep. Juan LaFonta, D-New Orleans.

“If you had enough money in the war chest, you could have gotten free publicity without filing this bill,” he said.

Rep. Jeff Arnold, D-New Orleans, said Strain had made the legislation “a political instrument as well as a legislative instrument.”