From the action on the stage to the delegates on the floor, and from private parties to policy planning, several Louisiana politicos are enjoying both proximity to power and sought-after roles at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

— Members of the Louisiana delegation are seated right next to the Ohio delegation, which translated into a bit of face time yesterday afternoon with Buckeye Sen. JD Vance, the newly-announced running mate of former President Donald Trump.

— Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta ended up casting Louisiana’s delegate votes for Trump from the floor. Skrmetta took his shot on the mic, noting the Bayou State has some of the “lowest” utility rates in the country, which drew laughter from his fellow Louisiana delegates.

— Louisiana Delegate Gena Gore got into the policy action early Monday by offering and passing a resolution on RNC membership.

— Delegates have been joking about Speaker Mike Johnson, the convention’s official chair, getting some practice time in with the massive teleprompter being used in the Fiserv Forum. Johnson, however, wasn’t the problem Monday, as the prompter failed him at least once. Luckily, the live band entertaining delegates was on standby in that instance and stepped up until the technical difficulties could be resolved. 

— Cornerstone has a notable footprint within the convention’s perimeters in downtown Milwaukee, with firm president Campbell Kaufman and his team hosting gatherings for delegates from Iowa, Louisiana, Georgia and Kentucky and lunches with special guests like Attorney General Liz Murrill and Congresswoman Julia Letlow and Oklahoma politicos Gov. Kevin Stitt, U.S. Sen. James Lankford and Congressman Kevin Hern.

— It should come as no surprise to anyone who has attended Washington Mardi Gras that the Louisiana delegation hosted a till-midnight reception last night, and has another planned tonight. And just in case the other states think we can’t party and work, our delegation is also hosting a morning breakfast each day.

— As a member of the House Oversight Committee that will dive into the assassination controversy in a July 22 hearing, Congressman Clay Higgins is in a unique position to address the concerns delegates have about the recent shooting of former President Trump. He’ll certainly be asked about it this week. Speaker Johnson, for his part, has called for a “full investigation.”

— Before he left Louisiana for Wisconsin, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise visited with WDSU Anchor Travers Mackel. Scalise said he hoped the focus of the convention would be on issues, but admitted the assassination attempt is on the minds of many. “Everyone should be quick to denounce this and work to dial this temperature down,” said Scalise, who will address the convention. 

— The marquee moment from Monday came when former President Trump, slightly emotional, joined the convention in the evening as Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA.” There were also speeches from Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and model Amber Rose.

— Delegates will gather for their third session at 5 p.m. this afternoon and are expected to meet for at least five hours, crashing right into the middle of prime time for tonight’s speakers. Today will also feature panel discussions, like “Israel and the Path to Peace,” and parties, like the Utah Republican Party’s “BBQ, Bikes and Blues” event at the Harley Davidson Museum. There’s likewise a special screening of the new “Reagan” movie starring Dennis Quaid, among nearly three dozen other events on this second day of the convention.

RELATED MEDIA CLIPS

— AP: Donald Trump enters Republican convention hall with a bandaged ear and gets a hero’s welcome

— CNN: Takeaways from the first day of the Republican National Convention

— Fox 8: Louisiana Republicans praise security measures at party’s national convention

— WDSU: Louisiana Public Service Commissioner announces delegate votes for Donald Trump at RNC

— KPEL: Louisiana prominently featured at RNC

— WDSU: Rep. Julia Letlow weighs in on assassination attempt of Donald Trump

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