Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta has announced that he is running for U.S. Senate. 

The Magnolia Water Customers petition has reached more than 1,560 signatures, and it's still going strong. Please share with your contacts for maximum visibility! 

This update should concern the entire LA district currently represented by Senator Cassidy: 

In a video shared by WWL TV PSC Skrmetta announced the following:

“After years of standing up to mega corporations to protect consumers, I’m ready to take the battle to the Beltway.  I will embark on a journey with our President to reclaim what makes our republic great. We must protect our Southern border, invest in our military strength, and stop Green New Deal whims.  We must have fair and balanced trade.”  

See the video here: https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/politics/louisiana-public-service-commissioner-skrmetta-announces-bid-for-us-senate/289-71523ebb-5440-4c51-a41d-c41f7259a6c9

To that, we respond:

1. "After years of standing up to mega corporations to protect consumers..."

Really?? What mega corporations? Mr. Skremetta has accepted significant campaign contributions from utility companies and their employees, which is likely the reason he has failed, among others, the Central States Water Resources (CSWR)/Magnolia Water Customers he's supposed to protect. Many are reporting utility bill increases in excess of 300% since Magnolia Water purchased "failing" water systems throughoout the state. THREE HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASES = Epic Fail.

2. PSC Skrmetta is termed out in December of 2025. In at least one of the community forums, when asked if he was planning to run for another office, he responded that he was waiting to hear from President Trump as to whether or not he was the President's chosen candidate to run against Senator Cassidy. Though President Trump has not yet endorsed any candidate for this seat, and reports indicate he's leaning toward another candidate, PSC Skrmetta's announcement is carefully and deceptively crafted to imply a Trump endorsement: 

"I will embark on a journey with our President to reclaim what makes our republic great. We must protect our Southern border, invest in our military strength, and stop Green New Deal whims.  We must have fair and balanced trade.”  

In the coming months, Louisiana Public Service Commission will vote on two Dockets relative to Magnolia Water rate increases--the first, a 2025 requested increase, the second an exension of the Magnolia Water three-year plan for rate increases, doubling that agreement to allow for three additional increases in 2026- 2028. 

It appears that the business model of CSWR (including Magnolia Water and CSWR systems in other states) is to continue to acquire "failing" water systems with a guarantee of profits agreed upon by CSWR and the Public Service Commissioners for each of the states in which they are operating. Based on reports, it appears that in order to ensure that net revenue falls below the agreed-upon profits, the monopoly utility company continues to acquire failing systems to offset profits. What this means is that CSWR/Magnolia Water customers are, effectively, subsidizing the purchase of the new systems while our own water and sewer services are neglected and upgrades remain incomplete. How many boil water advisories have we experienced since Magnolia Water took over? How many customers have reported brown and/or murky water, only to be told the water is safe to drink? How many customers have to pay for bottled water/drinking water services because the water for which they paying $117 or more per month is cloudy and likely not as safe as Magnolia Water wants customers to believe? From an environmental standpoint, how many thousands of water bottles are stacking in our landfills because of the need to ensure safe drinking water?

Magnolia Water has failed its customers over and over again. And PSC Skrmetta has failed to protect the citizens who elected him to serve us.

Keep that in mind when you cast your vote for U.S. Senate. Do we really want someone who failed his constituents to be handed another opportunity to do so? 

VOTE WISELY, and please consider forwarding the email with the petition updates to all of your Louisiana contacts.