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The Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, which represents arguably the most influential group of local government officials, will officially come under the leadership of Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb on April 1. Cobb will replace current director Michael Ranatza—a mere two weeks before the regular session convenes. Ranatza shares some thoughts on his tenure as he prepares to leave the position.
LaPolitics: You were the police chief in Harahan when you were 24 years old. What led you to run for that office?
Ranatza: My great uncle was the police chief in Harahan for several terms, and he literally died in office. My father’s brother was a Jefferson Parish deputy sheriff, and I just was attracted to law enforcement at an early age. With a very close friend of mine, at 12 years of age, I made a deal that I would run for police chief and he would run for mayor. He didn’t run for mayor. He became my campaign manager. I knocked on doors full time for three months.
How has Louisiana politics changed during your career?
I see a better candidate emerging today because of it being so much more transparent than what it was 40 years ago. You can read anything about anybody because of social media. Anybody who wants to run for public office today should look back at his or her past and say, am I truly worthy enough? This is not just about running for public office. This is about going through that scrutiny. So I think transparency makes a better product.
How has the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association changed over the time you have been with the organization?
There used to be some pretty tough meetings in this association. There used to be considerable debate. Now our members are more interested in mutual aid and discuss how I can help my brother sheriff or sister sheriff. How can we work together? And they’ve worked things out.
What do you see as the main impacts of last year’s crime session?
What the crime session did to the average citizen in the state of Louisiana is that it sent the message that we are going to once again be more serious about repeat offenders. We had too much of an understanding that through legal maneuvering, the chance of you having any substantial jail time was minimal. I like what this governor is doing in New Orleans. We’re hoping over a longer period of time that the deterrent effect of this serious approach is going to reap rewards.
Following the end of 2024’s tax-focused special session, do you think the issues raised regarding local taxation should be revisited?
I think that’s going to depend upon the appetite of all the individuals involved. These legislators who come here during the first year, they think of themselves as being that guy who’s elected to be a member of the Legislature, and then they stop thinking about the people they represent as much because they’re involved in this Baton Rouge process. The second and third and fourth years of that term, they start getting reminded by their constituents, you have to come home to be reelected. These changes have to be mixed into what is the total need for all of Louisiana, not just the state’s needs, but the locals’ needs as well.
Jeremy Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
