Changes

Lynch died in Baton Rouge at the age of seventy-four after hospitalization from complications related to heart disease. Upon his death, then Governor [[Kathleen Blanco]] termed Lynch "one of our state's legendary journalists and a talented man of great character who helped make a stronger Louisiana. ... He relentlessly aimed his journalistic light into the dark places of Louisiana politics.  ... As inspector general, he continued his crusade to clean up our political system by exposing wasteful spending and corruption. He leaves behind a legacy of integrity, devotion, and courage."<ref name=bio/>​

Lynch died in Baton Rouge at the age of seventy-four after hospitalization from complications related to heart disease. Upon his death, then Governor [[Kathleen Blanco]] termed Lynch "one of our state's legendary journalists and a talented man of great character who helped make a stronger Louisiana. ... He relentlessly aimed his journalistic light into the dark places of Louisiana politics.  ... As inspector general, he continued his crusade to clean up our political system by exposing wasteful spending and corruption. He leaves behind a legacy of integrity, devotion, and courage."<ref name=bio/>​

Jack Wardlaw, who headed the capital bureaus of both ''The States-Item'' and ''The Times-Picayune'', said that Lynch, whom he had known for more than twenty years, "carried his reputation for honesty and integrity with him from reporting and into the inspector general's office."<ref name=bio/>​

[[Jack Wardlaw]], who headed the capital bureaus of both ''The States-Item'' and ''The Times-Picayune'', said that Lynch, whom he had known for more than twenty years, "carried his reputation for honesty and integrity with him from reporting and into the inspector general's office."<ref name=bio/>​

In the second Edwards administration, the legislature passed the so-called "Lynch Law", which allowed courts to assess punitive damages in [[libel]] cases, but the measure was repealed during the term of [[Republican Party|Republican]] Governor [[David C. Treen]]. When Edwards returned for his fourth term as governor in 1992, he retained Lynch as inspector general as a concession to Roemer, whose support he drew in the 1991 gubernatorial [[general election]] with [[David Duke]], the former [[Ku Klux Klan]]sman who was the nominal Republican candidate that year.<ref name=bio/>​

In the second Edwards administration, the legislature passed the so-called "Lynch Law", which allowed courts to assess punitive damages in [[libel]] cases, but the measure was repealed during the term of [[Republican Party|Republican]] Governor [[David C. Treen]]. When Edwards returned for his fourth term as governor in 1992, he retained Lynch as inspector general as a concession to Roemer, whose support he drew in the 1991 gubernatorial [[general election]] with [[David Duke]], the former [[Ku Klux Klan]]sman who was the nominal Republican candidate that year.<ref name=bio/>​