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Lawmakers loosen limitations on police mug shots proposal
A Louisiana Senate committee has loosened proposed restrictions to limit the public release of mug shots of police suspects before they are convicted. Changes made Wednesday would allow photos of violent criminal suspects to be issued to the news media, the chief opponent of the legislation. The original version of House Bill 729 would have only […]
McCormick quits House committee that defers his Roe v. Wade bill
It came on the same day the committee was scheduled to hear his bill that would prohibit the enforcement of any Supreme Court decision or judgment regarding the landmark abortion case.
Lawmakers, grieving parents differ on how tough to get on fentanyl
There’s broad agreement that Louisiana’s fentanyl crisis has reached acute levels, with overdose deaths attributed to manmade opioids up 119% according to state health officials. But consensus on an approach to curb these numbers and discourage abuse of the drug remains elusive, even as state lawmakers advance a proposed law to make penalties harsher. Sen. […]
Louisiana Senate rejects permanent local say for industrial tax breaks
The relatively new voice local taxing bodies have over whether industrial projects receive major tax breaks could soon fade after the Louisiana Senate rejected an attempt Tuesday to make their say permanent. Gov. John Bel Edwards issued an executive order six years ago that gave locals the right to approve or reject their share of […]
Louisiana House revives ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill with rare procedural move
Conservatives in the Louisiana House of Representatives turned to a seldom used procedure Tuesday to bring a controversial education proposal back from the dead. With just two votes to spare, members revived a bill that would prohibit public school teachers and employees from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with students. The so-called “Don’t Say […]
Attempt to boost Louisiana State Police leader’s accountability dies in committee
A proposal to insert accountability into the close-knit relationship between the leader of Louisiana State Police and the governor died Tuesday in the Legislature, despite overwhelming bipartisan support for the idea amid multiple investigations into the law enforcement agency. Democrat Cleo Fields, lead author for Senate Bill 400, wants to create a deputy secretary of public […]
Louisiana lawmakers take a step back on police accountability
Louisiana lawmakers have been at the forefront recently when it comes to seeking accountability from police. A special House investigative committee continues to peel back shrouds of an apparent coverup in the death of Ronald Greene when he was in State Police custody, and a Senate oversight panel is moving toward fashioning policy changes to […]
Bill that weans Louisiana off temporary sales tax advances from House
A tax cut that would take a huge bite out of Louisiana’s budgets in upcoming fiscal years is advancing through the Legislature, perhaps curtailing big-spending plans for a huge cash surplus lawmakers are tasked with allocating. The House of Representatives approved House Bill 438 in a 67-30 vote Monday. It pares back a temporary 0.45% portion […]
Abortion would be punishable as murder under new Louisiana proposal
The House Committee for the Administration of Criminal Justice advanced a bill Wednesday that would treat anyone who undergoes or administers an abortion as a murderer. The potential penalty for someone convicted could be life in prison.
Louisiana’s formerly incarcerated struggle to secure housing
Advocates for the formerly incarcerated consider the denial of housing outright discrimination that should be banned by law. Their hopes are that cultural pressure leads to the changes they seek, much in the way the civil rights movement cracked through generations of Jim Crow policy.
With leaked draft overturning Roe v. Wade, let’s look at Louisiana’s abortion law
If the leaked draft of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on a Mississippi abortion law overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, laws in place in several states will take effect. More legal challenges are expected, but Louisiana’s 16-year-old abortion law would go into effect immediately and include only limited exceptions. The Louisiana Legislature approved […]
Bill advances to reduce Louisiana’s temporary sales tax, but not right away
Louisiana lawmakers want to address the so-called fiscal cliff that arrives in mid-2025 when a temporary portion of the state sales tax expires.