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Karen Carter Peterson to plead guilty for using party, campaign funds for gambling, reports say
Former state lawmaker and Louisiana Democratic Party chairman Karen Carter Peterson is expected to admit in federal court that she used party funds and money from her campaign to support her gambling addiction, multiple news outlets are reporting. The reports all cite anonymous sources that say a guilty plea could come soon from Peterson, who […]
GOP contenders’ words, deeds will haunt them as candidates for governor
Attorney General Jeff Landry was effusive Friday after an Orleans Parish judge refused to maintain a stay against enforcing Louisiana’s abortion ban. If you didn’t hear his remarks, don’t worry. Landry’s opponents in next year’s governor’s race are likely to use them against him repeatedly in campaign ads. “If you don’t like the laws of […]
Louisiana does little to regulate surface water use, audit finds
The lack of a statewide management plan in Louisiana is a chief reason why so little is done to monitor how industry uses surface water from its navigable waterbodies and state-owned lakes, according to a new audit report. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor says a water management plan is needed to protect the state’s resources and […]
Kanter: Louisiana is in 6th wave of COVID-19
An increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations prompted state health officials Thursday to declare that Louisiana is in its sixth surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. State health officer Dr. Joseph Kanter reported 5,436 new cases, 567 hospitalizations and two deaths from the novel coronavirus. The actual number of cases is likely much […]
First monkeypox case identified in Louisiana resident
State health officials reported Thursday the first case of a Louisiana resident who has contracted monkeypox, in addition to an out-of-state visitor who was diagnosed while in Louisiana. Some 15 to 20 people they potentially exposed to the virus are now being contacted, according the Louisiana Department of Health. State health officer Dr. Joseph Kanter […]
Vapid Voting Systems Commission spends months perpetuating the Big Lie
Unfounded conspiracy theories and frequently repeated falsehoods led to the creation of a Voting Systems Commission last year to review the selection of new election equipment for the state of Louisiana. After months of hearings that fomented the fabrication, it should come as no surprise that the final scheduled commission meeting last week culminated with […]
AG Landry letter to doctors on abortion amounts to political ‘horseplay’
A thoughtful reminder came from the desk of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry ahead of the 4th of July weekend. He shared a list of summer swimming safety tips, mindful of the number of people whose holiday plans include time in the water. His advice – wear lifejackets, never swim alone, avoid horseplay – will […]
Gov. Edwards vetoes education savings account, anti-vaccine bills
Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday he has vetoed 17 bills from the regular legislative session, his most extensive list of rejections to date. The spurned proposals include two that would have redirected state education money for struggling public school students and others that took aim at the governor’s pandemic policy. Notably not on the […]
Louisiana’s second redistricting session reveals the emperor has no clothes
Desks on the floor of the Louisiana House were mostly empty when Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge, took the lectern Saturday. It was just before members adjourned the second redistricting session of the year and minutes after the state Senate gaveled out sine die. Members of the Black Caucus and most Democrats were at Jordan’s […]
Louisiana Legislature adjourns without approving new congressional map
A last-ditch bill proposing two majority Black districts for Louisiana’s six seats in Congress was pulled Saturday from the state Senate, leading lawmakers to adjourn a special session early without producing the new map a federal judge had ordered earlier this month. The session could have lasted through Monday, the due date that U.S. District […]
7 maps the Louisiana Legislature will consider for new congressional districts
Louisiana lawmakers have so far filed seven maps to consider in a special session brought about after a federal court rejected a congressional redistricting proposal they approved earlier this year. The judge in the case has given legislators until Monday to submit a map with two majority-Black districts in order to comply with the Voting Rights […]
Louisiana governor says background checks would complement red flag gun law
As the U.S. Senate moves closer to crafting and approving a bipartisan bill that would fund states that establish red flag laws, Louisiana’s governor said he believes the state can go one better. Red flag laws allow courts and police to temporarily take firearms from someone deemed a threat to themselves or others. Gov. John […]