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Advocacy group slams emphasis on alcohol, not rape culture, in LSU student’s death
An organization that aids survivors of sexual trauma said there’s too much focus on the bar that served alcohol to a 19-year-old LSU student the night she was allegedly raped and later fatally struck by a vehicle. Instead, the group wants to see more scrutiny into the culture that condones sexual assault when alcohol use […]
Secretary of State Ardoin pushes for U.S. citizenship check on jury duty notices
Parish court officials in Louisiana could be required to ask residents to verify their United States citizenship if state lawmakers approve a proposal heading their way. The State Board of Election Officials voted Tuesday to recommend that clerks of court ask about someone’s citizenship status when they send out a jury duty notice. The board […]
Conservative Caucus bemoans limited scope of insurance special session
State lawmakers in the Louisiana Conservative Caucus said Tuesday it’s “unfortunate” that next week’s special session to address the homeowner’s insurance crisis will be limited to just one proposal. They say the seven-day session won’t result in lower policy premiums for the people who need it most. Gov. John Bel Edwards’ call for the special […]
Sex offenders could be banned as election commissioners
The Louisiana Legislature could consider a proposal to ban sex offenders from working as election commissioners. While voters who are sex offenders must cast absentee ballots if their precinct is located at a school, there currently is no such prohibition in place for polling precinct workers. The State Board of Election Commissioners issued an official […]
Louisiana Legislature special insurance session: What, if anything, gets done?
The Louisiana Legislature will convene a week from today for a seven-day special session on the state’s homeowner’s insurance crisis. Its overriding goal is to rein in policy premiums that have soared after back-to-back catastrophic hurricane seasons, but lawmakers say more needs to be done than what can happen within the narrow scope of the […]
Richard Nelson seeks the middle of the road to become Louisiana governor
It was during a two-month stint in Afghanistan with the U.S. State Department in 2012 that Richard Nelson said he first pondered a run for political office. His inspiration? George Washington’s Farewell Address at the end of his presidency, which he read during his spare time. In the letter Washington addressed to citizens of the […]
Why Rep. Troy Carter voted against banning oil reserve sales to China
A majority of Democrats in the U.S. House backed a Republican bill last week to prohibit sales from America’s emergency backup oil supply to Chinese companies. Among the 97 no votes in the minority party was Rep. Troy Carter of New Orleans. “Quite frankly, this legislation was performance art,” Carter said in an email response […]
Q&A: Dana Hunter, Governor’s Office of Human Trafficking Prevention
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and Louisiana is marking the occasion with a renewed emphasis on helping survivors, providing trauma-informed training to police, and raising public awareness around the issue. In 2021, the Louisiana Legislature agreed to fund Gov. John Bel Edwards’ new Office of Human Trafficking Prevention. Dana Hunter was picked as its […]
In more ways than one, Dr. King taught us to speak up for the oppressed
The speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be cited throughout this day meant to honor his memory and legacy – and for good reason. As one of the world’s most influential orators of the 20th century, he brought truth to power with his words, time and again. Equally deserving of praise is King’s […]
Marie Kondo, the White House needs you now
What’s the deal with the trouble our recent U.S. presidents have keeping track of classified documents? Whether it’s Mar-a-Lago or a Maryland garage, we can all agree our chief executives have a problem. Honestly, I think it’s giving Donald Trump and Joe Biden far too much credit to assume they squirreled away top secret papers […]
Path to clear criminal records remains bumpy in Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS – A line with a few dozen people stretched outside the door of the building where volunteers were helping escort folks through the expungement process. It was just a half-hour into the event, and Sherie Thomas had to let those outside know the services would be available again next month. Some 30 people […]
Former Louisiana Democrats chair, state senator gets prison time for wire fraud
A federal judge in New Orleans has sentenced former state senator Karen Carter Peterson to 22 months in prison Wednesday for admitting she used money from her campaign and the state Democratic Party to support a gambling addiction. Peterson, 53, is scheduled to report to prison March 6. “I am humiliated and remorseful for my […]