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Landry, 21 AGs push Biden administration to drop healthcare worker COVID vaccine mandate
Louisiana’s attorney general announced Monday he is leading a coalition of 22 states that want the Biden administration to end a mandate for healthcare workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19. The 22 attorneys general have filed a petition that requests the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid […]
Election Day: Recap of results in Louisiana, races in key states
All but a few precincts were left to count in East Baton Rouge and Orleans parishes as Election Day in Louisiana turned into Wednesday. Voters had their say on a U.S. Senate race, five U.S. House seats, two Public Service Commission districts and eight amendments to the state constitution. A host of local races and […]
Payroll issues persist at Office of Juvenile Justice, audit finds
The agency in charge of Louisiana’s juvenile detention centers continues to have issues with keeping accurate time and attendance records, according to a Legislative Auditor’s report issued Wednesday. In what was noted as the third consecutive review, the audit found the state Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ) “did not maintain adequate internal controls over time and […]
Lawmaker will try again to hold back struggling readers at third grade
A Louisiana lawmaker plans to make another attempt to stop the promotion of third-graders who repeatedly fail reading assessments. Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Mandeville, said he will bring back a bill that narrowly failed this year after the latest LEAP test results show a continued decline in reading scores. “Much has been written about Louisiana’s literacy […]
Data show racial disparities in Louisiana monkeypox cases
Health officials have examined demographic data on monkeypox cases in Louisiana and found six in every 10 cases have occurred among Black people. More than a quarter of diagnoses have been white, and 95% are male. As of Wednesday, 127 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in Louisiana since the first person was diagnosed July 7. […]
Louisiana Special School District to replace superintendent
The board that oversees the Louisiana Special School District (SSD) took action Monday to replace its superintendent. In a unanimous vote, the SSD Board of Directors “opted to go in a different direction with district leadership,” according to a statement. The ouster of superintendent Ernest Garrett III comes amid an investigation of his performance that […]
New sawmill to create 125 jobs in northwest Louisiana
Construction officially started Monday on a new $110 million sawmill in Plain Dealing that its owner says will create 125 new jobs in the region. Gov. John Bel Edwards attended a ground breaking for the project that is expected to be completed in third-quarter 2023. The Teal-Jones Group, a company based in British Columbia, Canada, […]
Rep. Scott McKnight announces bid for state treasurer
State Rep. Scott McKnight unofficially declared his candidacy Thursday for state treasurer in 2023. The Republican from Baton Rouge has held the District 68 seat since 2019 and works with his family’s business, BXS Insurance. In a Facebook post, McKnight said he intended to continue to conservative practices of current Treasurer John Schroder and his […]
Louisiana Capitol briefly evacuated after ‘unclaimed’ item found in rotunda
The Louisiana State Capitol was briefly evacuated Wednesday after an “unclaimed” package or bag was found in Memorial Hall, commonly referred to as the rotunda. Lawmakers were in session when legislative leaders cleared both chambers. There were more people than usual at the Capitol on Thursday, when the House was scheduled to consider a bill […]
Louisiana Fire Marshal Butch Browning to retire May 15
He has held the post longer than any predecessor, taking over in 2008 and serving through Bobby Jindal's for two terms six years under Edwards.
Poor Louisiana parishes have higher COVID-19 death rates than wealthier counties nationwide
Data show people in the poorest parishes in Louisiana and comparable counties across the country saw higher COVID-19 death rates than wealthier areas, according to a report the Poor People's Campaign released Monday.
Nearly $250 million in spending unresolved in Louisiana’s storm response programs since 2008
Officials say they have addressed most of the issues uncovered in the audits. But even with that high success rate, they $246 million in reimbursements to local governments over the past 14 years have not been verified to determine if the money was correctly spent or accurately calculated.