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Quality Jobs program shows poor return on investment even after excluding Pelicans
The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s most recent analysis that painted a lackluster picture of the state’s Quality Jobs incentive program specifically excluded the New Orleans Pelicans from the study because, the auditors said, the extremely large salaries being reported by the team would have likely skewed the results. “They were such an anomaly from the rest […]
Recovery stymied for Louisiana’s bayou communities after Hurricane Ida
Under a tent at the front of South Lafourche Veteran’s Memorial Park, Lloyd Griffin and a few volunteers recently gave away hot meals to several hundred residents and workers who line up for lunch every day. It is one of the few sources of food in Galliano since Hurricane Ida barreled through the bayou community […]
New Orleans Pelicans get millions in incentives for creating ‘quality jobs’ for NBA players
The New Orleans Pelicans receive a $3.65 million cash rebate every year from Louisiana — more than any other company — by counting its professional basketball players’ positions as newly-created direct jobs under the state’s Quality Jobs program, an economic incentive that’s supposed to encourage companies to create well-paid, full-time jobs for residents. In 2020, […]
Appeals court dismisses lawsuit in Edwards v. House petition case
A Louisiana appeals court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by Gov. John Bel Edwards in response to Republican state legislators who have tried several times to overturn the state’s COVID-19 emergency orders. The Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a ruling by Judge William Morvant, of the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton […]
State lawmakers to hold first public forum on redistricting in Monroe
In a process that will impact almost every election in Louisiana for the next decade, the state legislature will hold the first of nine regional public forums on Oct. 20 beginning in Monroe regarding how lawmakers will draw the state’s new political maps and choose which voters to include in which districts. Beginning in mid-October […]
Louisiana State Police employee on leave after alleged misconduct at LSU
A Louisiana State Police employee was placed on administrative leave last week due to allegations of misconduct while the employee was working with Louisiana State University. The agency made the announcement Wednesday in a press release that provided no details as to the nature of the complaint nor the identity of the employee, saying further […]
Pediatric death toll now 18 as coronavirus kills another Louisiana child
Just three days after health officials reported the death of a young child from COVID-19, the coronavirus has claimed another Louisiana child, according to a Louisiana Department of Health release Monday. The news brings Louisiana’s pediatric death toll to 18 for the entire COVID-19 pandemic in the state. The health department said the child was […]
Another Louisiana child dies of COVID-19, bringing pediatric death toll to 17
Health officials on Friday confirmed that the coronavirus has killed another child in Louisiana, bringing the state’s pediatric death toll to 17. According to a Louisiana Department of Health news release, the child was between the ages of 0 and 4. The death is one of eight pediatric deaths in the state during the fourth […]
Gen. Honoré plans to demand oil companies pay for neglecting infrastructure in Louisiana
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré plans to go to the Petroleum Club of Lafayette next week to demand that oil corporations — not taxpayers — pay the half-billion dollar bill that could result from having to clean up the thousands of oil spills and other incidents of pollution in Louisiana exposed by Hurricane […]
Post-storm housing shortage still primary concern in Louisiana
Louisiana’s housing shortage continues to be a primary concern as the state tries to recover from Hurricane Ida, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday. The state has begun moving evacuees out of temporary storm shelters and into more permanent housing solutions, but as of Tuesday 314 people were still housed across seven shelters. An additional […]
Louisiana Governor extends COVID-19 mask mandate as hospitalizations remain high
Gov. John Bel Edwards extended the statewide face mask mandate Tuesday for an additional 28 days as the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, although trending downward, are still about four times higher than they were before the fourth pandemic surge. The mask mandate applies to all indoor locations, including K-12 schools, colleges and universities for everyone […]
17 Baton Rouge area sites considered for proposed Mississippi River bridge
Officials and consultants with the Louisiana Department of Transportation have identified 17 potential sites for a new Mississippi River Bridge in the Greater Baton Rouge Area. A new river crossing to alleviate traffic in Baton Rouge area has long been a wish of Baton Rouge politicians and residents alike. The most recently built bridge, which […]