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With online alcohol orders rising, legislative committee rejects proposal to prohibit higher online prices
In an oversight hearing Wednesday, the House Ways & Means Committee rejected part of a proposed regulation that would require online prices of alcohol sold in Louisiana to match the retailer’s in-store prices. The Louisiana Office of Alcohol & Tobacco Control (ATC) proposed the law to prevent attempts at profit-sharing or price gouging by third-party […]
Absentee ballot deadline is Friday at 4:30 p.m.
The deadline to return absentee ballots for Louisiana’s upcoming election is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4. With the deadline just days away, voters should return completed ballots in-person to their respective parish registrar of voters office or have an immediate family member return them. Voters who cannot meet the absentee ballot deadline can still […]
Louisianans are traveling less, planning to eat just as much for Thanksgiving 2020
Thanksgiving travel has taken a significant hit as COVID-19 cases across the country continue to rise and people appear to be heeding government officials’ recommendations to forgo their traditionally large family gatherings. Departures at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, the state’s largest travel hub, are so far down 42 percent compared to last year’s […]
Quarantine rules irk Louisiana school superintendents
Some Louisiana public school superintendents are asking state legislators to reduce the 14-day quarantine period that is required of students who come into close contact with someone on campus who tests positive for COVID-19. The House Committee on Health and Welfare met Monday to discuss the Louisiana Department of Health’s emergency rule regarding quarantine procedures […]
Louisiana’s colleges will move to full virtual after Thanksgiving
Most of Louisiana’s colleges and universities will move to full virtual classes and not report to traditional classrooms after the Thanksgiving holidays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Reed. Reed spoke to the Resilient Louisiana Commission meeting Friday. The commission, which Gov. John Bel Edwards established to determine […]
‘Every single one’ of Louisiana’s hospitals at risk of overflow
Gov. John Bel Edwards expressed deep concern Thursday about the continuous increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations across Louisiana, which have climbed by nearly 30 percent over the last seven days and are bringing hospitals to the brink of patient overflow. At a press conference Thursday, the governor reported 929 patients in hospitals due to COVID-19, an […]
Governor not prepared to fire anyone over LSU sexual misconduct scandal yet
Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday said he would not call for the terminations of any LSU administrators yet in the wake of a USA Today investigation in which several female students said university officials ignored acts of rape and domestic violence by football players and other male students. “I’m not prepared to say any […]
These Louisiana Democrats are eyeing Cedric Richmond’s congressional seat
Several high-profile Louisiana Democrats are eyeing the soon-to-be vacant seat of the 2nd Congressional District after U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond announced Tuesday that he will resign his post in January to take a senior advisor position in the White House. President-elect Joe Biden tapped Richmond as his senior advisor and director of public engagement. The […]
LSU hires law firm to review sexual misconduct policies after negative report
LSU officials announced they have hired a law firm to conduct an independent review of its sexual misconduct policies in the wake of a USA Today investigation in which several female students said violence and sexual assault perpetrated by football players and other male students had been ignored by the school. Federal laws and LSU’s […]
Louisiana commerce board approves tax exemption for Folger despite allegation that company used tax loophole
The Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry on Friday approved $220 million of single-year industrial tax exemptions, including 13 exemptions for Folger Coffee Company that might allow the coffee giant to avoid paying as much as $12 million in back taxes to New Orleans. Board members approved nearly $4 million in first-year tax breaks for […]
Judge rules petition statute House Republicans used unconstitutional, marking win for governor
A 19th Judicial District Court today ruled unconstitutional part of a statute used by Louisiana House Republicans to try to end, via petition, the governor’s order imposing COVID-19 restrictions. Judge William Morvant determined that the part of the Health Emergencies Act cited in the petition is unconstitutional because it allows a governor’s executive order to […]
Who should investigate La. State Police if the agency is ever barred from investigating itself?
Should the Louisiana State Police continue to be allowed to investigate itself? Should police officers be allowed to turn off their body cameras at their own discretion? Members of the Louisiana Legislature’s police reform task force on Tuesday debated those questions with newly-appointed State Police Superintendent Col. Lamar Davis. The task force’s Policy and Oversight […]