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To preserve COVID-19 emergency powers, Gov. Edwards goes to court
Gov. John Bel Edwards filed a motion in court Monday against the Louisiana House of Representatives in response to a petition signed by House Republicans who are determined to overturn the governor’s public health emergency declaration.The state’s COVID-19 Phase 3 restrictions remain “in full force and effect,” Edwards said, despite statements from Attorney General Jeff […]
Governor vetoes bill that sought to prohibit election grant money
Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday that he has vetoed a bill that would have prohibited local election officials from using nonprofit grant money to pay for election-related expenses. House Bill 51, introduced by Rep. Blake Miguez, R-Erath, sought to prohibit registrars of voters and clerks of court from accepting grant money from private individuals […]
Gov. Edwards is sent a bill that creates a new way of crafting emergency election plans and doesn’t diminish his power
The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill Friday that changes the way the state adopts an emergency election plan and allows for some extra accommodations for early voting during such emergencies. Senate Bill 20, introduced by Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, allows the secretary of state to present multiple versions of an emergency election plan to a […]
Bill passes offering $48 million in tax breaks to oil and gas industry
The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would give an estimated $48 million in tax exemptions to the oil and gas industry. House Bill 29, introduced by Rep. Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, would suspend a 12.5 percent severance tax that companies pay on oil and gas extracted from abandoned orphan wells, newly-drilled wells, or old […]
House passes bill that would codify clergy’s right to visit nursing homes
The Louisiana House passed a bill Wednesday morning that would prevent the state health department from restricting members of the clergy from visiting patients in nursing homes and other healthcare facilities during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the clergy have been able to visit nursing homes since the early days […]
Legislation approved to stop drops in unemployment benefits
Thanks to new legislation that passed both chambers of the Louisiana Legislature, weekly unemployment benefits for laid-off workers will remain at current rates, and businesses will not be subjected to a tax hike to replenish the state’s depleted unemployment trust fund. Lawmakers approved Senate Concurrent Resolutions 5 and 9, which stop unemployment benefits from decreasing […]
Bill is overhauled to streamline emergency election plans and expand early voting
A bill that initially would have removed the governor’s power to veto emergency election plans underwent wholesale changes Tuesday with an amendment that would retain the governor’s veto power and streamline the process Louisiana uses to provide special accommodations for voters during an emergency. The bill also seeks to expand early voting locations. With no […]
Bill to prohibit schools from giving names of contagious students to health department stalls on House floor
Louisiana House lawmakers spent much of Monday afternoon debating a bill that would prohibit schools from reporting the names of students who have infectious diseases to the Louisiana Department of Health. After that debate, a sizable majority of the House members decided to redirect the bill back to the House Health & Welfare Committee. House […]
House labor committee rejects bill that would punish misclassification of employees
House lawmakers on Thursday rejected a bill designed to prevent businesses from skirting state taxes by fraudulently misclassifying employees as independent contractors. House Bill 34, sponsored by Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, sought to bring Louisiana in line with the rest of the country by allowing the Labor Department to fine businesses that fraudulently pay workers […]
Lawmaker who attends Tony Spell’s church pushes bill through House that favors the defiant pastor
Louisiana House lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill that was originally crafted to support a Louisiana church pastor who dared authorities to arrest him when he publicly and repeatedly violated the state’s COVID-19 restrictions; however, legislators amended the bill by replacing virtually all of the text with new language that would prevent an emergency public […]
Over a half-million without electricity following Hurricane Delta
More than a half-million were without electricity Saturday after Hurricane Delta slammed Southwest Louisiana — an area that had been trying to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Laura just over a month ago. In two press conferences Saturday, Gov. John Bel Edwards gave updates on the state’s recovery efforts, which he said are focused […]
Louisiana attorney general blocked millions in grant money awarded to parish clerks
Parishes across Louisiana, including those devastated by Hurricane Laura, were forced to reject millions in grant money from a nonprofit tech organization after Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry told the officials it was illegal for them to use grant money on election expenses. Although Landry insists accepting the money is already illegal, GOP lawmakers are […]