Briefs
Nearly 1,000 adoptees seek original birth certificates
Since a new Louisiana law took effect in August that gives adopted people access to their original birth certificates, a state official said his agency has received almost 1,000 requests for copies. Devin George, the state’s Vital Records registrar, shared an update Tuesday with members of the state House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure. […]
BESE calls on legislature to fund school resource officers
The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is calling on the legislature to fund school resource officers for each public school in the state. The board passed two resolutions Wednesday, one calling on each public school system to enter into agreements with local law enforcement agencies to provide resource officers for each school in […]
Utility service company to bring headquarters, 141 jobs to New Orleans
A company that provides services to utility companies will open an office in New Orleans that will serve as its new headquarters. United Utility Services is expected to create 141 jobs over the next five years, the economic development organization Greater New Orleans Inc. announced Wednesday. “As our company expands, the need arose to establish […]
Schroder says locals should have say on industrial tax break
Companies looking to set up shop in Louisiana expect some sort of incentive to do so, Louisiana Treasurer and candidate for governor John Schroder said. But it should be up to local governments to decide whether they want to forego tax revenue in order to lure businesses to their backyard, he told reporters Monday. Schroder was […]
John Bel Edwards urges Louisiana Medicaid members to update contact information
Gov. John Bel Edwards is asking Louisiana’s 2 million Medicaid members to confirm or update their contact information ahead of a massive disenrollment from the public health insurance plan that will be taking place across the country. Over the next year, Louisiana’s Department of Health will be sending letters and renewal packets to the state’s […]
Feds add toxic Capitol Lakes cleanup to priority list
The long-contaminated Capitol Lakes area in Baton Rouge is being moved to the front of the line for remediation money, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday. The 60-acre site near the Louisiana Capitol and Governor’s Mansion has been placed on the EPA’s National Priorities List, which means the remediation project is poised to receive […]
UNO president to resign this summer
University of New Orleans President John Nicklow will resign at the end of June to assume the presidency of the Florida Institute of Technology. Nicklow has been in his position since 2016 and is the seventh leader of the university, overseeing its response to multiple major hurricanes that wreaked havoc on the lakefront campus. “The decision […]
DCFS has received 78 reports of child trafficking since Jan. 1
A new law requires Louisiana authorities to direct all reports of suspected child trafficking to the state Department of Children and Family Services. Its director told lawmakers Thursday the DCFS mandated reporting hotline has handled 78 juvenile trafficking calls this year, the large majority of them involving sex trafficking. Of the cases authorities have been […]
Calls for food assistance triple as pandemic SNAP benefits end
The federal government ended the extra food assistance provided to families in need through the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of February, and now state officials say they’re hearing from people in need. Calls to Louisiana’s 211 information line from citizens seeking food aid have tripled since the start of February, according to Department of […]
Food stamps cut off mostly for non-financial reasons, audit finds
When a Louisiana family loses public food assistance, it’s most often not because they don’t qualify for it. A new report from the state Legislative Auditor found that more than half the time the reasons are procedural rather than financial. The auditor conducted an efficiency review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) within the […]
Louisiana’s Revenue Department acknowledges slight miscalculation
The Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) has confirmed an audit that shows it incorrectly reported the state’s 2022 tax receipts in its annual fiscal report, according to a recent audit. The errors amounted to a small percentage of the state’s total budget. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office released a report Monday that stated LDR understated […]
Edwards heads to Japan, South Korea to strengthen business ties
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is leading a delegation on a week-long Asia trip to cultivate business development. Edwards will be joined by Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson as well as members of the governor’s staff and LED’s Office of International Commerce. According to a press release, the governor will attend several business engagements […]