Briefs
Oct. 5 is the last day for Louisianians to register in person for November elections
Louisianians who plan to vote in next month’s presidential election must register by today in order to cast a ballot. Louisianians who prefer to register online have until Oct. 13 to do so. According to the Louisiana secretary of state’s website, residents who want to register in person can go to the registrar of voters […]
LHC announces improvements to emergency rental assistance program
After only paying out $400,000 of the $24 million pledged so far in rental assistance, the Louisiana Housing Corporation announced they’re making improvements to their emergency rental assistance program. These improvements include reducing the program’s application length, allowing E-signatures and scheduling in-person outreach events to serve residents who have limited internet access. “The program modifications […]
Lawmakers will favorably report bills serving Hurricane Laura-affected parishes
The Senate education committee will favorably report a bill that would prevent parishes affected by Hurricane Laura from losing any money from the state education funding formula called the Minimum Foundation Program. This bill would prevent financial deductions based on decreases in student enrollment because of Hurricane Laura. The committee also will favorably report a […]
Louisiana legislators postpone revenue estimating deadline to squeeze out another of unemployment benefits
Louisiana’s lawmakers are faced with a nearly-depleted unemployment trust fund and laws that trigger automatic tax hikes to replenish the fund. They’re also staring at a looming statutory deadline to estimate next year’s revenue. Faced with that dilemma, state legislators on Tuesday chose to move that statutory deadline to buy themselves more time and to maintain […]
Senate bill seeks to reduce governor’s power on election plans
A bill filed Monday by Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, seeks to remove the governor’s veto authority on any future emergency election plans approved by the Louisiana Legislature. Current state statute provides that the Secretary of State submits an emergency election plan to the Legislature. The Legislature then votes on it, and if it passes, the […]
Louisiana Lawmaker wants to make it more difficult to ‘Defund the Police’
State Rep. Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, has proposed legislation to withhold state construction dollars from higher education institutions and local governments who try to “defund the police”. If it became law, local governments and higher education institutions would be required to submit their law enforcement budgets to the Legislature’s joint budget committee by Nov. 30 each […]
Former Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster enters hospice
Former Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster, 90, has entered hospice care, according to multiple news reports. Jeremy Alford, the publisher of LaPoliticsWeekly, tweeted Monday that Foster, the 53rd governor of the state, was a terminal patient and that members of his family “extend their continued gratitude for the prayers & well wishes.” Shortly thereafter, Gov. John […]
New Orleans allows go-cups amid Phase 2 restrictions
In the latest easing of Phase 2 coronavirus restrictions, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced Friday that restaurants may resume serving alcoholic drinks via drive-through, takeout and curbside pickup options between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. The new guideline took effect at 5 p.m. on Friday and applied to all restaurants within Orleans Parish, according […]
17 Calcasieu parish public schools will start their semester next week
Calcasieu Parish, which took a devastating blow from Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm on Aug. 27, will open 17 public schools for face-to-face instruction next week, the Calcasieu Parish School Board announced on Facebook yesterday. On the list of schools to reopen are 14 elementary schools, two middle schools and a high school. Faculty […]
Gov. Edwards declares state of emergency in advance of Tropical Storm Beta
Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency on Sept. 21 in advance of Tropical Storm Beta’s expected landfall on the Texas coast Monday night. Tropical Storm warnings are in effect for much of Louisiana’s coastline, and the storm’s slow movement puts Southwest Louisiana at risk for flash flooding and river flooding Monday through […]
Louisiana restaurants, casinos, bars get to sell alcohol for one more hour
Gov. John Bel Edwards adjusted his Phase 3 emergency order Thursday to allow Louisiana restaurants, casinos and bars in certain geographic areas to sell alcohol for on-premises consumption for an extra hour — until 11 p.m. Under the original Phase 3 plan announced last week, those establishments had to stop selling alcohol for on-site drinking […]
LSU’s Building Name Evaluation Committee holds inaugural meeting since library’s name change
When a protest led by Black LSU students led to the university removing the name of a segregationist university president from the main library, those young activists said their work wasn’t done, and the university promised a more thorough evaluation of the names that adorn its buildings. On Tuesday, the university’s Building Name Evaluation Committee, […]