Govt + Politics
‘This is personal to me’: Scalise calls for more law and order on opening night of RNC
WASHINGTON — Louisiana Republican Steve Scalise made a case for Donald Trump as a law and order president who will bolster law enforcement, in remarks Monday at the opening night of the Republican National Convention. Scalise, the House minority whip and second-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, was one of the prime-time speakers in […]
House Democrats pummel postmaster over sharp declines in on-time mail delivery
WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy came under heavy fire Monday for withholding key information about delays in the delivery of mail since he took over the Postal Service just two months ago. In a hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Democrats pressed DeJoy over an internal report made public over the weekend […]
Hurricanes Marco and Laura to tag team a state already staggering from COVID-19
Gov. John Bel Edwards warned residents across the southern half of the state Sunday to get prepared for an unprecedented “one, two punch” from separate hurricanes spinning toward the Gulf Coast. As the governor spoke Sunday evening, wind gusts from Hurricane Marco, a Category 1 storm, were already being felt in the coastal areas near […]
House passes bill to boost post office funding by $25 billion, block service changes
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House convened a rare weekend session Saturday in an attempt to stop the U.S. Postal Service from allegedly disrupting mail service to sabotage the November elections. The Democratic-led chamber passed a bill 257-150 that would infuse $25 billion into the agency as it prepares for a surge in mail-in ballots and […]
Postmaster general says delivering election mail on time is his ‘sacred duty’ and main priority
WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy mounted a strong defense of his record Friday during a high-profile Senate hearing on recent postal delays, calling claims that the Trump administration is trying to sabotage the elections by deliberately disrupting mail service “outrageous.” DeJoy acknowledged delays during the pandemic but said the agency is fully capable of […]
All Louisiana Universities Expected To Share Coronavirus Case Information
All Louisiana higher education institutions are expected to start sharing the number of coronavirus cases among students and staff on their campuses. The announcement came Wednesday, a day after a higher education official said most public universities in the state wouldn’t be sharing such information. “We do believe that the information pertaining to these institutions […]
Republican-friendly election plan breezes past Senate committee
Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s proposed emergency election plan passed through a second legislative committee on Thursday, as most expected it would. Ardoin, a Republican, said he wrote the plan specifically so that it would appease Republican lawmakers who make up the majority of the Louisiana Legislature and whose votes are needed to approve […]
Additional unemployment benefits to come next week, Gov. Edwards said
Gov. John Bel Edwards held his second of two weekly press conferences at the Louisiana State Capitol. What follows is a brief summary of a few of the many topics the governor discussed. Two named storms may make landfall by next week Louisianans who remain worried about the new threat posed by the novel coronavirus […]
Sen. Bill Cassidy says he’s tested positive for COVID-19
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy announced Thursday that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Cassidy, a gastroenterologist, has been vocal about the need for Americans to wear masks and practice social distancing during the pandemic. But health officials say wearing a face mask — which prevents the spread of droplets from the mouth and nose — […]
DEBERRY: Louisiana voters may not get a chance to trust the post office with their ballots
It quickly becomes clear when talking with Mary Frances Berry about voting that the former chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights doesn’t do talking points. Four years ago, as we spoke about her book on the lingering practice of vote-buying — she calls it “Five Dollars and a Pork Chop Sandwich” — Berry […]
After heated exchange, House committee approves emergency election plan
A state legislative committee on Wednesday approved Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s proposed emergency election plan despite drawing criticism from the governor, many Louisiana residents and a Republican lawmaker for the voting barriers the plan creates amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The House and Governmental Affairs Committee, comprised of mostly Republicans, passed the plan in a 8-6 […]
Courts may decide Louisiana’s election plan; COVID-19 numbers dip to recent low
In a press conference Tuesday, Gov. Edwards said he is refusing to sign Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s proposed emergency election plan, meaning Louisiana is heading to November without a viable plan for residents concerned about infection to vote during the pandemic. Also, for the second consecutive day, Louisiana’s daily COVID-19 case count was below […]