Govt + Politics
Crime tops worries of Louisiana residents, survey finds
Crime is the top concern for Louisiana residents for the first time in 20 years, according to an LSU survey released Tuesday. The Louisiana Survey, conducted by LSU’s Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs, shows that crime is the primary concern for about one-fifth of Louisiana residents, with 80% of those surveyed saying crime […]
Anti-tenure legislator backs off controversial bill to put tenure practices into law
A proposal to place tenure policies for higher education faculty into Louisiana law is dead for the year after its author has decided not to pursue the legislation. Sen. Stewart Cathey, R-Monroe, confirmed in an interview Senate Bill 174 is not going anywhere this session because he never requested a hearing for it in the […]
Louisiana teacher raises, construction projects hinge on state lawmaker budget negotiations
Louisiana legislators could struggle to fund public school teacher pay raises and a state construction plan for roads, bridges, universities and coastal restoration if lawmakers refuse to raise the state’s spending cap, state senators stressed this week. Several senators want to grant a $2,000 annual pay increase for public school teachers and a $1,000 annual […]
Death penalty, despite high cost and few executions, stays put in Louisiana
A legislative effort to eliminate the death penalty as a form of criminal punishment in Louisiana failed Wednesday, despite the state not having executed anyone involuntarily in over 20 years. Advocates for ending capital punishment stressed that 11 death row inmates have been exonerated or had their convictions reversed, compared with 28 executed, since Louisiana […]
Louisiana lawmaker who bucked GOP on gender-affirming care ban unfazed by national critics
State Sen. Fred Mills is the latest target of national conservative activists after bucking the Republican Party by voting to kill a proposed ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth But he’s not worried about it. “Why should I?,” Mills said in an interview after he broke a tie vote Wednesday in the Louisiana Senate […]
Sinking redfish numbers could place bull reds off limits to anglers
Redfish stocks in Louisiana are declining at rates that have prompted state lawmakers to ask for tighter fishing regulations. The House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday from Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, that would urge the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission to adopt a new limit prohibiting anglers from keeping […]
After years of bipartisan spending boosts, U.S. House GOP won’t lift debt ceiling without cuts
WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats in Congress together brokered dozens of debt limit agreements, including several during the past decade, marked by a desire in both political parties to increase federal spending. But U.S. House Republicans now are pushing for the federal government to spend less next year than it will this year in order […]
Trans youth healthcare ban killed in Louisiana, giving LGBTQ+ community a rare win
A Louisiana Senate committee killed a proposed ban on gender affirming healthcare for transgender youth Wednesday, giving a rare victory to LGBTQ+ activists combating care restrictions throughout the southeast. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted 5-4 to involuntarily defer House Bill 648 by Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock, killing the bill for the year. Committee […]
Miscarriage certificates, similar to birth certificates, could soon be issued in Louisiana
Louisiana would start issuing “commemorative certificates” for miscarriages — documents that closely resemble birth certificates given out when babies are born — under legislation that looks likely to become law. House Bill 457, sponsored by Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City, encourages doctors to tell people who lost pregnancies at 20 weeks or earlier that they […]
Only truth in juvenile justice ‘transparency’ bill is in its political motives
Proponents suggest a bill under consideration in the Louisiana Legislature would promote accountability for young offenders, especially those charged as adults. The proposal would allow victims to track minors, by name, accused of violent crime as their cases progress through juvenile court. Yet rather than target the prosecutors who let such matters slip through the […]
Foreign adversaries couldn’t buy Louisiana property under proposal
The House passed a bill 78-22 Tuesday that would prohibit certain foreign adversaries or people connected to them from acquiring immovable property in Louisiana. House Bill 537, authored by Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, caused a stir at a recent committee hearing with many people protesting that it would allow landlords and home sellers to […]
Police mugshots could soon be made public again
The Louisiana Senate is on track to reverse a bill it passed unanimously just a year ago that limited the release of mugshots of people accused of non-violent offenses prior to conviction. House Bill 265, sponsored by Rep. Bryan Fontenot, R-Thibodaux, would effectively repeal most of a law Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, sponsored last […]