Govt + Politics
Political scientist labels Louisiana the ‘least-interested electorate I’ve ever seen’
Forty years ago, Louisiana’s charismatic former Gov. Edwin Edwards wallopped incumbent David Treen in a gubernatorial primary election to return to the state’s highest office after a four-year absence. A populist and Democrat, Edwards got 62% of the vote to the sitting Republican governor’s 36%. Treen’s image, as perhaps being too boring for Louisiana, never […]
Reliability v. sustainability: Inside the debate over the EPA’s proposed carbon rules
Electric reliability has been a hot topic lately — from congressional hearings to regulatory agencies and at the regional transmission organizations that run the electric grid in much of the country. The American electric grid is undergoing a major change, prodded by state and federal decarbonization policies, market forces pushing cheaper and cleaner forms of […]
Anti-abortion groups shrug off election losses, look to courts, statehouses for path forward
Anti-abortion groups are firing off a warning shot for 2024: We’re not going anywhere. Their leaders say they’re undeterred by recent election setbacks and plan to plow ahead on what they’ve done for years, including working through state legislatures, federal agencies, and federal courts to outlaw abortion. And at least one prominent anti-abortion group is […]
Landry sends mixed messages with ‘carbon neutral’ comments, trial lawyer ties
Gov.-elect Jeff Landry’s pick for Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality secretary last week was something of a head-scratcher. It’s not so surprising he picked a former Trump administration employee for the job, but Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto’s background as leader of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has many questioning why she would be considered a […]
Despite setbacks, states are still counting on offshore wind
In recent months, East Coast states’ plans to install massive new offshore wind farms have been battered by bad economic news, canceled contracts and newfound uncertainty about the projects officials are counting on to reach their clean energy goals. Despite the setbacks, state leaders say they don’t intend to dial back their offshore wind ambitions. […]
‘Tapped Out’: Investigation finds deeper issues with New Orleans drinking water
Emails and interviews with Sewerage and Water Board officials, combined with an extensive analysis of their data, have revealed deeper, more extensive problems within New Orleans’ drinking water testing and sample collection programs than the Illuminator and our investigative news partners at WVUE-TV Fox 8 previously reported earlier this month. For example, GPS data show […]
How U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson helped derail a fight against election lies
Back in July, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. A federal court had recently granted a temporary injunction, in Missouri v. Biden, finding that the Biden administration had violated the First Amendment by coercing social media companies to remove content, related both to elections and the COVID-19 vaccine, that […]
Jeff Landry spent at least $3.7 million with Trump political consultants
Gov.-elect Jeff Landry spent at least $3.7 million with political consultants tied to former President Donald Trump while Landry was running for Louisiana governor over the past year. Months before Landry received Trump’s endorsement in May, the incoming governor started paying people associated with the former president to be a part of his campaign team. […]
Three presidential debates, one VP debate scheduled ahead of 2024 election
WASHINGTON — The Democratic and Republican nominees for president would debate three times next year if both candidates agree to a schedule released Monday by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. “The United States’ general election debates, watched live worldwide, are a model for many other countries: the opportunity to hear and see leading candidates […]
Edwards, first lady host incoming Landrys at Governor’s Mansion
The transition for Gov.-elect Jeff Landry continued Monday as he and his wife, Sharon, met with the current occupants of the Governor’s Mansion. Gov. John Bel Edwards and First Lady Donna Edwards hosted the Landrys to discuss the transition, life at the mansion and day-to-day demands of their respective roles, according to the governor’s office. […]
States grapple with racist language in real estate deeds
Lisa Boccetti is horrified by the restrictive covenant that is in the deed to her 1950s ranch house in Raleigh, North Carolina: It states that the land cannot be sold or occupied by Black people. The property “shall not be sold to negroes or to any person or persons of negro blood, and said premises shall […]
Incoming Louisiana legislative leaders undecided on paid parental leave for state workers
Incoming leaders of the Louisiana Legislature aren’t sure yet whether they will get behind a paid parental leave policy for state workers Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards is putting in place during his final days in office. “I haven’t talked to enough [Senate] members to know if there is any opposition,” said Sen. Cameron Henry, […]