Commentary
Louisiana coastal restoration needs more than disasters to fund work
Dozens of RESTORE Act projects in Louisiana are in various stages, but the problem of a dwindling coastline is far from solved.
In these Louisiana towns, ticket revenue climbed even as traffic dwindled
Auditors sounded an alarm on May 18, 2020, in Bonita, Louisiana, near the Arkansas state line. A statewide stay-at-home order was keeping cars off the road, limiting opportunities for the police to issue traffic tickets. The budget implications were serious in Bonita, which receives more than half its revenue from citations. “The Village relies on […]
Louisiana’s GOP delegation lacks Choco Taco conviction
There’s a lot being made of the untimely demise of the Choco Taco, which its manufacturer announced this week would be discontinued. Its impending absence has motivated its fans to appeal – somehow, some way – to keep it off the ice cream novelty extinction list. Those supporters include U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, who […]
GOP contenders’ words, deeds will haunt them as candidates for governor
Attorney General Jeff Landry was effusive Friday after an Orleans Parish judge refused to maintain a stay against enforcing Louisiana’s abortion ban. If you didn’t hear his remarks, don’t worry. Landry’s opponents in next year’s governor’s race are likely to use them against him repeatedly in campaign ads. “If you don’t like the laws of […]
As peak hurricane season looms, banks bolster cozy relationship with fossil fuel industry
Over the past several decades, the oil and gas industry promised to bring economic prosperity to the Gulf Coast. Instead, it brought financial instability and increasing climate disasters, and forced local communities to pay the price. As a result of the fossil fuel industry’s pollution, people living in the Gulf Coast face a growing number […]
Vapid Voting Systems Commission spends months perpetuating the Big Lie
Unfounded conspiracy theories and frequently repeated falsehoods led to the creation of a Voting Systems Commission last year to review the selection of new election equipment for the state of Louisiana. After months of hearings that fomented the fabrication, it should come as no surprise that the final scheduled commission meeting last week culminated with […]
Louisiana’s strict abortion laws could propel its maternal mortality rate even higher
Louisiana has a shocking 58.1 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, the highest in America. Not coincidentally, it has the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country.
More justice, more safety
Nearly six years to the day after beloved St. Paul school cafeteria worker Philando Castile was fatally shot by a police officer during an otherwise routine traffic stop, Jayland Walker died in a hail of bullets fired by police officers in Akron, Ohio. While the full picture of that shooting is still emerging as I […]
AG Landry letter to doctors on abortion amounts to political ‘horseplay’
A thoughtful reminder came from the desk of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry ahead of the 4th of July weekend. He shared a list of summer swimming safety tips, mindful of the number of people whose holiday plans include time in the water. His advice – wear lifejackets, never swim alone, avoid horseplay – will […]
School discipline needs an overhaul. We can start by banning corporal punishment.
For generations, Louisiana has refused to end the barbaric practice of hitting kids in schools. That refusal leads to more than 2,600 children being hit every year as a school disciplinary practice. This year, it felt like the tide might finally turn. A bill to ban the practice was introduced by Rep. Stephanie Hilferty for […]
Louisiana’s second redistricting session reveals the emperor has no clothes
Desks on the floor of the Louisiana House were mostly empty when Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge, took the lectern Saturday. It was just before members adjourned the second redistricting session of the year and minutes after the state Senate gaveled out sine die. Members of the Black Caucus and most Democrats were at Jordan’s […]
Mike Pence’s actions on Jan. 6 were wholly unremarkable – until they saved the nation
New revelations from the congressional committee investigating the events on and leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol show the crucial role then-Vice President Mike Pence played in thwarting the insurrection – and reveal the principles behind his actions. The 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads “the President of […]