Commentary
Dark money, infighting could change Louisiana governor’s race
Qualifying for the Louisiana governor’s election closed Aug. 10 without any last-minute surprise candidates entering the race. The major Republican candidates in the running include state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, the only prominent woman candidate, state Attorney General Jeff Landry, state Rep. Richard Nelson, State Treasurer John Schroeder, and former president of the Louisiana Association of […]
Why you shouldn’t sleep on the Louisiana secretary of state’s race this fall
Secretary of state hasn’t been one of the more fruitful statewide elected seats in Louisiana government when it comes to its holder advancing to higher profile jobs. Other than Paul Hardy and Jay Dardenne going on to become lieutenant governor, the post hasn’t been much of a launchpad in recent decades. But it would be […]
Prosecution errors alone justify clemency consideration in Louisiana death row cases
Add the name Jerry Davis to the list of people wrongly convicted of murder in Louisiana who narrowly avoided what could have been an unwarranted execution. Davis was released from Orleans Parish Justice Center on $25,000 bail late Wednesday night after his first-degree murder conviction was vacated July 26. Davis’s story lends credence to calls […]
Cleco energy plan calls for tougher scrutiny from Louisiana regulators
The long-range energy plan that Cleco submitted to the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) this year is incredibly flawed and needs to be fixed. Every scenario in the utility’s energy plan assumes that expensive carbon capture and sequestration is needed at its Madison coal plant. Meanwhile, Cleco’s energy plan fails to use industry-standard, competitive bids […]
U.S. senators shoot blanks with Second Amendment stance on shipping companies
A long-standing bedrock conservative principle has been to minimize government interference in the free enterprise system. It’s a philosophy that holds any mingling between bureaucracy and business should be limited to activity that protects the public’s interests and while also promoting commerce. Yet a group of 15 Republican U.S. senators have gone against the grain […]
Louisiana AG’s fights against exonerees’ compensation are pointless, costly to taxpayers
More than nearly every other state, Louisiana has a dismal track record of wrongful incarceration. Its criminal justice system exonerates more people on a per capita basis — 1.93 for every 100,000 citizens — than anywhere else but Illinois (2.34), according to the National Registry of Exonerations. To be perfectly clear, these are people who […]
Calls for veto override session from Louisiana Republicans get downright weird
It’s anyone’s guess at this point whether Louisiana lawmakers will convene for a veto override session late this month, although it’s growing increasingly clear why those in favor want one. As promised, Gov. John Bel Edwards rejected three bills that target LGBTQ+ youth: a stricter version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law for school employees; […]
Governor faces critical decision on Louisiana’s juvenile justice approach
Ample attention will be paid this week to see if Gov. John Bel Edwards follows through with promised vetoes of three bills the Louisiana Legislature approved that target LGBTQ+ youth. Meanwhile, another group of youth advocates hopes the governor strikes down what they see as an equally concerning proposed law. A 17-year-old accused of committing […]
Readers React: Louisiana’s queer and trans youth, you are loved
You are loved, you are valued, and you are a sacred part of your community. You also represent the potential and beauty of this state. The people who have come together to write this letter are adults who are overwhelmingly queer and/or trans. We’re writing to queer and trans youth across Louisiana because you are […]
Public safety is more important than politics
Anyone following news from this year’s legislative session in Baton Rouge knows that politicians are desperate to be seen as “tough on crime.” At a time when Louisianans are very concerned about crime and public safety, many lawmakers have chosen to exploit this collective anxiety for their own political advantages – at the expense of […]
Dobbs decision spurs moral injury to abortion patients, providers alike
On June 24, 2022, the landscape of reproductive healthcare in this country took a frightening turn for the worst. The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned what had previously been a constitutional right to abortion set off a whirlwind of changes in healthcare – not only as related to […]
A teacher’s open letter urging Gov. Edwards to veto anti-transgender legislation
I am writing to you as a Louisiana teacher and concerned citizen to urge you to veto House Bill 466 and House Bill 81, both of which target educators and pose a significant threat to the safety, privacy, and dignity of transgender youth. These bills, if signed into law, would have far-reaching consequences for both […]