News

Permitless concealed firearm proposal dead in Louisiana 

BY: - June 6, 2023

A bill to allow Louisiana residents to carry a concealed firearm without a permit or trainig  is dead after the author agreed to defer the bill Tuesday.  House Bill 131 by Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Oil City,  is similar to one he advanced last year, which stalled in the Senate in the wake of the mass […]

A map of the southern United States with arrows directed away from Louisiana, to reflect the outmigration of college graduates to other states

New data shows Louisiana is losing college grads to Texas and other states

BY: - June 6, 2023

Lucy Bui would have liked to stay close to her family and find a job in Louisiana after graduating from LSU with an architecture degree in 2022. But the professional opportunities were not in Louisiana, she said. She quickly accepted an offer with a firm in Dallas. “I would never grow as a professional if […]

The Louisiana State Capitol

House passes legislation to cut corporate franchise tax

BY: - June 5, 2023

Louisiana House lawmakers passed legislation Monday that would phase out the state’s corporate franchise tax revenue and partially offset the loss in state revenue by cutting a lucrative tax credit program. Two proposals from Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, which include Senate Bill 1 and Senate Bill 6 tied together as a tax-swap package, both passed the House […]

Students at Ben Franklin High School in New Orleans hold gay and transgender Pride flags and signs during a walkout to mark Transgender Day of Visibility.

‘Don’t Say Gay,’ pronoun restriction bills one step away from governor’s desk 

BY: - June 5, 2023

The Louisiana Senate gave final passage to two anti-LGBTQ+ bills Monday that target young transgender and queer students.  House Bill 466 by Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, prohibits discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools. House Bill 81 by Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City, would prohibit school employees from using transgender students’ preferred […]

Cremation bill amended to require Louisiana coroners perform post-mortem exams

BY: - June 5, 2023

The Louisiana House of Representatives approved a bill Monday that revealed some parish coroners have cremated bodies, instead of performing autopsies, even when deaths occur under suspicious circumstances. Before doing so, lawmakers in the lower chamber amended the proposal to try to address a critical shortcoming that has drawn public opposition.   Senate Bill 187, sponsored […]

A transgender Pride flag is covered with the words "Hands Off Trans Youth" at Washington Square Park, where hundreds people gathered for a march to mark Transgender Day of Visibility.

Ban on healthcare for trans youth one step away from final legislative approval

BY: - June 5, 2023

The Louisiana Senate has approved a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth that had previously been killed in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee.  The Senate passed House Bill 648 by Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock, on a 29-10 vote Monday. Sen. Fred Mills, R-Parks, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee chairman who was the […]

The Louisiana State Capitol

Louisiana Legislature looks more likely to raise the spending cap – just not as much

BY: - June 5, 2023

The Louisiana Legislature on Monday looked more likely to increase the state spending cap to allow for extra money to flow toward transportation projects, university buildings and hospitals – though not as much as the Senate and Gov. John Bel Edwards had originally proposed. The House Appropriations Committee voted 21-3 to allow lawmakers to spend […]

Senator Regina Barrow of Baton Rouge

Proposal scuttled to help Louisiana women imprisoned for killing their alleged abusers

BY: - June 5, 2023

A Louisiana senator has pulled her proposal to help women imprisoned for killing their alleged abusers after it ran into opposition from prosecutors around the state.  Instead, Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, sponsored an official request to the Louisiana Law Institute to study the issue and make recommendations for law changes. She hopes the study […]

A loop of purple ribbon, a symbol for domestic violence awareness, lies on a wooden floor

In an unusual move, Louisiana Senate proposes more funding for domestic violence services

BY: - June 5, 2023

The Louisiana Senate leadership included an additional $7 million for domestic violence shelters and victims services in its state budget proposal — a boon for those organizations that have typically received little state financial support.  Advocates for domestic violence victims have complained for years that Louisiana provides minimal state dollars for their shelters and services, […]

John Stefanski

Harsher fentanyl sentences get Louisiana Senate approval in AG candidate’s bill

BY: - June 4, 2023

Giving a major win to state Rep. John Stefanski in his quest to become the “tough-on-crime” attorney general, the Louisiana Senate gave final passage Sunday to his bill to majorly increase penalties for fentanyl possession.  Stefanski’s legislation, House Bill 90, was approved on a 32-4 vote, with Democratic Sens. Gerald Boudreaux of Lafayette, Royce Duplessis […]

A man looks at videos on his computer in the dark

Senate signs off on bill to punish porn websites that don’t verify user’s age

BY: - June 4, 2023

The Louisiana Senate gave unanimous final passage Sunday to a bill that would let the state attorney general pursue civil penalties against companies that do not comply with a law that requires pornography websites to verify the age of its users.  House Bill 77, sponsored by Rep. Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, builds on a law that […]

military members marching

Bills to combat college costs for Louisiana veterans head to governor’s desk for approval

BY: - June 4, 2023

The Louisiana Senate gave unanimous final passage to two bills Sunday to make college more affordable for military veterans.  Senators approved House Bill 485, sponsored by Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie, to create the Louisiana National Guard Patriot Scholarship Program, which would cover the cost of mandatory college fees for Guard members. The bill is among […]