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Louisiana Illuminator
Louisiana Governor’s Mansion records, commission meetings likely to be made secret
The Louisiana Legislature has voted overwhelmingly to give the governor more power over the publicly funded Governor’s Mansion and keep records and meetings related to the home secret. The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved House Bill 799, sponsored by Rep. Vincent St. Blanc, R-Franklin. The House of Representatives also approved the legislation on a 97-3 […] The post Louisiana Governor’s Mansion records, commission meetings likely to be made secret appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Lawmakers pass sweeping changes for foreign seafood sold at Louisiana restaurants
In an effort to protect Louisiana’s struggling domestic seafood industry, state lawmakers on Wednesday passed sweeping changes to public health codes that will affect thousands of restaurants, food trucks, grocery stores and other establishments across the state. They also include every state agency and school district that serves food. Senate Bill 166, sponsored by Sen. […] The post Lawmakers pass sweeping changes for foreign seafood sold at Louisiana restaurants appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana, Mississippi sue over workplace pregnancy protection law that covers abortion
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and her Mississippi counterpart are behind a lawsuit against the Biden administration over workplace rules that they believe “impose a national abortion regime.” Murrill and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch filed suit Tuesday to challenge the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s interpretation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. They take specific […] The post Louisiana, Mississippi sue over workplace pregnancy protection law that covers abortion appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
As states loosen childhood vaccine requirements, health experts’ worries grow
Louisiana Republican state Rep. Kathy Edmonston believes no one ought to be required to vaccinate their children. So, she wants schools to proactively tell parents that it’s their right under Louisiana law to seek an exemption. “It’s not the vaccine itself, it is the mandate,” Edmonston told Stateline. “The law is the law. And it […] The post As states loosen childhood vaccine requirements, health experts’ worries grow appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Risky business: Gambling on a constitutional convention
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry recently requested that the Legislature call a constitutional convention. He says the current constitution is too restrictive, and forbids cuts to most agencies, resulting in most cuts falling on higher education and healthcare. He also says that most of the amendments in the constitution should be statutes that can be changed […] The post Risky business: Gambling on a constitutional convention appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
More students could have access to tutoring vouchers, but few have been used so far
Louisiana lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday that would expand a voucher program for students not meeting state math and reading standards, and state officials are hoping demand for them will increase. House Bill 244, authored by Rep. Jason Hughes, D-New Orleans, would increase the amount of voucher money families receive, expand the grades from which […] The post More students could have access to tutoring vouchers, but few have been used so far appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Ranked-choice voting close to being illegal in Louisiana
Louisiana House lawmakers approved a bill Wednesday to outlaw ranked-choice voting, a method of elections some claim is too susceptible to fraud even though thousands of military members have used it for decades. Senate Bill 101, sponsored by Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, passed the House in a 74-22 vote and will return to the […] The post Ranked-choice voting close to being illegal in Louisiana appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
U.S. Senate GOP tries to block states from spending some of their COVID relief cash
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected efforts to roll back guidance from the Treasury Department regarding how state and local governments can spend funding Congress approved during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 46-49 vote on the Congressional Review Act resolution ended an attempt by several GOP senators to block the Biden administration from changing the […] The post U.S. Senate GOP tries to block states from spending some of their COVID relief cash appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Congressional panel debates who should foot the bill for rebuilding Baltimore bridge
Conservative members of Congress at a hearing on Wednesday raised questions about using federal dollars to pay for rebuilding a state tollway, as the head of the Federal Highway Administration reiterated that the Biden administration is seeking congressional approval to reimburse 100% of the costs of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Congress […] The post Congressional panel debates who should foot the bill for rebuilding Baltimore bridge appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with two majority-Black districts
The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered Louisiana to use maps with two majority-Black districts approved earlier this year for this fall’s congressional elections. The order issued Wednesday suspends a lower court’s ruling that found that the map, signed into law after a five-day special legislative session convened at Gov. Jeff Landry’s direction, constitutes an illegal […] The post Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with two majority-Black districts appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Student aid for formerly incarcerated people stripped from workforce bill
Louisiana lawmakers have stripped out language from a proposal that would have allowed people convicted of violent crimes to access state assistance for high-demand workforce programs once they’ve completed their sentences. The Senate Committee on Education met Wednesday and advanced an amended version of House Bill 728 by Rep. Paula Davis, R-Baton Rouge, that lowers […] The post Student aid for formerly incarcerated people stripped from workforce bill appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Gov. Jeff Landry, in dispute with state ethics board, might gain more control over its members
Gov. Jeff Landry has yet to resolve a months-long dispute with the Louisiana Board of Ethics for failing to disclose private flights he took to Hawaii on a campaign donor’s plane. Now, state lawmakers may give Landry more control over the board that seeks to discipline him. Senate Bill 497 would give the governor direct […] The post Gov. Jeff Landry, in dispute with state ethics board, might gain more control over its members appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Bills targeting LGBTQ+ youth in Louisiana close to final approval
Two anti-LGBTQ+ bills advanced Wednesday from the Louisiana Senate Committee on Education, putting them one step away from final legislative approval. The committee advanced House Bill 121 by Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City, which prohibits the use of transgender and nonbinary youth’s chosen names and pronouns in public K-12 schools without parental permission. House Bill […] The post Bills targeting LGBTQ+ youth in Louisiana close to final approval appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Legal fights leave question marks over ballot access in presidential battleground states
In Wisconsin, voters don’t yet know whether the ballot drop boxes that were in use in the state for years will be allowed this fall. Georgians are waiting to find out whether much of their state’s sweeping 2021 voting law, which imposed a range of restrictions, will be in place. In North Carolina, procedures for […] The post Legal fights leave question marks over ballot access in presidential battleground states appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
CNN sets first Biden-Trump presidential debate for June 27 in Atlanta
WASHINGTON — CNN announced on Wednesday morning that it will host a debate between President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the network’s Atlanta studios on June 27. CNN said there would be no audience present for the debate and moderators will be announced later. A second debate will be hosted […] The post CNN sets first Biden-Trump presidential debate for June 27 in Atlanta appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana Senate president casts doubt on holding constitutional convention
The leader of the Louisiana Senate says lawmakers still have “the same amount of questions” about Gov. Jeff Landry’s proposed constitutional convention as they did a few weeks ago, and they are still skeptical about going forward with the event. The Senate is not close to voting to support a convention at this point, with […] The post Louisiana Senate president casts doubt on holding constitutional convention appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
The education savings account debate isn’t parents vs. politicians
You might have noticed Gov. Jeff Landry on television commercials recently seeking support for an education savings account (ESAs) proposal currently before the Louisiana Legislature. He will also attend two town hall events Thursday to discuss the proposal just ahead of a possible vote in the state Senate. What you might not know is that […] The post The education savings account debate isn’t parents vs. politicians appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana on track to dismantle consumable hemp industry after accidentally legalizing it
Louisiana lawmakers are one step away from dismantling a consumable hemp industry they created two years ago after unwittingly legalizing products that can get people high. Senate Bill 237, sponsored by Sen. Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport, cleared the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice in a 7-5 vote Tuesday. The bill, for which 67 lobbyists […] The post Louisiana on track to dismantle consumable hemp industry after accidentally legalizing it appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Dyslexic students could see changes in state testing requirements
Two proposals aimed at better identifying dyslexia in Louisiana students and relieving them of standardized testing requirements advanced Tuesday from a legislative committee. The bills aim to improve state efforts at diagnosing students with dyslexia early, which started last year with screenings. Sen. Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport, authored both bills. Former state Rep. Joe Marino, I-Gretna, […] The post Dyslexic students could see changes in state testing requirements appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana Senate leader seeks to block Landry juvenile justice appointee
A legislative leader doesn’t believe Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s choice to run the state’s youth prison system should get the job, and she’s preparing to put up a fight over his Senate confirmation. Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, is seeking to unseal state court records in Red River Parish about the Ware […] The post Louisiana Senate leader seeks to block Landry juvenile justice appointee appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
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The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization driven by its mission to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized. Here readers will find in-depth investigations and news stories, news briefs and commentary, all of which is intended to help them make sense of how state policy is crafted, how it helps or hurts them and how it helps or hurts their neighbors across the state. Notwithstanding the way political reporting is often presented, we see politics as neither sport nor entertainment. There are quality-of-life consequences – even life-and-death consequences – to environmental permitting decisions, to health care policy, to income- and sales-tax rates, to budgetary cuts and to economic development plans. For those reasons, the Illuminator does not cover politics in a way that centers on politicians, their squabbles with one another or their career ambitions. Instead, we center on Louisianians from Ouachita to Calcasieu, from Plaquemines to Caddo who must live with the decisions their political leaders make. Though we’re located in Baton Rouge, we understand that the ramifications of decisions made in our capital are felt across the state and that those stories are often best told in cities, towns and parishes far from the halls of power. As our name indicates, our mission is to shine a bright light on Louisiana, to highlight the state’s successes and its examples of good and responsive government and to expose its failures and corruption. An affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers like you, the Louisiana Illuminator retains editorial independence.
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