Latest news with #GregHilburn
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
SWEPCO cuts power to avoid 'catastrophic damage' to power grid
SWEPCO has cut power to more than 30,000 customers in Bossier and Caddo parishes to prevent what the utility said could be "catastrophic damage" to the power grid. SWEPCO said it's working with the Southwest Power Pool in what it deemed an "emergency situation." SWEPCO and Southwest Power Pool manage the flow of electricity in northeastern Louisiana's population hub. "In this instance, our grid operators were instructed to take immediate action, which did not give us time to inform you before the outage occurred," SWEPCO said in a news release. The utility didn't say when power would be restored, only calling it a temporary outage. Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: SWEPCO cuts power to avoid 'catastrophic damage' to power grid
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Make sure you can vote on whether to change the Louisiana Constitution on taxes, teacher pay
It's not too late to register to vote in Louisiana's March 29 election, but key deadlines are approaching to participate in a chance to change the state Constitution or choose local representatives from mayors to school board members in cities and parishes. Though the deadline to register to vote in person has passed, eligible voters can still register until Saturday, March 8, online through the GeauxVote Online Registration System. This deadline is for citizens who have never registered to vote, as well as voters who would like to make changes to their registration. Citizens may check their registration or register to vote online at Secretary of State Nancy Landry recommends voters download the free GeauxVote Mobile smartphone app. The app provides registration information as well as voting districts, sample ballots, polling place information and election results. Early voting for the March 29 election will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 15, through Saturday, March 22 (excluding Sunday, March 16). Voters statewide will decide on four proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution ranging from taxes, government spending, debt payments, specialized courts, juvenile crime and vacancies in judgeships. Massive Amendment No. 2 would lower the maximum rate of income tax, increase income tax deductions for citizens over 65, provide for a government growth limit, modify operation of certain constitutional funds, provide for property tax exemptions retaining the homestead exemption and exemption for religious organizations, provide a permanent teacher salary increase by requiring a surplus payment to teacher retirement debt and make other modifications. For information about voting, call the Elections Hotline at 800-883-2805, with TDD/TTY access at 711 or email the Elections Division at elections@ To report potential polling place accessibility issues, please email the Elections ADA Compliance Officer at ADA@ Complaints involving possible election code violations should be reported to the Secretary of State's Election Integrity Division at 800-722-5305. More: Explaining the Louisiana constitutional amendments on the March 29 election ballot Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: How to make sure you can vote on Louisiana Constitution amendments
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Explaining the Louisiana constitutional amendments on the March 29 election ballot
Louisiana voters will have another chance to change their state Constitution with four proposed amendments on the March 29 ballot. The proposed amendments range from expanding specialty courts to lowering income tax rates. Voters have approved 220 amendments to their Louisiana Constitution during the past 50 years. That's compared to 27 amendments (including the original 10 in the Bill of Rights) in the U.S. Constitution over more than 200 years. The following is an edited explanation of the proposed amendments from the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, which provides a voter's guide without taking a position. For PAR's full analysis, go to the A vote for would: Add to the constitution the Louisiana Supreme Court's authority to discipline out-of-state lawyers for legal work in the state and expand the Legislature's authority to create specialty courts not limited to parish and judicial district boundaries. A vote against would: Retain the current provisions governing the Louisiana Supreme Court's oversight of lawyer discipline and keep the Louisiana Legislature's authority to create specialty courts limited to parish and judicial district boundaries. This massive proposed amendment would lower the maximum rate of income tax, increase income tax deductions for citizens over 65, provide for a government growth limit, modify operation of certain constitutional funds, provide for property tax exemptions retaining the homestead exemption and exemption for religious organizations, provide a permanent teacher salary increase by requiring a surplus payment to teacher retirement debt and make other modifications. A vote for would: Rewrite large portions of the Louisiana Constitution article dealing with revenue collections, the state budget process, savings accounts and taxation rules. A vote against would: Continue the current provisions governing revenue collections, budgeting procedures, savings accounts and taxation limitations. A vote for would: Remove the list of 16 crimes for which people under the age of 17 can be charged as adults from the Louisiana Constitution, allowing lawmakers to more easily expand the list of felony offenses in law. A vote against would: Maintain the limited list of 16 crimes for which people under the age of 17 can be charged as adults. A vote for would: Change the timing requirements for filling a judicial vacancy or newly created judgeship, so the special election coincides with the regular elections calendar. A vote against would: Keep election rules for filling a judicial vacancy or newly created judgeship that require the special election to be held and a judge to be seated within 12 months after the vacancy began. More: Buc-ee's will break ground in Ruston, Louisiana, soon: Here's the time line for the Beaver Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Explaining the proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution
