Latest news with #GregLaRose
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘The Light Switch' Episode 6: Kratom collision course
Photos by Getty Images, Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator You might have heard of kratom – but it's more likely you've seen it, or at least the word – written in neon on the front of a smoke shop — or on a little bottle next to the checkout at a convenience store. Technically, kratom is not a drug, but some people use it like one. In many cases, they're using it to help them get off of drugs, like highly addictive opioids. But there are other kratom stories, and they don't have happy endings. There are two bills being debated in the Louisiana Legislature – one seeks to ban kratom entirely, and the other would regulate how it's packaged and sold, keeping it available for people who say it's changed their lives for the better. In this episode, Illuminator editor Greg LaRose explores both sides of the kratom issue. You'll hear from the people it affects, good and bad and explore the science behind substance and the disputes over it. Plus, we'll chip away at the misinformation that surrounds the political debate – here in Louisiana and in other states that have chosen to regulate, ban and un-ban the substance. Please subscribe and rate The Light Switch on Spotify or Apple.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Major tweaks to TOPS scholarships in Louisiana scrapped due to cost
The University of Louisiana Monroe library, photographed from Northeast Drive. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers have advanced a new TOPS award for high-performing students, scrapping language from an original proposal that would have dramatically changed the popular scholarship program. House Bill 77 by Rep. Chris Turner, R-Ruston, was amended Tuesday in the House Committee on Appropriations because it would have increased state spending nearly $50 million annually at a time when lawmakers are working under budget constraints. In its current state, Turner said his proposal comes with a $12 million cost that can be covered with unused TOPS awards. Originally, Turner's bill would have created a flat rate for each level of TOPS award rather than a unique allotment for each school. The new rate would have meant students at LSU, its two medical schools and the University of New Orleans would pay more out of pocket, while students at other Louisiana schools would pay less. The provisions drew the criticism of Phyllis Taylor, whose late husband Patrick F. Taylor was responsible for the creation of the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, a merit-based scholarship program for Louisiana students who attend in-state schools. With the new amendments, Turner's bill creates the TOPS Excellence award, which is available to any student with a 3.5 grade point average and a score of 31 or higher on the ACT. The scholarship will equal tuition and fees at the public university the student chooses or $12,000, whichever is less. The new Excellence award would go to students who enroll in college starting in the upcoming fall semester or later. Turner added amendments to his bill that incorporate language from House Bill 70 by Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie. It would expand the number of students eligible for the TOPS Tech award, which covers up to two years of study in a skill or occupational training program. The bill will next be debated on the House floor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisiana universities could get ‘fail safe' for students in mental health crisis
Members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity at Xavier University of Louisiana perform a step routine Jan. 17, 2025, at a kickoff event for the school's 100th anniversary. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) The Louisiana Legislature is advancing a measure that would allow colleges and universities to contact the parents of students experiencing a mental health crisis. House Bill 202 by Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, would require colleges and universities to offer privacy waivers to students that would allow the schools to contact a pre-designated person in the case of a mental health crisis or situation in which the student poses a risk to themselves or other. The measure is necessary because colleges are currently not able to contact parents under privacy laws that protect adult students, Boyd said. Students would be given the option to fill out the waiver. Legislators on the House Committee on Education described the proposal Wednesday as a 'fail safe.' It comes on the heels of several high-profile deaths on college campuses. 'Just recently, we had a student at Xavier University that committed suicide about a month ago,' Boyd told the committee. 'Imagine if someone had paid attention to the change in attitude, the personality or what have you, it could have ended in a different way.' Boyd's bill will next be discussed on the House floor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana lawmakers might shield campaign spending on constitutional amendments, tax proposals
Voters talk outside a polling place at Edward Hynes Charter School in New Orleans' Lakeview neighborhood on Nov. 8, 2022. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers might eliminate requirements that political donations and spending on constitutional amendments, tax millages and other election propositions be made available to the public. The change would result in voters knowing less about who is working to pass or defeat ballot measures they are asked to consider. Rep. Mark Wright, R- Covington, chairman of the House Republican Caucus, has sponsored House Bill 596. It would make dozens of changes to Louisiana campaign finance reporting laws, including one to end finance reporting requirements for a 'proposition or question to be submitted to the voters.' Should his bill pass, campaign contributions and political spending in an election that doesn't involve a candidate would not have to be made public. The change would apply to proposed state constitutional amendments, property tax measures, local government charter changes and gambling legalization initiatives, among other referenda. The fundraising and spending for Gov. Jeff Landry's failed constitutional amendments on taxes, spending and criminal justice would have been kept secret if these law changes had been in place. Political advertising buys for a controversial ballot measure that established the city of St. George in East Baton Rouge Parish also would have been unknown. Transparency about campaign spending on property tax hikes and renewals – such as one that failed Saturday for the East Baton Rouge District Attorney's Office and one that narrowly passed for the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office – also wouldn't be required anymore. Stephen Gelé, a private attorney who handles campaign finance and ethics reports for the governor, helped write the legislation. Onerous campaign finance reporting requirements for ballot measures outweigh the good they provide, he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'The minimal benefits of mandating the reporting of spending on ballot measures – considering the difficulty in enforcement and lack of significant risk of corruption from such spending – is outweighed by the cost of the heavy burden imposed on the constitutional right to free speech by such mandates,' Gelé said in a written statement Sunday. Individuals and business interests might be less likely to contribute to a particular ballot measure campaign if they know their identity will be disclosed, according to Gelé. Allowing citizens to remain anonymous encourages more participation in the political process, he said. The reasons for mandating transparency on political contributions and spending on candidates also don't necessarily apply to ballot measures, Gelé said, because a ballot measure can't be corrupted or bribed like a candidate. Advocates for government transparency are concerned, however. Steven Procopio with the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, said his organization opposes the change and believes it would be a 'step back' for the state, which has been trying to ditch its reputation for sleazy politics. 'I not only think it is a bad idea, I can't believe the citizens won't be angry when they find out about it,' Procopio said in an interview Friday. Louisiana's campaign finance reporting laws for ballot measures are already weak and make it nearly impossible to figure out who is funding the campaigns surrounding those propositions. For example, the groups opposing and supporting the four constitutional amendments on the March 29 ballot spent more than $1 million combined. Who provided the money for the campaigns wasn't clear, however, because the requirements for donor disclosure for ballot propositions are easy to skirt. The two largest spenders on the March amendments did not reveal who was paying for their amendment campaign efforts. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The Vera Institute of Justice spent at least $400,000 on a campaign to defeat Amendment 3, which would have made it easier to send more minors to adult prisons. Based in New York City, Vera took in more than $260 million over the past two years but is not required, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the federal tax code, to disclose its contributors. Likewise, a 'social welfare' organization called Protect Louisiana Values that was set up to support Landry spent $300,000 to back Amendment 2, which would have made dozens of tax and budget changes to the Louisiana Constitution. It is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit – sometimes referred to as a 'dark money' political organization by critics – and also doesn't have to reveal its donors. Should Wright's legislation pass, not only would donors for proposition campaigns no longer be disclosed, but the amount of money being spent and the campaign vendors being paid for advertising and other organization efforts also wouldn't be known. Landry is pushing for the proposal right after he spent weeks trying to blame billionaire philanthropist George Soros for the March amendments' failure. The governor has repeatedly claimed Soros funded the opposition campaign, though Landry hasn't provided evidence to support the assertion. Public finance records are also too vague to determine whether Soros was involved. A Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor, Soros is a major donor to liberal causes and has served as a bogeyman for conservatives for years. He never claimed to be involved in the Louisiana election, though he openly spent millions on a Wisconsin Supreme Court race that took place just a few days later in April. 'There was a lot of misinformation and straight-up lies about where the money for the Amendment 3 campaign came from,' Sarah Omojola with the Vera Institute said. 'So I find it interesting that this [bill] is coming forward now.' Republican leaders in the Legislature are attempting to put another proposal to change the state's tax and budget structure back on the ballot within the next year. In its new iteration, it consists of multiple constitutional amendments. Should Wright's legislation pass, the campaign operations surrounding those new constitutional amendments would be largely a secret. His bill is expected to come up for an initial vote Wednesday in the Louisiana House and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama gender-affirming care ban lawsuit abruptly dismissed
Protestors hold a flag in New Orleans on March 31, 2023 as part of the International Transgender Day of Visibility. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) The high-profile lawsuit challenging Alabama's 2022 law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth under 19 has been dismissed by all parties involved. Neither the plaintiffs – transgender youth and families challenging the ban – or the Alabama attorney's office filed an official explanation for the move or a suggestion of a settlement with the court. In separate statements, the plaintiffs said they would continue to fight for access to the care, while Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall declared it a total victory for the state and a vindication of their position. 'The shutting down of medical care in Alabama has forced our plaintiffs and other Alabama families to make heart wrenching decisions that no family should ever have to make, and they are each making the decisions they need to make that are right for them,' said Scott McCoy, deputy legal director of inclusion and anti-extremism litigation team at the Southern Poverty Law Center, in a joint statement from organizations representing the plaintiffs. 'We salute the courage of these plaintiffs and we will continue fighting to ensure families across the country have the freedom to get their transgender children the proven medical care that enables them to thrive.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Marshall declared the dismissal a decisive victory for the state and claimed in a statement that a 'court-ordered discovery' uncovered what he described as 'medical, legal, and political scandal that will be studied for decades.' 'We uncovered the truth,' the statement said. 'We exposed the scandal. We won. Alabama led the way, and now all families are safer for it.' Messages were left with the Attorney General's office seeking clarification. According to the statement, the discovery process in the case revealed that 'key medical organizations misled parents, promoted unproven treatments as settled science, and ignored growing international concern over the use of sex-change procedures to treat gender dysphoria in minors,' but does not state how. The statement also alleged that internal communications showed the 'standards of care' were legally and politically crafted but does not provide specifics. The law, known as the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, made it a felony for medical providers to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones to transgender minors, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years. The law did not ban the use of puberty blockers to treat precocious puberty in cisgender children. It also prohibited gender-affirming surgeries for individuals under 19, though health care providers have repeatedly testified such surgeries are not performed on minors. The legislation led to immediate legal action after being signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey in April 2022. Initially, a federal judge blocked the ban on medications, citing interference with parental rights and a lack of evidence demonstrating harm from the treatments. But that decision was overturned in August 2023 by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which stated that there was no fundamental right to gender-affirming care. U.S. Circuit Judge Barbara Lagoa, writing for the majority, cited the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which struck down federal abortion protections and ruled that abortion was not a right 'deeply rooted in the nation's history and tradition.' Lagoa wrote that gender-affirming care had no historic grounding in the law. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
