Latest news with #LouisianaLegislature
American Press
21-05-2025
- Politics
- American Press
Jim Beam column:Ethics, campaigns on hit list
Members of the Louisiana Legislature have decided to make their political lives much easier by weakening the state's ethics and campaign finance laws.(Photo courtesy of WVUE-Fox 8 in New Orleans). Louisiana legislators have obviously decided they don't want to have to worry much about whether they are performing ethically. They also want fewer rules when it comes to receiving campaign contributions. The best evidence about both of those issues can be found in House Bills 160 and 674, both ethics measures, and in HB 693, a 100-page bill dealing with campaign contributions. HB 674 passed the House unanimously and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee. HB 160 is awaiting a final vote in the House. The Public Affairs Research Council said legislators should strengthen, not undermine the state's ethics and disclosure laws. 'That's the wrong message to send in a state riddled with Louisiana's long and sordid political history, particularly when polls show public trust in government is at historic lows,' the non-profit research agency said. The Advocate in an editorial said, 'There's more packed into this bill — from changes to when officials can accept privately paid travel to what amount they can accept as gifts — so you would expect it to have sparked spirited debate on the House floor. Yet not a single Republican or Democrat raised any questions.' The newspaper said government watchdog groups worry that if the bill passes, future investigations could be shut down before they even get off the ground. Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, author of HB 674 and chairman of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, said legislators from both parties are frustrated with the ethics board, which has been accused of harassing public officials and lacking transparency. Rep. Kellee Dickerson, R-Denham Springs, is sponsor of HB 160 that would give the subject of an ethics complaint the ability to know the identity of the person leveling the accusations, which is currently confidential. The Advocate reported that Dickerson was the subject of an ethics board investigation that found she improperly hired a teacher for a contract job while she was a Livingston Parish School Board member. Her bill is awaiting final action in the House. Members of the Board of Ethics in a May 12 letter to legislators said, 'House Bill 160 proposes to remove the confidential nature of complaints, which will have a drastic chilling effect on the filing of formal complaints. The ethics administrator said, 'The opportunity to face your accuser comes once the board files public charges.' PAR said of the HB 674 ethics changes, 'The measure clearly aims to make it harder for the ethics board and its administrative staff to bring charges against officials. Are lawmakers trying to make it nearly impossible, though?' The research agency said HB 693, the 100-page campaign finance bill, is 'a similar vast redesign of the laws governing the spending and disclosure of the money candidates, political parties and others raise for politicking.' The agency said that makes it harder to investigate possible campaign finance violations. The bill is awaiting a final vote in the House. The Advocate in an ethics editorial said the campaign finance bill would make numerous changes to campaign finance laws, including eliminating the requirement that money spent to promote or defeat tax propositions or other elections that don't involve candidates be disclosed. 'The state seems to go through cycles where rampant corruption gives way to good government reforms prompted by public outcry,' the newspaper said. 'Then, politicians, weary of the constraints placed upon them, push to weaken ethics rules, hoping the public will have forgotten why they were needed in the first place.' The Illuminator reported one of the unusual aspects of this sudden rush to change the state's ethics laws. It is the fact that Stephen Gele´, an attorney representing Gov. Jeff Landry in his negotiations with the ethics board over his 2023 case, helped to draft the legislation. Although the proposed changes will only affect future ethics cases and not Landry's, it's still an unusual situation to have Landry's attorney involved. If Landry's case ever surfaces, don't look for any possible penalties. The Legislature last year made changes to the ethics board that give the governor more control over appointing its members. Landry took office on Jan. 8, 2024, and legislators have given him an unbelievable number of new powers. And the odds are the power grab won't stop until he leaves office. Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or Reply Forward Add reaction
Los Angeles Times
15-05-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Challenge to Louisiana law that lists abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances can proceed
BATON ROUGE, La. — A legal challenge against a first-of-its-kind measure that recategorized two widely used abortion-inducing drugs as 'controlled dangerous substances' in Louisiana can move forward, a judge ruled Thursday. Baton Rouge-based Judge Jewel Welch denied the Louisiana attorney general's request to dismiss a lawsuit filed last year by opponents of the law, who argue that the reclassification of the pills is unconstitutional and could cause needless and potentially life-threatening delays in treatment during medical emergencies. Attorneys for defendants in the suit, including Atty. Gen. Liz Murrill, argued that the lawsuit was premature. But attorneys for the plaintiffs, who include a doctor and pharmacist, said that since the law took effect in October, the measure has impacted how the plaintiffs handle and obtain the drugs on a 'regular basis.' A hearing date for the challenge has not yet been set. Louisiana became the first state to heighten the classification of misoprostol and mifepristone, which have critical reproductive healthcare uses in addition to being used as a two-drug regimen to end pregnancies. Passage of the measure by the GOP-dominated Legislature marked a new approach in conservative efforts to restrict access to abortion pills. In 2023, nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the country were medication abortions. Now labeled as 'Schedule IV drugs,' the pills are in the same category as the opioid tramadol and other substances that can be addictive. Under the new classification, there are more stringent storage requirements and extra steps to obtain the drugs. Testifying against the legislation, doctors stressed the drugs would be stored in locked containers or elsewhere that may result in slower access during emergency situations where every second is vital. In the legal challenge, which was filed in October, plaintiffs say the law may slow access to 'lifesaving treatment for people experiencing obstetrical emergencies' and make it 'significantly harder' for people to 'obtain proven, effective remedies necessary for their treatment and care.' Plaintiffs are asking the judge for a permanent injunction, ultimately to halt the law. The legislation spawned from antiabortion groups and a Republican state senator's effort to prevent coerced abortion and make it more difficult for bad actors to obtain the drugs. The lawmaker pointed to the case of his sister in Texas who in 2022 was slipped seven misoprostol pills by her husband without her knowledge; she and the baby survived. Over the past 15 years, news outlets have reported on similar cases — none in Louisiana — but the issue does not appear widespread. 'The Louisiana Legislature spoke loud and clear last year that they stand for life and are against this controlled substance being prescribed without a prescription from a doctor,' Murrill said ahead of the hearing. Prior to the reclassification, a prescription was still needed to obtain mifepristone and misoprostol in Louisiana. Before the change, medical personnel told the Associated Press that in hospitals the drugs — which are also used to treat miscarriages, induce labor and stop bleeding — were often stored in an OB-GYN unit in a 'hemorrhage box' in the room, on the delivery table or in a nurse's pocket, to ensure almost-immediate access in common emergency situations. With the heightened classification also comes increased charges. If someone knowingly possesses mifepristone or misoprostol without a valid prescription for any purpose, they could be fined up to $5,000 and sent to jail for one to five years. The law carves out protections for pregnant women who obtain the drug without a prescription to take on their own. Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the Birthmark Doula Collective, an organization of people trained to provide pregnancy care before, during and after birth; Nancy Davis, a woman who was denied an abortion in Louisiana and traveled out of state for one after learning her fetus would not survive; and a woman who said she was turned away from two emergency rooms instead of being treated for a miscarriage. Louisiana currently has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, which includes abortions via medication. Cline writes for the Associated Press.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Nyjal Hurst indicted in connection with the death of Lafayette Sr. Cpl. Segus Jolivette
NEW IBERIA, La. () — The man accused of killing Lafayette Police Sr. Cpl. Segus Jolivette in a deadly has been indicted on his charges, prosecutors said. Nyjal Hurst, 31, of Jeanerette, was inducted by a grand jury in the Hurst is charged with one count of second degree murder, 10 counts of attempted first degree murder, two counts of second degree kidnapping and one count each of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and illegal possession of a stolen firearm. An indictment is not a conviction, but a determination by a grand jury that sufficient evidence exists for a person to stand trial on the listed charges. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The indictment comes down as the Louisiana Legislature called , which would impose harsher sentences for repeat offenders. Hurst has a , court records show. Jolivette was killed and three other officers were injured in an hours-long armed hostage standoff in Jeanerette with multiple law enforcement agencies, including the SWAT team. Hurst has been in custody at the Iberia Parish Jail since July 25. Gov. Landry starts Operation GEAUX for immigration control in Louisiana $1 billion net-zero emissions fuel production facility coming to Acadia Parish Nyjal Hurst indicted in connection with the death of Lafayette Sr. Cpl. Segus Jolivette Police find missing 85-year-old Lake Charles man Artist sought to create 2025 Natchitoches Christmas Festival poster Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scalise says more funding is coming to Louisiana for coastal restoration
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — U.S. Majority Leader Steve Scalise visited the Louisiana Legislature Tuesday to address lawmakers in the House chamber just before they took up bills. Scalise gave members an update on economic developments from Washington, which impact Louisiana directly, pointing to recent announcements like the new $10 billion Meta data center and the $5.8 billion Hyundai steel plant. He also touched on coastal restoration, the effort to restore Louisiana's coastline. 'Something else vital to us is really our existence as a state, and that is coastal restoration. We know the problems of coastal erosion, we know what it does,' said Scalise. He touted President Trump's signature legislative package, or what the president calls 'The Big Beautiful Bill,' saying it will help Louisiana's coastline directly because he added language that would allow the state to get more revenue from offshore drilling. Scalise said he was able to add language in the Natural Resources Committee that lifts the cap on revenue sharing. That move is expected to produce hundreds of millions of dollars that Scalise told members would be used to restore Louisiana's coast. Scalise ended his speech by inviting members to contact his office if they need help as they work to improve Louisiana. Advocates push for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion to move forward EPA announces rollback for some Biden-era limits on 'forever chemicals' in drinking water Likely 'rabid' fox bites hiker 6 times in rare attack O'Hare air war: American Airlines suing Chicago amid battle with United Scalise says more funding is coming to Louisiana for coastal restoration Former Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden dies at 72 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Eleven states recognize gold and silver as US currency. Which are they?
Eleven states recognize gold and silver as US currency. Which are they? Show Caption Hide Caption What's really going on with gold prices? Gold recently reached a record high as geopolitical tensions pushed investors towards the traditional safe play. Merryn Somerset Webb explains what's going on - and where things could go from here. Bloomberg - Politics Louisiana lawmakers are considering legislation to recognize gold and silver as legal tender. Eleven states already recognize gold and silver coins as legal tender. Several other states have considered or passed similar legislation in the past. While Louisiana passed a law acknowledging gold and silver coins as legal tender in 2013, this new legislation may expand upon or clarify the existing law. Louisiana may soon start accepting gold and silver as currency if proposed legislation is enacted by legislators in the Louisiana Legislature. Eleven states currently recognize gold and silver coins as legal tender. Other states, including Louisiana, are either pursuing similar legislation or have made past attempts to do so. Utah The Utah Legal Tender Act, enacted in 2011, recognizes U.S.-mint gold and silver coins as legal tender. In case you missed it: Louisiana may soon recognize silver, gold as currency, according to proposed legislation Louisiana Despite current proposed legislation, Louisiana passed a law in 2013 acknowledging gold and silver coins as legal tender. Texas In 2017, Texas introduced legislation to establish gold and silver as legal tender, including safeguards against seizure by state authorities. Kansas In 2013, the Kansas Committee on Taxation passed a bill declaring U.S.-minted coins as both of legal tender and tax-exempt. Oklahoma Oklahoma's Senate Bill 862 recognized gold and silver U.S.-minted coins as legal tender and exempt from taxation in 2014. South Carolina The South Carolina House of Representatives passed a bill declaring gold and silver legal tender in 2013. Wyoming Wyoming established a law in 2018 that eliminated the taxation of gold and silver bullion, effectively treating them as tender free from sales tax. These states attempted to pass legislation making gold and silver legal tender but failed Indiana Kansas Missouri South Carolina Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinson and on Facebook at
