Latest news with #Louisianians
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Catholicism, history expert to speak on new pope's Louisiana connections
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—LSUS history professor Dr. Cheryl White, who has expertise in Catholicism, will give a talk about the significance of Pope Leo XIV's American and Louisianian connections and how the conclave was conducted. 'While Pope Leo XIV might be the first pope to be born in the United States, he is more of a global citizen – his entire worldview is framed by his time serving in the poorest and most vulnerable populations of South America,' said White. 'There is no doubt that Pope Leo XIV will continue much of the work of Pope Francis, as we know the two were close friends and he's already signaled his desire to continue the Church's synodal process. 'I find it very interesting that he chose the name Leo, a direct nod to the 19th-century Leo XIII, who defined the Church's modern social teaching and position in a world of rapid industrialization.' Pope Leo XIV will emphasize 'the priority of human dignity over all else,' said White. She said that while Chicagoans and Louisianians celebrated their newfound connection to the papacy, Catholics and non-Catholics across the globe have paid attention. 'All eyes of the world were on Rome – whether Catholic or not, faith or no faith – a nod to the historicity of that ancient office that has lasted for two millennia,' said White. The free discussion will be held on Thursday, May 22, at 6 p.m. at the Spring Street Museum, 525 N Spring St. in downtown Shreveport. Space is limited, and those interested in attending should register here. For more information, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Electric bills are rising while pathways for aid are threatened at state, federal level
A utility crew restores power at a New Orleans intersection after Hurricane Francine in September 2024. (John Gray/Verite News) NEW ORLEANS – The recent end to a state-led energy efficiency program combined with massive layoffs last month at the federal agency that provides electric bill assistance to low-income households have residents of greater New Orleans worried about how they are going to cool their homes during the hottest months of the year. The Louisiana Public Service Commission, which regulates electric utilities for most of the state, eliminated an energy efficiency program that it had been working on for over a decade in mid-April. In early April, the Trump administration fired all of the Low Income Energy Assistance Program's staff, leaving the future of the program in jeopardy. Without state-level plans to increase energy assistance, spending on electricity will probably rise, experts said. And with LIHEAP in the lurch, people might not be able to access assistance they need to pay those high bills. Logan Burke, the executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy called the LIHEAP cuts 'outrageous,' especially because there are already few avenues for energy bill assistance. Burke said that Louisiana spent 7% of its LIHEAP funds on weatherizing homes last year, and that if LIHEAP doesn't continue, then there will be no low-income weatherization or efficiency programs in the state. 'The problem here is that those are the minimal backstops that people have depended on for decades — the LIHEAP dollars — both for bill assistance and weatherization of housing, and without them, we simply lose billions of dollars of bill assistance and efficiency upgrades in low income housing,' Burke said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Local LIHEAP administrators are silent on how the layoffs will affect residents or the future funding. The Louisiana Housing Corporation — which is in charge of distributing funds to parish organizations that then go through applications and work with residents to provide aid — did not respond to phone calls. Neither did JeffCAP, Jefferson Parish's LIHEAP distributor, or Total Community Action in New Orleans. Even though the average unit cost of electricity is lower in Louisiana than much of the rest of the country, Louisianians use the highest amounts, leading to high bills, said Logan Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, and average rates have only been increasing in recent years. Between 2018 and 2024, the base rate for energy bills in Louisiana increased 40%, and is expected to increase 30% in the next 15 years, according to analysis from the financial consulting firm BAI Group. Extreme weather, old housing infrastructure and Louisiana's reliance on natural gas, a volatile market, are all partly responsible for the high prices, experts said. 'A lot of our housing stock is old and simply isn't good at retaining heated and cooled air,' Burke said. 'So a lot of our energy is just wasted around leaks and cracks around our windows and doors.' For the past 14 years, the Louisiana Public Service Commission had been working on an energy efficiency program that would have helped residents identify ways to consume less energy by making every unit of power go further — through renovations such as increased insulation in homes or upgraded thermostats, Burke said. But the commission abruptly voted to dissolve the program less than a month before contractors were slated to report to the commission about how the program would work. Republican commissioners said the administrative costs of the program would be too high. The decision frustrated residents of the greater New Orleans area who struggle to pay their energy bills and were looking for state support to lower costs. 'Because if you go around sealing up all these cracks and holes in these old houses, don't you think now they're going to use less to heat and cool their homes?' said Dorginia Lucas, a Metairie resident. 'That's why I would drop it too if I was them. 'Why would I help you lower your bill?' That's how I look at it.' Lucas said she has been working since 14 years old, but still struggles to pay her utility bills, which range between $249 to $440. She said dealing with Entergy's billing system is frustrating and overwhelming. A recent report by the Louisiana Association of United Ways, a coalition of nonprofits that connect residents with health and financial aid resources, found that wages haven't been increasing at the same rate as basic necessities in recent years, making household costs difficult to cover, even in families with steady incomes. And utility assistance has been one of the most sought-after aid requests over the past decade in Orleans Parish (with an exception in 2021 after Hurricane Ida), according to caller data from counseling service center Vialink. Entergy distributes funds to nonprofits for its utility assistance program, 'The Power to Care,' that aids seniors and people with disabilities. The New Orleans Council on Aging distributes those funds to residents in Orleans Parish. Howard Rodgers, the executive director of the New Orleans Council on Aging, said there is a 'tremendous need' for assistance paying utility bills in the city. Rodgers said seniors particularly need assistance because they might rely on benefits and need to pay for medication, which might lead them to deprioritize utility payments to the detriment of their health. The New Orleans Council on Aging helps around 10,000 to 15,000 people every year through 'The Power to Care' program, Rodgers said, and most funds come from charitable donations that Entergy matches. But the program has also changed in recent years. Due to high demand, the Council on Aging no longer accepts walk-ins for utility bill assistance. Additionally, those seeking help have a $500 cap on assistance every year. Rodgers said this allows the council to provide assistance to more people. That might not go too far for many residents. A 2023 Verite News analysis found that the average Entergy bill in New Orleans was $179 in 2022. And consumer advocates worry that the situation could get worse. Last year, the New Orleans City Council voted to approve the sale of Entergy New Orleans's gas business utility to a company backed by private equity. Energy advocates and community members spoke out against the sale, saying that it might increase rates for energy users. Louisiana's investments in exporting liquified natural gas abroad could also lead to higher energy costs at home, according to a Department of Energy report from last September. Jannie Yarbrough, a retired New Orleans resident, said she lives alone and pays around $185 to $200 per month, a squeeze on fixed retirement income. Yarbrough said the city and state could be doing more to lower energy costs. Yarbough said she could ask her daughter to help out, but doesn't want to depend on her. 'I'm blessed that I have a daughter that could pay, but I'm not trying to depend on my child,' Yarbrough said. Despite the rising costs of gas, public assistance pathways for utility payments are also dwindling at the local level. Last July, the city's Office of Community Development shuttered its emergency rental and utility assistance program after four years. The office didn't respond to requests for comment. Entergy has its own energy efficiency program, but it still gets paid for funds it may lose from lower energy energy consumption — a program called 'Quick Start,' according to the Alliance for Affordable Energy. Quick Start will expire at the end of the year, and on May 19 the Louisiana Public Service Commission voted to initiate a three month process to look at and make changes to the program and another that helps public entities with energy efficiency. Under an independent, state-run energy efficiency program, Entergy wouldn't be able to earn back potential profits it lost from energy efficiency upgrades. Rodgers said the Council on Aging is anticipating a higher demand for utility assistance since the LIHEAP layoffs. He said he has already spoken to Entergy employees about the possibility of the end of LIHEAP. An Entergy New Orleans spokesperson did not respond to questions about if and how assistance pathways might change if LIHEAP ended, but said the company's rates are consistently below the national average and that customers can contact the utility for bill management resources. 'We won't know what to do until it happens,' Rodgers said. 'We can think about it, plan for it, but then we are just going to have to be reactionary when that happens.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX This article first appeared on Verite News New Orleans and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Shreveport mayor speaks on La. speed camera bill
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Louisiana Senate Bill 99 was discussed Monday during the transportation committee meeting. It is authored by Senator Stewart Cathey, a Republican from the Monroe area. The bill would restrict the use of automated speed enforcement devices in the state. Cathey calls them 'speed-scam-eras' and says he feels they are unconstitutional. Cathey pointed out that when he posted on social media that he wanted them banned, his post was shared over two thousand times, which he said goes to show how much Louisianians dislike them. Louisiana projects receive Brownfields revitalization funds The bill would allow the devices in school zones only, areas where Shreveport already has them. Mayor Tom Arceneaux addressed the committee, saying, 'This has become a very effective means of changing people's behavior, and we would like the option to proceed and deal with our constituents on a local level.' Shreveport CAO Tom Dark pointed out that the city is short on police officers, and these devices can be an extension of the department's enforcement arm. If the bill passes, the city could not place more cameras outside of school zones. The bill passed out of committee and now heads to the full House for debate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana Survey: Residents identify economy as most important problem
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Results from the Louisiana Survey show how residents feel about the direction of the state, confidence in state government, economy and more. The top three problems respondents identified in the survey were economy, crime and education. Despite concerns about problems, data shows an upward trend in the public mood. Results from the online survey show an even split between those who believe the state is heading in the wrong direction and those who believe it is going in the right direction. In the telephone survey, 47% of respondents said the state is heading in the wrong direction, a drop from 68% in 2023. 'This year, we're seeing signs of optimism,' said Louisiana Survey Director Michael Henderson, Ph.D. 'A growing number of Louisianians now say the state is heading in the right direction. It's a modest shift, but a meaningful one, given how entrenched negative sentiment has been in recent years.' Attitude toward state government has also seen an increase in confidence from respondents, with the report showing a growth of 14 percentage points from 2022 to 2025. See which issues respondents named as the biggest in Louisiana. Issue Online Survey Telephone Survey Economy 27% 16% Crime 12% 15% Education 10% 15% State budget, taxes, and spending 8% 7% Infrastructure 6% 8% Health care 5% 3% Housing 4% 2% Coast, environment, and severe weather 3% 4% Insurance 2% 6% Immigration 2% <1% Other social issues (e.g., abortion, guns) 4% 5% Other issues 11% 15% Don't know/Refused 4% 5% Other survey findings: Nearly half of the respondents said crime has increased in the last year. Respondents said the state's criminal system isn't tough enough. The report shows 54% of online survey respondents and 39% of telephone survey respondents said it's not tough enough. Most respondents are in support of the death penalty for those with murder convictions. Results show the majority of respondents support marijuana legalization for personal use. Respondents said the state income tax and state sales tax are too high. Seventy percent who answered the online and telephone survey support more offshore drilling. Two-thirds of respondents who have homeowners insurance said premiums went up in the past year. A large majority of respondents support Louisiana raising salaries for public school teachers. Support dropped some when the question mentioned taxes to fund raises. Click here to see the full report. Louisiana is the 10th most dangerous US state, study shows Majority of Americans have concerns about Trump's Qatar jet plan: Poll Ascension Public Schools assistant superintendent to retire Johnson: 'Almost there' on Trump agenda bill, but more work to do Walmart responds to Trump comment that retailer should 'eat the tariffs' Louisiana Survey: Residents identify economy as most important problem Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisiana looks to RFK Jr. for school lunch guidelines, limits on SNAP purchases
Sen. Patrick McMath looks ahead from his desk in the Senate Chamber. (Allison Allsop/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers advanced sweeping nutrition legislation that would regulate purchases of sugary beverages with federal food assistance and limit what ingredients can be served in public school school lunches. Senate Bill 14 by Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, cleared the Louisiana Senate Committee of Health and Welfare on a party-line 4-3 vote, with Republicans prevailing. McMath's bill is part of a nationwide backlash against 'ultra-processed foods,' food dyes, seed oils and certain chemicals in foods that U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has targeted for elimination. Kennedy is the central figure of the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement. McMath said he is working with Kennedy on his bill. 'I think, for the first time in a very long time, and perhaps maybe ever, Americans, Louisianians, are paying close attention to what our individual health outcomes are and our individual health outcomes for our children and our grandchildren,' McMath said. Democrats on the committee raised concerns that the legislature is not taking a holistic look at the factors causing poor health outcomes in Louisiana. 'Louisiana has a lot of chemical industry in our state. Those plants produce a lot of carcinogens that's in the air we breathe, and we tend to turn our backs sometimes and let those things go,' Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, said. 'So we need to be more mindful and consider all of those things.' In an interview after the hearing, McMath said his bill is a starting point toward addressing larger issues in Louisiana. 'The types of environments that we're surrounded by can be pretty toxic,' McMath said. 'And while I would love to wave a magic wand and clean up air and water and other things, I think the lowest hanging fruit … is we can start with the food that we're that we're putting in our body.' The original version of his legislation banned the purchase of soft drinks with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits but was amended to prohibit buying beverages with more than five grams of added sugar or any artificial sweetener. Drinks that include milk or milk substitutes would be exempt from this prohibition. Democrats also objected to this provision of the bill, saying it would further marginalize poor children who could be ostracized for not being able to afford lunchbox items their peers can. McMath's SNAP restrictions are actually more limited than those in previous legislative proposals, which have included bans on chips and candy. McMath said he was aware many Louisianians live in food deserts, and he did not want to prevent people who might only be able to shop at convenience stores from eating. If McMath's bill passes, the state would still have to receive permission from the federal government to limit SNAP benefits. Further amendments on the bill removed references to 'ultra-processed' foods and instead listed ingredients prohibited in school lunches. They include food dyes that are common allergens and zero-calorie sweeteners such as sucralose, more commonly known as Splenda. The committee adopted amendments to allow food items with prohibited ingredients to be sold in vending machines and from concession stands at school events. The bill also requires food packages to include a warning that the contents 'may be harmful to your health' if it includes certain ingredients. That list includes aspartame, a common zero-calorie sweetener. McMath's legislation would also require restaurants to post notices when they use oils derived from the seeds of plants. Certain medical professionals would be required to take nutrition courses as part of their continuing education under the bill that heads next to the Senate floor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
