LSU Manship School Statehouse Bureau

Published: October 28, 2025

By: Kylah Babin and Gracie Thomas, LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Democrats rallied on the steps of the Capitol on Monday in favor of the two existing Black-majority congressional districts that are under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Several hundred people gathered to hear the two Democratic members of Congress from Louisiana. Members of the Black Caucus in the state Legislature also urged state officials to preserve the “four-two” congressional district map.

The state has a total of six congressional districts, four of which are held by white Republicans, including U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Bossier City, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Metairie. Almost a third of the state’s population is Black

Read more at KATC.

Published: October 27, 2025

By: Gracie Thomas, Kylah Babin, Margaret Liner and Sheridan White, Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE – The Legislature faces tight deadlines this week to keep food assistance flowing to 17% of the state’s residents and to adjust next spring’s election timetable.

The Louisiana House has approved an urgent request to repurpose $150 million by Friday to cover SNAP benefits for nearly 800,000 residents. The Senate plans to vote on the measure Wednesday.

Read more at KATC.

Published: October 24, 2025

By: Avery White and Teresa Otwell, LSU Manship School News Service

Amid the recent safety concerns on LSU football game days, State Senate President Cameron Henry said Friday he has recommended that LSU move all fraternity tailgates from public spaces to their on-campus houses.

Two gun-related incidents just off-campus during the last two home games have prompted the state government and LSU’s Board of Supervisors to put more security measures in place for the upcoming home games.

Now, Henry, a Republican from Metairie, is suggesting the removal of LSU Greek life from the LSU Parade Grounds on campus.

Read more at Reveille.

Published: October 24, 2025

By: Kylah Babin, LSU Manship News Service

State Senate President Cameron Henry said Friday that he does not believe the National Guard needs to be deployed in New Orleans, but he can see a need for it in Baton Rouge.

“My thought is not to have them come to New Orleans because we have State Police there and they are doing a good job,” Henry, a Republican, said during an interview with the LSU Manship School News Service.

Read more at Louisiana Illuminator.

Published: Nov. 3, 2025

By: Courtney Bell and Avery White, LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE–Louisiana is one of the few politically red states — and the only one in the Deep South — stepping up to fund SNAP benefits amid a federal suspension of food assistance payments.

Louisiana legislators last week called for redirecting up to $150 million from the state’s health department budget to send November SNAP money directly to about 740,000 recipients. The money is being rolled out in phases, with a quarter of the recipient’s monthly amount being loaded onto their cards each week.

Read more at KATC.

Published: June 18, 2025

By: Anna Puleo (LSU Manship School News Service)

BATON ROUGE–Just a few days after a regular session ended, Louisiana lawmakers are bracing for up to a $4 billion loss in federal Medicaid funding that could force them back into a special session later this year, state Senate President Cameron Henry said Tuesday.

The threat stems from President Donald Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and proposals in the U.S. Senate this week to cut more from Medicaid than a House version of the bill.

“If this bill passes, we will absolutely call a special session,” Henry said to try to offset some of the cuts with additional state funding.

Read more at WRKF.

Published: June 12, 2025

By: Anna Puleo, LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE–The 2025 legislative session ended Thursday with lawmakers passing a bill to tighten the rules on companies that work as middlemen managing pharmacy benefits. But the Senate let a more aggressive measure die despite vociferous support for it on social media from Gov. Jeff Landry and Donald Trump Jr. 

Now, Gov. Jeff Landry is threatening to call a special session to try to pass the tougher bill, which CVS says could force it to close some of its 120 drug stores in Louisiana. 

At the center of the dispute are outfits called pharmacy benefit managers, which manage prescription drug benefits for insurers, employers, and government programs like Medicaid. 

Read more at Shreveport Times.

Published: June 12, 2025

By: Anna Puleo, LSU MANSHIP SCHOOL NEWS SERVICE

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana House voted 98-1 Thursday to give final legislative approval to $53.5 billion budget package for the upcoming fiscal year without objecting to any of the major changes that the Senate had made earlier this week.
With three hours to go in the session, lawmakers also agreed to ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment in a new attempt to fund permanent salary raises for K-12 public school teachers and support staff.

Read more at St. Mary Now.

Published: June 11, 2025

By: Anna Puleo LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE–Lawmakers passed two bills this week aimed at expanding the state’s role in immigration enforcement, joining states like Texas and Florida in helping the Trump administration crack down on undocumented immigrants.

One bill would require agencies to track the legal status of people using public services, and the other would criminalize interference with federal immigration operations.

The Legislature last year empowered local and state law-enforcement to arrest people on suspicion that they were undocumented immigrants. Gov. Jeff Landry signed that bill into law, and the two bills passed this week will now go to him for his signature.

Read more at KATC.

Published: June 10, 2025

By: Anna Puleo LSU Manship School News Service

With the end of the legislative session approaching, the Louisiana Senate approved a revised state budget Monday, adding at least $1.2 billion that was not in the House version of the bill.

The money would come from the $3.9 billion in state’s Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, which holds some of the funds collected through corporate and severance taxes.

The Senate would spend that money on one-time projects to improve infrastructure, higher education facilities and economic development.

Read more at KATC.