Author: manshipxgr

By William Taylor Potter

A bill prohibiting so-called sanctuary city policies anywhere in Louisiana — but targeting New Orleans — was approved with a 8-7 committee vote Wednesday (April 26) and sent to the full House for debate.

House Bill 135 by Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, defines sanctuary city policies as ordinances or guidelines discouraging or prohibiting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when it comes to immigrants or preventing local law enforcement officers from asking a suspect about his or her immigration status when routinely stopped for another offense, such as a traffic violation.

Read the story in NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune

Gov. John Bel Edwards discussed a wide range of issues facing Louisiana during a video conference Thursday (April 20) with the editorial board of NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. The discussion was transcribed by Sarah Gamard.

Read the transcript in NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune

By Sarah Gamard

A contentious proposal in the Louisiana House of Representatives by a Shreveport lawmaker would prohibit a state institution of higher learning from allowing its name or symbol to be affixed to an alcoholic beverage.

This has ramification for both the microbreweries and the schools. The controversy even caught the attention of Gov. John Bel Edwards, who weighed into the brew-ha-ha Thursday.

Read the story in bestofneworleans.com/Gambit

By Sarah Gamard

The Louisiana State Capitol was flooded with a sea of bright blue T-shirts Thursday when more than 100 members of the group Louisianans for Prison Alternatives came to support bills relating to incarceration reform.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) also was there to support the group. Sarah Omojola, an SPLC policy counsel in New Orleans, said twice as many people as expected showed up for the demonstration.

Read the story in bestofneworleans.com/Gambit

By Tryfon Boukouvidis

A Louisiana Senate committee moved a bill forward Thursday (April 20) that would prohibit certain coverings, substances and devices from obstructing a license plate for the purpose of foiling the attempts of traffic enforcement cameras to read it.

Read the story in NOLA.com/The Times Picayune

By Christian Boutwell

Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, filed, as promised, House Bill 632 on Tuesday (April 18), which would increase Louisiana’s gas tax 17 cents per gallon and would raise an estimated additional $510 million annually for the state’s highways and bridges.

“Across Louisiana, our infrastructure is crumbling,” Carter said off the floor. “The citizens of this state are sick of being stuck in traffic, and they want bold solutions that improve safety, quality of life and economic productivity, which this bill provides.”

Read the story in NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune

By Christian Boutwell

BATON ROUGE — Rep. Steve Carter filed, as promised, House Bill 632 Tuesday, which would increase Louisiana’s gas tax by 17 cents per gallon and would raise an estimated additional $510 million annually for the state’s highways and bridges.

“Across Louisiana, our infrastructure is crumbling,” Carter, R-Baton Rouge, said off the floor. “The citizens of this state are sick of being stuck in traffic, and they want bold solutions that improve safety, quality of life and economic productivity, which this bill provides.”

Read the story in USA Today

By Rose Velazquez

BATON ROUGE — A pair of bills to increase the $500,000 cap on economic damages in Louisiana medical malpractice cases prompted the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee on Thursday (April 13) to seek an “all-encompassing look” at the state’s laws governing malpractice. That puts both measures on hold for the Legislature’s 2017 regular session.

Read the story at NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune

By Rose Velazquez

BATON ROUGE — The majority of Louisianans support measures that would prohibit workplace discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation, but remain almost evenly divided on whether businesses should be allowed to refuse wedding or other services to same-sex couples on religious grounds.

Those are the findings of the sixth and final report of The Louisiana Survey 2017 released Thursday by LSU’s Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs.

Read the story in The Advertiser

By Caitie Burkes

BATON ROUGE – The hour-long Senate session one morning walked and talked more like a school awards ceremony than a body that owns the sole franchise for enacting, amending and killing laws for the residents Louisiana.

Louisiana isn’t burning and its Legislature isn’t actually fiddling, but it might seem that way at times to casual visitors to the Capitol.

For example, of the 31 agenda items, 19 were sweet-as-a-lollipop resolutions recognizing a who’s who of various senators’ constituents. And that doesn’t count the proclamations, announcements, commendations, condolences, recognitions and verbal glad-handing that preceded or followed the more serious concurrent resolutions.

Read the story in houmatoday.com/The Courier