Louisiana lawmakers will return for a veto override session driven by LGBTQ+ issues
Lawmakers can bring up any vetoed item for an override, though they have to get a two-thirds majority vote in the House and Senate to be successful.
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Julie O'Donoghue
Julie O’Donoghue is a senior reporter for the Louisiana Illuminator and producer of the Louisiana Illuminator podcast. She’s received awards from the Virginia Press Association and Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press.
Powerful legislative leaders from Lafayette steer sizable state dollars to home parish
Lafayette Parish has an advantage over nearly every other community. It has a larger number of representatives and senators in the legislative leadership positions.
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Louisiana House leaders steer millions of dollars in pet projects to their home parishes
Lafayette Parish is set to take home the second largest share of earmark dollars claimed for local projects.
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Louisiana House budget plan eliminates teacher pay raise, pays down retirement debt instead
The spending plan retains university faculty pay raise, reduces early childhood education slots.
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Under abortion ban, Louisiana officials favor ‘pro-family’ tax credits over funding
Tax credits for pregnancies, adoptions and donations to crisis pregnancy centers are among the proposals filed by legislators this session.
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Louisiana abortion clinics resume services after judge temporarily blocks ban
Abortions are legal again in Louisiana until at least July 8, when Orleans Parish District Judge Robin Giarrusso holds her first hearing over a lawsuit challenging the statewide abortion ban.
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Louisiana Legislature starts working on new political maps
Republicans in leadership – Senate President Page Cortez, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and Sen. Sharon Hewitt – submitted maps that retain just one majority-Black district. Democrats, who submitted the other seven bills, have included two majority-Black districts in their proposals.
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Louisiana budget: 10 big questions facing the governor and lawmakers
Gov. John Bel Edwards presented his spending proposal to legislators this week
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Louisiana legislative leaders send over half of $85 million in ‘pet projects’ to their own parishes
Senate President Page Cortez’s home parish of Lafayette received more money than others.
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Louisiana 2021-2022 State Budget Plan: Winners and losers
Legislators are spending a lot of money on roads, bridges and pet projects. Lafayette Parish is a big winner there.
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Will Louisiana fully legalize marijuana? 10 things to know about the debate
Lawmakers are also considering loosening medical marijuana rules.
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7 things you need to know about Louisiana’s COVID-19 vaccine plan
The number of people eligible to receive the Covid vaccine is expanding by hundreds of thousands this week.
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