The two houses finally approved a tediously crafted conference report on a $5 billion capital outlay bill for next year’s bricks, mortar and cement projects.
Environment
Dredging the Vermilion comes full circle — as a navigation project
The $50 million announced last took pretty much everyone by surprise — even the Corps of Engineers. If the Corps dredges the river, it will be for navigation, not reducing floods.
10 min read
House concurs in changes to industry self-audits, UL-city land swap, campaigning-for-kin amendment
While House members balked at concurring on Senate amendments to several important measures Tuesday, two Lafayette representatives moved to accept Senate amendments to three of their pet projects.
2 min read
Legislative Roundup: Partial decriminalization of marijuana possession; environmental self-audits; abortion reporting; and more
Sprinting for the finish, the Senate blazed through some thorny legislation on marijuana, abortion rights and vaccine ‘anti-discrimination.’
7 min read
After heated debates, House approves mandatory kindergarten at 5, kills continuing movie credits
Mandatory kindergarten at age 5 and the perennial argument over whether Louisiana is getting its $180-million-a-year’s worth from movie business tax credits consumed over an hour of debate each.
7 min read
Legislative Roundup: Mixed action on tax reform; Senate OKs compromise power-based abuse bill; House passes Juneteenth holiday; Senate asks Biden to lift lease ban
The Senate moved aside contentious bills to advance legislation. The House approved a state holiday for Juneteenth.
7 min read
Legislative Roundup: Power-based abuse; vaccine ‘anti-discrimination’; solar incentive pause; and more
Legislation is advancing in a hurry as the session’s end nears.
11 min read
Louisiana’s economy is changing. What does that mean for you?
Over the next month, The Current will host a series of Listening Sessions with folks on the front lines. We want to bring together people with different, even opposing, views to dig deeper into this important discussion.
3 min read
Council approves $20 million in emergency spending for stormwater projects and spot dredging Bayou Vermilion
The administration took advantage of emergency declarations made by LCG and the state to push the appropriations through. Now it’s got a pool of funding that can be deployed without going to bid, just ahead of hurricane season.
3 min read
Roundup: Legal marijuana delayed again; sales tax collection passes Senate; early voting for president expanded
Already punted twice, floor debate on marijuana legalization was rescheduled for Tuesday. Also postponed was a bill to allow industrial polluters to audit themselves.
4 min read
Brief: Orphan wells, voluntary industrial audits and abortion reporting
Lafayette area reps are moving bills waiving taxes on re-opened orphaned wells and creating new reporting requirements for abortions.
4 min read
Link: Are detention ponds the answer to Lafayette’s flooding problems?
LCG is pursuing five massive detention projects to address flooding in Lafayette Parish. One project would convert a sugar cane field into a 200-acre pond. Detention ponds hold water during storm events, slowing flows to the river and other drainage channels. In the floods 2016, water overflowed out of drainage channels and into thousands of homes.
LCG made public necessity declarations for five parcels, freezing them from commercial development while studies are completed. KLFY reports that public works officials have reviewed 90 sites, narrowing the field to 20, including the five currently under consideration.