TheRepublic.com - Louisiana state government News

DOTD installs enhanced equipment at sinkhole

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:07:09 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - State officials have installed enhanced monitoring equipment along Louisiana 70, near the Assumption Parish sinkhole.

Grand jury to review $200M Medicaid contract

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:56:33 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - The Louisiana attorney general's office said a special grand jury was selected Thursday to look into possible criminal activity involving a $200 million Medicaid contract awarded by Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration.

Senate to have say on Common Core standards

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:34:21 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - A tea party-backed attempt to keep Louisiana from using a set of uniform national standards for public school testing will be considered by the state Senate.

Bill to regulate surrogacy nearing final passage

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:40:37 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - A proposal to create the regulatory framework for surrogacy births in Louisiana edged to within one step of final legislative passage Wednesday, winning overwhelming support from the House.

Senate approves revamped equal pay for women bill

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:26:17 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - A week after rejecting a bill that would have prohibited employers from paying unequal wages for the same job based on gender, the Louisiana Senate reworked the proposal Wednesday to apply only to state employees.

Jindal-backed retirement change delayed by a year

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:07:05 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Lawmakers have delayed the start date of Gov. Bobby Jindal's signature retirement achievement from last year, a law that would shift future rank-and-file state workers to a 401(k)-style retirement plan.

College tuition hike bill scrapped for session

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:19:36 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Attempts to raise tuition at Louisiana's public colleges appear dead for the session, despite concerns about repeated rounds of budget cuts to schools.

Legislation targets new Planned Parenthood clinic

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:17:19 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Lawmakers are looking for ways to create roadblocks for Planned Parenthood's construction of a new facility in New Orleans that would provide abortions in addition to other health care services for women.

Senate defers gun bill ban on federal oversight

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:32:53 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Senators postponed a vote Tuesday on a controversial bill that would prohibit enforcement in Louisiana of any federal bans on assault weapons, after opponents called the measure unconstitutional.

House overwhelmingly refuses to expand Medicaid

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:43:59 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - The Louisiana House overwhelmingly refused Tuesday to provide government-subsidized health insurance to thousands of people with the Medicaid dollars available under the federal Affordable Care Act, in a vote that appears to shelve the issue for the legislative session.

La. drivers can't tweet or post to Facebook

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:57:49 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Motorists in Louisiana will have to add tweets and Facebook updates to the list of activities banned while driving, along with texting.

Senators reject new school funding formula

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:08:56 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Senators on Tuesday killed a $3.5 billion public school funding proposal submitted to lawmakers by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, because of concerns about proposed changes to payments for special education and gifted students.

Louisiana editorial roundup

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:03:25 -0400

Recent editorials from Louisiana newspapers:

Proposals would limit cuts in Medicaid program

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:58:26 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Proposals that would make it more difficult to cut the rates paid to private hospitals and nursing homes for taking care of Medicaid patients are nearing final passage in the Louisiana Legislature.

Louisiana revokes company's explosives license

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:43:15 -0400

JACKSON, Mississippi - An explosives recycling company that authorities said improperly stored millions of pounds of a military propellant, causing the evacuation of a Louisiana town last year, was stripped of its state explosives licenses on Monday.

Jindal orders review for dome operator Texas Brine

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:39:56 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Gov. Bobby Jindal on Monday ordered the state's conservation commissioner to review all permits issued to Texas Brine Co., the operator of a collapsed salt dome in Assumption Parish that authorities say caused a 15-acre sinkhole and an ongoing evacuation order for 350 people.

State police commander receives national award

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:23:10 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson has received the Buford Pusser National Law Enforcement Award for his efforts to promote partnerships among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Off-duty Lafayette police officer dies in crash

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:28:06 -0400

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana - The cause of a motorcycle crash that killed an off-duty Lafayette police lieutenant remained under investigation Sunday, a spokesman for the Louisiana State Police said.

Analyst says funding gap for LSU hospital deals

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:55:13 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - The first three LSU hospital privatization deals appear to use up 94 percent of the funding Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration set aside for eight such arrangements, budget analysts told senators Friday.

Toughened school safety bill wins final passage

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:45:35 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Public schools, already required to have written crisis management plans, will now have to coordinate those plans with local law enforcement and emergency preparedness officials - and hold annual safety drills to rehearse them.

Battle of New Orleans to be honored on state plate

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:16:53 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - The 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans will be commemorated on Louisiana's license plates, starting next year.

Senate panel approves bill to create national ID

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:35:42 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Louisiana driver's licenses would be used to comply with federal law requiring each state to create a national identification card for air travel, including domestic flights, under a proposal inserted Wednesday into a House bill by the Senate Transportation Committee.

Tax break for gun manufacturers stalls in House

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:00:46 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - The House refused to create a new tax credit for firearm and ammunition manufacturers who move their businesses to Louisiana.

Community college construction bill nears passage

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:25:31 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Louisiana higher education leaders are at odds over a proposal to let the community college system tap into state construction dollars outside of the traditional budget process.

House lawmakers shelve Citizens rate review bill

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:59:30 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Lawmakers in the House rejected a proposal Tuesday that sought legislative review of large rate increases for customers of Louisiana's property insurer of last resort.