United States Senator John Kennedy is asking the state legislature to hold off on voting a bill that extends Harrah’s New Orleans Casino’s contract with the state for 30 years. Kennedy says media reports that Harrah’s is considering selling the property so the state could unwittingly increase Harrah’s selling price by extending the contract.
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican who is Louisiana’s senior senator, has joined calls for fellow Republican Secretary of State Tom Schedler to resign, amid allegations he sexually harassed an employee for years.
“Increasingly it appears the allegations against Secretary Schedler are true,” Cassidy, of Baton Rouge, said in a statement to The Advocate Monday evening. “He should resign..”
Former Baton Rouge police officer Blane Salamoni, who was involved in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, is now facing a battery charge from a separate arrest that took place one month before the shooting. Salamoni’s attorney John Mclindon was asked about possible jail time for his client. Mclindon says this new charge against Salamoni is window dressing for the police department.
Over 900 farmers and ranchers are receiving grants averaging 9900 dollars for disaster recovery efforts resulting from the 2016 floods. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says it’s long overdue.
Strain says the grants will fill a reimbursement gap for farmers who’ve suffered damages that were uninsured.