State Judge William Morvant rules a petition signed by Republicans in the Louisiana House to end the governor’s coronavirus emergency order is unconstitutional. Today’s decision means the state’s mask mandate, limits on gatherings, and capacity restrictions on businesses remain in place. Loyola of New Orleans University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says based on today’s ruling, Judge Morvant believes the emergency orders have the force the law, and the House and Senate must agree to revoke those orders…
Cut 14 (05) “…not sufficient.”
Senate President Page Cortez did not urge Senators to sign the petition, because he didn’t think the state needed to loosen the restrictions. AG Jeff Landry, who represented the House Speaker in the proceedings, announced he will appeal the decision to the State Supreme Court.
Louisiana Tech joins LSU is having to postpone their game this weekend due to a COVID outbreak on the team. The Bulldogs were set to play Rice but instead they’ll be sidelined at least for this week.
State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch sounds optimistic that the general public will have received their COVID vaccines by late-spring. He also says a vaccine could begin being administered to frontline healthcare workers at their workplace in Louisiana within days of it receiving FDA approval, possibly even by the end of the year. Then for the rest of us…
A Baton Rouge Our Lady of the Lake pediatrician, 54-year-old Shane McKinney faces a simple battery charge after he allegedly hit and verbally assaulted a Southern University student while she was walking near the LSU Lakes. Baton Rouge police spokesman Sergeant L’Jean Mckneely says so far they have not determined a motive that led to the incident.
Mckneely says police could not verify claims by the victim that the attack included racial language.