The legislature reconvenes at two this afternoon to begin a special session to adjust the primary election calendar. Those dates would be pushed back 30 days if the bill co-authored by Port Allen Republican Senator Caleb Kleinpeter is approved. Kleinpeter says even though Governor Landry scheduled the session for 22 days, he expects it to end much sooner.
Governor Jeff Landry is warning SNAP recipients that they will not receive cash assistance from the government on their cards starting November 1st if the federal government shutdown continues. That’s 800-thousand people here. Jan (“yahn”) Moller, the executive director of Invest Louisiana, says instead of the special session to change the federal primary election dates, lawmakers should figure out how to use dollars to pay those SNAP benefits in November.
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A new statewide poll finds Louisiana residents overwhelmingly support an open primary election system over a closed party primary. Next year’s federal elections will be closed party primaries, which means registered Republicans and no party voters can only vote in the Republican primary and Democrats and no party voters can only vote in the Democratic primary. Pollster John Couvillon says Louisiana voters prefer the simplicity of an open party primary.
The LSU Presidential Search Committee meets later today ahead of next Wednesday’ interviews with those who would be the university system’s next president. Piper Hutchinson, a reporter with the Louisiana Illuminator, says says several people have expressed interest in becoming the new leader of the LSU system.
Cut 5 (12) “…were highly qualified.”