When Louisiana lawmakers gather next week for a redistricting special session, they will have the opportunity to debate a proposal to move from the state’s jungle primary system to closed party primaries. JMC Analytics pollster John Covillon conducted a poll last month and found 65-percent of voters support the current system. Couvillon says a closed party primary system could keep independent voters out of the election process until the general election…
cut 5 (09) “….disenfranchised”

Through an executive order, Governor Jeff Landry has done away with the policy that gave high school seniors an appeals process if they failed the LEAP exam. Former BESE president Holly Boffy is disappointed the short lived policy is going away, she says several students were able to graduate and it also took pressure off other students…
cut 15 (10) “….not there”
Landry says doing away with the policy maintains their education standards.

The state’s largest oil and gas port, Port Fourchon, plans on erecting 187-foot-tall wind turbine this year. It will be the first wind turbine in Louisiana. Greater Lafourche Port Commission director Chett Chaiasson says it’s their desire to become a hub for offshore wind just as they are for deepwater offshore oil and gas activity…
cut 9 (12) “….comes our way”
The turbine will not produce much energy, but they’ll use it to test the capability of offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico.

New Orleans Mardi Gras is letting the good times roll with an economic impact of 891-million dollars on the Big Easy’s economy, according to a study from Tulane professor, Toni Weiss. Weiss says a huge amount of that economic activity is generated by locals
Cut 10 (09) “…economic activity.”
Weiss says the Carnival season in New Orleans generates more than 14-million dollars in state tax revenues.