The dusky gopher frog will have it’s day in front of the US Supreme Court today as a St. Tammany man challenges the scope of the Endangered Species Act. Matt Doyle has more.
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The Board of Regents has made the decision to perform an audit on universities, looking at admission policies. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
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Governor Edwards is on the west coast with a delegation aimed at promoting Louisiana’s film tax credit to big studios in California. Kevin Barnhart has more.
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Today the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the case of a St. Tammany man who is protesting the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service designation that a portion of his land is off limits for unfettered development due to its importance to the endangered dusky gopher frog. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says it’s a ruling that could restrict the scope of the Endangered Species Act.
Edward Poitevent, the land owner, argues that because the land is not habitable for the frog in its current form, it should not be classified as critical habitat. The agency argues in the near the future the land may be necessary for the frogs survival. Ciolino says Poitevent is arguing the land restrictions are an overreach.
The land is just across the border from where the frogs currently live in Mississippi.
Traditionally these arguments are an uphill battle as the courts tend to defer to the scientific and administrative claims of governmental agencies when it comes to established law. But this time Ciolino says the nature of the challenge could give the plaintiff a shot at a favorable ruling.
Poitevent, owns tens of thousands of acres in the area, 1,600 of which has been designated as critical habitat.
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Senator John Kennedy says unless an FBI investigation uncovers any concerning new material about allegations of sexual assault against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, he expects a final confirmation vote for his lifetime appointment to the US Supreme Court to be held later this week. The Senator says as of now, he knows where he stands…
Kennedy says both Kavanauagh and his accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, appeared credible during their Thursday appearances before the judicial committee. Kennedy says it’s likely that neither of the two is lying.
While he expressed sympathy for Ford, despite his support for Kavanuagh, he didn’t hold back when asked about comments made by Democrats that Republcians are dismissing the severity of the alleged crimes.
The confirmation looked set for a likely, but tight party line passage through the full Senate until Arizona Senator Jeff Flake expressed reservations about voting before the FBI had looked into the matter.
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The Board of Regents has made the decision to perform an audit on universities, looking at admission policies. Universities will begin submitting data in January and a report is expected to be complete in May or June. Higher Education commissioner Kim Reed says the questions they are ultimately hoping to answer from the report are clear.
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Of the 200-thousand students enrolled in the public institutions in the state last year, about a thousand were admitted by exception. Reed says among the goals with the report is to make sure that students are getting to enroll into schools where they can be most academically successful.
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Reed says it is step one in a broader conversation as to around compliance with admission standards.
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Governor John Bel Edwards is in California to promote Louisiana as a prime location for television and film production. A delegation from Louisiana is meeting with executives from Netflix, Hulu, HBO and Walt Disney Studios just to name a few. Executive Director of Louisiana Entertainment Chris Stelly say they will promote the state’s revised film tax incentives.
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The legislature made changes to the state’s film tax credit program in 2017. Stelly says with this trip they are highlighting the benefits of those changes.
Stelly says with the trip, they are highlighting that Louisiana has strengths in more than just being a location for filming, but for post production and other aspects of the business.
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The Saints won their third straight on Sunday with a 33-18 victory over the New York Giants. Running back Alvin Kamara had a career-best performance, as he rushed for 134 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 47 yards. His 49-yard TD run late in the 4th quarter put the game away. Coach Sean Payton…
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The Saints defense held the Giants to 299 yards of offense and had three sacks and two forced fumbles in the road win. Payton liked what he saw from that group…
The win moves the Saints into first place in the NFC South with a 3-1 record. New Orleans will host the Washington Redskins next Monday night.
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Louisiana Tech had a huge road win on Saturday as the Bulldogs went into Denton and defeated North Texas 29-27. After falling behind 21-6 after one quarter, Tech scored 20 points in the second quarter to take a 26-21 lead and ended up winning 29-27. Jaylon Ferguson was one of the stars of the game with four sacks. Head Coach Skip Holtz
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LSU Quarterback Joe Burrow led a balanced attack on Saturday night as the 5th ranked Fighting Tigers defeated Ole Miss 45-16. Burrow was 18-of-25 with three touchdowns. He also rushed for a team-best 96 yards and another score. Burrow says the undefeated Tigers can still play at another level…
LSU led 28-6 at halftime, but one again had a sluggish 3rd quarter, before finally pulling away and winning by 29 points. Up next for LSU its 22nd ranked Florida. Coach Head Ed Orgeron on the state of his team five weeks into the season…