A U-S Senate race and all six of Louisiana’s U-S House seats are on the ballot in November, but the political season is expected to remain quiet. Marsanne Golsby has more…
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Criticism of President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is getting pushback from Republicans, and the matter could end up in court. Brooke Thorington has more.
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After the Labor Day holiday, it usually gets busy during election years. Federal elections are coming up in two months. But political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says don’t expect it to get much nosier in Louisiana.
Pinsonat says southwest Louisiana congressman Clay Higgins is in a race that could become competitive because Higgins’ low fundraising totals.
Higgins’ most well-known opponent is Lafayette attorney Holden Hoggatt. Pinsonat says while voters get a bit of a breather this year, next year will be a political barnburner because all statewide offices are up for grabs.
The federal primary election is November 8th, Runoffs are on December 10th.
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The Biden Administration’s student debt forgiveness plan could be challenged in court. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says the White House’s rationale for canceling student debt is based on the 2003 Heroes Act passed by congress that granted loan forgiveness if an individual experiences a natural disaster or is off fighting a war.
Ciolino says among the arguments against the cancellation of debt is an abuse of executive power. He says Congress is the branch of government that appropriates funds, passes a law, and then presents the legislation for the executive branch to sign into law.
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Ciolino says Republicans view the Biden Administration’s ability to circumvent congress to cancel student debt as an abuse of executive and emergency powers and is also a violation of the nondelegation doctrine under the constitution…
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Ciolino says abuse of executive privilege also happened under former President Trump when he diverted military funds to pay for the construction of a wall along the Mexican border. He expects that Republicans will file suit against the student loan forgiveness very soon if they haven’t already.
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Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters spelled out to a legislative committee today the problems her agency is facing when it comes to having enough case workers. Walters says last week one of their best case managers left for a lower paying job because that employee could not handle the high caseload anymore
Walters says child welfare systems across the nation have similar staffing shortages.
Walters went before the Senate Health and Welfare Committee to discuss how the agency is responding, after admitting it didn’t do enough to help a two-year-old child before he died from a fentanyl overdose death. Also last month, a foster parent in Zachary was arrested and accused of raping foster children. Covington Senator Patrick McMath believes D-C-F-S needs a complete overhauled, but doesn’t expect that to occur while Governor Edwards is in office
New Orleans Representative Jason Hughes is an outspoken critic of DCFS leadership. He believes the state agency does not have a money problem and he’s heard of low morale in the department because of how workers are treated. But Walters says caseload is the biggest issue facing their employees…
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Assistant Secretary for Child Welfare Rhenda Hodnett says they are doing what they can to increase the number of case workers…
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A historic matchup will take place Saturday night in Tiger Stadium as LSU and Southern will face each other for the first time in football. The two coaches spoke about the matchup today. Tigers First-year head coach Brian Kelly says it should be a spectacle…
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The meeting against the Jaguars is also the first time LSU has ever played against a historically black college in football. Southern head coach Eric Dooley says it’s great for the two fanbases to get together…