The House Criminal Justice Committee approves a constitutional amendment to require unanimous verdicts in serious felony cases. Jim Shannon reports testimony got a little heated after a comment by a district attorney.
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A beastiality bill that’s drawn some surprising opposition passed through a House committee unanimously. Matt Doyle has the story.
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The state legislature is not willing to give voters in Tangipahoa Parish the opportunity to vote on whether they want a riverboat casino at a location near I-12. DiamondJacks Casino and Resort in Bossier City is interested in moving its license to Tangipahoa. But religious leaders object. First Baptist Church of Hammond Pastor Jeff Robertson
Robertson made his comments in the House Criminal Justice Committee, one day after the Senate voted against allowing a local referendum in Tangipahoa on whether the citizens want a casino in their area. Pastor Louis Husser at Crossgate Church says such a vote would be unfair….
The House version of the Tangipahoa Parish voter referendum measure died in committee today. Ponchatoula Representative Steve Pugh moved to table the bill, because there’s opposition from local senators…
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The House Criminal Justice Committee approves a constitutional amendment that calls for all 12 members of a criminal jury to agree on the guilt or innocence of an accused person. Current law only requires 10. The debate digressed to a racial issue when an opponent, Calcasieu D.A. John Derosier, brushed off the notion that unanimous juries were racially driven.
Committee member Ted James of Baton Rouge fired back at Derosier.
The bill’s author, New Orleans Senator J.P. Morrell, cited 180 year old documents to make his point why convictions in felony should be unanimous…
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Louisiana and Oregon are the only two states without Unanimous jury requirements. The Senate has already approved the proposal and it will need a two-thirds vote on the House floor.
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A Senate-approved bestiality bill that’s been grabbing headlines passed unanimously through a House committee. The bill would update bestiality laws, and codify them as only applying to acts between man and animal. Some opponents argue the bill is an attempt to protect homosexual behavior. The bill’s sponsor, New Orleans Senator JP Morrell.
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Louisiana Family Forum President Gene Mills objected to certain parts of the bill, because he says as written, the law would remove human on human acts from criminality.
Opponents say they aren’t supporting bestiality, they’re just opposed to the way the bill was worded, arguing that it was too vauge and could be extended to human behavior. Dr. Will Hall says existing laws are enough.
The bill moves to the House floor.
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Smoothie King is moving its corporate headquarters out of New Orleans, and taking most of it’s 80 jobs to a new location in Dallas. Greater New Orleans Inc. President Michael Hecht says Smoothie King’s owner is Korean and is seeking better access to his overseas holdings.
The loss of an internationally recognized, home grown company, will sting for the New Orleans area. Hecht says the direct economic impact may be small, but…
It’s a setback for New Orleans, which has seen some big business wins recently, but Hect says it’s not an indicator of a greater shift away from the growing city. He says the city is still on an upward trajectory.
The Smoothie King Center, the home of the New Orleans Pelicans, will retain its name.
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Secretary of State Tom Schedler told a Senate committee his office is looking at improving its anti-harassment policies. Schedler, who was accused of sexually harassing an employee in a recent lawsuit, was forced to discuss his agency’s policies during harsh questioning from New Orleans Senator Karen Peterson…
Peterson said it’s been since 2013 since the Secretary of State’s office has updated its anti-harassment policies. Schedler says his agency is working on revised procedures…