Republican lawmakers are concerned that Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s plan for Louisiana’s presidential primary is too broad, allowing anyone over the age of 18 to vote by mail. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
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16 residents at a veterans’ home in Reserve that tested positive for COVID-19 have died, an outbreak that is driving St. John the Baptist Parish’s high per capita death rate. Matt Doyle has the story.
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The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee has asked Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin to revise his plan for the July 11th presidential primary over concerns that his proposal that expands mail-in voting gives that option to too many people. Shreveport Senator Barry Milligan is concerned about voter fraud…
The emergency election rule would allow anyone to mail in an absentee ballot if they are concerned they could be exposed to the coronavirus. Ardoin says, unfortunately, it’s necessary so that register voters have the constitutional right to vote. Milligan asks Ardoin if the wording of the rule can be changed…
On a five to one party-line vote, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee has asked Ardoin to bring another emergency election proposal to them that would lower the number of people would be eligible to vote with a mail ballot. Milligan pushed for a new proposal
Ardoin says he needs legislative approval of his emergency election plan by April 26th in order for the presidential primary to take place in July.
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St. John the Baptist remains one of the highest county/parishes per capita in COVID-19 deaths largely because of an outbreak at a veterans’ home in Reserve that’s killed 16.
Deputy Secretary for the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Julie Baxter-Payer says the facility saw its first resident show symptoms March 19th, and…
The statewide stay home order was put into place on March 22nd.
Baxter-Payer says the facility has 26 positive tests so far, and those who’ve been infected are all in the high-risk group.
The state’s other four homes in Jackson, Jennings, Monroe, and Bossier have not reported any COVID-19 cases.
Baxter-Payer says all of their facilities have been inspected by state and federal health officials, and they are doing everything they can to keep residents safe while supporting them emotionally.
Four veterans have recovered of the 26 who tested positive so far. Seven employees have been able to return to work after testing positive.
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Governor Edwards says Louisiana will make more medical services available when the state begins the transition of reopening the economy. Elective surgeries such as colonoscopies and arthroscopic surgery are not allowed under the stay at home order, but the governor says you can only postpone those procedures for so long…
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The governor’s current stay at home order lasts through April 30th and Edwards has indicated he could extend it. He says when the green light is given to open up more businesses, social distancing will continue, along with other measures…
Edwards says the new normal will also have reduced occupancy limits…
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Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the state is working on a set of guidelines to potentially get restaurants and other service industry businesses open in May.
Nungesser says if it is safe to lift the stay at home order next month, restaurants could come back under strict guidelines…
But Nungesser warns that even if we do reopen next month an estimated 5.9 million tourism-related jobs will have already been lost nationwide.
And Nungesser adds that even if we start reopening service industry businesses, it’s unlikely we will see many out of state people coming to visit them for awhile.
Nungesser says polls show once the shelter in place order is lifted people are most likely to do “staycations” in their local area than to travel.