Qualifying for the November election begins today with election watchers keeping a close eye on who shows up for the Senate race and the open 5th district Congressional seat. Matt Doyle has more…
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Louisiana will remain in Phase Two for an additional two weeks beginning Friday. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
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Homeschooling is seeing a surge in interest as many parents are not comfortable sending their kids back to classrooms. Matt Doyle spoke with a homeschool advocate for some tips for first-time homeschoolers…
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Qualifying for the November 3rd election begins today and federal candidates have until Friday afternoon to fill out their paperwork at the Secretary of State’s office in Baton Rouge. Will there be a Democrat to challenge Republican Senator Bill Cassidy? LSU Shreveport Poli Sci Professor Jeff Sadow says Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins is a rumored candidate
Antoine Pierce, a Baton Rouge progressive activist, and New Orleans teacher Peter Wenstrup are the two announced Democrats so far.
Sadow says if the party fails to find a candidate who can mount a substantial campaign they could risk demotivating Democrats from participating in future elections.
The 5th District Congressional seat held by the retiring Ralph Abraham should be competitive. ULM Poli Sci Professor Josh Stockley says there are three well-known Republicans running, Abraham’s Chief of Staff Luke Letlow, Alexandria Representative Lance Harris, and Ouachita Police Juror Scotty Robinson.
Stockley says the jungle primary is most likely to produce one Republican and one Democrat for the run-off.
Grambling Chief Operating Officer Martin Lemelle highlights the Democratic side of the race. Stockley says Lemelle is a competitive candidate and is likely to win most of the Dem and Black vote.
Two other Democrats have also announced their intention to run, along with another independent candidate.
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Governor John Bel Edwards extends Phase Two by two more weeks. The current order is set to expire on the morning of Friday, July 24 and the new order will take its place.
Not everyone is a fan of the announcement. The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry expressed their disappointment in the decision, saying in a statement they are just as concerned with the lack of a clearly articulated and creative pathway to a safe, reopened society, school system, and economy.
Edwards says the next order will also see the extension of the restrictions added on July 13.
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Edwards cites the positivity rate of new tests as another red flag. As of July 15, all regions of Louisiana had a 7-day average positivity of new tests that was greater than 10 percent and the overall statewide positivity rate was 15.46 percent. The state’s goal is a rate to be below 10 percent.
Edwards says his biggest concern is the hospitalizations per capita as, over the last couple of weeks, it has been in an upward trajectory in all regions of the state.
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Homeschool advocates say interest in homeschooling is surging with the fate of K-12 education still up in the air.
Coalition for Responsible Home Education Director Rachel Coleman says homeschool families must have a caregiver who can commit to homeschooling full time. If not, consider virtual enrollment through your district.
The Louisiana Department of Education does not provide funding or resources for homeschooling.
Coleman says if you’re committed to home school for the coming semester you need to submit a form to BESE and be approved.
Coleman says you won’t have to worry about standardized tests, but you must, by law, offer a curriculum of quality at least equal to that offered by public schools of the same grade.
Those guidelines can be found at Louisianabelieves.com/schools/home-study.
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Monroe has a new mayor with the swearing-in of Friday Ellis. Ellis takes the position after defeating Jamie Mayo who held the position for 19 years. Ellis says he is confident in his ability to tackle the issues voters have voiced their concerns about while on the campaign trail.
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Ellis says the city will now embark on a new journey that will create jobs and move the area forward.
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Ellis won the July 11th election running as an independent and says it is an honor to get to serve in the role.