The second special session of the year begins this evening with lawmakers authorized to tackle a wide range of topics over the next 30 days. Matt Doyle has the story.
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A Jefferson Parish fourth grader’s suspension for having a BB gun in view of his web camera during a virtual class has drawn the attention of Attorney General Jeff Landry. Matt Doyle spoke with the A-G…
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Hurricane Laura is estimated to be the costliest storm in Entergy Louisiana’s history, $1.4 billion dollars in damage to the company’s infrastructure. Brooke Thorington has more.
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Lawmakers will kick off the second special session of the year this evening at 6 PM.
The depleted unemployment trust fund, the Governor’s public health restrictions, and Hurricane Laura recovery are the three major stated reasons for the session but LaPolitics.com Publisher Jeremy Alford says a range of issues will be discussed over the next 30 days.
Alford says traditionally hurricane response has been considered a federal-only issue but this Legislature has shown an interest in expanding their reach so we could see some state-level interventions in Laura recovery efforts…
Frustration amongst some Republicans over COVID restrictions on businesses is reportedly a driving factor in the session being called. Parks Senator Fred Mills says the current restrictions will be discussed and input from all sides will be sought…
Mills says lawmakers will hear from a range of experts and involved parties over how the state’s public health response could be improved.
Senate President Page Cortez says current laws dictating gubernatorial authority during public health crises didn’t imagine a situation as long-lasting as COVID. Cortez says lawmakers will consider whether some of that authority should be shared.
The unemployment trust fund is expected to run out of money next week, triggering higher payroll taxes on businesses and reduced benefits for recipients starting next year. In response, some state leaders have suggested using money allocated to a small business grant program to sure up the fund, but Cortez says the State Treasurer John Schroder has put that idea to rest…
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Attorney General Jeff Landry is investigating whether the Jefferson Parish School system violated the constitution by suspending a fourth-grader after a teacher saw the child move a BB gun during virtual instruction. Woodmere Elementary 4th grader Ka Mauri Harrison was suspended for six days.
The nine-year-old’s brother had entered the room and tripped over the gun, at which point Harrison place the gun to the side, but still within view of his web camera. Harrison now has a weapons violation on his permanent record.
Landry says not only was it an overreaction, but it was also a violation of his constitutional rights, in this case, his 2nd amendment rights.
Harrison returned to school Thursday after his suspension ended.
The case raises the question of whether schools can control what they see in a student’s web camera. Landry says at most virtual classes are public spaces, which don’t have the same restrictions as physical school property.
The Jefferson Parish Public School System does not comment on a student’s individual record.
But they point to their policy that says the illegal carrying, possession, or use of a firearm or dangerous weapon within the boundaries of school property is a crime.
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Entergy Louisiana estimates the cost to restore power following Hurricane Laura is one-point-four billion dollars. CEO Phillip May says 18-hundred transmission towers were damaged or destroyed and the number of distribution poles lost is only second to Hurricane Rita.
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May says the company is exploring avenues to minimize as much as possible passing on recovery costs to Entergy customers.
For a ten year period after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Entergy customers had a surcharge on their bill to pay for those restoration costs..
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The defending national champion LSU Tigers have some soul searching to do after getting upset in the season opener by Mississippi State 44-34. Bulldogs Quarterback K.J. Costello threw for an SEC record 623 yards and five touchdowns. Safety Jacoby Stevens called in an embarrassing performance
Mississippi State had three players record at least 100 receiving yards. The Tigers played without All-American cornerback Derek Stingley Junior, because of a non-COVID illness that put him in the hospital on Friday. Coach Ed Orgeron says they tried to play man-to-man defense with an inexperience secondary
The offense had its issues as well on Saturday. Coach Ed Orgeron called quarterback Myles Brennan’s performance inconsistent…
Brennan threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns, but he was also intercepted twice and sacked seven times as the Tigers new offensive line had trouble protecting him. Brennan says they don’t want to get used to losing
LSU is at Vanderbilt on Saturday night.
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The 27th ranked Ragin Cajuns are 3-0 for the first time since 1988 after squeaking out a 20-18 victory over Georgia Southern on Saturday at Cajun Field. The Eagles took a one point lead with 54 seconds left, but Cajuns quarterback Levi Lewis completed three passes to set up a 53-yard field and Nate Snyder nailed it. Coach Billy Napier on Snyder who missed four fields in three games before that remarkable kick…
The Cajuns won despite not having several starters and reserves available because of COVID-19 and injuries. Napier says this game will serve as a great learning tool for these young adults
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U-L Lafayette’s next game is a week from Wednesday, October 7th, at Appalachian State.