A bill to remove the statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims to seek civil damages becomes law in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington explains.
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A federal judge halts President Biden’s moratorium on new oil and gas lease sales on federal lands and waters. Matt Doyle has the story.
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A bipartisan team of 10 US senators unveiled a 1.2 trillion dollar compromise infrastructure proposal that they believe can win 60 votes in the Senate. Matt Doyle spoke with one of the members, Bill Cassidy…
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A bill to remove the deadline for child sex abuse victims to pursue civil damages against their abuser is signed into law by Governor Edwards. New Orleans Representative Jason Hughes’ bill goes into effect August first. Hughes says he’s received emotional feedback from abuse survivors thanking him for the bill.
The previous law allowed child sex abuse victims until their 28th birthday to file suit but research shows the average age for victims to come forward is age 52. Hughes says House Bill 492 also has a caveat for victims who have aged out giving them a window of three years to seek damages.
Hughes says he didn’t realize the impact his legislation would have until he began to hear from survivors of child sex abuse. He says passage of the bill was truly a bipartisan effort and the law puts the abuser on notice.
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The law applies to a wide range of child sex abuse victims but the bill received key support from a coalition of those abused by Catholic priests and deacons.
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A US District Court Judge has approved Attorney General Jeff Landry’s request to halt President Biden’s moratorium on new oil and gas lease sales on federal lands and waters.
Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Mike Moncla calls the decision a big win for United States workers, but particularly for Louisiana workers that are dependant on the Gulf.
Landry released a statement saying “we appreciate that federal courts have recognized President Biden is completely outside his authority in his attempt to shut down oil and gas leases on federal lands.”
Legal analyst Tim Meche says the order does not question the President’s authority to issue moratoriums, it just dings this moratorium for not being specific enough.
Meche says this back and forth involving new orders and preliminary injunctions could go on for quite some time until the issue is resolved by the Legislative Branch.
Moncla says while it is possible Biden just issues a new order, he hopes this decision will force the President to rethink his oil and gas policy.
The decision was made by Judge Terry Doughty of the US District Court Western District of Louisiana Lake Charles division.
The Biden Administration says the moratorium on new lease sales is part of the effort to reduce the country’s carbon production in an effort to limit the effects of climate change.
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Senator Bill Cassidy touts a new 1.2 trillion dollar bipartisan agreement on infrastructure that he says will address the state’s need for new roads and bridges as well as coastal resiliency.
Cassidy says the funding for new roads and bridges in this bill could, over time, address a number of the state’s longstanding priorities for mega projects.
Cassidy was part of the five Republican and five Democrat group that crafted the counter to President Biden’s over two trillion-dollar proposal.
The proposal includes plans to reduce carbon emissions by building infrastructure that claims to capture carbon from manufacturing facilities. Cassidy says will create new opportunities for blue-collar workers.
The plan would spend 1.2 trillion over eight years with 974 billion of it in the first five years and about half of the funds being repurposed COVID relief money. The proposal also suggests raising the federal gas tax to pay, at least in part, for the rest of the package.
Progressive Democrats are blasting the offer saying it falls woefully short of the President’s campaign trail commitments to fighting climate change, but Cassidy says they should reconsider.
Progressives instead are pushing for Democrats to pass a more substantial infrastructure package that includes more climate-related spending through a budget process that would only require 50 votes.
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The LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital is once again providing total hip replacement at their small animal surgery center. LSU Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Charles Walls says hip arthritis and dysplasia and are among the most common ailments for dogs in the fifty-to-hundred-pound weight range.
German Shepherds are not the only breed prone to the ailment but dogs that are also the same size are just as susceptible.
Walls says owners often miss the signs and symptoms of hip dysplasia and arthritis in young dogs, but when you compare their lack of activity to other dogs that are that same age it becomes more obvious.
Walls says the cost of the surgery can range anywhere from five thousand up to $65,000 and complete recovery averages six months. He says the procedure can greatly improve the quality of life for man’s best friend.