Legislation that attempts to put a stop to hazing on Louisiana college campuses is nearing final legislative passage. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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With his days in Washington now numbered, the proverbial shackles are off Bill Cassidy, and he has seemed to have found a new sense of freedom. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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With a recall effort against Governor Landry picking up steam, Louisiana Republicans are working to stop the momentum. Joe Gallinaro reports.
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The Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act is close to final legislative passage. Wilson died in a hazing incident in February 2025 when he was repeatedly punched in the stomach while pledging for Omega Psi Phi fraternity on the Southern University Campus. Lafayette Senator Gerald Boudreaux presented the bill on the Senate floor with Wilson’s parents watching.
If Governor Landry signs the legislation into law, it would take effect for the 2027-28 school year and will apply to fraternities, sororities and any other organization on campus including athletic teams and bands. Boudreaux says the proposed law requires schools to provide information about the dangers of hazing.
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If a death of a student results from hazing, the organization involved would be banned from campus forever. And any school that violates the Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act would not be allowed to seek funding for construction projects from the Bond Commission for two years. Boudreaux told the Senate this legislation could prevent another hazing death.
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The Senate approved the legislation 37-0, and the measure goes back to the House for approval of House changes. The anti-hazing law has already received unanimous support from the House.
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Without ever having to face Louisiana voters ever again, Senator Bill Cassidy seems to have suddenly found his voice to criticize President Trump. Cassidy says spending a billion dollars of taxpayer money on a ballroom where the East Wing of the White House used to be is ridiculous.
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Cassidy also slammed the deal Trump reached with the Justice Department, in which he dismissed his ten-billion-dollar lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for establishing a 1.776-billion-dollar anti-weaponization fund. Part of that taxpayer money could go to people who stormed the Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
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Cassidy says he would expect a great deal of backlash from the American people over this development.
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LSU President Wade Rousse says he spends a quarter of his time as the leader of the LSU system dealing with athletics, and he’s urging Congress to approve legislation to get the cost escalation under control. Rousse says defining what a college athlete is would be a good start.
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Rousse says transfer portal rules also need to be in place.
Rousse says he also wants an independent body to establish a salary cap per sport.
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Rousse was hopeful the U.S. House would take up the SCORE Act this week. The SCORE Act would provide uniform rules for NIL and revenue-sharing in college athletics. But the bill was pulled from the agenda after the Congressional Black Caucus dropped its support for the bill over the attacks on the Voting Rights Act.
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An effort to recall Governor Landry is gaining headway in Louisiana, and Republicans are doing what they can to thwart it. Organizers were spurred to launch the recall effort after Landry halted the U.S. House election to redraw the map following the Supreme Court ruling. Desiree Morrison is one of the leaders behind the recall effort; she says people are showing up in droves to add their signatures.
Morrison says the word is rapidly spreading throughout the state.
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Organizers will need just over 500-thousand valid signatures by October 31st to get the issue before voters – something that Louisiana Republican Party Executive Director Cory Dennis says will not happen.
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Dennis says they’re doing that by launching a social media campaign to tout Governor Landry’s accomplishments in office.
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Those same organizers have also launched a recall effort against Attorney General Liz Murrill and against East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards.