A study shows that Louisiana’s civil court system is significantly harming the state’s economy. Sean Richardson has more.
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Catholics in Louisiana and the rest of the country are abuzz over the election of the first U.S.-born pope in the history of the church. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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On this Mother’s Day, take some time to keep tabs on the mental health of expectant and new mothers. Colleen Crain reports.
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A study reveals that Louisiana’s civil court system is significantly harming the state’s economy. Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch Executive Director Lana Venable says excessive litigation has led to nearly 40-thousand lost jobs, 2.9-billion-dollars in lost personal income, and over 240-million dollars in annual state revenue losses.
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Venable says the impact spans sectors like manufacturing, retail, and finance. The report estimates a “tort tax” exceeding one-thousand dollars per resident annually.
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The study urges comprehensive tort reform, citing other states’ successes in boosting economic performance and job creation through such measures. Venable says without reform, Louisiana risks continued economic decline.
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Catholics in Louisiana and all across the country are still abuzz over the election of the first U.S.-born pope in the history of the church. Robert Prevost was elected on the second day of the conclave at the Vatican, and he has chosen Leo the 14th as his papal name. LSU professor of religious studies and history Michael Pasquier (pass-KAY) says Leo the 14th was already a worldly figure before his ascension to the head of the Catholic church.
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Pasquier says Prevost took his papal name after Pope Leo the 13th, who was pope in the late 19th Century and into the beginning of the 20th Century.
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Pasquier points to one encyclical that Leo the 13th wrote called Rarem Novarum, which serves as Catholic social teaching as we know it today.
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Webster Parish deputies are investigating the deaths of the former Registrar of Voters and her husband. Sheriff Justin Parker says 63-year-old Melanie Smith and 58-year-old Kenny Smith were found dead at around eight Wednesday night inside their home during a welfare check.
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Parker stated that the bodies have been sent to Little Rock for autopsies as the investigation into the circumstances of their deaths continues.
Melanie Smith retired in December 2020 after a 29-year career in the Registrar of Voters’ office, serving as chief deputy and later as registrar from 2003. Kenny Smith was a retired local businessman whose family sold their Dixie Inn business. Parker says the community mourns the loss of the couple, who were well-known and respected in the area.
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On this Mother’s Day, make a special effort to check on the mental health of the women who are near and dear to you. Research has shown that one in five women experience a mental health crisis at some point in their lives. Louisiana Healthcare Connections says the number is likely higher, since many cases go untreated due to things like stigma. Dr. Dana Lawson says mental health is a big issue among women.
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Dr. Lawson says just being there to lend a sympathetic ear can make a woman’s day.
Lawson says even small acts of kindness go a long way.
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The LSU baseball team will host Arkansas this weekend in the final regular season series at Alex Box Stadium this season. The Tigers are 15-and-9 in the SEC, but they have struggled to score runs in their recent losses. Coach Jay Johnson is not overly concerned.
Johnson gives credit to some of the opposing pitchers the Tigers have recently faced as a reason for their offensive woes.
Arkansas is 40-and-9 overall, 17-and-7 in the SEC. They are ranked number one in the country by the college baseball writers association after sweeping the previously number one ranked team in the country, Texas. Arkansas swept the Tigers last season, and senior Josh Pearson says the Hogs are always tough.
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The Ragin Cajuns are at 21st ranked Southern Miss this weekend. U-L Lafayette is coming off a three-game sweep of Georgia State in Atlanta. The Cajuns scored 28 runs in the three-game series and hit eight home runs. Coach Matt Deggs brings a 15-9 Sun Belt record to Hattiesburg.
U-L Lafayette’s overall record is 25-and-24. Deggs wants to see his team continue to play consistently good baseball.