Soon, you can legally cruise down Louisiana highways with darker-tinted front windows. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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Legislators approved a new bidding process to help the Secretary of State’s Office replace Louisiana’s decades-old voting system. Kace Kieschnick has more.
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Soon, you’ll be able to tint your front windows darker. A bill allowing for just that passed overwhelmingly in both houses of the legislature and now awaits a signature from Governor Landry. Its author is Marksville Republican Representative Daryl Deshotel (DESH-uh-tell).
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Deshotel says this bill brings Louisiana in line with other states which suffer through brutal summer heat.
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One concern brought up during debate was whether the darker tint would hinder law enforcement’s ability to look through a window during a traffic stop for things like firearms and contraband. Deshotel says law enforcement organizations had no problem with the new standard.
Deshotel notes that drivers are required to have their windows rolled down by the time an officer approaches, and he offered to add an amendment to impose an extra fine for not doing so. Law enforcement organizations, however, felt that wasn’t necessary.
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The Louisiana legislature has approved a new bidding process to purchase a new voting system, replacing over ten-thousand nearly 35-year-old machines. Joel Watson of the Secretary of State’s office says the new “invitation to negotiate process” can help speed up procurement…
Louisiana’s voting machines have needed an upgrade for decades, but bidding controversies and delays have marred progress. Watson says improvements are long overdue…
New machines will produce physical paper ballots voters can review, confirm and submit. Watson says the paper ballots will help ensure transparency and voter security…
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Pope Leo the 14th has named Uganda-born priest, Father Simon Peter Engurait as Bishop-elect for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. The 53-year-old was ordained as priest for the diocese in 2013….
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Bishop Elect Engurait has served as the Diocesan Administrator in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux since January 2024, upon the sudden passing of Bishop Mario Dorsonville. He previously served as the Vicar General since 2017 and has also served as the pastor of St. Bridge Parish since that time as well.
Bishop Elect Engurait says he did not expect the Holy Father to choose him to be the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux…
The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in southeastern Louisiana has an estimated 90,000 Catholics, around 38% of the total population of the territory. Bishop-elect Engurait was born in Uganda in 1971. He is seven of 14 children and he was raised Catholic.
Before becoming a priest, Bishop Elect Engurait worked in the government of Uganda and later pursued a graduate degree in business administration. In 2003, he met Bishop Sam Jacobs, then the bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, and it was Bishop Jacobs who ordained him in 2013. Bishop Elect Engurait says south Louisiana is home and he loves the people there…
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The 2025 legislative session ends a week from today and this session will be remembered for auto insurance reform. The governor has signed several legal reform bills expected to produce lower payouts to car accident victims. Landry says it’s legislation the insurance industry has been seeking for several years…
Landry says the bills he’s signed will shield Louisianans from frivolous lawsuits driven by trial lawyers. One of the bills he signed disallows a driver without car insurance from collecting an award for bodily injury medical expenses for any amount below 100-thousand, up from 15-thousand dollars. The governor says they also eliminated a provision known as the Housley Presumption…
The governor has taken criticism from the insurance industry for signing a bill that gives the insurance commissioner greater authority to hold down rates. Landry says other states have a similar law and they have lower insurance rates than Louisiana…