NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will ask legislators to dedicate $115 million of the $535 million state surplus to coastal restoration and protection projects. Along with almost $131 million in federal revenue sharing from energy development in…
BATON ROUGE - When Louisiana lawmakers legalized alcohol delivery last year, they set up a system that allowed third-party companies to deliver for stores and restaurants that didn’t want to do it themselves. But the third-party rule came with a catch:…
BATON ROUGE - While officials are monitoring flood conditions along the Mississippi River, the water levels are not expected to rival last year’s record-setting flood fight. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does not expect to open the Bonnet Carré…
BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is moving forward on a $200 million project to revitalize a 45,000-acre swamp forest. The RESTORE Council, which oversees the use of Clean Water Act fines stemming from the 2010…
BATON ROUGE - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration on Friday filed a lawsuit against state Treasurer John Schroder, continuing a dispute over whether state government should be allowed to spend money from the state’s unclaimed property fund. The fund…
NEW ORLEANS - While Republicans last fall gained seats in Louisiana’s House of Representatives, the minority Democrats have gained a committee chair for the next term. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder announced Democrats will chair five of the 14 committees. However,…
BATON ROUGE - Louisiana officials need to figure out ways to force municipalities to get their finances in order, State Treasurer John Schroder said Wednesday. “We’re on the verge of a crisis,” he said. “We’re helping them hurt themselves.” Schroder…
BATON ROUGE - A Louisiana task force reports that repealing the Affordable Care Act could cost the state more than $4 billion and put coverage at risk for more than 900,000 people, though some members objected to the report’s “politically…
BATON ROUGE - Louisiana established Jump Start, putting more emphasis on career and technical education, in 2014. Today, more than one in five high school students graduate with a “career” diploma, compared to less than 2 percent before Jump Start,…
BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Health and four private companies who won Medicaid contracts worth billions have appealed a state official’s decision to rescind those contracts. They argue Chief Procurement Officer Paula Tregre didn’t follow the law when…
BATON ROUGE - Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin plans to ask legislators for pay raises for staff and temporary poll workers, who he said are dealing with an increasing workload as early voting grows more popular. Ardoin, whose office…
BATON ROUGE - Louisiana lawmakers are beginning to file bills to be considered in the legislative session that begins March 9, including a measure that would reignite a contentious debate about the state’s legal climate. Rep. Raymond Garofalo, a Chalmette…
BATON ROUGE - Louisiana officials are looking for ways to promote recreational access to waterways while protecting the rights of property owners and minimizing the costs to state taxpayers of any changes. It’s a tricky balancing act in a state…
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Louisiana finished 26th in a study by the conservative website Rich States, Poor States that examined the 50 states’ economic outlooks based on 15 weighted policy measures. The economic outlook ranking for Louisiana examined such variables as top marginal…
BATON ROUGE - A state official has thrown out multibillion-dollar contracts the Louisiana Department of Health awarded to manage the care of most of the state’s Medicaid population. The decision, made in response to complaints from two losing bidders, can…
BATON ROUGE - The head of what will soon be the largest casino operator in the nation said Thursday he expects the company to spend more than half a billion dollars in Louisiana over the next four years. That total…
BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority plans to seek bids for 28 projects costing about $1.97 billion in the coming year, officials said Wednesday. “Over the next four years, for the first time in the history…
BATON ROUGE - Louisiana’s state economic development department in its new annual report touts more than 80 “project wins” totaling over $8 billion in capital investment in 2019. Those projects are expected to create more than 4,900 direct jobs and…
NEW YORK - Louisiana would lack adequate revenues to manage a moderate economic downturn without raising taxes or cutting services, according to a new analysis from Moody’s Analytics. If a moderate recession were to strike, Louisiana would face a shortfall equaling…
