Tag Archives: Louisiana

The Shreveport Times reports: Louisiana’s Republican Party has endorsed John Raymond, who is charged with four counts of criminal cruelty to juveniles, in his bid to win a state House seat in St. Tammany Parish. Raymond, lead minister of New Horizon Church in Slidell and founder of Lakeside Christian Academy, was arrested twice in 2022 on juvenile cruelty charges related …

“It just starts with pot. That’s why I’m not a fan of recreational use of pot. I think everywhere we go, we see these communities that are just being destroyed by the smell and it is bad. The people are sleeping on the streets. One thing leads to the other. It is not a great environment. If you go to …

CNN reports: All Louisiana public schools are now required to display the national motto of “In God We Trust” inside of classrooms, under a new law that went into effect on August 1. The bill’s author, state Rep. Dodie Horton, said to CNN affiliate WVUE, “It doesn’t preach any particular religion at all, but it certainly does recognize a higher …

The Guardian reports: The former chaplain of a Roman Catholic high school in Louisiana has pleaded guilty to molesting two minors whom he met through his work and was ordered to spend five years in prison. Patrick Wattigny’s plea and sentence on Wednesday came after both of his victims strongly advocated for a harsher punishment. One victim, who was present, …

Bloomberg News reports: A federal judge in Louisiana denied a request by the US government to delay an order he imposed last week banning federal agencies and officials from communicating with social media companies. The Justice Department is expected to ask the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene after US District Court Judge Terry Doughty on Monday refused …

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Stephen Sauer, the former Roman Catholic priest and ousted executive director of the Arc of Greater New Orleans, was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison for drugging 17 men he met in the French Quarter, driving them to his Metairie home and taking pictures of them unconscious and partially undressed while he masturbated. Judge …

New Orleans’ CBS affiliate reports: Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed three anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed by the Louisiana legislature, his office announced in a press release Friday. House Bill 466, which would have restricted the discussion of gender and sexuality in public school classrooms House Bill 81, which would have required school employees to use the names and pronouns of …

NBC News reports: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Louisiana’s appeal seeking to prevent the state’s congressional map from being redrawn over claims that it unlawfully dilutes the influence of Black voters. The move via a brief unsigned order was expected after the Supreme Court’s ruling on June 8 that buttressed a key part of the landmark Voting Rights Act …

CNN reports: Millions of people in Louisiana and Oregon have had their data compromised in the sprawling cyberattack that has also hit the US federal government, state agencies said late Thursday. The breach has affected 3.5 million Oregonians with driver’s licenses or state ID cards, and anyone with that documentation in Louisiana, authorities said. Casey Tingle, a senior official in …

Baton Rouge’s CBS affiliate reports: A prominent Louisiana Baptist leader in the central Louisiana area has been arrested, law enforcement said. Daryl Stagg, 60, of Pollock, was arrested on Thursday and is being held at the Grant Parish Detention Center in Colfax. The Louisiana Baptist Convention confirmed that Stagg has been the associational mission strategist for the Big Creek and …

New Orleans’ CBS affiliate reports: Gov. John Bel Edwards condemned recent legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community in Louisiana, saying he would veto those bills. At a press conference on Thursday, Gov. Edwards compared the recent measures to historical opposition to the Civil Rights Movement. “On those issues, the judgement of history … will be very clear. It will be as …

The Louisiana Illuminator reports: The Louisiana Senate gave final passage to two anti-LGBTQ+ bills Monday that target young transgender and queer students. House Bill 466 by Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, prohibits discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools. House Bill 81 by Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City, would prohibit school employees from using transgender students’ preferred names …

The Shreveport Times reports: The Rev. John Raymond of Slidell, an elected member of the Louisiana Republican Party governing board who is charged with four counts of criminal cruelty to juveniles, is running for a seat in the state House of Representatives. “I feel it’s important people who believe in conservative Christian principles hold positions to create laws to direct …

The Louisiana Illuminator reports: The Louisiana House passed a so-called Don’t Say Gay bill Tuesday that would prohibit teachers from discussing gender identity or sexual orientation, and it would protect only teachers and parents who hold conservative views of transgender rights. House Bill 466, sponsored by Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, passed in a 67-28 vote. Similar to a bill the …

The Associated Press reports: Efforts to increase Louisiana’s minimum wage, which currently aligns with the federal rate of $7.25 an hour, were rejected in a Republican-controlled legislative committee Wednesday — a day after lawmakers advanced a bill that would double their own salaries. The failed bill would have gradually increased the state’s minimum wage to $10 an hour in 2024 …

Lafayette’s CBS affiliate reports: Former teacher Jacob De La Paz, who left his employ at St. Thomas More High School abruptly on Wednesday under a cloud of suspicion, has been arrested in Youngsville. Authorities have confirmed to KLFY that De La Paz, 33, was arrested at approximately 6 p.m. Thursday by agents from the Department of Homeland Security, assisted by …

The Associated Press reports: As several conservative states adopt legislation that prohibits school employees from teaching or discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom, Louisiana advanced its own “Don’t Say Gay” bill Wednesday. The anti-LGBTQ+ measure was narrowly approved by a Republican-controlled House committee and heads to the full House, where an emotionally charged debate over the culture …

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Louisiana Republican Party officials want state lawmakers to forbid the study of racism at colleges and universities, arguing in a resolution approved Saturday that classes examining “inglorious aspects” of United States history are too divisive. The resolution, passed by voice vote with no discernible dissent at the state party’s quarterly meeting in Baton Rouge, asks …

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, a Republican who has overseen the state’s elections for five years, will not run for reelection, he said Tuesday, citing “pervasive lies” about Louisiana’s elections that have proliferated as part of a national effort to undermine election systems since President Donald Trump’s 2020 loss. The decision comes after Ardoin oversaw …

New Orleans’ CBS affiliate reports: A Chalmette pastor was arrested by State Police on Wednesday on suspicion of sexual abuse of a minor over the course of three years. A State Police spokesperson told our partners at NOLA.com that Milton O. Martin III, 56, was booked with carnal knowledge of a juvenile and sexual battery. Martin was accused of having …