Energy interests fretting over Obama's budget
While elected officials and special interests from Louisiana are rallying behind the coastal initiatives included in President Barack Obama’s proposed budget, many of them are also opposing another...
Energy interests fretting over Obama's budget
While elected officials and special interests from Louisiana are rallying behind the coastal initiatives included in President Barack Obama’s proposed budget, many of them are also opposing another...
Energy interests fretting over Obama's budget
While elected officials and special interests from Louisiana are rallying behind the coastal initiatives included in President Barack Obama’s proposed budget, many of them are also opposing another...
Silverfin tough to catch and clean
If you’re a recreational angler who’s hoping to land a batch of silverfin, the widely abundant fish being rebranded by public and private interests, just know that you’ll have to go beyond the simple...
Money being raised for Acadiana seat
Out of all of the major candidates vying to capture the 3rd Congressional District, a political novice from Houma appears to be the clear money leader as the race begins to heat up. Aside from his...
Acadiana reps running wildlife commission
Members of the state Wildlife and Fisheries Commission voted unanimously Thursday to elect two men from Acadiana to serve as their chairman and vice chairman for the next year. The new chairman is...
Insurance changes in store for new year
If you think insurance coverage is already complex enough, then you probably don’t want to hear about all the new changes that went into effect on Jan. 1 for automobile rates, hurricane deductibles,...
Lafayette's C&C gets govt. contract for unmanned sub research
C&C Technologies of Lafayette has scored $800,000 from the federal defense appropriations bill to research the positioning of unmanned submarines. The local company has about 600 employees and...
Up is down and cold is hot, and Gov. Bobby Jindal is raising money in Louisiana. That’s fair to say about a politician who traveled outside the state more than 40 times this year to collect dough for...
Lafayette's C&C gets govt. contract for unmanned sub research
C&C Technologies of Lafayette has scored $800,000 from the federal defense appropriations bill to research the positioning of unmanned submarines. The deepwater surveying and mapping company has...
Still hunting (and fishing) for last-minute gifts?
While the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ headquarters might be better known as a place to buy a license or, if you’ve been naughty, pay a fine, it also plays host to a unique gift shop that...
Vitter drafting legislation for shrimp industry
U.S. Sen. David Vitter says his office is working on the early version of a bill that would strengthen national shrimp inspection laws, ban tainted imports and create stiffer penalties for improper...
The U.S. Department of Energy has thrown about $670,000 LSU’s way and the flagship is giving all the loot to the state’s premier geological research center to launch three different geothermal energy...
State money available to fortify homes
If you’re a property owner in the Lafayette area who has experienced damage from hurricanes in recent years, you could be eligible to receive as much as $7,500 in state money to make small-scale...
New coastal dredge rules still untested
New rules for how coastal use permit holders can use the material unearthed after a dredging project are still untested after more than a month of being on the books. Coastal use permits are required...
South Louisiana energy leases dominate monthly sale
Of the 13 oil and gas leases awarded by the state during its two-day sale that ended Thursday, 11 were located in south Louisiana. It’s the first sign in months that action around the Haynesville...
Louisiana officials want to shuck federal oyster rules
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission voted Thursday to officially “disagree” with proposed federal regulations that call for a ban on harvesting untreated oysters from the Gulf of Mexico...
State officials lining up against energy policy
One after another, Louisiana’s statewide elected officials are taking strong stances against President Barack Obama’s proposed energy plan that would, as proposed, reduce the pollution counts...
A bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers have created a new caucus that’s dedicated solely to advocating and promoting the use of domestic natural gas. The Congressional Natural Gas Caucus is the...
Louisiana’s October oil and gas lease sale, conducted Wednesday, seemed promising for a change —even though Acadiana properties were shut out (none was nominated for purchase). The Mineral Board...
Housing money heading to Lafayette
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is sending roughly $2.4 million to Lafayette for special housing developments. The cash will arrive in two allotments: one Community Development...
Treasurer opposes closure of four-year universities
Even though speculation over the possible closure of a four-year university has produced more anxiety than actual proof, state Treasurer John Kennedy brought up the topic on his own during his address...
September energy leases hit all-time low
The oil and gas lease sale conducted last week by the state Mineral Board brought in only $29,000 and is the lowest monthly sale Louisiana has experienced in at least a generation. Energy leases have...
New poll: edge for Vit, hope for Charlie
The highly-anticipated U.S. Senate contest between Congressman Charlie Melancon and incumbent David Vitter is still more than a year away, but a new internal poll has surfaced that shows how the two...
Despite new litigation, Elmer's Island open for holiday
Although new legal issues have surfaced over the rights to Elmer’s Island, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission announced Thursday that the area currently overseen by the state will be open...
In endorsements, Jindal has the minus touch
Gov. Bobby Jindal put his name on the line again for a Republican candidate this weekend and, just like previous endorsements, it failed to resonate with voters. Former Lafourche Parish Councilman...
Beginning at midnight, two new members can be added to the board that oversees the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise Commission. LITE oversees economic development ventures in the region, as...
Could Angelle ride elephant into 3rd district race?
As natural resources secretary under former Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, and sitting Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican, Scott Angelle of Breaux Bridge has been a rising star for his aggressive...
Nearly $50 million at stake in energy vote
There’s $17 million worth of earmarks for the Atchafalaya Basin in the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill recently passed by the U.S. House, but there’s no final decision yet on what the Senate is...
Seafood cookoff set for Saturday
Accomplished chefs from throughout the United States are gathering in New Orleans this evening for the 2009 Great American Seafood Cook-Off, which you may have seen in the past on Food Network....
The state has launched a science-based study on the inland boundary of the state’s coastal zone to determine whether the lines drawn up 30 years ago are still viable. The state Department of Natural...
More from The Grinder: Golden Boudin updates
When we dished up our first Golden Boudin Awards cover story near the end of the recent legislative session, there were overlooked entries, unintended consequences and other fallout in various...
Downer, Angelle could enter congressional field
Brigadier Gen. Hunt Downer and Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle are both being encouraged to launch separate bids next year for the 3rd Congressional District, which encompasses portions of...
La. Legislature: Out of the office
Just a perfect day, Problems all left alone, Weekenders on our own. It’s such fun. —Lou Reed, “Perfect Day” (1972) There are only six days remaining in the regular session — a normally-hectic time for...
Henderson poised for 'gateway' status
The state Senate is expected to vote on legislation as early as Sunday afternoon that would officially recognize the town of Henderson as the “Gateway to the Atchafalaya Basin.” House Concurrent...
Energy corridor concept dead for session
Legislation that would have brought together the bayou parishes region with Acadiana in an effort to place the conversion of I-49 South on solid asphalt appears to have run out of gas with less than...
When Congress sent a proposed constitutional amendment for women’s rights to the states more than 37 years ago, Louisiana was never officially given the opportunity to weigh in on the...
Wildlife commission facing substantive changes
A House committee has approved a trio of bills aimed at changing the way the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission considers and adopts policies. After hours of debate earlier this week, the House Natural...
Coastal money could be raided during debate
As lawmakers look underneath every rock for available cash to send back to their districts, coastal advocates are concerned that $300 million set aside by Gov. Bobby Jindal for restoration and...
Lawmakers getting fully disclosed
Members of the House of Representatives sweated it out a bit Thursday during a briefing on the new financial disclosure requirements that take effect May 15. House Clerk Butch Speer took lawmakers...
Center for Women playing defense
As the state grapples with a $1.3 billion budget shortfall, agencies of every shape and form are bracing for possible reductions, even the Louisiana Center for Women and Government. Located at...
Proposals would broaden scope of natural resources money
Two state senators from south Louisiana want to give the secretary of the Department of Natural Resources more control over two sizable pools of money that are chiefly derived from oil-and-gas and...
UPDATE: Jindal's top lawyer has wandering eyes
Speculation over the how much longer Jimmy Faircloth will remain Gov. Bobby Jindal’s general counsel has been bubbling up to the surface for weeks. Some of the scuttlebutt has pegged Faircloth as a...
Executive counsel may leave Jindal administration
Gov. Bobby Jindal could soon be looking for a new lawyer. Jimmy Faircloth confirms that he's considering a run for the Louisiana Supreme Court. "I'm being urged to run by several people and I'm...
Rep. Rickey Hardy wants the state’s top school board to require that public school students in grades sixth through 12th maintain a 2.0 grade point average to play sports and participate in...
Rep. Rickey Hardy wants the state’s top school board to require that public school students in grades sixth through 12th maintain a 2.0 grade point average to play sports and participate in...
Rep. Rickey Hardy wants the state’s top school board to require that public school students in grades sixth through 12th maintain a 2.0 grade point average to play sports and participate in...
Bill filed in response to Mardi Gras shooting
A Fat Tuesday shooting that occurred in the wake of the Rex and Zulu processions and injured seven parade-goers could be the catalyst for stiffer gun laws in Louisiana. When lawmakers convene their...
Independent publisher receives Blue Ribbon honor
Each year a handful of women is inducted into the Louisiana Center for Women and Government’s Hall of Fame. And later this month, Cherry Fisher May, The Ind’s publisher, will be recognized alongside...
Basin boosted by Barack-backed budget
The U.S. House approved an appropriations bill Wednesday evening that’s chocked full of projects for the Atchafalaya Basin system ranging from levee improvements to dredging. In all, there’s roughly...
Louisiana not alone in coastal land loss
While Louisiana's erosion problems are well-documented, new research has surfaced that shows a continuing loss of coastal wetlands in the eastern United States. The additional attention being given to...
A national advocacy group is describing Louisiana’s gun laws as “weak or non-existent.” The Brady Campaign awarded the Bayou State two out of 100 points in its annual survey of U.S. states, in which...
HIV/AIDS Awareness in Acadiana
There are 560 people living with AIDS or HIV in Lafayette Parish, according to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. Among the state’s 64 parishes, Lafayette has the fifth highest number...
Americans United for Life, a public-interest nonprofit with a conservative bent, has issued a new study that labels Louisiana as the second most pro-life state in the nation, second only to...
If you’re a feisty Dem looking for intellectual hand grenades to throw at your GOP coworker, or if you’re a Republican in need of Democratic intel and Watergate isn’t your style, then Blue Notes could...
Need still persists for local crisis counseling
Two years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita made landfall in 2005, state mental health officials noted increases in the prevalence of anxiety, mood disorders and suicide among the storms’ victims,...
If you fish federal waters, Big Brother wants to know
When it comes to privacy issues and government control, Louisiana anglers will be the ones scaled and gutted next year. That’s when a national database is scheduled to go online to keep tabs of...
FEMA shells out nearly $53,000 for Acadiana needy
Sizeable federal grants have been awarded to portions of Acadiana to help feed and temporarily house needy residents through regional shelters, soup kitchens and food banks. The money was made...
Lafayette banks taking part in bailout
Under normal circumstances, the concept of the federal government bailing out financial markets and purchasing bank stock of any type like a regular investor would be unthinkable. But these aren’t...
UL students get $20,000 for service
Students at UL have been given nearly $20,000 to advocate math and science in local classrooms; bolster low-income homes in the community; and put on a “Sustainable Living Roadshow.” The University of...
Report: Katrina, Rita challenges still remain
A new report out by a Louisiana nonprofit organization examines some of the recovery misconceptions that state and local officials continue to combat more than three years after hurricanes Katrina and...
Coastal degree program among first in southern U.S.
The state’s flagship university, although largely situated in the Capital City, is expanding its reach in coastal processes, wetland ecology and hurricane research by offering one of the very few...
Out-of-staters named to Jindal's coastal board
Several new members have been added to a special coastal commission charged with advising Gov. Bobby Jindal, including some from outside of Louisiana. It’s a clear indication that the Governor’s...
Oyster program off to bumpy start
A new permitting process meant to keep out-of-state commercial fishermen from encroaching on Louisiana-based oyster harvesters is running into administrative hurdles, according to officials with the...
Acadiana not in health care redesign
Acadiana’s legislative delegation is in Baton Rouge this morning to learn more about Gov. Bobby Jindal’s new initiative to reform the way health care is delivered to the state’s citizenry. It’s called...
The America’s Wetland Foundation, a private-public education group, released its six year progress report last week that both highlights successes and remaining challenges in the fight to save...
The U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection has undertaken new efforts to prevent Chinese shrimp producers from evading trade and food safety laws. Louisiana’s shrimp industry, along with those...
Members of the fiscally-conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition announced this week that U.S. Rep. Melancon, a Napoleonville Democrat, will serve as co-chairman for the group’s communications....
Oil leasing shows signs of slowing
The Louisiana Mineral Board's November lease sale was less than spectacular last week, indicating that the hype surrounding the Haynesville Shale area may be quieting as the rest of the state battles...
Coastal commission being overhauled amid concerns
A group of lawmakers and experts appointed to advise Gov. Bobby Jindal on coastal matters hasn’t met since last year, and many members fear the panel has either lost its remaining shreds of influence...
Melancon not sweating Obama's anti-drilling assault
There are 68 days left until President George Bush has to vacate the Oval Office to make room for President-elect Barack Obama. And the new guy has promised quick change – a lot of it – so those 68...
The Obama site that hasn't been hacked
President-elect Barack Obama has barely been on the job for three days, and his transition team has already launched www.Change.gov. That it went up so quickly, and includes such features as videos...
Jindal's favorable ratings dropping
When you’re at the top, as they say, there’s nowhere to go but down. Just ask GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal, whose superstar poll numbers are finally beginning to reveal that he’s human and not some...
Democrats prepared for historic turnout
Preliminary estimates from early voting suggest there was a 38 percent African-American turnout statewide earlier this week, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans overall 2 to 1. If it’s any kind of...
Esquire backs Boustany, Treen behind Landrieu
In its new endorsement issue on newsstands now, Esquire magazine gives a big New York nod to Democrat Barack Obama for president, which is exactly what you might expect from a slick, full-color rag...
Port Fourchon still waiting on feds
Port Fourchon, a conduit for 18 percent of the nation’s oil supply, is more vulnerable to storm damage today than it was just a year ago. September brought with it back-to-back hurricanes from the...
Did you know that Abraham Lincolns’ dog was named Fido? Even if you did, there’s probably still a great deal you don’t know about our nation’s 16th president. That’s why Louisiana, along with other...
Despite being unopposed this fall, U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon still managed to raise more than $49,500 during the third quarter of the year. But rather than blow it all on himself, Melancon used the...
Melancon: Tax changes make bailout slightly more bearable
Lost in the controversial legislation tossing a $700 billion life preserver to Wall Street was a significantly smaller provision that could help flood and hurricane victims stay afloat during their...
George Rodrigue, the New Iberia virtuoso, has finally been named Louisiana’s Artist Laureate. He will serve in the position as long as Gov. Bobby Jindal, who appointed him, is in office. George...
Charter captains face new reporting requirements
If you ask the old-timers down the bayou, they’ll tell you that some of the best coastal fishing happens in the wake of a disparaging storm. Stu Scheer, the longtime captain of Cocodrie Inside...
Shrimp dealers still struggling
A new study of the state’s shrimp market reveals dockside prices are continuing to drop, causing even more headaches for what has become a troubled sector of Louisiana’s diverse economy. But even with...
Senate candidates go soft on hard sell
There are definitely worse places than Louisiana to ply retail politics, the ancient art of reaching out to communities by attending local events and meeting with voters individually in their...
Fall enrollment bounces (almost) everywhere
Seven out of the eight colleges in the University of Louisiana System experienced increases in their fall enrollments when compared to the same semester in 2007. Overall, the number of students...
Mary Landrieu: another Katrina victim?
The PBS news division has weighed in with a re-election analysis on Louisiana senior Sen. Mary Landrieu, and it isn’t altogether great news for the Democrat. In a story posted to the site of NewsHour...
Reilly replaces Stuller as Blueprint chair
Billboard exec Sean Reilly is the new chairman of Blueprint Louisiana, replacing founding chairman Matt Stuller. Additionally, businessman Bill Fenstermaker is the group's new secretary. Also a...
Legal might thrown behind domestic violence cases
Some argue that an alternative definition for insanity is walking into a courtroom without legal representation. But last year in Lafayette Parish, 10 percent of domestic violence victims seeking a...
As Hurricane Ike inches toward Texas’ gulf-flanked border this morning, sending infant tidal surges over Louisiana’s coastline, officials with the state Department of Natural Resources were running a...
Search'and-rescue operations were limited
Despite the visible damage in south Louisiana, officials with the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries say none of their search-and-rescue teams were dispatched below Interstate 10 after...
State prepares search-and-rescue operations
With Gustav approaching the Gulf of Mexico’s warm, energy-charged waters, and another tropical storm developing off the Atlantic, the Louisiana department that normally serves the state’s hunters and...
Participation in the state’s new tagging system for deer was voluntary for hunters last year. In just a few weeks, it becomes mandatory. That means all hunters, regardless of age or license status,...
Melancon to back Obama at convention
U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon is in Colorado this week for the Democratic National Convention to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Barack Obama. It’s a four-day affair of glitz and glamour on prime...
Kennedy could double-dip on Bush exposure
Treasurer John Kennedy enjoyed a high-profile visit from First Lady Laura Bush last week in Lafayette, where a fund-raiser was hosted with tickets ranging from $1,000 to $2,500. While it certainly...
New laws on pot, prostitution take effect today
If you were thinking back in May and June that Louisiana’s lawmakers were up to no good, getting very little accomplished in their 2008 regular session, today’s roll-out of 467 new laws should get...
First Lady in town on Thursday
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a New Orleans Democrat, grabbed a few local headlines last week when she was endorsed by more than a dozen business leaders from the Acadiana region. Not to be outdone, her...
Gov. Bobby Jindal has added three new names to the 15-member Louisiana Music Commission. In short, the mission of the commission is to promote and develop commercial music in the Bayou State. More...
Last week the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out a flowery announcement placing state Sen. Don Cravins Jr. of Opelousas in its “Emerging Races” column. It basically meant Cravins was...
Locals reappointed to coastal advisory commission
Gov. Bobby Jindal reappointed three Acadiana members to his special advisory commission on coastal affairs Thursday. Aside from advising Jindal on key issues, members of the Governor's Advisory...
Citing a “strong campaign” that is beginning to energize traditional voting blocs, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has upgraded the bid of state Sen. Don Cravins Jr. of Opelousas to...
Senate candidates spar over oil legislation
State Treasurer John Kennedy has been taking incumbent U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu to task the past week over her repeated opposition to bills he claims would increase the amount of oil and gas produced...
Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal owes one to the Senate. As of this weekend, 36 out of the state’s 38 senators mailed in ballots voting to cancel the scheduled veto override session. For Jindal, that’s...
Boustany, Melancon stick it to Bush
As Gov. Bobby Jindal is fighting the Louisiana Legislature’s efforts to push him into a veto override session, President Bush is still reeling from Congress’ decision to reverse one of his vetoes...
Vermilion Bay gives LDWF a new look
If you’re an avid hunter, concerned conservationist or obsessed angler, then you can summon the long-held logo of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries from memory. It’s round, for...
Repeal of OCS drilling ban picking up support
Members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation have long called for lifting the executive ban on exploration in Louisiana’s Outer Continental Shelf, but now that a presidential candidate and top...
Even though CODOFIL recently celebrated its 40th bonne fête, last week represented a first for the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana. Preserving the traditional Cajun dialect and...
Prejean tapped for Coastal Protection post
Gov. Bobby Jindal has signed into law legislation that seeks to better fold Acadiana into coastal protection and restoration efforts, and has also tapped a local name to help oversee the money side of...
Legislative taps and well-deserved pay
Communities around the state are looking for various ways to further honor Louisiana’s soldiers. The town of Franklin, for one, was fortunate enough to land $15,000 in the state’s operating budget for...
Citing the dwindling hours of the recent session and an unsteady economy, members of the budget-drafting House Appropriations Committee deferred two votes recently on attempts to steer more oil and...
Cravins Jr. running against Boustany
When The Independent Weekly went to press with our profile of last week’s cover story subject, Democratic state Sen. Don Cravins Jr. of Opelousas, Cravins was preparing to head to Washington, D.C. to...
A new road home for Louisiana college grads?
As victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita continue their struggles to rebuild homesteads and make sense of the now-infamous Road Home program, the Lower Chamber of the Legislature has created an...
Louisiana reeling in old anglers
In an effort to lure former Louisiana anglers back into the ranks of recreational fishing license holders, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has launched an aggressive direct mail...
Finally, Louisiana's fair share of oil and gas revenues
Louisiana officials are still giddy from Congress’ 2006 decision to give the state a greater share of its offshore oil and gas revenues. Politicians had been pushing for the increase for generations,...
Jindal announces support for specific bills
With a little over three weeks remaining in the ongoing session that kicked off on March 31, Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal has announced his support for a number of specific bills. According to a...
Acadiana legislators' slush funds
Same old song, different dance. Former Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco supposedly did away with slush fund projects and current Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal decried the pet projects last year during...
Bill would expand Lafayette expressway commission
If you did nothing more than read Senate Bill 789 by Sen. Troy Hebert, it would be hard to decipher what the proposed legislation actually does. It speaks vaguely of expressway commissions in...
Who gets credit for the Nucor mill move?
The first taker out of the gate Thursday morning was the Democratic duo of Sen. Mary Landrieu of New Orleans and Congressman Charlie Melancon of Napoleonville. They fired off a media advisory shortly...
Florida newspaper scrutinizes Jindal's DHH pick
When Alan Levine was tapped as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals earlier this year, Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal described him as a “superstar.” But in a report dubbed...
Bumping Trahan: A lesson in political infrastructure
If you don’t believe there’s a constant flow of petty jockeying going down at the State Capitol when the Legislature is in session, then there’s probably a piece of oceanfront property with your name...
Bill would allow local control of University Medical Center
Legislation expected to be debated this week in a House committee would allow a local health services district to take over Lafayette’s charity hospital. University Medical Center, like others in the...
Coastal restoration can be so taxing
As painful as it might be for some, filing your state income taxes could soon be done with a sense of purpose – that is, if the Legislature agrees to include a special check-off box for coastal...
Robideaux wades into illegal immigrant debate
Illegal immigrants are one of many lawmaker targets during the ongoing legislative session. GOP Rep. Tim Burns of Mandeville has legislation that would ban unauthorized aliens from renting property....
Southwest Louisiana gets coastal nod
A Senate committee approved sweeping changes to the state’s guiding coastal board Thursday, including additional membership from southwest Louisiana and a new approach to infrastructure projects. The...
Acadiana has long enjoyed local success thank to offshore oil discoveries, but a new deepwater economy could be in the works for the region — and the state is setting the foundation. Rep. Jerry...
Louisiana earmarks up for debate
During budget debates in recent years, average citizens, editorial writers and good government groups have all winced at the sight of funding for hot air balloon races and high school alumni groups....
Does Louisiana have separate brands of justice?
The chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus wants the House and Senate judicial committees to study potential race disparities that may exist in sentencing guidelines. New Orleans Democratic Rep....
License(s) for vanity in the Legislature
The House Transportation Committee is expected to debate — if it can be called that — no less than seven pieces of legislation today that do nothing more than create new vanity license plates, change...
Escaped crawfish in the Legislature
If a crawfish you personally raised escapes from your pond and decides to set up shop in your neighbor’s ditch and is consequently consumed by said neighbor with a side of corn-and-potato, is the...
Jindal's violation: horse not dead, some beating left to do
If Gov. Bobby Jindal thought the flap over the payment of his campaign finance violation was put to rest during last month’s special session on ethics reform, he’s sadly mistaken. Rep. Jerome “Dee”...
Sport-fishing lobby elects new leadership
The largest special interest group in the state dedicated to recreational fishing issues has elected Bob Bush of Lake Charles as its new chairman. The Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana has...
According to a recent Inspector General report, there has been a flagrant abuse of power taking place on the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. “After reviewing available documentation...
Mudbug madness in the Legislature
If crawfish farmers and crustacean aficionados are looking for a banner-bearer, they need look no further than rookie Rep. Fred H. Mills, Jr., a Democrat from Parks. The spunky Cajun is sponsoring...
Gov. Jindal makes PR swing in Lafayette today
It’s becoming increasingly safe to say that Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal is the most-traveled governor in recent years, at least inside state lines. He hit the road and visited Louisiana's major metro...
While Gov. Bobby Jindal may have set the bar high for ethics and transparency in his administration, it was already set low for oratory prowess when he took office. His Democratic predecessor,...
Lafayette Chamber backs Jindal plan
The Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce has joined forces with 14 other business organizations from around the state to support the elimination and accelerated phase-outs of several business taxes....
Acadiana delegation holds elections
Despite invoking images of Evangeline’s oak, Lafayette’s blue dogs and the muddy waters of the Atchafalaya Basin, the Acadiana legislative delegation has been slowly expanding its ranks in to include...
Gov. Bobby Jindal is expected to release portions of his outdoors and conservation platforms tomorrow in Lafayette at the annual convention of the Coastal Conservation Association , the state’s most...
Locals maintain edge in state GOP
Two of Lafayette’s best known Republicans have retained their upper-echelon status with the state GOP. At Saturday’s GOP State Central Committee meeting in Baton Rouge, Charlie Buckels was elected...