+4 Legislature Momentum builds to put unanimous-jury issue on ballot; applause erupts as bill advances BY GORDON RUSSELL | grussell@theadvocate.com Apr 25, 2018 Once seen as a long shot, a move to allow ¶¶Òõh voters to decide whether juries in felony cases must return unanimous verdicts — as they d…
Our Views Our Views: Assuming lawmakers want to fix fiscal crisis, regular-session rules tie their hands ADVOCATE EDITORIAL Mar 6, 2018 With the Legislature in disarray even more than usual, but scheduled to come back to the State Capitol on Monday, there will be weeks ahead be…
+2 Legislature $1 million 'down the drain,' 0 tax problems fixed in failed ¶¶Òõh special session BY MARK BALLARD | mballard@theadvocate.com Mar 6, 2018 ¶¶Òõh House and Senate accountants were collecting the invoices Tuesday for a special session that ended early, failed to accomplish its g…
State Politics U.S. Sen. John Kennedy blisters Gov. John Bel Edwards, says voters doubt fiscal crisis BY WILL SENTELL | wsentell@theadvocate.com Mar 6, 2018 U.S. Sen. John Kennedy on Tuesday accused Gov. John Bel Edwards of trying to tax the state into prosperity and said ¶¶Òõh voters do not be…
Legislature Washington-style gridlock envelopes ¶¶Òõh House as special session collapses BY TYLER BRIDGES | tbridges@theadvocate.com Mar 5, 2018 When the regular legislative session ended last year, lawmakers adjourned without mustering the political will to pass a budget, the one task …
Mark Ballard Mark Ballard: What caused ¶¶Òõh's special session collapse? Who got to vote first BY MARK BALLARD | mballard@theadvocate.com Mar 5, 2018 As momentum on Sunday night turned against approving a key GOP demand that could save the special session, the governor’s executive counsel, M…
Mark Ballard Mark Ballard: Huey Long becomes scapegoat in stalemate at the ¶¶Òõh Legislature BY MARK BALLARD | mballard@theadvocate.com Mar 4, 2018 While ¶¶Òõh legislators milled around the State Capitol last week doing nothing more than accusing members of the other party of sidetrack…
+2 Legislature ¶¶Òõh House tax talks hit a snag; members return Wednesday to continue negotiations BY ELIZABETH CRISP | ecrisp@theadvocate.com Feb 26, 2018 After hitting another special session impasse on Monday that prompted several public disagreements among leaders, the state House will wait un…
Mark Ballard Political Horizons: ¶¶Òõh's special session may not fail after all if... BY MARK BALLARD | mballard@theadvocate.com Feb 24, 2018 Republican state Rep. Stephen Dwight stormed out of the ¶¶Òõh House Ways & Means Committee Tuesday, just moments after his bill was se…
Our Views Our Views: ¶¶Òõh needs a stable budget ADVOCATE EDITORIAL Feb 21, 2018 For all the criticism of Gov. John Bel Edwards' decisions on property tax breaks for industries, or lawsuits against energy companies he's pus…