U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy surely knew he’d stay on Donald Trump’s bad side forever when he publicly acknowledged that the 2020 elections results were the actual results, and then voted to convict the impeached outgoing president for provoking the vio…
To vaccinate or not has become the region’s gravest social dilemma.
Louisiana is dependent on infrastructure to thrive. Ports, roads, and waterways ensure that the Pelican State is a critical junction for both industry and global trade. In fact, the Port of South Louisiana alone, one of five ports in South Louisia…
Our Legislature has enacted two important bills this session — one mandating insurance coverage for genetic testing for certain types of cancer and another measure strengthening the criteria for breast cancer screenings.
I was shocked to read Dr. Catherine O'Neal's comments in your July 21 article "Choose vaccine or death." This kind of fear-mongering is out of line for someone in such a responsible position as chief medical officer of a major hospital. The data s…
A lot still has to happen before a massive bill to invest in American infrastructure becomes law, but this week marked a major milestone in its progress.
Resources
Even as America funded and built a giant levee system in the wake of the 1927 flood, it was recognized that the Mississippi River’s role in distributing sediment to build land at the foot of the delta would be forever changed.
The pandemic has had a challenging and devastating impact on various parts of our lives. That includes higher education. So it is especially good to hear that some students are more likely to afford college in Louisiana this year.
I am disappointed to see U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy's participation as one of a handful of Republicans dealing with (and giving in to) Democrats.
I read with dismay the letter written by my House representative, Laurie Schlegel, suggesting that veto override sessions should be the norm, an opportunity to keep a check on the executive branch. It's the Legislature that needs to be kept in che…
The Advocate reported that hospitals across our state experienced a surge in COVID-19 patients with the arrival of the virulent and fast-spreading Delta variant, and only 22% of 18-to-29-year-olds in our state are fully vaccinated. The rates are n…
Bob Marshall’s July 18 column shows that he does not understand the laws that govern liability for the costs of decommissioning (cleaning up) oil and gas facilities after they are retired.
No matter what you look like or what’s in your wallet, we’ve all counted on our homes to keep us safe during this pandemic. It’s long past time for Congress to recognize that our homes are the essential infrastructure that knits our communities to…
Next month it will be a full year since one of the worst hurricanes on record — about 150 mph, laying structures low through southwestern Louisiana parishes — hit our state.
I don't know what Michael Mislove is a professor of, but his letter of 14 July with regard to the Tchefuncte River bridge hit the nail squarely on the head.
When Edwin Edwards, the former four-time governor, passed away this month, his death marked the passing of the kind of politician we don’t see much of in these hyper-ideological, tribal days. It was also a reminder of a politics in the South that’…
Thanks to advances in technology, information is more widely available and more quickly available than ever before.
It’s open season on public libraries, from shortsighted politicians of left and the right.
American citizens have been bullied, cajoled and even bribed to get the COVID-19 vaccine and almost made to believe we were going to face the wrath of God if we did not do so.
Did anyone in East Baton Rouge Parish notice all of the recent new economic development districts that are being created? It appears that one district (Harveston) was approved by the Metro Council, one district (Plank Road business) was created by…
Many residents remember a time when Lake Pontchartrain wasn’t suitable for recreation. The first “no swimming” advisories came in 1962 due to excessive pollution, and by the late 1980s, advisories included the entire south shore and some rivers on…
The School Board should take the lead in implementing a system publicly communicating district expenditures similar to one recently proposed by Rep. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge. HB38 would have required districts to participate in Louisiana’s Open…
A regular column reader emailed: “If polling (for Metropolitan Crime Coalition) says crime is the No. 1 problem, but the person in charge (Mayor LaToya Cantrell) has a 62% approval rating, something is awry. Either the poll is wrong, or the citize…
Treme is lucky to have a say in what happens in its neighborhood. We near Delgado and City Park wish we did.
The proposed plan to spend $10 million for Lincoln Beach (The Times-Picayune, June 25) appears to be based on nostalgic memories from 60 years ago. The world has changed. Lake Pontchartrain is much dirtier now. There are many tons of Mississippi R…
When Jonathan Fontenot’s house in Lake Charles was badly damaged by Hurricane Laura, he was relieved that FEMA provided him with a trailer.
Why do Louisiana legislators persist in pursuing these fears of their fevered minds that do not exist in reality?
I had to chuckle a bit reading the short, but sesquipedalian letter to the editor, "Dump the Gerson column," (July 13). I was actually just about to email Gerson a note from my wife and me thanking him for his recent spate of columns regarding, am…
There was tons of suspense during the NBA Finals over who would take home the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy, but little over the fate of one of the men who helped his team get there.
The just-completed NBA playoffs between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns should leave New Orleans basketball fans feeling at least a little bit hopeful.
Louisiana understands how vital early care and education is for our children, our workers, and our businesses. This is a bipartisan issue that sets children up for success and has a huge rate of return on investment. It’s time for Congress to take note.
New LSU President William Tate IV has been in the job less than a month and he already is coming up on a decision that will define his tenure and his strength of leadership. It’s coming fast, and it’s not about football.
I am in support of Gov. John Bel Edwards' veto of Senate Bill 118, now upheld, for several reasons. I believe this to be a practical, public safety issue. The bill provided for, but did not require, a free online training course regarding the regu…
For all the hype, Louisiana's first veto override session under the state's nearly 50-year-old constitution turned out to be a bit of a dud.
The word “historic” got a workout as state legislators made much of their first formal veto session under the 1974 Louisiana Constitution.
Angry Louisiana conservatives are looking for reasons why they lost last week’s two-day veto override session that failed to overcome a single bill rejected by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Congressman Steve Scalise has joined what practically all anti-vaxxers, those proud and fiercely independent thinkers, never tire of calling “sheeple.” They appear to be unanimous in the view that “sheeple" is such a clever pun that there's no nee…
The word “historic” got a workout as state legislators made much of their first formal veto session under the 1974 Louisiana Constitution.
There’s been a lot of, shall we say, revised messaging lately about the wisdom of getting inoculated against the coronavirus. But few have spoken quite so loudly and clearly as Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, whose state, like Louisiana, trails …
Angry Louisiana conservatives are looking for reasons why they lost last week’s two-day veto override session that failed to overcome a single bill rejected by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.
There are few things more entertaining than the combination of water and summertime. Floating down the Amite River is a popular pastime in Livingston Parish.
President Joe Biden has once again tapped Louisiana for a key leadership role in Washington. Former U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond joined the president in Washington as senior adviser to the president and director of the White House Office of Public Li…
As the day’s crazy news — rising COVID-19 cases, veto overrides and not, racism, community violence — started to overwhelm my thoughts, I sought an escape. Walking alone is currently my most satisfying means of coping as my new-fangled wristwatch …
Chip Kline’s recent verbal assault on Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser for speaking against the $2.8 billion Mid-Barataria Diversion Project shows just how far he is willing to stoop to defend an indefensible boondoggle that the very people it is supposed…
We just received a really slick professional brochure in the mail promising wonderful benefits for Slidell if we just let P2E build their casino, hotel and whatever else in our front yard.
There weren’t many masks on lawmakers’ faces Tuesday as they gathered once again, this time to try to override some high-profile vetoes by Gov. John Bel Edwards, against the backdrop of a new surge in coronavirus cases among the unvaccinated.