Congressman and Louisiana House member Buddy Leach dies

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Anthony Claude “Buddy” Leach Jr., who spent a term in the U.S. House and ran the budget committee in the Louisiana House before leading the state Democratic party, has died. He was 88. Leach died Saturday, according to a statement by Louisiana Gov. John...

Louisiana school district bans corporal punishment

OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) — A Louisiana school system is banning paddling students, saying the time to use corporal punishment in the classroom is long past. The St. Landry Parish School Board voted unanimously Thursday to specifically prohibit corporal punishment in the district's...

Bill would give state building to Shreveport city agency

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A bill pending in the Louisiana Senate would give control of a state office building in Shreveport to a local government agency, part of a plan to consolidate state workers in a new downtown home. KTBS-TV reports that a Senate committee is scheduled to vote...

Ex-legislator's fraud charge related to campaign, party

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A former Louisiana legislator and state Democratic Party leader will plead guilty to a charge of wire fraud, her attorney said Thursday. The charge against former Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, who resigned from the Legislature in April while citing battles with...

Former Louisiana lawmaker to plead guilty to fraud charge arising from past campaigns, Democratic Party chairmanship

Louisiana GOP-dominated legislature cancels override session

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Despite some Louisiana Republicans hoping to overturn the governor's recent vetoes, including legislation that would have implemented tougher criminal sentences and banning COVID-19 vacciation status checks to enter certain buildings, the GOP-dominated legislature voted not to...

Justices nix 2nd mostly Black district in Louisiana for 2022

BATON ROUGE (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday put on hold a lower court ruling that Louisiana must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power. As a result, Louisiana’s November congressional elections will be held using a...

Louisiana session ends: No new map with a 2nd Black district

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers ended a special session Saturday saying they were unable to agree on a new congressional map that includes a second majority Black district as ordered by a federal judge, prompting an angry blast from the governor. U.S. District Judge...

Judge denies extension for Louisiana redistricting deadline

BATON ROUGE (AP) — A request by Louisiana legislative leaders to extend the deadline of completing a new congressional map — that must include a second majority-Black district — was rejected by a federal judge Thursday. During the morning hearing, U.S. District Judge Shelly...

Louisiana lawmakers resume work on remapping House districts

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Wednesday to redesign congressional maps that a federal judge threw out for violating the Voting Rights Act, resuming their work amid growing frustrations under a looming court deadline. The Republican-dominated...