Independent Louisiana journalism.
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Coverage of Local Government.
Candidates for district judge, Family Court and Justice of the Peace seats made their pitches to Baton Rouge voters Thursday night at a candidate forum hosted by the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice at Living Faith Christian Center. The Oct. 1 event unfolded in two panels, beginning with judicial candidates before turning to candidates…
For Omari Ho-Sang, the political challenge facing North Louisiana is not simply convincing more people to vote in November. It is building the kind of organizing infrastructure that can reach people long before an election, develop local leaders and continue holding public officials accountable after the votes are counted. That work will be at the…
Gov. Jeff Landry has reached an unusual point in his increasingly bitter relationship with New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno: he will not speak to her, but he would still like to be thanked. Landry took to social media Friday afternoon after Moreno issued a statement marking the end of the Louisiana National Guard’s eight-month deployment…
The resignation comes after a public split between the group’s co-founders, a dispute over a $100,000 donation, and growing questions about whether the statewide recall campaign has the structure needed to survive. Louisiana Deserves Better, the grassroots organization leading recall efforts against Gov. Jeff Landry, Attorney General Liz Murrill, and East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid…
Louisiana voters on Saturday rejected the proposed constitutional amendment that would have cleared the way for the City of St. George to form its own public school system, delivering a decisive statewide rebuke to one of the most consequential school-secession efforts in modern Louisiana politics. With all precincts reporting in unofficial returns from the Louisiana…
The Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (or “BREC”)’s effort to declare multiple Baton Rouge parks “obsolete” and move them toward sale hit serious resistance this week after residents and local officials blasted the process as rushed, opaque, and disconnected from the communities most affected. The controversy centers on a…
When the CEO of the Louisiana Chemical Association took the Rotary Club podium Wednesday to complain about “misinformation” in discussions of industry health impacts, he stepped so far into cognitive dissonance that it might now qualify as public art. David Cresson’s defense of the petrochemical industry — the dominant economic engine in the Mississippi River…
East Baton Rouge Metro Councilmember Cleve Dunn was indicted Wednesday morning on multiple felony charges tied to an ongoing corruption investigation involving the Capital Area Transit System, marking a significant escalation in a case that has steadily widened over the past several weeks. A grand jury in the 19th Judicial District Court returned indictments charging…
A federal judge has dismissed a 1967 school desegregation case involving the DeSoto Parish School Board, marking the second such closure in Louisiana in recent months as state and federal officials push to end long-standing court orders tied to civil rights-era litigation. On Monday, U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. signed an order granting…
Louisiana politics picked up another unexpected shakeup this week with the resignation of Rep. Paula Davis, a Republican who has represented House District 69 since 2016 and built a reputation as one of the Legislature’s more independent-minded conservatives. In a letter submitted to Louisiana House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, Davis announced she would step down effective…
Four candidates vying for a pivotal seat on the 19th Judicial District Court took the stage on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library @ Goodwood, addressing an engaged audience on issues ranging from judicial philosophy to prison reform. Hosted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition in partnership…
Local residents gathered Tuesday evening, September 2, for a community forum featuring the two Republicans vying for an open Baton Rouge City Court judgeship: Calli Boudreaux and Brenden Craig. The event, hosted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition in partnership with The Bayou Progressive, offered voters a chance to hear directly from…
BATON ROUGE — Ahead of Saturday’s “No Kings” protests in Baton Rouge and across Louisiana, the ultra‑right Louisiana Freedom Caucus issued a press release invoking statutes on “self‑defense” if “protesters in the road are harming/trying to harm you.” Though couched in legalese, the message is unmistakably aggressive — implying that armed citizens have license to shoot….
Melvin Lee “Kip” Holden, the first African American to serve as Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish and a transformative figure in Baton Rouge politics, died early this morning at The Carpenter House hospice center after a lengthy illness. He was 72 years old. Holden’s passing marks the end of a career defined by barrier-breaking…
In Saturday’s elections across East Baton Rouge Parish, voters decided several key local offices and propositions. In the closely watched special election for Louisiana House District 67, Democrat Terry Landry Jr. narrowly won outright with 52% of the vote, avoiding a runoff. Malcolm Myer finished second with 42%, while James “Sonny” Marchbanks earned 6%. Turnout…
Voters in St. George returned to the polls on Saturday, May 3, to decide the final two city council seats—and delivered clear victories for both Republican candidates on the ballot. In the at-large runoff, former state legislator Jim Talbot (R) defeated Shaunn Wyche (D), a Navy veteran and finance professional, securing 59% of the vote…
On Saturday, May 3, East Baton Rouge Parish voters will decide whether to authorize a new property tax to fund the District Attorney’s office. Below is what you need to know before casting your ballot. 1. Ballot Language Shall the 19th Judicial Enforcement District of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the…
In the race for St. George’s at-large city council seat, Navy veteran and finance professional Shaunn Wyche isn’t running to make headlines. He’s running to make local government make sense for the people who live there — people like him. A father, neighbor, and recent arrival to the newly incorporated city, Wyche’s campaign is grounded…
Baton Rouge, La. – Mayor-President Sid Edwards introduced a revised plan Tuesday aimed at ending a heated debate over the future of library funding in East Baton Rouge Parish. Dubbed “Thrive! East Baton Rouge,” the new plan reduces proposed cuts to the library system, reroutes funds from Mosquito Control and the Council on Aging, and…
BATON ROUGE, La. – Mayor-President Sid Edwards is doubling down on his push to redirect dedicated library funds to public safety and infrastructure, warning that failure to approve his Revive EBR initiative could result in hundreds of job losses and major budget cuts across city-parish services. During a press conference Tuesday, Edwards said that if…
According to a rumor going around town lately, if the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council passes the Fair Chance in Hiring ordinance this week, every small business in East Baton Rouge Parish will be forced to hire at least one mass murderer and/or child rapist at $18/hour with full benefits and 6-months paternity leave….
