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Follow the decisions, people and policies shaping Baton Rouge and Louisiana.
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’s 2026 congressional elections will move forward under the state’s existing six-district map after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to rule by the end of 2025 on a high-stakes challenge to the boundaries. That delay effectively ends Republican lawmakers’ hopes of forcing another round of redistricting ahead of next year’s midterms — and preserves, at…
Louisiana voters are about to experience the most significant change to the state’s election system in decades. After years of operating under a “jungle primary” model, Louisiana will begin using a closed-party primary system for a limited set of offices starting in 2026. The shift is technical, but the consequences are very real for how…
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…
On a bright Monday afternoon, the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol filled once again with the chants, songs, and righteous anger of a movement that refuses to die. Banners from the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice waved above the crowd as speakers called for what should be simple but remains contested: fair maps…
Crowds of people gathered along Perkins Road on Saturday, Oct. 18, joining demonstrators in thousands of other cities across the country for the No Kings Protest — a coordinated, nationwide day of action opposing President Donald Trump’s policies and warning against the slide toward authoritarian rule. According to the No Kings Coalition, more than seven…
Former Gov. John Bel Edwards announced on Monday that he will not run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, ending months of speculation that had frozen the Democratic field and leaving the party with a steep uphill climb in one of the nation’s most conservative states. After giving it careful consideration, we have decided that…
Helena Moreno will be the next mayor of New Orleans after securing a first-round victory in Saturday’s primary, avoiding a runoff and cementing her position as one of the city’s most prominent political figures. Moreno, a Democrat and current City Council President, captured roughly 55% of the vote, easily surpassing the 50-percent threshold needed…
Two key judicial seats in East Baton Rouge Parish were filled outright in the October 11 election, as Vicky Jones and Calli Boudreaux each won their respective races without the need for a runoff. But the story of the night was not just who won — it was how few people showed up to decide….
Charlie Kirk, a longtime ally of Donald Trump and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during a midday appearance at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday. Cellphone video shows Kirk speaking beneath a “Prove Me Wrong” sign when a single shot rings out and he collapses as the crowd scrambles; he was…
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…
The legal battle over Louisiana’s congressional map intensified this week as the state and Black voters filed starkly opposing briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court, setting the stage for oral arguments this fall in Louisiana v. Callais. At stake is not just the fate of Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District — home to Baton Rouge and…
BATON ROUGE, La. – Thirteen men who collectively spent 644 years in Louisiana prisons for crimes they didn’t commit gathered earlier this month at the Main Library in Baton Rouge to spotlight systemic failures in the state’s criminal justice system. The event, titled Exonerated Voices and moderated by Southern University law professor Angela Allen-Bell, featured…
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court took the rare step of punting a high-stakes challenge to Louisiana’s congressional map, setting the stage for another round of arguments next term. The court’s indecision leaves intact — at least temporarily — the current boundaries of the controversial 6th Congressional District, which gave Louisiana a second Black and…
In a sweeping 6-3 decision issued today, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s controversial law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, ruling that the state’s restrictions do not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case, United States v. Skrmetti, centered on Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SB1), a 2023 law that…
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….
H.R. 1 — the 900-page “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” now barreling through Congress at President Donald Trump’s urging — has been branded the most sweeping rewrite of federal policy in a generation. Even erstwhile allies such as Elon Musk have blasted it as a “disgusting abomination,” warning that its buried riders pose deeper dangers…
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 the latest push to further restrict abortion access in Louisiana, lawmakers have introduced House Bill 575, a sweeping proposal that significantly expands civil liability for abortion-related actions—even those taking place out of state. Filed by Republican Reps. Lauren Ventrella (of Greenwell Springs) and Julie Emerson, the bill would allow a broad group of people…
Two bills moving through the Louisiana Legislature — House Bill 617 and House Bill 624, sponsored by Rep. Kim Carver (R-Covington) and Rep. Stephanie Berault (R-Slidell), respectively — propose a major restructuring of the state’s safety net services, including SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Republican proponents argue the…
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…
BATON ROUGE — Terry Landry Jr. secured the Louisiana House District 67 seat in Saturday’s special election, narrowly surpassing the majority threshold to avoid a runoff. Landry earned 51.8% of the vote, edging past the 50% mark required to win outright. Malcolm Myer followed with 42.19%, while James “Sonny” Marchbanks received 6.01%. The seat became…
