Independent Louisiana journalism.
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Follow the decisions, people and policies shaping Baton Rouge and Louisiana.
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…
A Louisiana House committee has advanced a controversial bill that would require the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) to mark the driver’s licenses and identification cards of lawfully present immigrants with a restriction code, and issue them voting warning notices, despite concerns from advocates and a lone dissenting lawmaker. House Bill 554, authored by Rep….
In a move that reads more like legislative sleight-of-hand than genuine reform, Louisiana’s Republican supermajority is barreling ahead with House Bill 397, a 26-page overhaul of the state’s ethics code, introduced by Acadiana Republican Rep. Beau Beaullieu, designed to let Gov. Jeff Landry and his allies dodge corruption probes. “Cure your own crimes”—no investigation required…
Hundreds of community members, organizers, and advocates from across Louisiana converged Monday on the State Capitol for Reclaiming Justice Lobby Day, calling for urgent investment in education, housing, mental health care, infrastructure, and health access — and rejecting the state’s continued reliance on mass incarceration as public policy. Organized by groups including the Promise of…
In a move that sounds benign—a crackdown on alleged foreign contributions—President Donald Trump is set to sign a presidential memorandum targeting ActBlue, the Democratic-aligned online donation platform. According to Politico, the order, spearheaded by the White House with support from Attorney General Pam Bondi, is framed as enforcing existing laws against foreign donations. Yet the specific…
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…
In a move that all but telegraphs a cynical “business as usual” in state government, Governor Jeff Landry has tapped Bruce Greenstein—ex-health secretary under former Governor Bobby Jindal and a man with a notorious cloud of scandal trailing him—to once again lead Louisiana’s Department of Health. Greenstein’s appointment, announced April 11, has outraged watchdogs and…
On April 10, 2025, a federal appeals court gave residents of St. James Parish what they’ve been fighting for years to get: their day in court. In a landmark decision, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a civil rights lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in St. James Parish’s land-use policies can move forward….
James “Sonny” Marchbanks, a Democratic candidate vying for the vacant Louisiana House District 67 seat, disclosed his past legal troubles during a candidate forum held on Thursday, April 10th, at the River Center Branch Library. The forum, hosted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition in partnership with The Bayou Progressive, provided a…
BATON ROUGE, LA – The race to fill the vacant Louisiana House District 67 seat took center stage on Thursday, April 10th, as Democratic candidates Terry Landry, Jr. and James “Sonny” Marchbanks faced off in a public forum at the River Center Branch Library. Hosted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition in…
A recent federal court decision is shining a major spotlight on St. James Parish — and raising big questions about environmental justice across Louisiana, especially for communities near Baton Rouge. The Big News On April 9, 2025, a federal appeals court ruled that a civil rights lawsuit filed by Black residents in St. James Parish…
Louisiana House District 67 will hold a special election on May 3, 2025, to fill the seat vacated by Larry Selders, who recently moved to the state Senate after a February 15 race with notably low turnout. Terry Landry Jr., a Democrat and longtime Baton Rouge resident, is vying to represent this majority-Black district in…
The pursuit of justice often manifests in courtrooms and legal briefs, but sometimes, it takes a more artistic and deeply personal form. The Bayou Progressive recently had the distinct privilege of sitting down with Baton Rouge sculptor Becky Gottsegen, the visionary behind the powerful exhibition, “Exonerated: Portraits of the Wrongfully Convicted“. This compelling collection of…
Baton Rouge, LA – Hundreds gathered on the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol on Saturday, April 5, 2025, for a “Hands Off!” rally, a demonstration organized to protest what participants described as the overreach of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk and their detrimental impact on the country’s healthcare, data, jobs, and services. The…
Louisiana House District 67 will hold a special election on May 3, 2025, with a runoff scheduled for June 7 if no candidate secures a majority. The seat was vacated after Larry Selders’ February 15 victory for a state Senate seat, in an election that saw a notably low voter turnout of just 9.5 percent….
In a significant rebuke to Governor Jeff Landry’s administration and the entrenched corporate interests that often dominate Louisiana politics, voters soundly rejected all four constitutional amendments proposed in the March 29 election. The results were a clear rejection of far-right policy agendas designed primarily to benefit special interests and political elites at the expense of…
In a move that has ignited outrage among historians, curators, and free-speech advocates, President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week directing Vice President Vance to reshape the Smithsonian Institution into a sanitized reflection of “unmatched American greatness.” The order, which Trump has touted as a “restoration of truth,” seeks to cut off federal…
In an astonishing display of recklessness, Trump’s national security team has compromised classified military operations by inadvertently leaking detailed war plans via an unauthorized commercial messaging app, Signal, raising urgent questions about whether this administration itself poses a national security threat. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed highly classified operational details about imminent U.S. military strikes…
BATON ROUGE, La. — Three Democrats have officially qualified to run in the special election for Louisiana House District 67. The seat became vacant following the election of former representative Larry Selders to the state Senate in the February 15 special election, which saw a notably low voter turnout of just 9.5 percent. The primary…
In an unprecedented and deeply controversial case, Louisiana prosecutors have criminally indicted Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a New York-based physician, and Ashley Lights, a 39-year-old Louisiana mother from Port Allen, in connection with obtaining abortion pills via telehealth. Lights pled not guilty during her first court appearance on Tuesday, marking a significant escalation in the state’s…
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…
The least controversial amendment on the ballot, Amendment 4, seeks to streamline the process for filling vacant judicial seats, ensuring they are filled at the earliest available election date. Currently, the Louisiana Constitution requires a special election within 12 months of a vacancy, but the new closed primary system could make that difficult. This amendment…
A highly controversial proposal, Amendment 3 would remove current constitutional limits on which felony crimes juveniles can be prosecuted as adults for, allowing the legislature to expand the list without voter approval. Under current law, juveniles can only be tried as adults for 16 violent felony offenses (such as murder, aggravated burglary, and rape). This…
