Independent Louisiana journalism.
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State Sen. Royce Duplessis is pitching his Louisiana Voting Rights Act as a state-level backstop at a moment when he says the federal one can no longer be taken for granted. Duplessis’ Senate Bill 365 would create a Louisiana Voting Rights Act, prohibit voter suppression and vote dilution, and establish a Louisiana Voting Rights Commission…
Republican Paul Sawyer won the special election for Louisiana House District 69 on Saturday, defeating Democrat Angela Roberts in a closely watched race that drew the highest turnout of any contest on the statewide ballot. Unofficial results from the Louisiana Secretary of State show Sawyer receiving 2,587 votes, or 53 percent, to Roberts’ 1,945 votes,…
As Louisiana’s 2026 legislative session begins, State Representative Mandie Landry does not sound like someone expecting a loud, dramatic showdown at every turn. That, in her view, may be part of the problem. In an interview with The Bayou Progressive, the New Orleans Democrat described the opening days of the session as oddly subdued —…
A newly revealed police report detailing a rape allegation against Louisiana Republican congressional candidate and state senator Blake Miguez is casting a dark cloud over a campaign that had just received a major boost from Donald Trump. The report, first obtained and published by The Atlantic, describes a 2007 incident in which Miguez’s former girlfriend…
When the Louisiana Legislature gavels in at noon on Monday, March 9, lawmakers will face a crowded slate of prefiled bills that signal where the real policy fights are likely to emerge this spring. With constitutional limits this year preventing the creation of new taxes or increases to existing ones, the focus shifts to other…
At noon on Monday, March 9, lawmakers will gavel in the 2026 Regular Session. They have until June 1 to pass laws, shape state policy, and decide what problems are worth solving — and which ones aren’t. On paper, it’s a 60-day legislative session inside an 85-day window . In reality, it’s a tightly choreographed…
In the race to fill Louisiana’s House District 69 seat, voters were promised a comprehensive look at their future representative. But when the microphones went live on Thursday night, only one candidate was in the room to make her case. Hosted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition, The Bayou Progressive, the Louisiana…
Louisiana Republicans have never met a gun bill they didn’t want to push further. With House Bill 99, they are now aiming squarely at college and university campuses—spaces already grappling with mental health crises, student safety concerns, and a state gun violence epidemic that is objectively out of control. Authored by Republican Rep. Danny McCormick,…
Following the resignation of Republican State Representative Paula Davis in late 2025, the race for Louisiana House District 69 has drawn a crowded field for the March 14, 2026 special election. While three Republicans — Adam Beach, Lynn Coxe Graham, and Paul Sawyer — battle for the conservative base, one candidate is offering a distinct alternative…
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…
When the Louisiana Legislature convened in Baton Rouge for this so-called “special session on redistricting and election-law reform,” make no mistake: this isn’t about strengthening democracy, it’s about weakening it. What’s happening right now in Louisiana is part of a broader national strategy to manipulate the rules of the game, consolidate conservative power, and silence…
In every era of American life, Black excellence has been filtered through the lens of what our opponents will tolerate — and, more importantly, what we ourselves will accept. From boardrooms to ballots, the public face of Black leadership has too often been defined not by vision or intellect, but by comfort. This is what…
All across Louisiana, families are feeling it: the sharp squeeze of insurance premiums rising faster than our paychecks, pricing people out of their homes and choking our economy. It’s no longer just a crisis for the coast. It’s hitting every parish, every income level, and every generation. This is the biggest economic emergency in Louisiana…
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…
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…
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…
On Monday, April 14, the Louisiana Legislature reconvenes for its 2025 session — kicking off debates on everything from taxes and schools to infrastructure and criminal justice. But if history is any guide, this session will likely offer more theater than transformation. Why? Because what happens (or doesn’t happen) in the Capitol’s committee rooms is…
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…
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…
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 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 – State Rep. Larry Selders has won the special election for Louisiana’s 14th State Senate District, clinching 62.4% of the vote and avoiding a runoff in a decisive victory over fellow Democrats Carolyn Hill (20.4%) and Quentin Anderson (17.3%). The race fills the vacancy left by Cleo Fields’ election to Congress, solidifying…
