Louisiana
Accountability for the Louisiana Democratic Party’s failure to defend LGBTQ+ rights
A Pride flag reads “Abide No Hatred” is hung at the entrance of Castaways, venue for the third annual SWLA Pride Fest weekend, June 10-12, in Big Lake. (Photo courtesy of Pride of SWLA)
To the Democrats of Louisiana:
I publicly acknowledge my failure as an elected official to effectively defend my own community – the LGBTQ+ community – and, in doing so, I have also failed to uphold equality for all.
This past Saturday in Baton Rouge, the Louisiana Democratic Party LGBTQ+ Caucus introduced a resolution at the DSCC meeting. The resolution called on the state party to align with the national Democratic platform in protecting LGBTQ+ rights and to commit “to not endorsing or supporting Democratic candidates or officeholders who use their votes or their public platform to deny fundamental rights and protections to LGBTQI+ citizens.”
Ultimately, the majority of those present voted for an amended version that removed this key line. In other words, our party deliberately chose to weaken a resolution meant to hold accountable legislators and candidates who actively harm the LGBTQ+ community.
I understand that some who voted for the amendment did so out of fear that the resolution might not pass in its original form. However, the end result remains the same: the Louisiana Democratic Party opted to strip language that simply sought to uphold fundamental equality.
By removing this line, we have implicitly stated the inverse – that we are open to “endorsing or supporting Democratic candidates or officeholders who use their votes or their public platform to deny fundamental rights and protections to LGBTQI+ citizens.”
As Democrats, would we allow this for any other marginalized group? Would we tolerate party support for candidates who attack Black and brown people, immigrants, women, or those with disabilities? Defending and uplifting marginalized communities is a core tenet of our party – yet in this moment, we have failed to uphold it.
This failure is not hypothetical. Here in Louisiana, the only state that has never had an openly LGBTQ+ legislator, some of our own Democratic legislators have publicly supported and even sponsored legislation that strips away LGBTQ+ rights. Meanwhile, The Guardian reported last week that “Republican lawmakers in Montana voted en masse to help defeat two extreme anti-trans bills in an unprecedented move on Thursday, after powerful speeches from two trans representatives imploring them to reject the latest intent to criminalize gender nonconformity.”
The contrast is stark, and it forces us to ask: what kind of Democratic Party do we want to be?
The willingness to abandon marginalized communities is not limited to Louisiana. Nationally, some factions of the Democratic Party are veering away from progressive values in favor of donor and consultant-class interests. As Sam Rosenthal wrote in Common Dreams on March 5, 2024, “The party is very much at a crossroads: It can embrace progressivism and forge a new, compelling identity or it can take cues from the donor and consultant class and embrace the very policies that precipitated our current political crisis.”
The LGBTQ+ community is under relentless attack across the country. States including our own, have passed laws restricting gender-affirming care, banning transgender athletes from sports, and criminalizing discussions of LGBTQ+ topics in schools. There are efforts to redefine sex discrimination laws, weaken workplace and health care protections, and enable religious exemptions that justify discrimination.
Book bans, drag performance restrictions and inflammatory rhetoric fuel hostility, putting lives at risk. Already this year, legislators in nine states are working to overturn same-sex marriage. Last week, Texas introduced legislation that would criminalize simply being transgender, labeling it as “gender identity fraud.”
What is happening to transgender and queer people is the writing on the wall, and I am begging you to read it. We must demand more from our party. If we cannot hold our own to the most basic standard of equality, then what do we stand for?
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Louisiana
Brother of Louisiana mayor accused of raping 16-year-old has a hauntingly similar criminal past
The brother of Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts — accused of raping her son’s teenage friend — is facing child sex crimes of his own.
Brandon Lee Roberts, 39, was accused of raping a teen girl and assaulting a young woman over the course of several years, KALB reported.
The alleged sexual abuse began when one of the victims was as young as 13, according to Beauregard Parish Sheriff Mark Herford.
He was arrested in October.
That comes years after his big sister – ex-mayor of DeRidder, 43-year-old Misty Roberts – allegedly got hot and heavy with her son’s 16-year-old friend at a drunken party at their home.
Roberts was allegedly caught in the tryst by her own kids.
She was arrested months later, and is currently on trial for rape charges.
The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing
02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 2 drawing
3-9-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 2 drawing
4-1-1-0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 2 drawing
0-5-2-9-5
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.
By mail, follow these instructions:
- Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
- Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
- Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
- Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.
Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:
Louisiana Lottery Headquarters
555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:
555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.
When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
- Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.
NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana National Guard announced Monday that 120 troops will remain deployed in New Orleans through August.
The six-month extension comes after 350 Guard members deployed to New Orleans in late December, in the run-up to New Year’s and other high-profile events like the Sugar Bowl. The troops, which had mainly clustered in the city’s historic French Quarter, had been scheduled to depart in the aftermath of Mardi Gras.
New Orleans is one of several Democrat-run cities, such as Washington and Memphis, Tennessee, where the federal government deployed armed troops under the administration of President Donald Trump. Hundreds of federal agents also converged on Louisiana in December as part of a separate immigration crackdown in and around New Orleans.
During his State of the Union address last week, Trump touted the deployment in New Orleans as a “big success.” In January, Trump credited the troops with reducing the city’s violent crime within a week of their deployment. City police data shows violent crime rates have significantly declined over the past three years in parallel with national trends.
According to a press statement from the Louisiana National Guard, the remaining guard members will serve as a “visible presence to deter criminal activity in New Orleans.”
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat who initially opposed the deployment, said that the troops would benefit the city in the coming weeks. She pointed out that National Guard troops had assisted the city during last year’s Mardi Gras in the aftermath of a vehicle-ramming attack in the French Quarter that killed 14 people on New Year’s Day.
“I continue to support the partnership with the LA National Guard to assist in our major events and there are several coming up in the next few weeks,” Moreno said in a statement.
While Moreno did not address which events she referred to, visitors flock to New Orleans in the spring for events like the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican and staunch Trump ally, requested the deployment of the National Guard last September, citing rising violent crime rates in New Orleans despite the data showing crime was down.
“This continued deployment will help us combat violence in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana,” Landry wrote on the social platform X on Monday, noting Louisiana had also sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., last year.
Kate Kelly, a spokesperson for Landry, said the federal government would cover the cost of the extended deployment. She did not respond to a question about whether Guard members would be deployed outside New Orleans.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, said in a statement the troops had already worked closely with other city, state and federal agencies to improve public safety during a stretch of high-profile events in the city, including the flood of visitors over Mardi Gras and the city’s carnival season.
“We remain committed to those partnerships as we continue supporting efforts to keep the City of New Orleans safe for residents and visitors,” Friloux said.
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