Louisiana
A Louisiana lawmaker wants broader access to public records • Louisiana Illuminator
Lawyers for Louisiana State University often deny public records requests for investigations into employee wrongdoing by citing the court case McMakin v. LSU. Now, McMakin is fighting back.
Attorney and freshman state Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, has clashed with LSU in the courtroom over public records request denials. He’s filed legislation to make sure those looking into public employee misconduct can get the records they need.
McMakin’s House Bill 116 removes privacy protections for personnel records of public employees. The bill would undo case law that has put up significant roadblocks to those wanting to access records related to investigations into public employee misconduct.
One such precedent is McMakin v. LSU, a 2022 case in which McMakin sued for records related to Donald Abels, a former LSU Greek Life Official accused of setting up fake social media profiles to entrap fraternity recruits he allegedly solicited to commit crimes.
“In that case, the court determined that after weighing of constitutional interests, the employee’s privacy interest outweighed the interest in public disclosure,” Tetyana Hoover, an LSU paralegal, wrote in a denial of a public records request the Illuminator submitted related to sexual misconduct allegations against LSU Linguistics Director Jeremy King.
McMakin believes shielding those records from public view is wrong.
“When you serve in a public role, you give up your rights to some of your privacy by being a public official,” McMakin said in an interview.
McMakin’s legislation faces an uphill battle. While the Legislature tightens Louisiana’s public records law regularly, expanding access is rare, even though experts say there is a significant public interest in these government records.
“The public has a right to access records of government business and taxpayer expenditures. These records allow citizens to access information that is vital to accountability and oversight, both of which help prevent abuse of power and potential corruption,” said Melia Cerrato, Sunshine Legal Fellow at Tulane First Amendment Law Clinic. “Public records about employees’ conduct and the government’s response are matters of significant public importance.”
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His proposal to expand access to personnel records is not the only way McMakin seeks to bring more sunshine to Louisiana.
He also filed House Bill 113, which prohibits Louisiana universities from charging student-funded and operated media outlets affiliated with the school for public records requests.
Most universities already grant fee waivers to their affiliated student media outlets — if they charge for records at all. The Illuminator has submitted public records requests to every university in the state with student media. Only Southeastern Louisiana University has requested payment for fulfillment of those requests.
The notable exception is LSU. In 2022, the university rescinded an agreement that had been in place for almost two decades between its administration and student media, which are funded by student fees, to waive fees for public records. At the time, Johanna Posada, LSU’s associate general counsel, cited the passage of a new law that made it clear public entities could charge for electronic copies of records.
Under Louisiana’s public records laws, custodians can only charge for the cost of producing records, such as the cost of paper and ink or a flash drive, but not the labor involved in fulfilling the request.
While records custodians could already lawfully charge for electronic copies of records, House Bill 473 by then Rep. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, codified that ability to charge for PDFs or other digital records.
The bill was never meant to add a financial burden to small or student-run media outlets, Duplessis said.
“I believe Rep. McMakin’s bill makes total sense and I fully support it,” Duplessis said in an interview. “Student media outlets shouldn’t be charged by their universities.”
Louisiana ranks among the top 10 most affordable states to retire, according to a new study from Retirement Living, a national journal of retirement research.
Researchers analyzed each state’s housing costs, living expenses and tax friendliness to compile the ranking. Louisiana, they say, is the eighth most affordable state for retirees.
In Louisiana, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $932, the median home sale price is $255,000, monthly grocery spend per capita is $272, the average price per gallon of regular gas is $4, the average Medicare Advantage monthly premium is $13.35 and the average effective property tax rate is 0.55%.
West Virginia is the most affordable state to retire, followed by Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana and Kansas. Researchers describe the South as “the sweet spot for an affordable retirement.”
The most expensive state to retire, meanwhile, is California, followed by Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Utah, New York and Minnesota.
Read Retirement Living’s full report here.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – With hurricane season approaching, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is bringing the community together to prepare before a storm forms.
“We can’t stop disasters from happening. We can’t stop hurricanes from happening. But what we can do is equip our communities with the resources that they need to prepare for these storms ahead of time,” said Jayda Morris, CPRA outreach manager.
The agency hosted an event featuring interactive storm simulations and a full model of the Mississippi River.
“If you do it now, like on a sunny day like today, you’re ready to go for the rest of the season,” Jay Grymes said.
El Niño may reduce storms, but Louisiana still at risk
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said an El Niño pattern may reduce the number of storms in the Atlantic but warned against a false sense of security.
“In those 25 years, Louisiana, some part of the state has been impacted by 29 storms. That’s one a year, regardless of El Niño. So that should tell you something,” Grymes said.
He said the bigger concern is storms that can form in the Gulf with little warning.
“If we’re going to get a storm, it very possibly could be one that bubbles up in the Gulf and doesn’t give us five or seven days to track it coming our way. It gives us 40 hours to get ready for a landfall. So it’s imperative that you go ahead and do it now,” Grymes said.
Preparation goes beyond stocking water
Preparing now includes walking through yards, checking trees, and knowing whether everyone in the family can survive two weeks without power.
PhD students with the LSU College of the Coast and Environment gave the community a virtual reality experience that puts users inside a storm.
“If they wear the goggles or play with the Apple Vision Pro, they can understand how high will the flood be, and they can know how dangerous is the hurricane scenario,” said Yixuan Wang.
The VR simulation uses real historical data to show users what compound flooding looks like in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The goal is to make the science real for people who can’t picture what a flood map means.
“It’s just to let you understand the environment. We will add the audios, the different sound of the wind and the storm. And you can see how tense of the rainfall around you,” Wang said.
Organizers said the event is about making sure that when a storm threatens the area, families already know their plan.
Information from the event is available on CPRA’s website. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.
There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.
Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.
“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”
Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.
People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:
- A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
- A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
- A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.
For more information about applying, click here.
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