Louisiana

Bills targeting Louisiana’s public records law draw criticism

Published

8 months ago

April 15, 2024

Bills targeting Louisiana’s public records law draw criticism

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Like the federal government, Louisiana allows the public to request and gain access to certain government records. But bills in the state legislature would water down Louisiana’s public records law, drawing condemnation from people who favor transparency.

A portion of Senate Bill 482, by Sen. Heather Cloud (R-Turkey Creek), would block access to any records “reflecting advisory opinions, recommendations and deliberations,” that are part of a process by which governmental decisions and policies are made.

“We find that very problematic,” said attorney Melia Cerrato, a Sunshine Legal Fellow at Tulane’s First Amendment Law Clinic.

Cerrato says reducing access to public records undermines public trust.

“Limiting public records like this lets the government operate in secret. And it erodes that public trust,” she said. “This bill creates a huge carve-out to our state public records law.

“This bill would essentially exempt all government records at all levels of government — from your city, your town, your parish to your state. So, this isn’t just to the governor. This is for every elected official and public agency that we have elected and our taxpayers fund.”

Dillard University political analyst Dr. Robert Collins said he thinks such a law, if passed, would prompt lawsuits.

“It’s bad from a public policy standpoint and a transparency standpoint,” Collins said. “And also, this law would — if passed — almost certainly automatically be challenged on First Amendment grounds.”

Another piece of legislation — HB 461 by Rep. Steven Jackson (D-Shreveport) — recently won approval in the House. It would allow confidentiality of certain information related to active economic development negotiations involving local governments.

“This will add local and parish governments to that statute,” Jackson said. “This is an already existing statute. LED (local economic development) already is exempt under this statute, as well as ports,” Jackson said just before the House voted.

But Jackson’s legislation faced opposition in the House Governmental Affairs Committee from an attorney representing the Louisiana Press Association.

“The local governments, they’re not the economic development districts,” attorney Scott Sternberg told the committee. “They’re not the ports and it’s not LED. They are the folks that are signing the bus contracts and making sure that people have appropriate housing and things of that nature. And those are the kind of records that people should be able to check up on their government for.”

Cerrato says that bill would deprive the public of valuable information.

“This bill definitely shrouds local governments in secrecy, and not only hides records of how public funds and how public lands are potentially used, but more broadly, it’s how public business is being conducted,” she said.

SB 423 by Sen. Jay Morris (R-West Monroe) would allow only Louisiana citizens to request public records. And SB 502 by Sen. Blake Miguez (R-New Iberia) would require people who want to inspect, copy or reproduce public records to provide “sufficient” information to verify their age and identification.

Collins said he believes that, collectively, the bills are intended to target news media. But he said, “I’m guessing anybody — not just in the media, but anybody that cares about transparency and the First Amendment — is going to be opposed to these laws.”

Cerrato said limiting access to public records to Louisiana citizens will hurt students attending Louisiana colleges and universities who come from outside the state or country.

“We have a case in which a father of a man was murdered in Louisiana, and he sought access to those public records about the death of his son,” she said. “Under these two bills, that man — who is a Missouri resident just looking for answers about (the) handling of his child’s death — this bill would tell that grieving father he has no right to see those investigative records.”

Fox 8 requested comment from the governor and the lawmakers sponsoring the four bills, but did not receive responses.

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Louisiana

Obituary for Liz Marie Cole at Kinchen Funeral Home, Inc.

Published

28 mins ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Obituary for Liz Marie Cole at Kinchen Funeral Home, Inc.

Liz Marie Cole February 3, 1969 – November 25, 2024 Scott Liz Cole passed away on November 25, 2024. She was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, on February 3, 1969, to Donald Cole and Jenelle Broussard Cole of Scott, Louisiana. Liz is survived by her mother, Jenelle Cole Michael Cluse her

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Louisiana

Top 25 Louisiana High School Football Rankings (11/27/2024)

Published

8 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Top 25 Louisiana High School Football Rankings (11/27/2024)

Here is a look at the Top 25 Louisiana High School Football Rankings heading into the quarterfinal round of the LHSAA football playoffs:

Playoff Seed: No. 1 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 8 St. Thomas More (8-3)

The Cougars defeated No. 17 Huntington, 56-6. LSU receiver commit TaRon Francis had six catches for 175 yards and two scores, according to Andrew Valenti of The New Orleans Advocate. Junior quarterback John Johnson passed for 324 yards. Daejawn Smith and Oliver Mitchell each caught a TD pass. The Cougars’ defense and special teams each tacked on a TD.

Power Rating: No. 2 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 10 C.E Byrd (9-3)

The Trojans defeated No. 18 Evangel Christian, 49-6. LSU running back commit J.T. Lindsey rushed for 220 yards and four TDs, according to John Marcase of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. The Trojans held Evangel to negative rushing yards and intercepted quarterback Peyton Houston three times.

Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 24 Chalmette (9-3)

The Tigers defeated No. 16 Covington, 44-13. UL Ragin’ Cajuns commit Cam Riley had multiple interceptions, according to Jake Martin of The Ouachita Citizen. Jaylon Nichols (15 carries, 109 yards) scored three touchdowns. Sophomore QB Parker Robinson was 14 for 14 passing.

Playoff seed: No. 3 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 6 Southside (9-2)

The Bearcats defeated No. 14 Zachary, 42-21. Jordan Hayes ran for two touchdowns – one from 70 yards – and caught a TD pass from Tulane QB commit Joshua Brantley, who also ran for a score, according to T. Scott Boatright of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Brantley threw a TD pass to Darius James. It was the third straight year the teams met in the postseason with Ruston winning all three.

Playoff seed: No. 4 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 5 Archbishop Rummel (9-2)

The Bears defeated No. 13 East Jefferson, 42-0. Rylan Parker ran for 105 yards and two TDs, according to Terry Robinson of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Jayden Miles added a rushing score. Baylor Graves threw a 66-yard TD pass to Amari Clayton as Catholic scored all of its points in the first half.

Playoff seed: No. 2 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 10 Destrehan (9-3)

The Vikings defeated No. 18 Westgate, 42-16. QB Ben Taylor ran for a score and passed for two, and DJ Allen ran for two TDs, according to Roy Lang of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. LSU commit Kenny Darby caught eight passes for 135 yards and a TD. Senior receiver Jarvis Davis left the game with an injury.

Playoff seed: No. 4 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 21 West Monroe (7-5)

The Wildcats defeated No. 13 West Ouachita, 45-20. Nicholls State QB commit Jackson Firmin ran for a score, and sophomore Marvin Joseph ran for another, according to William Weathers of Geaux Preps. The Central defense forced three turnovers. Joseph finished with 117 yards on 13 carries. Linebacker KD Mays returned a fumble for a TD.

Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division II select) Up next: Against No. 8 John F. Kennedy (7-4)

The Eagles defeated No. 16 Loranger, 49-14. Michigan commit Jasper Parker ran for 109 yards on 12 carries with four TDs, according to Darrell Williams of The New Orleans Advocate. Mason Wilson threw a 54-yard TD pass to Jacob Washington (also a Michigan pledge). Shaw’s opponent this week, John F. Kennedy, only lost one game on the field (to St. Paul’s).

Playoff seed: No. 8 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 1 Edna Karr (10-0)

The Cougars defeated No. 9 St. Augustine, 28-27. Senior defensive back Gavin Duplechin blocked an extra point to seal the win, according to Eric Narcisse of The Acadiana Advocate. Quarterback Cole Bergeron completed 8 of 14 passes for 104 yards and two TDs to John Avery Barton (four catches for 72 yards). Gabe Mocek and Carter Melancon combined to carry 39 times for 214 yards. Mocek ran for two scores.

Playoff seed: No. 6 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 19 John Curtis Christian (6-5)

The Rebels defeated No. 11 Jesuit, 31-23. Junior QB Alex Munoz completed 14 of 15 passes for 169 yards with a TD to tight end Jack Purser. Munoz is 84 of 120 on the year with 1,272 yards and 13 TDs with no interceptions. Doug E Viltz rushed for 82 yards on 24 carries with two TDs. Nick Celestine caught three passes for 36 yards, according to Kevin Foote of The Acadiana Advocate. Munoz, Viltz and Cason Evans have combined for over 2,000 yards rushing.

Playoff seed: No. 5 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 4 Catholic-BR (10-0)

The Raiders defeated No. 12 McDonogh 35, 50-25. Norman Taylor ran for 177 yards on 17 carries with four TDs, according to Chris Dabe of The New Orleans Advocate. The Raiders will face Catholic-BR in the postseason for the sixth time in seven seasons. QB Generald Buggage was 7 of 9 passing for 132 yards with a rushing touchdown.

Playoff seed: No. 19 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 6 Teurlings Catholic (10-1)

The Patriots defeated No. 3 Acadiana, 28-27. QB Reggie Johnson threw the game-winning TD pass to freshman Jarvis Stevenson, according to Nick Fontenot of The Acadiana Advocate. The Patriots totaled 363 yards rushing and averaged 13 yards per carry, according to Chris Dabe of The New Orleans Advocate. Johnson ran for 169 yards on 10 carries with two scores. Jacobi Boudreaux added 138 yards on eight carries.

Playoff seed: No. 3 (Division I select) Up next: Season complete

The Rams lost to No. 19 John Curtis, 28-27. Jonah Gauthier ran for 164 yards on 27 carries with three TDs. Tayden Collins added 103 yards on 12 carries. Caden DiBetta ran for a score. Gauthier and Collins combined to score 24 rushing TDs on the year.

Playoff seed: No. 6 (Division I nonselect) Up next: At No. 3 Ruston (9-2)

The Sharks defeated No. 22 Walker, 47-0. The Sharks notched 18 first downs to Walker’s six. Ramon Singleton ran for 136 yards and two TDs on 15 carries. Justin Williams added 84 yards on 16 carries with two scores. Singleton added two catches for 31 yards and a score. QB Parker Dies threw for a TD and ran for another. Dies, Singleton and QB Cruz Holden combined to complete 4 of 5 passes for 82 yards and a score.

Playoff seed: No. 10 (Division I nonselect) Up next: At No. 2 Airline (11-0)

The Wildcats defeated No. 7 Northwood-Shreveport, 63-21. Malachi Dabney scored five TDs, according to Lori Lyons of The Shreveport Bossier Journal. Jabari Mack and Greg Wilfred each caught a TD pass, and LSU receiver commit Phillip Wright ran for a score. The Wildcats have won seven straight games with QB Jackson Fields back in the lineup. Destrehan will be making back-to-back trips to the Shreveport-Bossier area.

Playoff seed: No. 14 (Division II nonselect) Up next: At No. 6 Plaquemine (11-1)

The Tigers defeated No. 3 Jennings, 30-19. Senior tailback D’Shaun Ford ran for 265 yards and two TDs. The Tigers’ losses were to Teurlings Catholic, Alexandria and Zachary. Opelousas led the undefeated Trojans by two scores early.

Playoff seed: No. 18 (Division II nonselect) Up next: At No. 7 North DeSoto (9-3)

The Bulldogs defeated No. 2 Lutfcher, 49-41. Diesel Solari completed 13 of 21 passes for 206 yards and three TDs. Braylon Calais ran for 113 yards on 15 carries with two TDs. Solari added 96 yards rushing and two TDs on 15 carries. Ellis Stewart totaled 104 yards and a TD on six touches. Brent Gordon and Jermaine Davis combined to catch five passes for 102 yards and two TDs.

Playoff seed: No. 5 (Division III select) Up next: at No. 4 Jewel Sumner (10-1)

The Panthers defeated No. 12 Amite, 39-14. QB Dillon Compton threw three first-half TD passes for Cain Milligan, according to Fast Break ENT. Compton was 10 of 15 passing for 195 yards and four TDs, according to LaMar Gafford of Cenla Preps. He also ran for a score. Zion Lee rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries. Jateren Gaines added 92 yards on 12 carries with two TDs.

Playoff seed: No. 10 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 2 Alexandria (11-0)

The Yellow Jackets defeated No. 7 St. Paul’s, 37-15. Desmond Simmons ran for 167 yards on 30 carries with a TD, according to Joseph Halm of The New Orleans Advocate. QB Harrison Ayres completed 5 of 6 passes for 82 yards and added 30 yards rushing and two scores on eight carries.

Playoff seed: No. 21 (Division I nonselect) Up next: At No. 4 Central-BR (10-1)

The Rebels pulled off their second upset by defeating No. 5 Mandeville, 20-9. Ranaldrick Myles and Kedrian McNeal combined for 209 yards rushing on 28 carries with two TDs, according to Dave Woodall of The New Orleans Advocate. QB Ryder Dejean completed 3 of 6 passes for 37 yards.

Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division III select) Up next: Against No. 9 Lafayette Christian (6-6)

The Tigers defeated No. 16 Parkview Baptist, 42-0. Sophomore QB Elijah Haven accounted for 406 yards and four TDs, according to Patrick Wright of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Trevor Haman caught seven passes for 128 yards and two TDs.

Playoff seed: No. 7 (Division II nonselect) Up next: Against No. 18 Cecilia (9-3)

The Griffins defeated No. 10 Belle Chasse, 38-14. Cole Cory continued to shine since his return from injury, catching two TD passes and returning a kick 56 yards, according to Lee Hiller of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. Luke Delafield was 15 of 20 passing for 205 yards. Kenny Thomas ran for 107 yards on 23 carries with two TDs. Cory finished with seven receptions for 114 yards.

Playoff seed: No. 5 (Division II select) Up next: Against No. 13 Istrouma (9-3)

The Chargers defeated No. 12 St. Charles Catholic, 34-20. Tylan Johnson was 10 of 13 passing for 125 yards and two TDs, according to Charles Salzer of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Alfred McKnight ran for 180 yards and two TDs. Madison Prep, which led 21-0 at halftime, takes on Istrouma in a matchup of north Baton Rouge schools whose campuses are separated by 2.1 miles.

Playoff seed: No. 2 (Division II nonselect) Up next: Season complete

The Bulldogs lost to No. 18 Cecilia, 49-41. Trenton Chaney ran for 194 yards and three TDs on 24 carries, according to Reed Darcey of The Baton Rouge Advocate. QB Zach Jenkins rushed for 118 yards on 25 carries with three TDs. He passed for 75 yards and didn’t throw an interception this season.

Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division IV select) Up next: Against No. 8 St. Edmund (10-1)

The Eagles defeated No. 16 Westminster Christian-Opelousas, 47-17. QB Jonathan Dartez ran for 199 yards and had a hand in six TDs. The senior has rushed for 2,119 yards and 34 TDs on 239 carries with 1,360 yards passing (19 TDs, two INT).

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Louisiana

Heart of Louisiana: Saving boats

Published

16 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

LOCKPORT, La. (WVUE) – A museum in downtown Lockport was bustling with activity 12 years ago, with people teaching and learning the art of boat-building.

Historic boats were on display in the front, and new boats were being built in the workshop out back, as generations of Cajun families passed down their traditions and knowledge. But then, three years ago, it all was put on hold when Hurricane Ida severely damaged the museum.

Now, efforts are underway to relocate and relaunch the boat museum and workshop at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, as Dave McNamara shows in the Heart of Louisiana.

For more, visit the Heart of Louisiana archive here.

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