Louisiana
Bills targeting traffic cameras see varying success in Louisiana legislature
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Louisiana lawmakers have traffic cameras in their sights this session, filing several bills to change how — and if — the process should work.
The bills have had different levels of success.
They could have a significant impact on New Orleans’ drivers and government. The city’s traffic camera system generates more than $20 million per year in general fund revenue.
A Fox 8 investigation found the city is struggling to collect $135 million worth of uncollected tickets going back more than a decade.
Senate Bill 21, filed by Sen. Alan Seabaugh (R-Many), would take the most aggressive approach against traffic cameras, but has seen the least success. It would make the use of traffic cameras “strictly prohibited,” effectively bringing an end to all municipal or parish traffic camera programs in the state, along with the government revenue they produce.
In March, the bill was deferred in a Transportation, Highways & Public Works Committee meeting. It has remained stalled there since.
Chair Pat Connick (R-Marrero) told Fox 8 that Seabaugh has not asked for the bill to be heard, signaling it’s likely dead.
In the meeting, opponents of the bill said the systems improve safety and allow understaffed police departments to move resources elsewhere.
Sen. Heather Cloud (R-Turkey Creek) raised concerns about the spread of traffic camera systems in the state.
“The more that this happens, and I know that they’re needed in some places and not unwilling to embrace that, but we’re losing touch points to see other criminal activity that’s associated with speeding violations, like driving under intoxication, human trafficking,” she said.
Cloud filed Senate Bill 360, but also deferred it to the meeting. It’s followed a similar path as Seabaugh’s bill and Connick indicated it’s also likely dead. It would prohibit traffic camera systems from issuing tickets through license plates, a system New Orleans currently uses.
“The vehicle isn’t the one that’s speeding. It’s the person that’s behind the wheel,” she said.
That logic might see more success in Rep. Daryl Deshotel (R-Marksville)’s House Bill 652.
It requires traffic camera systems to get footage of the driver to issue tickets. It also prohibits local governments from issuing or collecting on tickets if an image of the driver is not obtained.
“A lot times, you have families that may share vehicles. You have neighbors that borrow vehicles. You have all sorts of situations where people are in vehicles that they do not own,” he said in an April committee meeting.
The bill creates guardrails for administrative challenges, creates time limits for camera use and creates requirements for how any revenue generated by the cameras can be spent.
The bill has passed out of the house and is working through the senate.
Sen. Stewart Cathey (R-Monroe) filed a bill with similar guardrails which is moving through the house.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2024 WVUE. All rights reserved.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Louisiana State Police issued a Silver Alert Friday for a 76-year-old New Orleans man who has been missing since Wednesday.
Elbert Welch was last seen in the 1700 block of Holiday Drive on May 6 at approximately 11 a.m. State police received the request to issue a Silver Alert at approximately 6:54 p.m. Friday on behalf of the New Orleans Police Department.
Welch is a white male with brown eyes and black and gray hair. He is 5′10″ and weighs approximately 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a khaki shirt, black pants and a blue baseball cap.
Family reports that Welch has a medical condition that may impair his judgment.
Welch is believed to be walking on foot in an unknown direction.
Anyone with information regarding Welch’s whereabouts is asked to immediately contact the New Orleans Police Department, 4th District, at (504) 821-2222 or dial 911. All questions should be directed to the New Orleans Police Department.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
Watch UL Diamond sports HCs talk wins and losses vs Troy, Coastal Carolina
Hear from UL softball and baseball HCs, Matt Deggs and Alyson Habetz following SBC play where Cajuns softball swept Coastal Carolina and baseball loss 2-1 to Troy.
Pressure is back on for Louisiana baseball, especially on the weekend in Sun Belt Conference play.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (30-19, 12-12) dropped their final midweek game of the season, losing 9-6 to the University of New Orleans in extra innings. Now, the Cajuns are back on the road for SBC play, needing every win they can get to better their chances of snagging a regional spot. They travel to Appalachian State for what will likely be a chilly three-game series against the Mountaineers.
Seventh-year head coach Matt Deggs will go with junior Cody Brasch to start Game 1, a spot the right-hander is becoming accustomed to. Saturday’s are for Andrew Herrmann, the most reliable of the Cajuns’ arms through the year. App State will start junior righty Nick DiRito on Friday, followed by junior righty Gage Peterson and junior lefty Tanner Nolan to close out the series.
Here’s how to watch Ragin’ Cajuns baseball in its SBC series vs App State (28-18, 15-9), including time, TV schedule, live score and streaming information.
Watch Louisiana baseball vs App State on ESPN+
Louisiana baseball vs App State live score
What channel is Louisiana baseball vs App State on?
TV: None
Livestream: ESPN+
Radio: Varsity Network, 96.5 FM
Louisiana vs. App State will be available live on ESPN+ streaming service for the teams’ ninth SBC series of the 2026 college baseball season. Matt Present will provide commentary from Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
What time does Louisiana baseball play App State today?
- 5 p.m. Friday, May 8
- 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9
- 12 p.m. Sunday, May 10
The Louisiana vs. App State series starts at 5 p.m. Friday at Beaver Field in Boone, N.C., followed by Game 2 at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Cajuns will close out the series at noon on Sunday.
Louisiana baseball vs App State weather update
Friday’s matchup will be played in semi-cloudy weather with sunshine throughout the day. It’ll be a high of 62 degrees and a low of 44 degrees. Winds will get up to about five to 10 mph, and there is less than a 7% chance of rain in the afternoon. Saturday’s game will be played in warmer weather with a high of 67 degrees, followed by Sunday’s high of 73 degrees.
Louisiana baseball vs App State history
Series record: Louisiana leads 14-9
In Lafayette: Series tied 6-6
In Boone: Louisiana leads 6-3
Louisiana’s last win: April 2, 2023 (6-0)
App State’s last win: April 1, 2023 (8-5)
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.
Louisiana
Behind the Curtain: How Louisiana’s Parole System and Courts Shape Who Goes Free | The Lens
This week on Behind The Lens, the public gets a rare look inside one of the most powerful and least understood parts of Louisiana’s criminal justice system: the parole process.
In Louisiana, Parole Board hearings are sometimes held in public, offering families, victims, attorneys, advocates, and reporters an opportunity to witness how decisions are made about who is granted freedom and who remains incarcerated. But those hearings reveal more than individual cases. They expose the broader tensions shaping punishment, rehabilitation, public safety, and political pressure across the state.
Reporters Bernard Smith and Gus Bennett join editor Katy Reckdahl to examine how parole decisions are influenced not only by testimony inside the hearing room, but also by a growing wave of legal and political changes moving through Louisiana’s courts and legislature. From rulings connected to the Louisiana Supreme Court to election season politics and criminal justice reforms, the episode explores how policy decisions made at the highest levels can directly affect incarcerated people, victims’ families, prosecutors, and entire communities.
The discussion also breaks down how recent state actions involving sentencing, parole eligibility, election dynamics, and judicial oversight are reshaping Louisiana’s criminal justice landscape in real time. Together, the team examines the human consequences behind those decisions and what they reveal about accountability, power, and transparency inside the system.
Theme music by Podington Bear. Additional music “Fading Prospects” by Podington Bear (soundofpicture.com)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe:
Related
-
Milwaukee, WI3 minutes agoMilwaukee Weather: Mild and breezy Saturday, slight chance of showers
-
Atlanta, GA9 minutes agoAtlanta reacts after major 285 shutdown postponed
-
Minneapolis, MN15 minutes agoSan Antonio visits Minnesota with 2-1 series lead – WTOP News
-
Indianapolis, IN21 minutes agoMilder Saturday, cooler Sunday, then quiet before midweek rain | May 9, 2026
-
Pittsburg, PA27 minutes agoMcCorkle: Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 53-Man Roster Prediction (Pre-OTAs)
-
Augusta, GA33 minutes agoGeorgia governor candidate Olu Brown campaigns in Augusta
-
Washington, D.C39 minutes agoWeekend weather in the DC Area: A little bit of everything
-
Cleveland, OH45 minutes agoBomb threats against Northeast Ohio school districts continue for 2nd day