Louisiana

From laundry window to House, Jack McFarland pivotal in budget debates

Published

2 weeks ago

February 16, 2026

Press Room

From laundry window to House, Jack McFarland pivotal in budget debates

Louisiana House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland began his political career after interacting with local officials at his dry-cleaning business.
McFarland, a Republican, is known for his deep knowledge of the state budget and his willingness to work across party lines.
He has prioritized fiscal discipline while also supporting funding for programs like SNAP food benefits and teacher stipends.
Colleagues describe McFarland as people-centered, focusing on what is best for Louisiana residents rather than partisan politics.

BATON ROUGE — When people think of Jack McFarland, they think of the clean-cut, white-haired logger from Winnfield who knows the state budget inside and out as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. What many don’t know is that his career in politics came from something as simple as doing others’ laundry.

When McFarland worked behind the drive-thru window at his dry-cleaning business in Winnfield, Louisiana, he would strike up conversations with customers, including the mayor and sheriff.

“It puts you in the middle of all the politics,” McFarland said. “I met a lot of people.”

He would listen to the complaints the officials had about one another. Then, he would help negotiate solutions.

It was those conversations that helped kick-start McFarland’s interest in a political career — one that led him to be president of the Winn Parish Police Jury, a Republican state representative from District 13 and now one of the most influential people at the Capitol as the Legislature prepares for its spring session.

McFarland, 56, is a conservative who supports fiscal discipline, gun rights and a ban on abortions. But his power comes from his deep knowledge of the budget and his willingness, even in hyper-partisan times, to work with Democrats and talk to advocates across the political spectrum about how to improve the lives of Louisiana residents, including those who are struggling financially.

“Jack’s leadership and decisions were really people-centered, not partisan-centered,” said former Rep. Jason Hughes, a Black Democrat who was the vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee before joining the New Orleans City Council last month. “His guiding question was, ‘Is this good for Louisiana? Is this good for our people?’”

Hughes said McFarland wanted to ensure that every House member had a chance to weigh in on the budget.

“He really loves Louisiana,” Hughes said. “He was committed to fairness for all members of the House and really wanted to see every parish, all 64 parishes, in our state thrive. Parties honestly never came up in our conversations and in our negotiations.”

One example came last fall when the federal government shutdown threatened to disrupt SNAP food benefits, which 18% of Louisiana residents rely on. McFarland worked closely with Gov. Jeff Landry and Republican State Senate President Cameron Henry to make state funds available if needed to keep the assistance flowing.

McFarland said at the time that it was “the Christian thing to do.” He added, “I’m disappointed in the federal level that this population is being held hostage by either party, but I’m also disappointed that anybody would think that people like this should be used as leverage.”

McFarland’s district — which encompasses four parishes in North Louisiana — is rural, isolated and impoverished. Roughly 40% to 45% of those residents rely on Medicaid, and some had to travel at least an hour to see a doctor until federally supported healthcare centers were established in the district.

“Jack is very compassionate when it comes to his constituents,” said Katie Murray, McFarland’s legislative assistant.

McFarland also pays attention to detail. In one part of his laundry business, for instance, he let customers pick the detergents they wanted to use.

“These are the types of things that gained the public’s trust,” he said. “Looking back, it was a good precursor for where I am at.”

When he became the president of the Winn Parish Police Jury in 2008, he quickly resolved debt and other financial issues.

“He treated the jury like a business,” said Karen Tyler, the jury’s secretary-treasurer. “He ran a great office.”

McFarland recognized that the parish garbage tax was collecting more than was needed. With a vote from residents, he put two-thirds of the extra money toward improving existing roads and one-third toward new roads.

When McFarland was elected state representative in 2015, he made a point of entering tough conversations with colleagues, asking them questions and giving his stance on issues. One topic he wanted to master was Louisiana’s budget.

According to McFarland, fewer than 25% of the legislators really understand the budget. But money runs everything.

During his first term, McFarland attended meetings about the budget and met with Henry, who was then the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee before becoming president of the State Senate.

McFarland’s determination landed him a spot on the Appropriations Committee, and he became the chair in early 2024.

As chairman, McFarland is responsible for leading the review and advancement of a $46.9 billion budget for all state agencies and programs.

He has helped find millions of dollars for public teacher stipends. But he also has been cautious about tapping too far into state reserves to expand other spending.

“Everyone wants lower taxes,” McFarland said. “To do that, we have to find a way to be better stewards with the taxpayers’ dollars.”

He has also been involved in recent compromises over spending on one of Gov. Landry’s centerpiece programs, LA GATOR, which provides state money to families to help pay for private school education.

Landry sought more than $90 million for the program last year. But Senate Republicans would agree to only half that amount, and a replay of that debate is coming this spring.

Landry has proposed a standstill budget overall for the coming fiscal year. But the state could face budget shortfalls of more than $300 million a year after that. McFarland also wants to prepare for that.

“The only way we can do that is to continue to work with our agencies to diminish wasteful spending, to continue to identify those opportunities when we can save dollars and not create more recurring expenditures,” he said.

McFarland got out of the laundry business years ago but still runs McFarland Timber, a logging-services company that caters to both professional builders and DIY enthusiasts.

He has two years left in the House before he hits his term limit. Talk of McFarland running for state treasurer has been circulating, though he has not decided what comes next.

“As long as I feel like I’m doing something for the people, that’s what I want to do,” he said.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 3, 2026

Published

10 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 3, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 3 drawing

07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 3 drawing

6-8-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 3 drawing

3-6-7-4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 3 drawing

0-8-3-2-0

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.

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Louisiana

Brother of Louisiana mayor accused of raping 16-year-old has a hauntingly similar criminal past

Published

22 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

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.

Brandon Lee Roberts, 39, is accused of raping a teen girl and assaulting a young woman over the course of several years. Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office

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.

Booking photo of Misty Clanton Roberts. — Brandon’s sister, Misty, the ex-mayor of DeRidder, Louisiana, allegedly raped her son’s teenage friend. AP

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.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for March 2, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

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

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.

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