Louisiana

How Baton Rouge compares with other Louisiana metros in job growth

Published

1 year ago

December 26, 2024

How Baton Rouge compares with other Louisiana metros in job growth

While Baton Rouge was the only MSA in the state that saw a decrease in jobs from October to November, the MSA still saw significant gains year over year.

Baton Rouge lost 200 jobs from October to November, according to data released late last week by the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Other metros in the state added between 200 and 300 jobs for the same time period, except for Lafayette and New Orleans, which added 800 and 2,100 jobs, respectively. Baton Rouge added 1,900 jobs from November 2023, the second highest in the state, trailing only New Orleans, which added 8,900 jobs.

Statewide, sectors that showed the largest gains for seasonally adjusted jobs over the year included private education and health services (10,000), construction (7,800) and government (6,500).

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Louisiana

Louisiana House passes bill to fine parents for children’s school threats

Published

12 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Louisiana House passes bill to fine parents for children’s school threats

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The Louisiana House passed a bill that would hold parents financially responsible when their children threaten schools.

House Bill 137 would allow courts to fine parents up to $5,000 if a child under 14 is convicted of making a school threat. The bill now heads to the Senate.

The convicted children could also face a mental health exam, up to a year of probation or six months in juvenile detention, and mandatory counseling in a back on track youth program.

Supporters say the measure will deter threats, while critics call it a dangerous precedent.

The proposal is making its way through the legislature as part of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session, which must adjourn no later than 6 p.m. on Monday, June 1.

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Louisiana

Louisiana could get rid of inspection stickers — in most places. Is your parish on the list?

Published

24 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Louisiana could get rid of inspection stickers — in most places. Is your parish on the list?

Drivers in most of Louisiana would no longer need to get inspection stickers under a bill advancing in the Legislature with Gov. Jeff Landry’s support.

Instead, personal vehicles would just need a sticker that lists its vehicle identification number.

Drivers in some parts of the state, however, would still have to get inspections.

New Orleans, Kenner and Westwego have their own rules requiring the stickers — which locals famously call “brake tags” — and those would “still be allowed to continue as they are,” Office of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Keith Neal said.

And, emissions testing would still be required for drivers in several Baton Rouge-area parishes because of a federal air quality order under the Clean Air Act. Those parishes are Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston and West Baton Rouge.

Commercial vehicles and school buses would still be required to do regular safety inspections.

House Bill 838, sponsored by Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, would set a $6 annual cost for the new VIN sticker, and the fee would be assessed and collected by the Office of Motor Vehicles during registrations and registration renewals.

For example, someone who renews a vehicle registration every two years would pay $12 and someone who renews every four years would pay $24.

“The good thing about it is you won’t have to go get a sticker,” Bagley told members of the House transportation committee. “It’ll simplify many things.”

For most parishes, inspection stickers would no longer be required effective January 1. Starting June 30 this year, law enforcement would be prohibited from issuing citations for not having an inspection sticker.

In the five-parish capital region that’s subject to federal emissions testing requirements, the law would take effect once the Environmental Protection Agency approves the change.

The House transportation committee approved the bill Monday without objection.

Valerie Brolin, a spokesperson for the City of Kenner, said Mayor Michael Glaser would consider whether Kenner should end its brake tag program if HB838 becomes law. “Kenner’s not going to independently do it on its own,” she said.

What the new stickers would do

The new stickers would contain a QR code that, when scanned, lists the VIN.

“The only thing that’ll be in that QR code is the VIN,” Evelina Broussard, chief information officer for the state’s Office of Technology Service, told lawmakers on Monday.

Bagley in an interview said having the 17-digit VIN accessible to law enforcement through a QR code allows them to more easily enter it into the systems they use for ticketing or other searches, rather than enter it manually.

Landry called for eliminating inspection stickers in his “State of the State” speech to open the legislative session earlier this month.

“It’s time to eliminate the inspection sticker and stop this major inconvenience for Louisiana drivers!” Landry posted on X Monday after the bill passed out of committee.

Landry previously said the state may eventually use the sticker to display insurance coverage information.

Asked about the plan to display insurance information, Bagley said it is not currently part of the legislation, though it “possibly could” be in the future.

Bagley, who has served as a state representative for 11 years, said he’s been trying to pass the legislation since his second year at the Capitol.

Landry’s support of the measure is what’s made the difference this year, he said.

“He’s saying he’s going to change Louisiana for the better, we’re going to see a lot of changes,” Bagley said of Landry. “This is one of them.”

Bagley said so far this year there’s been no opposition to his bill.

“Why would you want to fight a first-term governor that’s popular when you know there’s probably not much you can do,” he said.

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Entergy Louisiana’s claim customers will save thanks to Meta deal greeted with some skepticism

Published

1 day ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Entergy Louisiana’s claim customers will save thanks to Meta deal greeted with some skepticism

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Meta is building a multi-billion dollar data center in northeast Louisiana and Entergy Louisiana is a huge part of the project’s equation.

“We did reach agreement with Meta to expand or have a new agreement, actually, for the data center at their Richland Parish site,” Phillip May, CEO of Entergy Louisiana told Fox 8 on Monday (March 30).

“This new agreement will require us to build seven new generators. Each of those generators will be about 750 megawatts each. So, about 5,200 megawatts of new, efficient, modern gas-fired generation.”

May pointed to other benefits.

“That generation will come with hydrogen capability and carbon-capture availability as well, as well as additional 2,500 megawatts of solar, three separate battery projects, and up rates on our nuclear plant,” May said.

May said the agreement with Meta ultimately will benefit Entergy Louisiana customers by $2 billion.

“This thing is structured to save our customers over $2 billion, over the life of the 20-year contract,” he said. “And Meta is fully paying for the cost associated with these assets over that 20-year period.”

He was asked how what Entergy plans to generate for Meta, in terms of megawatts, compares to what it is generating now for other customers.

“This amount of generation is about 50% more than is currently deployed by Entergy Louisiana,” May said.

But the deal concerns the utility watchdog Alliance for Affordable Energy.

“We haven’t had nearly enough time to review this most recent application, which, by the way, has a lot of redactions. So there’s an awful lot of information that the public, and certainly we, have not seen yet to really be able to analyze and say, indeed, all of these savings are going to come to fruition,” said Logan Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy.

The group is concerned about what could happen in years to come.

“The way regulation works in the state of Louisiana is, once this infrastructure is approved to be built, is deemed prudent and in the public interest, it means that utilities will be able to recover those costs from whatever customers they have going forward. And if, in fact, Meta winds up no longer being a customer after 15 or 20 years, that’s billions of dollars in costs that ratepayers will be on the hook for,” Burke said.

Fox 8 asked May if Entergy Louisiana customers could end up paying more down the line as a result of the agreement.

“No. In fact, the opposite is true,” May said. “Our Entergy customers will see lower rates than what they otherwise would have been.”

The deal still needs approval from the Louisiana Public Service Commission.

“Well, the next thing that has to happen is a proper investigation,” Burke said. “The proceeding in which Entergy is filed for approval from the commission is underway now. It means that organizations like the Alliance and like the Public Service Commission have a responsibility to look at these books, to look at these agreements, and see if they are stable and what kinds of protections need to be put in place.”

May said he thinks approval could come before year’s end.

“The filing with the PSC has already occurred. I’m sure the LPSC will take it up, hire outside counsel in the things that they do, have a thorough investigation of this proposal,” May said. “We believe this could work through Louisiana Public Service Commission’s lightning initiative, that will allow it to be approved by the end of this year.”

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