Louisiana
LGBTQ+ vetoes set up possible showdown between John Bel Edwards, Louisiana Republicans
Gov. John Bel Edwards has vetoed three politically charged bills targeting LGBTQ+ people, raising the odds that lawmakers will return to Baton Rouge in the coming weeks to try to overturn those vetoes, legislative leaders say.
Edwards promised at the end of the latest legislative session that he would veto a bill that seeks to ban discussion of gender and sexual identity in K-12 school classrooms. He also pledged to reject a bill to limit the use of alternate pronouns in schools and another that would outlaw gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
He made those vetoes official on Friday, calling the bills an attack on some of the state’s most vulnerable children.
“This bill is entitled the ‘Stop Harming our Kids Act,’ which is ironic because this is precisely what it does,” the governor wrote in a letter explaining his veto of the transgender health care ban.
Republicans including Attorney General Jeff Landry, a candidate for governor, have described the bills as important protections for children — particularly the ban on gender-affirming care, which is part of a national push to limit minors’ access to such procedures. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, said before the vetoes were announced hat a veto of that bill in particular would be the biggest reason lawmakers could return to Baton Rouge for an override session.
“I think that will be the one thing that pulls us back in,” Schexnayder said.
Veto overrides are exceedingly rare in Louisiana. There has been only one successful override in the past 31 years — last year, when lawmakers overturned Edwards’ veto of a congressional redistricting bill.
While veto sessions are automatically scheduled under state law after a governor jettisons legislation, lawmakers have almost always canceled those sessions before they happen. They can do so, per the law, if a majority of members in either chamber state that intent in writing.
The Lafayette Latin Love support group walks in the Pride Acadiana Festival parade on Jefferson St in downtown Lafayette, Saturday, June 24, 2023.
The deadline for lawmakers to do so is July 13. If a majority do not vote to skip a veto-override session, the special session would begin on July 18.
In that session, two-thirds majority votes from both chambers would be required to overturn a veto.
The three bills Edwards vetoed Friday had sparked fierce controversy during the session that ran from April to June. Critics in a series of hearings decried them as unnecessary and as attacks on LGBTQ+ people, while supporters said they would help protect children from “sexualization” before they reach an age to make educated decisions about their identity.
Each of the three bills received two-thirds votes in at least one of the statehouse’s two chambers. The gender-affirming care bill, House Bill 648, passed with the strongest margins, clearing the two-thirds threshold in both the House and Senate. In a sign of the political momentum behind it, the bill was killed by a Senate committee, then revived and passed by the full chamber near the end of the session.
The Senate voted for HB 466, the ban on talk of gender and sex in school classrooms, on a 29-9 vote, a two-thirds majority; and for HB 81, the pronoun bill, on a 31-8 vote, also a two-thirds majority. But the House passed each of those bills earlier in session without two-thirds majority votes.
If the gender-affirming care ban does not become law, Louisiana would be the only Deep South state without such a ban. Other legislatures across the nation have passed similar bills in recent years.
Contradicting recommendations of major U.S. medical groups, Louisiana’s bill would outlaw most forms of gender-affirming or transition care for people under 18, including so-called puberty blockers, hormone treatments and surgical procedures. It would halt treatment of minors who are already receiving that care. And doctors who prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapies or perform gender-transition surgeries would lose their licenses.
Since Edwards pledged weeks ago to veto the three bills, lawmakers have been fiercely pressured by their constituents to override him on the transgender health care bill, said House Speaker Pro Tem Tanner Magee, R-Houma. Magee described receiving droves of emails in recent weeks from people who want to see the bill become law.
House Conservative Caucus Chairman Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Winnfield, said he believes the votes are there in the more-conservative House to override the governor’s veto of the ban on gender-affirming care.
“I would remind you, it’s an election year,” he said. “Those bills have passed not in every state, but in many states that have already finished their sessions.”
The GOP nabbed two-thirds supermajorities in both the House and Senate before the latest session after a pair of party flips by Democrats — Rep. Francis Thompson, R-Delhi, and Rep. Jeremy LaCombe, R-Livonia. Still, some say an override victory for Edwards’ opponents is far from ensured.
“We’ve done this before and it’s not easy,” said Magee, the speaker pro tem. “You’ve got members who are done serving. You’ve got members who’ve made the decision not to run for re-election. … It’s close.”
Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, could not immediately be reached.
Louisiana
Louisiana prisons routinely hold inmates past their release date, Justice Department argues
Louisiana’s prison system routinely holds inmates for weeks or months after they were supposed to be released from custody following the completion of their sentences, the U.S. Justice Department said in a lawsuit filed Friday.
The lawsuit against the state comes after a multi-year investigation into a pattern of “systemic overdetention” that violates inmates’ rights and costs taxpayers millions of dollars per year.
Since at least 2012, more than a quarter of the inmates scheduled to be released from Louisiana prisons have been held past their release dates, according to the DOJ.
LOUISIANA LAWMAKERS WEIGHING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT WOULD SEND MORE JUVENILE OFFENDERS TO ADULT JAILS
Louisiana’s prisons often hold inmates long after they were supposed to be released following the completion of their sentences, the DOJ says. (AP)
The Justice Department warned Louisiana officials last year that it may file a lawsuit against the state if it failed to fix the problems. Lawyers for the department argue that the state made “marginal efforts” to address the issues, noting that such attempts at a fix were “inadequate” and showed a “deliberate indifference” to the constitutional rights of inmates.
“[T]he right to individual liberty includes the right to be released from incarceration on time after the term set by the court has ended,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement.
“To incarcerate people indefinitely … not only intrudes on individual liberty, but also erodes public confidence in the fair and just application of our laws,” the statement added.
More than a quarter of the inmates scheduled to be released from Louisiana prisons since at least 2012 have been held past their release dates, the Department of Justice said. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and state Attorney General Liz Murrill, both Republicans, attributed the problem to the “failed criminal justice reforms” pushed by “the past administration.”
“This past year, we have taken significant action to keep Louisianans safe and ensure those who commit the crime, also do the time,” Landry and Murrill said in a joint statement to The Associated Press. “The State of Louisiana is committed to preserving the constitutional rights of Louisiana citizens.”
BIDEN CONSIDERS COMMUTING THE SENTENCES OF FEDERAL DEATH ROW INMATES: REPORT
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks at CPAC Texas 2022 conference at Hilton Anatole. (Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The two state officials also purported that the lawsuit is a last-ditch effort by President Biden, who leaves office next month, arguing that President-elect Trump’s incoming administration would not have pursued the case.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Advocates have repeatedly challenged the conditions in Louisiana’s prison system, which includes Angola, the largest maximum-security prison in the nation, where inmates pick vegetables by hand on an 18,000-acre lot. The site was once the Angola Plantations, a slave plantation owned by Isaac Franklin and named after Angola, the country of origin for many of the enslaved people who worked there.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Army West Point Black Knights came up short in their last game, as they lost their annual rivalry matchup against the Navy Midshipmen 31-13 to lose the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.
But, their season is not yet over, as they will have a chance to finish things on a high note in the Independence Bowl against a new opponent; the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
Originally, the Black Knights were supposed to face off against the Marshall Thundering Herd, but a change had to be made after they experienced a mass exodus of players entering the transfer portal following a coaching change.
Based on records, the quality of the opponent would seem to have dropped off considerably. Marshall had 10 victories, while Louisiana Tech had only five.
But, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN still believes that this will be a competitive game in Shreveport, La. in the Bulldogs’ backyard. Louisiana Tech is in Ruston, La., 70 miles away from Shreveport.
He predicted that Army will sneak away with a 23-16 victory.
“he Bulldogs have half the number of wins as the Thundering Herd, but their defense can be very stingy at times, and will need to perform against Bryson Daily and the Black Knights. … Army is undoubtedly still smarting from the Navy loss, and top running back Kanye Udoh entered the portal. Louisiana Tech jumps ahead early behind quarterback Evan Bullock, but Army eventually takes control and grinds out a low-scoring win, its 12th on the season.”
Rittenberg pointed out that several of LA Tech’s defensive linemen have entered the transfer portal. Udoh just announced his transfer to Arizona State.
This has already been one of the best seasons in program history, as they reached the 11-win mark only one other time in 2018. But, an argument can be made this is their best season since it won its last national championship because it was not independent.
The Black Knights were a member of the American Athletic Conference, the first time since 1998-2004 that they weren’t independent as a member of Conference USA. They found a ton of success, going 8-0 in the regular season before defeating the Tulane Green Wave in the AAC Championship Game in West Point, New York.
Army has shown an ability to grind out wins, playing a physical style of football on both sides of the ball. Daily is the leader offensively, producing with his arm and legs at a high level.
He threw for 942 yards with nine touchdowns and only four interceptions, three of which came in the matchup against Navy. On the ground, he led the AAC with 283 carries, 1,532 yards and 29 scores.
His 29 rushing touchdowns were the most in the country, as he won the 2024 AAC Player of the Year Award.
The Black Knights would love to see Daily provide one more memorable performance to help the team reach the 12-win mark for the first time in program history.
San Francisco’s Fentanyl Deportations Show Rare Unity With Trump
‘Proud’ Jerry Jones doubling down on Mike McCarthy return to Cowboys?
Sitting at .500 again, Miami Heat’s struggles have their season at an impasse
Boston Dynamics wishes you a merry terrifying robot Christmas in new video
Broncos at Chargers: The No Bull Review
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Video: Our Photographer’s Look Inside New York’s Migrant Shelters
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen hospitalized after he was bucked off a horse
Fact check: How deadly was 2024 for journalists?
Why Trump's tariffs on Mexico would mean higher avocado prices at the grocery store
Trump names several new White House picks to work on AI, crypto and more: 'America First Patriots'
-
Politics1 week agoCanadian premier threatens to cut off energy imports to US if Trump imposes tariff on country
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25789444/1258459915.jpg "OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change")
Technology1 week agoOpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change
-
Politics1 week agoU.S. Supreme Court will decide if oil industry may sue to block California's zero-emissions goal
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25546252/STK169_Mark_Zuckerburg_CVIRGINIA_D.jpg "Meta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit")
Technology1 week agoMeta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit
-
Business1 week agoFreddie Freeman's World Series walk-off grand slam baseball sells at auction for $1.56 million
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951353/STK043_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_3_Meta.jpg "Meta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age")
Technology1 week agoMeta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age
-
News1 week agoEast’s wintry mix could make travel dicey. And yes, that was a tornado in Calif.
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24924653/236780_Google_AntiTrust_Trial_Custom_Art_CVirginia__0003_1.png "Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps")
Technology2 days agoGoogle’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps