Louisiana
Louisiana Senate rejects amendment to let newly elected clerk Calvin Duncan serve his term | The Lens
Louisiana’s full Senate voted 25-11 Tuesday to pass Senate Bill 256, a proposal that would merge the clerk’s offices for Orleans Parish civil and criminal district courts into a single office.
The vote eliminates the position of Calvin Duncan, the incoming clerk of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court.
Supporters say the Orleans consolidation, authored by Sen. Jay Morris of Monroe, streamlines operations and improves efficiency, while critics warn it is likely to create confusion, reduce funding, and override the will of the voters who recently elected Duncan.
Senate Bill 256 legislation is part of a larger Orleans-centered push by Morris, who authored a trio of bills focused on drastically overhauling New Orleans courts.
Altogether, bills that Morris authored could cut 11 judgeships across Orleans Parish judiciary and eliminate the clerkship that Duncan was slated to step into in May, after being elected by 68% of the electorate in December.
The Senate passed one bill cutting judgeships on Tuesday and another on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 197, amended by Morris on the floor, will cut two of the 12 judges on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, down from an initial proposed cut of four. Senate Bill 217 would cut a total of nine judges; four of 12 judges in the Orleans Parish criminal court, two of 14 from civil court, two of four from municipal and traffic court; and one of four from juvenile court.
The bills now go to the House for approval, as does Senate Bill 256.
Critics question intent of bills
The bills were about power, not efficiencies, said Sen. Royce Duplessis, the Democrat from New Orleans, the most vocal critic of the bills during Wednesday’s floor debate.
When the bills were heard before the Senate judiciary committee last week, his Democratic colleagues also reacted with skepticism to the legislation, which was authored by a senator from northern Louisiana who admitted in committee that he didn’t speak with Duncan or any Orleans judges before filing the legislation.
Morris said that the intent of Senate Bill 256 is to bring Orleans Parish in line with the rest of the state, where each parish has a single clerk’s office that handles both civil and criminal functions.
“This bill is to provide some efficiencies,” Morris said.
He also acknowledged that the legislation was timed to Duncan’s entrance. “Otherwise we’d probably have to pay him for four years in a job that’s going to be eliminated,” Morris said.
Duncan saw the merger as folly, because the work of the two clerk’s offices is not interchangeable, he said, describing the type of evidence and files that are specific to his office and not used within civil proceedings.
“The civil district court clerk doesn’t have a clue, doesn’t have a clue on how the records are supposed to be preserved, and how to preserve evidence,” he said. “She has no clue of how that works. Victims of crime will be affected by this.”
Duncan in the crosshairs
Since the clerk-consolidation bill was introduced in the Senate last month, some lawmakers and judicial officials raised grave concerns about how the change could affect day-to-day court functions, particularly in a system as large as Orleans Parish.
Some opponents of the bill also decried the move as politically motivated, because it seemed laser-focused on unseating Duncan, who served 28 years on a wrongful murder conviction before he was released and eventually exonerated, in 2021.
During Duncan’s campaign, state Attorney General Liz Murrill was publicly critical of his use of the word “exonerated” to describe himself, since he had initially pleaded guilty to earn his release, later returning to file paperwork that led to a judicial exoneration.
Morris had told Duncan that the bill’s aims were not personal, but instead were
“what the governor wants,” to “right-size” a courts system seen as bloated, which is unlike any other in Louisiana.
During the committee hearing last week, some residents spoke in defense of Duncan and warned lawmakers that the legislation would have a broader impact on the citizenry. “It’s hard to convey what that kind of process does to people’s trust in government,” said Steve Cochran, a New Orleans voter. “Those of you who keep voting yes are responsible for that loss of trust.”
Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, a Democrat from Lafayette, felt similarly. “We had an election there, and a candidate was selected by the people, he said. “My preference would have been for us to allow this individual to serve.”
Duplessis, who argued that the measure disregarded the will of the voters who had overwhelmingly elected Duncan, proposed an amendment that would have delayed the merger until May 2030, after Duncan’s four-year term.
The amendment was voted down..
Will it save money or create efficiencies?
During the floor debate, Duplessis asked about any data or formal analysis that could support the bill’s actions.
“So there was no study, no report that we’re aware of that pointed to any inefficiencies. within the clerk’s office?” Duplessis said.
Morris cited Supreme Court data from a report he had read from on the floor.
“Was there anything in the Supreme Court data that suggested that the civil district court was inefficient or that the criminal district court was inefficient?” Duplessis said.
“No, I don’t know that,” Morris responded.
“Well, we’re talking about the clerk’s office,” Duplessis said.
“I don’t recall there being any. There might be some, but I don’t know,” Morris said.
Duplessis also raised questions about the bill’s fiscal impact, because there was no fiscal note attached to the clerk-merger legislation.
“So, we don’t know. So we could end up spending more than we save,” said Duplessis, who — in closing — described the move as unprecedented in his time at the Legislature.
“I have seen some things in my eight years here, but nothing like this,” he said. “This is deeply troubling.”
Related
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – With hurricane season approaching, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is bringing the community together to prepare before a storm forms.
“We can’t stop disasters from happening. We can’t stop hurricanes from happening. But what we can do is equip our communities with the resources that they need to prepare for these storms ahead of time,” said Jayda Morris, CPRA outreach manager.
The agency hosted an event featuring interactive storm simulations and a full model of the Mississippi River.
“If you do it now, like on a sunny day like today, you’re ready to go for the rest of the season,” Jay Grymes said.
El Niño may reduce storms, but Louisiana still at risk
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said an El Niño pattern may reduce the number of storms in the Atlantic but warned against a false sense of security.
“In those 25 years, Louisiana, some part of the state has been impacted by 29 storms. That’s one a year, regardless of El Niño. So that should tell you something,” Grymes said.
He said the bigger concern is storms that can form in the Gulf with little warning.
“If we’re going to get a storm, it very possibly could be one that bubbles up in the Gulf and doesn’t give us five or seven days to track it coming our way. It gives us 40 hours to get ready for a landfall. So it’s imperative that you go ahead and do it now,” Grymes said.
Preparation goes beyond stocking water
Preparing now includes walking through yards, checking trees, and knowing whether everyone in the family can survive two weeks without power.
PhD students with the LSU College of the Coast and Environment gave the community a virtual reality experience that puts users inside a storm.
“If they wear the goggles or play with the Apple Vision Pro, they can understand how high will the flood be, and they can know how dangerous is the hurricane scenario,” said Yixuan Wang.
The VR simulation uses real historical data to show users what compound flooding looks like in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The goal is to make the science real for people who can’t picture what a flood map means.
“It’s just to let you understand the environment. We will add the audios, the different sound of the wind and the storm. And you can see how tense of the rainfall around you,” Wang said.
Organizers said the event is about making sure that when a storm threatens the area, families already know their plan.
Information from the event is available on CPRA’s website. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.
There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.
Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.
“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”
Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.
People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:
- A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
- A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
- A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.
For more information about applying, click here.
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Watch the latest WAFB news and weather now.
WATCH: Louisiana baseball HC, players talk series win vs No. 20 Coastal Carolina
Hear from UL baseball’s HC Matt Deggs, pitcher Ty Roman and infielder Owen Galt following its 2-1 series win vs Coastal Carolina.
For the second day in a row, Louisiana baseball has its back against the wall in the NCAA Tournament Starkville Regional.
The No. 25 Ragin’ Cajuns (40-24) secured their 40th win of the season and kept their postseason dreams alive by beating Lipscomb 10-4 in an elimination game on Saturday, May 30. Now, the pressure is back on for seventh-year coach Matt Deggs and his squad as they face No. 24 Cincinnati (38-21) in another win-or-go-home matchup on Sunday, May 31 in Starkville, Mississippi.
Against the Bisons, UL used four pitchers, and in total has used seven of its arms so far in tournament play. One of the Cajuns’ fresh arms heading into the matchup against the Bearcats is senior Andrew Herrmann. The lefty made his latest appearance during the Cajuns’ Sun Belt Conference tournament run on May 24.
While the Cajuns come into the match with some momentum, Cincinnati enters the match with a chip on its shoulder after losing its first game of the tournament on Saturday against regional host Mississippi State.
Watch Louisiana baseball vs Cincinnati on ESPN+
What channel is Louisiana baseball vs Cincinnati on?
TV: None
Livestream: ESPN+
Radio: Varsity Network, 96.5 FM
Louisiana vs. Cincinnati will be available live on ESPN+ streaming for the first game of Day 3 of the Starkville Regional. Jack Kizer and Jack DeLongchamps will provide commentary from Dudy Noble Field.
What time does Louisiana baseball play Cincinnati?
Date: Sunday, May 31
Time: 2 p.m. CT
Location: Dude Noble Field, Starkville, Mississippi
The Louisiana vs. Cincinnati game starts at 2 p.m. Sunday at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
Starkville Regionals schedule
Friday, May 29
- Game 1: Mississippi State 10, Lipscomb 1
- Game 2: Cincinnati 12, Louisiana 2
Saturday, May 30
- Game 3: Lipscomb 4, Louisiana, 10
- Game 4: Mississippi State vs Cincinnati, 8 p.m. CT
Sunday, May 31
- Game 5: Louisiana vs Cincinnati, 2 p.m. CT
- Game 6: Winner G5 vs Mississippi State, 7 p.m. CT
Monday, June 1
- Game 7: If necessary, TBD
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.
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