Louisiana
Louisiana votes to put Ten Commandments in every public classroom • The Tulane Hullabaloo
On June 20, Gov. Jeff Landry signed a law requiring public schools in Louisiana to display posters of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
From elementary to post-secondary schools, all Louisiana public schools must display a poster similar to the “plainly constitutional” ones revealed by Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill on Aug. 5.
The duo revealed at least five different ideas for posters, including one titled “The House of Representatives and the Lawgivers,” featuring the Ten Commandments between a stone carving of “Moses the Lawgiver” and a photo of House Speaker Mike Johnson from Louisiana.
Another poster features former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg next to historical documents such as the 1689 English Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence, as well as a quote from a school paper that she wrote about the United Nations Charter when she was 13.
Other potential posters include images and quotes from Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., playwright and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda and former Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall.
Ginsburg’s granddaughter, Clara Spera, wrote an email to Rolling Stone Magazine regarding Ginsburg’s misquotation on the posters. “The use of my grandmother’s image in Louisiana’s unconstitutional effort to display the Ten Commandments in public schools is misleading and an affront to her well-documented First Amendment jurisprudence,” she said.
The posters served to “illustrate that there are constitutional ways to apply this law,” Murrill said.
There is some legal precedent to the Louisiana law. In the 1980 case of Stone v. Graham, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar law in Kentucky. However, the 2005 Supreme Court case Van Orden v. Pary ruled that a monument of the Ten Commandments could be placed in a public park.
While the bill passed easily through a Republican-controlled House, Senate and executive branch, the court immediately challenged the law. A coalition of groups filed a lawsuit, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and nine Louisiana families of different religious backgrounds. Within the nine families are four members of the clergy.
“Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every Louisiana public-school classroom — rendering them unavoidable — unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state’s favored religious scripture,” the suit said.
“I think it’s a ridiculous invasion of religious and state crossover,” State Rep. Aimee Freeman, who represents Tulane’s district, said. “This country was founded on religious freedom, and I think it’s insulting and illegal.” Freeman voted against the bill.
Some Louisiana public schools that are defendants in the lawsuit will not have to post the Ten Commandments until at least Nov. 15, due to an agreement between the state and the federal court.
“Tell the child not to look at it,” Landry said at a news conference on Aug. 5. “Really and truly, I don’t see what the big fuss is about.”
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.
Click here to report a typo. Please include the headline.
Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Watch the latest WAFB news and weather now.
Copyright 2026 WAFB. All rights reserved.
Louisiana
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.
Louisiana
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.”
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.
Cade Cunningham joins Pistons on bench for 1st time since injury
What’s on now at San Francisco museums, April 2026
Dallas delays release of City Hall emails, citing security and negotiations
No. 22 Kentucky Outlasts Miami University in Wild Affair
Arvidsson Posts Hat Trick In Boston’s 6-3 Win Over Dallas | Boston Bruins
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Read the Judge’s Decision on the Trump Administration’s Subpoena Against Penn
Man wearing ICE uniform brutally beaten in Honolulu not affiliated with agency, DHS says
Analysis: Hezbollah backs Iran ambassador as conflict deepens Lebanon rifts
Hegseth slated for House testimony as pressure builds over Iran war, sources say
Latino Republicans in South Texas Turn on Trump Over Birthright Citizenship
-
South-Carolina3 days agoSouth Carolina vs TCU predictions for Elite Eight game in March Madness
-
Miami, FL6 days agoJannik Sinner’s Girlfriend Laila Hasanovic Stuns in Ab-Revealing Post Amid Miami Open
-
New Mexico1 week agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Minneapolis, MN6 days agoBoy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor
-
Tennessee1 week agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson
-
Politics1 week agoTrump gives Iran 48-hour ultimatum to reopen Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on power plants
-
Culture1 week agoDo You Know the Comics That Inspired These TV Adventures?
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube job scam text: How to spot it fast