Louisiana

What to know about Louisiana laws taking effect Jan. 1 — and what comes next

Published

2 years ago

January 1, 2024

What to know about Louisiana laws taking effect Jan. 1 — and what comes next

A slate of state laws takes effect in Louisiana with the new year, including a measure restricting options for gender-affirming health care available to transgender youth.

Louisiana’s Legislature passed that law in July when it overrode a veto by outgoing Gov. John Bel Edwards, bringing the state closer to enacting a number of Republican priorities that Edwards, a Democrat, had mostly staved off during his two terms in office.

The law aligns Louisiana with other GOP-controlled states that have moved to restrict access to gender-affirming care. It comes amid a nationwide rise in anti-LGBTQ+ lawmaking by Republican-controlled statehouses.

Now, with GOP Gov.-elect Jeff Landry poised to be inaugurated on Jan. 8, the party’s priorities in areas like LGBTQ+ rights, public safety and fiscal issues face a clearer path in Louisiana. When the Legislature last year passed two bills to restrict discussion of gender and sexuality in classrooms, Edwards vetoed them, and lawmakers failed to override him on those measures. Landry’s allies are already discussing new public safety measures they say present a better path forward than the state’s 2017 bipartisan criminal justice laws — a signature achievement of Edwards’ tenure.

Other bills passed during the 2023 regular session take effect on Monday, too, but few had the political profile of the ban on gender-affirming care.

Among them are measures that change the way the state calculates minimum child-support payments, implement standards for pet insurers and set rules around police reporting of traffic stop data.

Health care for transgender youth

The ban on gender-affirming care became a priority of Republican state lawmakers during Louisiana’s 2023 regular legislative session.

The target of Pollock Republican Rep. Gabe Firment’s bill is a swath of health care options for children experiencing gender dysphoria, or feelings of distress due to differences in their gender identity and the sex they were assigned at birth.

The bill focused on procedures that alter patients’ bodies by banning surgeries, hormone therapies and puberty-blocking drugs. It also imposes penalties for doctors who violate the ban.

Transgender youth can still receive counseling under the new law, Act 466.

The bill’s supporters argued during the legislative session that children are ill-equipped to make decisions about the procedures and claimed, without providing any data or expert testimony, that doctors are pressuring large numbers of youth to receive the care.

Doctors testified during the session that only a handful of Louisiana providers offered the procedures outlawed by the bill, and did so for a very small number of children. Those who do generally advise counseling for younger children and tend to approve treatments that alter patients’ bodies only in their late teenage years, after careful discussion and years of counseling, doctors said.

Doctors, transgender teenagers and their families have faced difficult decisions since the Legislature overturned Edwards’ veto of Firment’s bill during a special session in July. Some have left the state, while providers who remain are evaluating how they can continue to care for patients within the bounds of the law.

“I can tell you that effective January 1, 2024, Children’s Hospital New Orleans will modify its transgender care services to meet requirements specified in the law,” Dr. Mark Kline, director of Children’s Hospital New Orleans, said in a statement. “We will work with patients and families to ensure continuity of our patients’ health and well-being, within the bounds of the law.”

Pet insurance and traffic stops

Louisiana’s embattled homeowner’s insurance marketplace has made headlines in recent months. But it’s insurance for pets — not roofs and windows — that will see tougher regulations under a law taking effect in January.

The pet insurance measure, Act 94, authored by a Slidell Republican Rep. Mary DuBuisson, allows pet owners who buy insurance for their critters two weeks to return the policy. It will require insurers to disclose formulas they use to determine claim payments. And it lets insurers exclude coverage based on pets’ preexisting health conditions, among a long list of other provisions.

And in a law dealing with Louisiana State Police, Act 217 sponsored by Baton Rouge Democratic Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, the agency must keep logging certain traffic stop data, barring it from using a reporting exemption available to agencies with written policies against racial profiling.

State Police is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice over its troopers’ beatings of Black motorists.

Go to legis.la.gov for a full list of state laws taking effect Jan. 1.

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Louisiana

Pervy mayor’s kids told cops that they caught her romping with teen boy at boozy pool party

Published

8 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Pervy mayor’s kids told cops that they caught her romping with teen boy at boozy pool party

The children of a disgraced Louisiana mayor told cops that they both caught their mom fooling around with a 16-year-old boy at a boozy pool party, according to video played at her rape trial.

Misty Roberts, the 43-year-old former head of DeRidder, Louisiana — population 9,8000 — faces a charge of third-degree rape over the 2024 incident.

Roberts’ son told investigators in an interview played for jurors that he saw his mom having sex with his pal through a crack in a window.

Misty Roberts is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old boy in 2024.

But, when asked about his recollection, he demurred — telling the court he wasn’t exactly sure what he saw that night, according to KPLC.

The jury also reviewed pictures from the party, which showed kids holding drinks as well as a photograph of Roberts and the victim that prosecutors described as “lewd.”

That picture showed Roberts at the party in her bikini, with the teen victim looking up at her smiling.

Roberts’ son texted his mom that night, incredulous about what was happening, and told her that his sister was crying, according to messages presented by prosecutors.

“He is seventeen,” the son texted Roberts.

The boy was later confirmed to be 16 years old, according to KPLC.

Roberts’ daughter also took the stand while prosecutors played her interview with detectives, in which she said she saw her mom and the boy “on top of each other” that night.

The former mayor’s nephew also admitted he tried to sneak a peek — using his phone to try and get a peek at what was going on in the room. He testified that he wasn’t sure if he hit “record” — but if he did said he never sent it to anybody.

Roberts was in her second term as mayor when she resigned. 7 KPLC

None of the three witnesses who testified said they saw the “private parts” of Roberts and the victim. The teen boy, they noted though, was shirtless.

After the alleged tryst, the victim’s mother texted Roberts to ensure that she was not pregnant, to which she replied she was on birth control. Roberts shared a screenshot of that message to a group chat with her friends, who urged her to take Plan B.

A DoorDash driver testified that he delivered an emergency contraceptive to Roberts’ house, which he recognized from trick-or-treating with his children there.

In other texts shown in court, Roberts asked her son what kind of alcohol her son and other kids wanted for the party.

Days after police launched their investigation into the alleged crime, Roberts resigned as mayor of DeRidder, a city of just under 10,000 people about 20 miles east of the Texas border.

Roberts was charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Feb. 28, 2026

Published

20 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at Feb. 28, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

06-20-35-54-65, Powerball: 10, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

8-3-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

5-4-7-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

9-9-1-3-0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Easy 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

04-17-21-27-33

Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

08-10-15-21-22-33

Check Lotto 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

Schumer demands congressional brief on Iran; Louisiana delegation weighs in on attack

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Schumer demands congressional brief on Iran; Louisiana delegation weighs in on attack

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanded a congressional briefing from President Trump’s administration Saturday (Feb. 28), hours after the U.S. military joined Israel in launching airstrikes against Iran.

“When I talked to Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio, I implored him to be straight with Congress and the American people about the objectives of these strikes and what comes next,” Schumer said in a statement. “Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon, but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home.

“The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat. Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.

“The administration must brief Congress — including an immediate all-senators classified briefing — and in public testimony to answer these vital questions. The Senate should quickly return to session and reassert its constitutional duty by passing our resolution to enforce the War Powers Act. My prayers are with our brave American servicemembers.”

Meanwhile, reaction to the attack from Louisiana’s congressional delegation appeared to break predictably among party lines.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) posted to X that the attack “is yet another move by President Trump to protect the United States and sends a message to the world: Never doubt America’s resolve or capacity to defend its interests.”

For years, the Iranian Regime has chanted “Death to America,” targeted our troops, weaponized their terrorist proxies, and killed tens of thousands of innocent people, including Americans. Today, President Trump made it clear: their reign of terror is over.
The President has…
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) February 28, 2026

Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) of New Orleans, however, said he was “deeply concerned” about the attack and said, “The American people deserve to understand the objectives, the risks and the path forward.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wrote, “The President’s decision to attack Iran presumably was based upon a clear and present danger to the United States, and a planned execution that does not put the United States in a forever war.”

The President’s decision to attack Iran presumably was based upon a clear and present danger to the United States, and a planned execution that does not put the United States in a forever war. We pray for the safety and success of our servicemen and servicewomen.
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) February 28, 2026

Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.), who is mounting a primary challenge for Cassidy’s U.S. Senate seat, also endorsed Trump’s decision to attack Tehran.

Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and actively plots to kill Americans. President Trump’s decisive strikes send a message that America will not tolerate Iran’s threats to our national security. May God bless our troops and keep them safe as we confront radical… https://t.co/P5IVxiBi2p
— Congresswoman Julia Letlow (@RepJuliaLetlow) February 28, 2026

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) also backed Trump’s military action, writing that Iran was “facing the severe consequences of its evil actions.”

Today, Iran is facing the severe consequences of its evil actions. President Trump and the Administration have made every effort to pursue peaceful and diplomatic solutions in response to the Iranian regime’s sustained nuclear ambitions and development, terrorism, and the murder… https://t.co/G5XPELtAmX
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 28, 2026

Democratic Rep. Cleo Field expressed reservations that Trump had not made a case for the attack to Congress or the American people.

This morning, the United States, in coordination with Israel, launched strikes against Iran — a significant military action with serious consequences for our national security.
While I understand the gravity of the threat, the process here cannot be ignored. The War Powers Act…
— Congressman Cleo Fields (@RepFields) February 28, 2026

Republican Sen. John Kennedy had not yet posted reactions to the Iran attack — dubbed by the Pentagon as “Operation Epic Fury” — on social media or sent statements to the news media.

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