Author: Nolan McKendry | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Shrimpers are praising the Trump administration’s newly announced tariffs on imports from Indonesia and Vietnam as a long-overdue correction to what it calls “counter-productive trade policies.” “Too many American shrimpers have spent the last two seasons tied up at the dock,” said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “President…

(The Center Square) − The U.S. Department of Education has issued new guidance aimed at expanding how states can use federal education funds to support school choice programs, as the debate over Louisiana’s new voucher system continues to heat up. In a letter sent this week to all state education chiefs, the Trump administration encouraged states…

(The Center Square) — CVS Health is pushing back against claims from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Gov. Jeff Landry that the company engaged in deceptive, anticompetitive practices, calling the state’s lawsuits “without merit” and pledging to defend itself vigorously. In a statement provided to The Center Square, CVS said its communications with Louisiana…

(The Center Square) − Lawmakers have passed a bill this week that will overhaul and combine Louisiana’s job training and public assistance program in a “One Door” model. It now heads to Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk.  Breault’s House Bill 624, which was amended by the Senate, passed unanimously on Thursday. It attempts to offer individuals receiving benefits a…

(The Center Square) — Tort reform is once again at the forefront in Louisiana, where lawmakers are fast-tracking a series of bills they say could rein in high insurance costs — but critics remain skeptical that the changes will deliver real savings. Six tort-related bills have already cleared committee, including two headline-grabbing measures: one from…

(The Center Square) − An independent audit of the St. Mary Parish School Board uncovered financial mismanagement, including the theft of more than $205,000 from student funds and failure to comply with state budget regulations. According to the report, school board officials discovered that a bookkeeper at Patterson High School had been diverting cash from…

(The Center Square) — The New Orleans City Council has approved a resolution to investigate the procurement, design, and implementation of street barrier systems on Bourbon Street.  The investigation aims to scrutinize the functionality and accountability of both the previously installed Heald HT2 Matador system and the newly acquired RCS8040 S10 removable bollard system. The…

(The Center Square) — The Louisiana Legislature could soon contemplate the state’s most comprehensive tax overhaul in decades. The package from Gov. Jeff Landry — dubbed the “Louisiana Forward” initiative — includes 10 bills intended to simplify and modernize the state’s tax system while spurring economic growth. “This plan seeks to attract investment, while protecting…