BATON ROUGE — Seven bills and one House resolution about voting and elections advanced through the House and Senate committees on governmental affairs Wednesday. The resolution, sponsored by House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, provides criteria for considering redistricting plans to draw boundaries for seats in Congress and the state Legislature based on 2020 Census information. Rep. John Stefanski, R-Crowley, speaking on behalf of Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, said that a joint group

BATON ROUGE — A bill that would establish a grant program to create broadband access in communities around the state passed through a Senate committee on Wednesday. "This legislation would lead to better access to healthcare, education and quality jobs," said the bill's author, Rep. Daryl Deshotel, R-Marksville. The Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO) program would use over $180 million in federal funds to provide broadband and internet access to

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana is one step closer to using the federal money it is receiving from the American Rescue Plan after a bill by legislative leaders passed the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday. The American Rescue Plan is a $1.88 trillion federal aid package, which gives each state a minimum of $500 million to offset the economic downfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Louisiana will receive $5.18 billion in direct aid to state and local governments. “We’ve tried to mak

BATON ROUGE — A bill that would require the instruction of World War II and the Holocaust to middle school and high school students passed 65-32 in the House Monday. It would include training for teachers instructing students on such history. “By teaching students about World War II, they become stronger in their ability as a society to resist efforts to marginalize and demonize vulnerable groups of people,” said the bill’s author, Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs. The

BATON ROUGE — Three bills related to voting and elections passed through the House and Senate Governmental Affairs Committees on Wednesday. Two of the bills, one by Rep. Frederick Jones, D-Bastrop, and the other by Sen. Louie Bernard, R-Natchitoches, would extend the early voting period and create additional provisions for a noncampaigning zone during the early voting periods. The third, by Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, would require the secretary of state to examine voting

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana residents may soon be able to carry concealed handguns without a permit after a bill passed through the House Criminal Justice Committee Wednesday. Opponents of the bill, including a police chief and the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops, called for more education than the optional one-hour long course that the State Police will create. “We’re not against concealed carry. We just believe it has to be supported with education and training,” said