The crawfish industry is facing a labor shortage due to federal immigration caps. (Photo by James Simon / Mais La Seafood) BATON ROUGE — The crawfish industry is facing a labor shortage due to federal immigration caps as the state enters the start of the harvesting season, Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain said in a House committee meeting on Tuesday.   Most of the seasonal workers employed by the state’s crawfish peeling and packing facilities are authorized to work te

State Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple is drafting rules for discounts on insurance premiums for fortified roofs. (Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Department of Insurance) BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple is working with a national panel of insurance commissioners to establish a targeted discount rate for homeowners who install a fortified roof. The benchmarks will be minimum discounts on homeowner policies that insurance providers are required to me

Senate President Cameron Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier previewed the upcoming legislative session at a luncheon Monday. (Photo by Cross Harris / LSU Manship School News Service) BATON ROUGE — State Senate President Cameron Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier expressed concern Monday about a spate of bills that might give communities veto power over carbon capture projects in their areas.   The push for a local option follows growing concerns of residents, la

Twenty-six parishes in Louisiana have banned burning due to very dry conditions. According to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF) website, fire danger is elevated in almost all parishes from the Interstate 10 corridor northward. More than half of those parishes are at level of high or very high danger due to lack of rain. The drought in Louisiana has continued for some time. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor website, most of the state remains in mode