Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry said checking voter rolls is crucial to election integrity. (Photo Courtesy of Louisiana Public Broadcasting) BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry said a federal data program that verifies citizenship status uncovered the 403 noncitizens registered to vote in Louisiana out of a total voting pool of 2.96 million, with 83 having voted in at least one election since the 1980s. The state used the federal Systematic Al

Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, the commissioner of higher education, cited the demand for a program to help Louisiana residents obtain associate degrees. (Photo Courtesy of the Louisiana Board of Regents) BATON ROUGE — Demand has been so strong that a program to help residents obtain two-year associate degrees in hot fields exhausted its funding for the current fiscal year within the first six months, a state education official said Monday. Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, the commissioner of hi

An Allen Parish man was convicted of causing a wildfire while burning debris, according to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF). Timothy L. Caudle pleaded guilty in November and was ordered to pay a fine of $250, $240 in court costs, $232.50 for fire-suppression reimbursement and a suspended sentence of 20 days in jail. Caudle was burning debris Sept. 9, 2025, when investigators discovered he was burning without establishing proper containment lines and l

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