Louisiana
Why Republican-led states keep leaving a group that verifies voter rolls
Eight Republican-led states this year left an interstate cooperative that seeks to maintain accurate voter registration rolls, and three more may join them — a move that election security experts say is fueled by conspiracy theories. Earlier this month, Virginia’s top election official said the state would become the latest to stop participating in the […]
Voting to Raise Their Own Pay Puts State Lawmakers in a Bind
Persistently low salaries discourage everyday citizens from serving in state legislatures, say legislators who face an uphill battle to raise pay. “Could a single parent be a state rep? Absolutely not. If you are the sole wage earner in a family, you can’t afford it — or even if you’re the primary wage earner,” Louisiana […]
To Prevent Gun Suicide, States Consider Allowing People to Deny Themselves a Gun
As lawmakers and mental health advocates wrestle with how to stop the avalanche of suicides by firearm in this country, some are looking to a novel idea at work in a handful of states: Register yourself as a suicide risk so you can’t buy a gun on a whim. Mass shootings get more attention, but […]
States Strive to Reverse Shortage of Paramedics, EMTs
Note: This story was updated, February 6, 2023, to clarify the capabilities of emergency medical responders who have completed the first level of training in Louisiana’s Jump Start program. Low wages, a lack of work-life balance and burnout are among factors driving emergency medical services personnel around the country to quit ambulance duty. Last year, the […]
The Nation’s Vacant Homes Present an Opportunity — and a Problem
Read more Stateline coverage of how communities across the country are trying to create more affordable housing. With construction costs for new homes and interest rates soaring, vacant housing is drawing more attention as a shortcut to quickly getting more units on the market. But whether vacant homes are a curse or an opportunity depends on where […]
Yes, Slavery Is on the Ballot in These States
More than 150 years after it was officially outlawed in the United States, slavery will be on the ballot in five states in November, as a new abolitionist movement seeks to reshape prison labor. Voters in Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont will decide on state constitutional amendments prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude, in some […]
Can Uber-like Public Transit Replace Old-Fashioned Buses?
Shudiara McMillian doesn’t have a car and relies on city transit in Wilson, North Carolina, to get wherever she needs to go, whether it’s to work or shopping or a medical appointment. Until about two years ago, that could mean a long wait at a bus stop because the city’s buses ran only once an […]
More States Back Offshore Wind, Citing Economic Potential
Many states are looking to offshore wind as a key source of clean energy that’s essential in their fight against climate change. Other states are just looking to cash in. “States and regions that invest in offshore wind are going to benefit greatly economically,” said South Carolina state Rep. Jason Elliott, a Republican. “If South […]
Liberal Prosecutors in Red States Vow Not to Enforce Abortion Bans
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Read more Stateline coverage on how states are either protecting or curbing access to abortions. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, more than half of all states are poised […]
Louisiana Limits Mug Shot Publishing Before Conviction
Louisiana has joined several other states in limiting when mug shots can be made public. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday he signed a law that bars law enforcement agencies from releasing most booking photos before a person is convicted of a crime. “Millions are arrested every year, only to later have their charges […]
Abortion Bans May Add to Uncertainty Over Embryo Donation
Abigail and Rachelle Henderson, 15-year-old twins from Buffalo, New York, were conceived in vitro and carried to term by their mom, Rebecca. Trevor and Aubrey Gassman, now 9 and 8 years old, who live in Oregon, were born of embryos created during the infertility treatment of Rebecca Henderson and her husband, Chris. The couple donated […]
Some States Already Are Targeting Birth Control
Last year, conservative Republicans in the Missouri legislature took a run at blocking Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood, a frequent and prominent target of anti-abortion activists and politicians. But in the fine print of their measure, those Republicans revealed that their ambition wasn’t only to target a familiar abortion foe. They were going […]