BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Bidding to resume Louisiana executions after a 14-year pause, the state’s Republican-dominated Legislature gave final passage to a bill Thursday to add electrocution and the use of nitrogen gas as means of administering the death penalty. The legislation comes one day after the country’s most recent execution in Texas and […]
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A bill allowing Louisiana residents, 18 and older, to carry a concealed handgun without a permit received final approval from lawmakers Wednesday. After years of GOP-led efforts for permitless concealed carry, the bill is poised to become law with Gov. Jeff Landry signaling that he plans to sign the legislation. […]
The Louisiana murder suspect who escaped custody by pepper-spraying his transporting deputy and stealing her vehicle following a hospital visit, was found Tuesday in a New Orleans hotel, officials said. Leon Ruffin, 51, had been in custody on a second-degree murder charge when he brazenly escaped custody Sunday. Two days later, he was tracked down […]
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana, a state grappling with one of the highest rates of incarceration and violent crime in the country, is on the cusp of overhauling parts of its criminal justice system as the state’s GOP-dominated legislature barrels ahead with a package of bills — ranging from expanding death row execution methods, […]
A Louisiana inmate in custody on a second-degree murder charge escaped Sunday after pepper spraying his transporting deputy and stealing her vehicle, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said. Leon Ruffin had been transferred from the corrections center to a local hospital around 12 p.m. after suffering a possible seizure. He was discharged around 6:30 p.m. […]
A 7-year-old boy is dead after being run over by a pickup truck in a parking lot, Louisiana officials say. The boy, identified as Kaiden Coke, was playing with a ball on the west side of Ringgold around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, Louisiana State Police said in a news release. While Kaiden was […]
‘This is the worst debt I’ve ever seen’: Young Louisiana couple can’t buy a home because they’re saddled with $210,000 in consumer debt and earn $48K. Caleb Hammer calls it ‘insane’ Low income and shallow savings are only a couple of the biggest barriers preventing young families from stepping onto the real esate ladder. However, […]
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana is one step closer to joining the list of states that allow people to carry concealed guns without a permit, as Republican lawmakers advanced legislation Thursday during a special session that was called to address violent crime. Legislators also greenlighted a bill that would provide a level of immunity […]
Editor’s note: The following guest column was submitted to Louisiana’s USA Today Network by state Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Kenner. The Louisiana Legislature convened on Feb. 19, 2023 for a Special Session to address crime. The revolving door is insulting. Members of law enforcement risk their lives to bring in dangerous criminals, crime lab personnel work […]
One lucky crawfish named Sherbin was saved from a seafood boil, during the 8th Annual Pardoning of the Crawfish by Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser. Hosted in the crawfish capital of the world, Breaux Bridge, this unique Louisiana tradition officially kicks off crawfish season. “We take on lucky crawfish out of the Atchafalaya Basin, we pardon […]
Louisiana’s Republican-dominated state legislature is poised to enact a swathe of new criminal justice measures as a special legislative session convenes on Monday, leaving reform advocates concerned about soaring rates of incarceration that may follow. The session, called by the state’s new far-right governor, Jeff Landry, will consider two dozen items including broad restrictions on […]
Two children and two adults have been charged after officials say a 3-year-old girl was beaten to death in Louisiana. Around 3:45 a.m. Monday, Feb. 12, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office received a call from a juvenile saying a child in the home was not breathing and there were no adults there, according to […]