Today, one day after the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I cannot help but reflect as Ida ravishes our state. This storm comes as our region faces the worst impacts of a fourth surge of COVID-19, the Delta variant, exacerbating joblessness, food, and housing insecurity.  I have always been struck by the inhumanity of these storms; they always hit at the end of the month when working class folks are forced to choose between evacuating and paying bills. The utter destruction of all that they have worked to build is cruel, but the storm is the first slight. The rebuilding process is the next, and given the strained supply chain, rebuilding is always more difficult than it looks ....

A Louisiana judge on Thursday rejected a request for a preliminary injunction that would have required the state to resume participation in several federal pandemic unemployment programs....

When Lakeisha Brown knocks on doors to talk about the coronavirus vaccines, she anticipates tough conversations. Oftentimes, folks are confused or scared of the jab. They have plenty of questions but few opportunities to get answers. “I try not to be pushy,” Brown said. “I’m not here to make your mind up for you. I’m here to help you along the way.”...

Power Coalition CEO Ashley Shelton discusses grassroots organizing in Louisiana in the current pandemic and political landscape....

BATON ROUGE, La. (KSLA) – Louisiana voters could have four additional days for early voting in the next presidential election. That is, if Governor John Bel Edwards signs the bill. HB 286, filed by Representative Frederick Jones, would give Louisianans 11 days instead of the current seven days for early voting. It has passed with bipartisan support in both the Louisiana House and Senate....

Louisiana has a voting access problem, particularly in areas where Black voters reside. But one bill before the Louisiana Legislature, HB 286 sponsored by Rep. Frederick Jones (D-Monroe), would address this problem by increasing access to in-person voting and extending from seven days to 11 eleven days the window for early voting in presidential elections. ...

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A coalition of Louisiana organizations dedicated to civic engagement wants to get the word out to those who did not participate in the 2020 census because of their immigration status that there is still time to be counted if enough people speak up.  “Right now what we’re focusing on is trying to remedy any possible damage that came from those who didn’t necessarily want to be counted,” says Candice Battiste, who is a North Louisiana organizer for the Power Coalition For Equity & Justice. “So what we will be able to do is possibly look back at those communities and determine based on prior census whether there has been any growth.”...

Ashley Shelton, the executive director of the nonprofit, said Tuesday night that her organization appreciates Ardoin keeping the COVID-19 reasons to request and absentee ballot, “but (he) did not keep the extended early voting (which they also did not do in December) so while we support extended mail in voting, I think we would like to see extended in-person early voting opportunities so that more people can use that option, especially since almost 30 percent of people early voted in person in November due in large part to the extra days.”...

When news broke that Florida voters had approved a ballot measure raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, Terrence Wise celebrated from a thousand miles away. “If we can get it in the Deep South, you know, down there in Florida, it’s bringing all workers closer to $15 an hour minimum wage on a national level,” says Wise, a McDonald’s worker in Kansas City, Mo., and a leading voice of the Fight for 15 movement. ...

‘The people are tired’ of corporate tax exemptions, one opponent says During Tuesday’s statewide election, Louisiana voters rejected Amendment 5, which would have allowed some manufacturers to avoid the property taxes they would otherwise owe local taxing jurisdictions for new projects or additions and instead negotiate lower payments with those jurisdictions.   Edgar Cage, a leader of Together Louisiana, a statewide network of congregations and civic organizations, and an opponent of the Amendment, called it “corporate welfare” and another tax loophole that allows corporations to avoid paying their fair share. Sixty-three percent of Louisiana voters, or a total of 1,221,197, voted against the amendment....

Extreme temperatures and record storms are shuttering polls, leading climate advocates to raise concerns about disenfranchisement.  A record number of voters have cast ballots ahead of Election Day, but extreme weather has displaced thousands of others and shuttered polling sites across the country in what climate advocates are calling a new form of disenfranchisement. Red and blue precincts alike are dealing with disruptions, and people already vulnerable to disenfranchisement — older people, those with disabilities, low-income Americans and people of color — are bearing the brunt of the latest voting challenges....

WEST MONROE, LA. (KTVE/KARD)– Candice Battiste with Power Coalition Equity and Justice said this year’s early voter turnout was record breaking. “Every record has been shattered, I mean I don’t think there is anything left, any records left to break, which is really exciting,” Battiste said. Battiste said they are expecting the same for election day, but they’ve also experienced issues concerning voter registration. That’s why volunteers with Power Coalition will be at the polls to help voters who are having problems getting their vote in....

Louisiana is gearing up for a historic election on Tuesday, with officials in the New Orleans area expecting extraordinary turnout for the presidential race despite hurdles that have added difficulty to voting this year. In addition to the headline race between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, Louisiana ballots feature seven state constitutional amendments and dozens of local races....

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – On Election Day Tuesday, there will be a population that has a much tougher time exercising one of the basic rights: voting. Chronically homeless face a number of barriers that prevent them from voting. Many do not have a permanent address they can use to register, even more do not have an ID. Even for those who are registered and have an ID, the lack of transportation limits their ability to get to the polls. “Also, having to engage with the system that’s not really working for them in their lives at that moment is pretty challenging,” said Ashley Shelton, the Executive Director of The Power Coalition....

In Louisiana, where 325,000 homes remained without electricity Friday in the wake of Hurricane Zeta, voting advocates were rebuffed in their effort to have absentee-ballot deadlines extended by a day. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Anti-Defamation League Southern Region and statewide group the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice had written Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and asked that he act “to prevent the disenfranchisement” of voters without power who couldn’t get online by 4:30 p.m. Friday to request an absentee ballot or who might face difficulties returning their absentee ballots by the Monday afternoon deadline. (In Louisiana, ballots must be in the possession of voting registrars by the deadline.)...

SHREVEPORT, La- If you need a ride to the polls on Election Day, the Power Coalition –along with its Power Partners– are providing rides. The Power Coalition is a nonprofit organization in Louisiana. They are providing rides in Shreveport, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. To reserve a ride on November 3rd, call: Shreveport: 318-615-9203  Lafayette: 337-385-3887 Baton Rouge: 225-317-9028 New Orleans: 504-434-2299 Or go to the Power Coalition website....

WEST MONROE, LA. (KTVE/KARD)– Candice Battiste with Power Coalition Equity and Justice said this year’s early voter turnout was record breaking. “Every record has been shattered, I mean I don’t think there is anything left, any records left to break, which is really exciting,” Battiste said. Battiste said they are expecting the same for election day, but they’ve also experienced issues concerning voter registration. That’s why volunteers with Power Coalition will be at the polls to help voters who are having problems getting their vote in....

OUACHITA PARISH, La. (KNOE) – A new study by the non-profit Measure of America revealed that Northeast Louisiana has the worst quality of life in the state. The group measures the well-being of certain areas based on health, education and median income. On a scale of 1 to 10, the state measured at a 4.35. In the NELA area, every parish fell below that number, with East Carroll ranking as the worst in the state with a 1.69. “This work represents exactly the kind of data analysis necessary to see where our state is improving and where we still need to do work,” Dr. Jenee Slocum said....

A string of natural disasters has drastically altered how Lake Charles’ residents will cast their votes this election year.  In the aftermath of Hurricanes Laura and Delta nearly 70 percent of 123 voting precincts in the Lake Charles area have been moved to a new location, according to Lynn Jones, the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court. Residents from 85 voting precincts have been directed to three consolidated ‘mega-sites’ to vote during the early voting period and for the general election on Nov. 3. “This is going to go down as one of the most challenging elections in our history,” Jones said. “It was a one, two, three punch. The second we were done making modifications for COVID, Laura hits, and then comes Delta.”...

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – President Donald Trump posted a tweet on Tuesday, saying people can change their votes. However, that depends on where people are casting their votes. For the four states in the ArkLaTex, his tweet is not accurate. “Once you have cast your vote, that is it,” said Candice Battiste, the north Louisiana organizer for the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice. Technically, people can change their minds, but your vote will not be counted twice. In Louisiana, if a person sends in their mail-in ballot but still proceeds to vote in-person, the state will only count whichever (mail-in or in-person) is received first. Therefore, voters could potentially change their minds if they go in-person before the election office receives their mail-in ballot. However, if the mail-in ballot arrives before the person physically goes to the polls, they will not be allowed to vote in-person....

On the precipice of a historic election in a global pandemic, as anti-racist action confronts increasing authoritarianism, voting is under attack, y’all—especially in the South. What’s going down in your community? Let us know. Scalawag reporters and Anoa Changa are responding directly to your texts, questions, and tips....

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – Long lines and anxious voters signal early voting across the United States, as the country prepares for the November election. For Louisiana, this is the last weekend for early voting. Community organizations such as the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), set up shop in Shreveport to educate voters before they cast their ballots. “A lot of people don’t know they can take their sample ballots with them to the polls,” said Candice Battiste, northwest Louisiana organizer of the Power Coalition. She said it’s crucial people make educated votes and take the time to get to know what’s on the ballot before getting in line at their local polling locations....

How to make sense of the seemingly endless list of local offices up for election. “Overcrowded ballots are a form of voter suppression.” Ashley Shelton of Power Coalition Louisiana shared this powerful perspectiveduring the As The South Votes town hall last week, and it’s already ringing true for many voters across the country. Here in North Carolina, the ballot for my voting district has 37 offices listed, and my friends in Raleigh also have a hotly debated Affordable Housing Bond referendum.  As many people use lunch breaks, snatchs of time in between classes or clients, or the bookends of their day to vote in person, time is truly of the essence at the polls. Compound that with the incredibly long lines that many voters are experiencing at early voting locations across the South, and these long ballots become truly exhausting....

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – On Election Day Tuesday, there will be a population that has a much tougher time exercising one of the basic rights: voting. Chronically homeless face a number of barriers that prevent them from voting. Many do not have a permanent address they can use to register, even more do not have an ID. Even for those who are registered and have an ID, the lack of transportation limits their ability to get to the polls. “Also, having to engage with the system that’s not really working for them in their lives at that moment is pretty challenging,” said Ashley Shelton, the Executive Director of The Power Coalition....

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – With more than 41 million Americans already voting in the 2020 election, there’s a strong feeling that people want their voices heard this year. So imagine the surprise some people get when they arrive to vote only to discover their name is not on the voter registry. That’s exactly what happened to Amber Dixon on Tuesday at the Caddo Registrar’s office in downtown Shreveport. “I’m sitting here wondering, ‘what’s going on?’ I’m looking at everybody else passed me. And I was like, ‘I really want to vote today.’ I had it on my mind as I went out the door,’ said Dixon....

Tomorrow, October 20, at 7:00 p.m., Stephanie Mckee-Anderson, Executive Artistic Director of Junebug Productions, a 40-year-old local and national leader in Performing Arts, will go live on Instagram with the Executive Director of the Power Coalition of Equity and Justice, Ashley Shelton, to discuss the importance of voting and the organization’s work to ensure that Louisianians are equipped with the information that they need to exercise their right to vote....

In the midst of a pandemic and uncertainty about what Nov. 3 will bring, it’s safe to say that the 2020 presidential election will be unlike any we’ve seen before. Even voter suppression — which has been a problem for years — is taking new forms. Some Americans are being targeted online with misinformation about the election, and many are worried mail-in ballots won’t be counted in time as the United States Postal Service faces funding shortfalls. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s call for unofficial “poll watchers” has election officials and voting rights advocates fearing voter intimidation....

According to the Louisiana Secretary of State, 16,880 people cast a ballot Friday and Saturday in Jefferson Parish during the first two days of early voting. HARVEY, La. — For as long as the early voting line at the Odom Building in Harvey seemed Monday, Rose Sanzone decided to give it another go after giving up on it Friday because of the first-day lines. “The line was much too long (Friday),” Sanzone said. “So, we passed today and we thought, we can bear this.” Others like Corey Coleman tried earlier in the day and gave it a second shot after lunch....

Maxine Shelby, a former poll commissioner in Avondale, was shocked, because she thought she knew what to expect from early voting. “It took my daughter seven hours to be served,” she said. So although the polls didn’t open Saturday until 8 a.m., Shelby, 79, and her niece showed up at the Charles B. Odom Sr. Service Center in Marrero at 2:45 a.m., the first in line there on the second day of the early voting period for the Nov. 3 elections. Within 15 minutes, the line began to grow....

The Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ) and their partners — including Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), and the NAACP — are celebrating the three additional days of early voting (10 days total) with a series of live and online events across Louisiana....

As The South Votes Town Hall—Part 2 Scalawag created the As the South Votes project in part as a resource for rural Southern voters whose stories often go uncovered—or are flat out misrepresented by national media outlets. Stereotypes of rural voters as those who vote against their own interests fail to see the structural ways in which rural communities are discounted and intentionally discouraged from voting. At a recent virtual town hall, Anoa Changa sat down with three representatives from advocacy groups across the South where they discussed how to ethically empower rural voters this election....

We all know someone who isn’t going to vote this election. Sometimes it’s out of deep frustration and disappointment, and sometimes it is out of immutable skepticism. And let’s admit, too: They aren’t necessarily wrong. With all the inaccurate information, doomsday reporting from national outlets, and tepid responses to injustice from progressive political officials, many voters—particularly Black voters—have a right to feel disillusioned.  Anoa Changa sat down with three Black women voting advocates to discuss this very issue at Scalawag’s As The South Votes Town Hall, in partnership with PEN America....

A string of natural disasters has drastically altered how Lake Charles’ residents will cast their votes this election year.  In the aftermath of Hurricanes Laura and Delta nearly 70 percent of 123 voting precincts in the Lake Charles area have been moved to a new location, according to Lynn Jones, the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court. Residents from 85 voting precincts have been directed to three consolidated ‘mega-sites’ to vote during the early voting period and for the general election on Nov. 3. “This is going to go down as one of the most challenging elections in our history,” Jones said. “It was a one, two, three punch. The second we were done making modifications for COVID, Laura hits, and then comes Delta.”...

‘This is just not the time,’ business lobby says about increasing unemployment benefits Louisiana lawmakers approved several bills Monday (Oct. 12) that would provide relief to businesses in light of the state’s unprecedented, pandemic-related unemployment rate, but mostly left behind proposals that would benefit unemployed workers. The House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee rejected a bill that would have boosted the state’s unemployment benefits from a maximum of $247 to $347 per week. The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry — the state’s most influential business group — opposed the legislation.   “This is just not the time,” Jim Patterson, the organization’s vice president of governmental relations, told committee members. ...

Louisiana’s expanded early voting, mail ballots and other coronavirus precautions will still take place for the Nov. 3 presidential election, but Republicans Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and Attorney General Jeff Landry are appealing a judge’s decision to implement the new rules. Ardoin said in late September he wanted to focus on putting on the election and didn’t plan to appeal the federal court decision to expand absentee mail ballots, among other things, because of the pandemic. But he said he may appeal U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick’s legal opinion down the road. While the appeal comes three days before early voting begins in Louisiana, Ardoin and Landry are not asking for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to block the rules between now and the Nov. 3 election. The notice of appeal was filed Tuesday....

But Louisiana’s elections chief and A.G. want higher court to ‘review the law’ In a move that has the potential to confuse Louisiana residents who will start voting Friday for president, the U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress, Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry on Tuesday appealed a federal judge’s ruling that establishes the emergency rules for that election. However, the appeal will not have an effect on the Nov. 3 election rules, which have already been established.  Residents who planned to vote as early as Friday can still do so, and residents who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 complications can still vote absentee. Last month, U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, the chief judge for the federal court in Baton Rouge, rejected an argument from the two Republican state officials that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic did not warrant an emergency election plan for the state. ...

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A Louisiana House panel agreed Monday that the state’s unemployment trust fund needs replenishing, but claimed that higher business taxes are not the way to fill it. The House labor committee advanced legislation to halt an automatic $53 million tax increase on businesses. The tax was designed to take effect whenever the state refills its unemployment trust fund with federal loans, as what happens when that fund dips below $100 million — like it did this month. The idea was that the tax would help the state repay the federal government more quickly....

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A House committee Monday, Oct. 12, killed an idea to boost the maximum weekly unemployment benefit by $100 dollars. Louisianans who are looking for a job can collect up to $247, the nation’s third-lowest rate. Rep. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, wanted to boost the payment to $347. “At least begin to have the conversation around the importance of adequate unemployment insurance benefits and what it does for the economy,” he said. But Republican lawmakers said the move would push Louisiana further into debt, noting the state ran out of money cutting checks at the current, lower rate....

As Louisiana takes on federal debt to pay unemployment benefits after running out of money in the jobless fund, lawmakers on Monday rejected a proposal to boost benefits to jobless workers by $100 a week, while advancing measures to suspend benefit cuts and tax hikes on businesses that typically help replenish the fund. Lawmakers still haven’t figured out how they’re going to pay back the federal government, which is loaning the state money to ensure benefits don’t stop flowing to laid-off workers....

BATON ROUGE – A spirited rally of furloughed workers did nothing to sway the vote for a bill that could have increased unemployment pay Monday. The bill, authored by Representative Duplessis, would have added an additional hundred dollars on top of the $247 weekly payout already in place–one of the lowest rates in the country. It’s unsurvivable for people like Latonya Howard, who was a longtime employee at the convention center in New Orleans until the pandemic hit.  “At the age of 49, I didn’t think I would be moving back in with my elderly mother. Because I can’t support my family. And I have children that are looking up to me, and I don’t have the answers for them right now,” Howard said. ...

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – The state has seen some heavy hits due to covid-19 and the house will have a lot to discuss later today about unemployment benefits. Three bills will be discussed in the House as it relates to the unemployment trust fund and how bankrupt it really is. The trust fund was drained after the pandemic left nearly 350,000 Louisianans jobless. The fund’s balance has fallen from $1.1 billion to about $85 million since March....

State’s response rate remains second from bottom Louisiana residents and residents throughout the country will have at least until Monday to respond to the 2020 Census — and maybe longer.  A federal judge in Northern California ruled last week that the U.S. Census Bureau must continue its counting operation through the end of October, but U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross — who oversees the bureau — has set a Monday, Oct. 5 “target date” to wrap up the count.  However long it lasts, that extended deadline gives Louisiana — which currently has the second worst response rate in the nation — more time to have its residents counted.  Federal funding and the size of a state’s congressional delegation are calculated using a state’s official population numbers....

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — Election Day is just over a month away, which means time is running out for people who want to register to vote or update their voter registration. In four of the larger parishes and counties in the ArkLaTex, voter registration is increasing. “There’s obviously a lot of energy around this election,” said Peter Robins-Brown, spokesman for the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice. “People feel very strongly one way or another.” And those strong feelings may be playing a role in the uptick in voter registration, he added....

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Work is underway to ensure Hurricane Laura evacuees have the tools needed to vote and complete this year’s census. The Power Coalition is meeting with evacuees staying in Bossier City hotels. They’re giving out gift cards and helping people complete the census. Since many are displaced, they’re letting them know their options for voting in the November election. “We know it’s important for people to be counted, because that’s how we get our federal disaster funding with Hurricane Laura and other natural disasters. They can still register to vote and vote by requesting absentee ballots.”...

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) – As the presidential election nears the controversy over who will be able to vote and by which means in Louisiana is far from over. Friday the Louisiana Democratic Party slammed Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin over alleged actions they say will suppress the vote. For his part, Ardoin’s office released a YouTube video that has step-by-step instructions on how to complete the absentee voting process in Louisiana. “This is how your ballot will arrive. It will say official election mail at the top and will be from your parish registrar of voters,” a female voice on the video says....

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) – As the presidential election nears the controversy over who will be able to vote and by which means in Louisiana is far from over. Friday the Louisiana Democratic Party slammed Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin over alleged actions they say will suppress the vote. For his part, Ardoin’s office released a YouTube video that has step-by-step instructions on how to complete the absentee voting process in Louisiana. “This is how your ballot will arrive. It will say official election mail at the top and will be from your parish registrar of voters,” a female voice on the video says....

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – We are right in the middle of Voter Registration Week in East Baton Rouge Parish, but there is a big push across the country to meet important deadlines. The EBR Parish Registrar of Voters is trying to make it even easier–extending the office hours so everyone can be heard. Those who need to register for the first time, or make changes to their current registration, can do so online here. Registration can also be done in-person at the Registrar of Voters office. An application may also be submitted by mail....

A federal district court judge ruled to expand early voting and mail-in voting When historic floods overwhelmed East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, in August 2016, Jacqueline Mims’ house on Sherwood Street escaped the rising waters. It was “kind of like on a little island of slight elevation,” she said, while some streets in her neighborhood were navigable only by boat. Among the thousands of buildings inundated was the middle school where Mims voted. Mims learned about her new polling place from the newspaper; she’s the only one on her block with a subscription. Other voters she spoke to or overheard on Election Day at the new precinct didn’t know about the changes in advance, though they managed to find their way to the new site....

A federal district court judge ruled to expand early voting and mail-in voting SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – The Power Coalition for Equity and Justice Executive Director, Ashley Shelton, said Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s proposal was simply inadequate and did not meet the needs of the people. “It felt like the emergency plan that was being presented really prioritized partisan politics, instead of prioritizing people’s safety and public health,” Shelton said....

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – On Election Day Tuesday, there will be a population that has a much tougher time exercising one of the basic rights: voting. Chronically homeless face a number of barriers that prevent them from voting. Many do not have a permanent address they can use to register, even more do not have an ID. Even for those who are registered and have an ID, the lack of transportation limits their ability to get to the polls. “Also, having to engage with the system that’s not really working for them in their lives at that moment is pretty challenging,” said Ashley Shelton, the Executive Director of The Power Coalition....

Louisiana must use COVID-19 allowances for mail ballots Voters who expressed concern that voting in person would put them or their loved ones at risk of getting sick with COVID-19 won a major court victory Wednesday when a federal judge in Baton Rouge ruled that a Republican-supported election plan denying such accommodations imposed an unconstitutional and “undue burden” on the right to vote. Chief Judge Shelly Dick, of the U.S. Middle District of Louisiana, ordered that defendant Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, a Republican, must implement the same COVID-19 allowances for absentee mail ballots that were used for the July and August election. Dick also expanded early voting from seven to 10 days....

Louisiana should allow more access to absentee mail ballots for the Nov. 3 presidential elections, U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick ruled in a 44-page decision released Wednesday afternoon. “The Court finds that Plaintiffs’ testimony clearly establishes that the state’s maintenance of limited absentee by mail voting imposes a burden on their right to vote,” Dick wrote. “Clearly, based on the data and advice from state and federal authorities, the pandemic is ongoing in Louisiana and calls for the implementation of measures to mitigate the risks of appearing in person to vote.”...

Residents can still respond by mail, by phone or online With two weeks to go until the U.S. Census Bureau ends its 2020 count, 85.4 percent of Louisiana households have been counted, leaving the state tied with Mississippi for the third worst response rate in the United States.  That ranking includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Across the United States, the response rate is 92.4 percent. Idaho and West Virginia lead the rankings.  In both of those states, 99.4 percent of households have been counted, and Hawaii is next with a 98.4 percent total response rate....

A federal judge this week may decide the fate of the controversial emergency elections plan proposed by Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin after preliminary hearings in a lawsuit filed by voting rights groups. With just eight weeks until the Nov. 3 presidential election, Louisiana has not adopted an emergency elections plan designed to keep voters safe from the coronavirus, due in large part to a partisan dispute over who should have access to absentee ballots....

Testimony concluded Wednesday in the court case that could decide how Louisiana runs elections scheduled for November and December. U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick said she would issue a written ruling “as quickly as humanly possible.” Plaintiffs in the case argue that by restricting the number of people who can vote absentee and reducing the number of early voting days compared to the state’s last two elections, the state is forcing people with COVID-19-related concerns to choose between their health and their community’s health and the right to vote....

Federal judge to rule ‘as quickly as humanly possible’ A two-day hearing to decide if the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic warrants an emergency election plan in Louisiana concluded Wednesday after U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick heard testimony from expert witnesses. Dick told the parties involved that she would issue her ruling “as quickly as humanly possible.” The case of Harding v. Edwards was brought by the Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP and the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice against Gov. John Bel Edwards and Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, though Edwards, a Democrat, supported the plaintiff’s side and has been highly critical of the plan created by Ardoin, a Republican....

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – On Election Day Tuesday, there will be a population that has a much tougher time exercising one of the basic rights: voting. Chronically homeless face a number of barriers that prevent them from voting. Many do not have a permanent address they can use to register, even more do not have an ID. Even for those who are registered and have an ID, the lack of transportation limits their ability to get to the polls. “Also, having to engage with the system that’s not really working for them in their lives at that moment is pretty challenging,” said Ashley Shelton, the Executive Director of The Power Coalition....

Louisiana’s election commissioner testified Wednesday that she’s concerned the volume of absentee mail ballots expected for the Nov. 3 election could delay tabulation of results by two to six days — even if mail balloting isn’t expanded as Gov. John Bel Edwards wants. Sherri Wharton Hadskey was testifying in a federal lawsuit filed by voting rights advocates who want mail balloting expanded....

BATON ROUGE – In an effort to get more people to fill out their 2020 census questionnaires, Governor John Bel Edwards declared Wednesday Louisiana Census Day. Louisiana currently ranks 46th in the country in terms of response rate. The 2020 census began in March, with paper questionnaires mailed to hundreds of millions of Americans.  In those five months, East Baton Rouge Parish has just a 61.8-percent self-response rate. That’s lower than our 2010 census response rate at 65.2 percent, and the current national average of 65.5 percent....

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Time is running out to get counted in the 2020 census.  Wednesday is Louisiana Census Day to serve as a reminder for people to fill out the 2020 census. The deadline is September 30th. The north Louisiana organizer for the Power Coalition For Equity & Justice, Candice Battiste says Louisiana is in the bottom ten for states with low census participation. However, Shreveport is above the state average at 61 percent and Louisiana is at about 57 percent....

Judge rules against state’s motion to dismiss plaintiffs Louisiana voters who say they will be disenfranchised by the state’s absence of a pandemic-related emergency election plan will begin making their case to U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick this morning.  But Dick, the chief judge of the federal court in Baton Rouge, issued a ruling yesterday that suggests she’s skeptical of the state’s argument that its current election plan is adequate. Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry asked Dick to dismiss the plaintiffs lawsuit as she did when she ruled against them before the state’s summer elections.  But the judge declined to do so because, she ruled, the plaintiffs have a stronger case against the state now than they did before....

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A federal judge will hear more arguments Wednesday on whether Louisiana should further expand mail-in voting this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. At issue is the emergency election plan Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin proposed in August. It would widen the current absentee voting pool to include those who have tested positive for the virus between the early voting window and Election Day. Voting rights activists, backed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, argue the secretary’s proposal doesn’t go far enough....

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) – A group suing Louisiana over limitations on absentee or mail-in voting reacted to Gov. John Bel Edwards’ decision to push for expanded absentee voting in court. Edwards filed a memorandum in a federal lawsuit brought by the NAACP and the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice involving COVID-19 protections for the November 3 presidential election. Edwards asked Baton Rouge federal Judge Shelley Dick to direct Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin to implement the same emergency election plan that was used for the recent July and August elections in the state. Peter Robins-Brown is with the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, one of the organizations suing the state....

BATON ROUGE, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Gov. John Bel Edwards filed a memorandum Wednesday in support of a federal lawsuit over COVID-19 protections for the November presidential election, asking the judge to direct Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin to implement the same emergency plan that was used for the recent elections in July and August. During the July presidential primary and August municipal elections, early voting was increased by six days and mail-in balloting options were expanded for some people at higher risk for the virus as part of a plan that Edwards supported. For the fall elections, Ardoin proposed a much more limited adjustment in voting rules that would have modestly expand early voting, but still required most people to cast their ballots in person in the pandemic. Edwards rejected that plan last week....

‘We weren’t expecting a tree to fall into our house,’ Shreveport woman says Hurricane Laura hit the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 hurricane shortly after midnight Aug. 27, and, remarkably, after ripping a vertical seam of destruction through the state, was still a hurricane when it exited the state for Arkansas that afternoon. The storm has been blamed for 15 deaths and more than a half million power outages. Laura also left 600,000 Louisiana residents without water, forced the evacuation of 10 hospitals and displaced tens of thousands of people. The damage was widespread and extensive, but not all Louisianians who suffered damages have been deemed eligible for aid. Gov. John Bel Edwards has requested help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for 23 of the state’s 64 parishes, but as of Wednesday afternoon, residents in only 16 of those parishes had been made eligible for help. They are: ...

Now that Hurricane Laura has passed, Louisiana politicos are returning to the issue of what role mail-in balloting will play in the Nov. 3 presidential election. With Republicans wanting to limit absentee balloting by mail and Democrats wanting to expand it, the issue has been dumped into federal court. Responses are due this week to a lawsuit filed by three voters, the Louisiana branch of the NAACP, and the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, of Baton Rouge, ordered during a status conference held as Hurricane Laura bared down on the southwest Louisiana coast. She set Sept. 8-9 hearings to deliver evidence and arguments on the issue....

Now that Hurricane Laura has passed, Louisiana politicos are returning to the issue of what role mail-in balloting will play in the Nov. 3 presidential election. With Republicans wanting to limit absentee balloting by mail and Democrats wanting to expand it, the issue has been dumped into federal court....

Plaintiffs say Louisiana is forcing them to risk death to vote Louisiana residents who have accused Gov. John Bel Edwards and Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin of disregarding their safety by not creating an emergency election plan that will allow them to safely vote will have their day in federal court Sept. 8. Ardoin, a Republican,  presented an emergency election plan last week that Republican-led committees in the state House and Senate approved, but Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has indicated that he has no intentions of signing it. ...

Caddo Parish could be getting a second early voting location today if commissioners allow it. The item appears on today’s Caddo Commission agenda. The new voting location would be at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum on Greenwood Road. A second voting location means spreading out early voters which could lead to safer voting in the times of COVID-19. It also represents an opportunity to turn out more voters according to the Power Coalition, a community organization working to educate and empower voters across Louisiana, which supports the addition....

The Young Professionals Initiative, the young professionals program of the Greater Shreveport Chamber in Northwest Louisiana, debuted its 2020 40 Under Forty class on Aug. 21. YPI enlisted a special committee to select 40 young professionals under the age of 40 who are making a significant impact in Shreveport-Bossier. These individuals were selected based on values, such as professionalism, achievement, experience, innovation, vision, leadership, and community involvement. YPI looks forward to recognizing each honoree for making Northwest Louisiana a better place to live, work, and play for the entire community....

If the Lake Charles area is undercounted in the 2020 census by just 5 percent, that could mean a loss of $15 million in federal funding to area agencies over the next decade. Unfortunately, the national response rate so far is only 64 percent, and Louisiana is 6 points behind that at 58 percent. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said falling short in the count could adversely affect funding for schools, roads and hospitals. Losing another member of Congress is another possibility, and Louisiana has lost too many already....

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin has a plan that would roll back the categories of people who could vote by mail significantly from the recently-held summer elections NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana is now heading toward a presidential election in November with no special provisions to address the coronavirus pandemic.  House and Senate committees have now approved an emergency plan proposed by Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin. ...

In an unprecedented move, Louisiana’s top election official wants to require a positive Covid-19 test if a voter wants to vote absentee over concerns about the virus. This comes amid a lack of consistent access to testing in the state. Louisiana is one of seven states that will still require an excuse to vote by mail this year, only allowing absentee voting if a voter is aged 65 or older or meets certain other conditions such as temporary absence from their county or hospitalization....

Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s emergency election plan for the November election, released Monday, scales back mail-in voting allowances significantly. BATON ROUGE, La. — Gov. John Bel Edwards says a plan laid out by the Louisiana secretary of state rolling back absentee voting ahead of the November election is inadequate based on where the state is in its coronavirus-fighting efforts.  Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s emergency election plan for the November election, released Monday, scales back mail-in voting allowances significantly from what was allowed during the recent summer elections. ...

Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday he won’t support the emergency election plan put forth by Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, setting up a donnybrook with Ardoin and other Republicans that could end up with the federal courts deciding how Louisiana voters will cast ballots in the Nov. 3 presidential election. The Democratic governor, who previously worked with Ardoin on an emergency election plan for the summer elections, said the November plan is a “woefully inadequate” one he won’t sign unless it is revised....

Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday the state will move forward with a plan to deliver additional $300 checks to unemployed workers under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, and is using a funding source that could leave fewer people left out of the program.  The decision means workers here will not get $400 weekly checks on top of their state benefits, as Trump has touted, but will instead get a $300 weekly benefit. “We fully anticipate all of the individuals who are getting unemployment benefits … that they are going to be able to get the $300 enhancement. It will be retroactive to August 1st,” Edwards said. ...

President Donald Trump on Saturday circumvented Congress and took action into his own hands, after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations over another coronavirus relief package on Capitol Hill. He signed three presidential memoranda and an executive order, at his private golf club in Bedminster, N.J. Trump would provide $300 per week in federal unemployment assistance with another $100 a week kicked in by states, consider temporarily stopping residential evictions, pause federal student loan payments and defer payroll taxes. Trump said the actions would “take care of pretty much this entire situation, as we know it.” But Democrats in Congress are likely to continue pushing for a broader legislative package similar to the $3 trillion relief bill the House passed in May....

Critics say Trump’s latest move is strictly for political gain President Donald Trump has ordered the Census Bureau to end its counting operations a month early, a move that would potentially lead to an undercount of Latino and immigrant populations and shift political power to Republicans and white people. The Census Bureau announced Monday that it will end all counting efforts on Sept. 30, rather than the previously planned end date of Oct. 31. The efforts being ended include critical door-knocking efforts and all collection responses by phone, web and mail. The bureau announced the changes in a statement posted on its website, saying, in part, “A team of experts are examining methodologies and options to be employed for this purpose.”...

The deadline for completing the 2020 Census is September 30. It can be completed by phone, by mail, or online. Respond to the Census here.  Civic engagement organizations working to build collective power at the local and state level envision the 2020 Census as more than an opportunity to ensure communities receive necessary funds and resources. If it wasn’t clearly understood before, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the case for making sure communities are accurately counted.  Noting the importance of having resources to support communities and infrastructure, executive director of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice Ashley Shelton stressed the value of building collective power for people of color. “A piece for us was really thinking about, especially when you do people centered work, how do we build a pathway of power for people of color in our state,” Shelton said....

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed suit against the state of Louisiana Monday, accusing state officials of a “failure to ensure all eligible voters can vote safe The deadline for completing the 2020 Census is September 30. It can be completed by phone, by mail, or online. Respond to the Census here.  Civic engagement organizations working to build collective power at the local and state level envision the 2020 Census as more than an opportunity to ensure communities receive necessary funds and resources. If it wasn’t clearly understood before, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the case for making sure communities are accurately counted.  Noting the importance of having resources to support communities and infrastructure, executive director of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice Ashley Shelton stressed the value of building collective power for people of color. “A piece for us was really thinking about, especially when you do people centered work,...

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed suit against the state of Louisiana Monday, accusing state officials of a “failure to ensure all eligible voters can vote safely in the upcoming elections amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”  Specifically, the Legal Defense Fund challenges the state’s restrictions on eligibility for mail-in ballots and its reduction in the time allotted for voters to cast early ballots. The lawsuit names as defendants John Bel Edwards in his official capacity as governor of Louisiana and Kyle Ardoin in his official capacity as Louisiana secretary of state. Attorneys for the LDF point out that Louisiana is the state with the most known COVID-19 cases per capita and that Black Louisianians have accounted for 50 percent of the state’s deaths even though they are only about a third of the population.  “The state’s refusal to protect its voters during this very real and very dangerous pandemic will disproportionately affect Black...

Facing a legal challenge, Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin said Wednesday he’s about 10 days away from asking for another emergency plan to handle the marquee Nov. 3 elections in light of growing numbers of COVID-19 infections. “Time is of the essence and I am working in that direction.” Ardoin told The Advocate and Times-Picayune. “I’m developing a plan with the thought process of us staying in Phase 2.” The current plan, which allowed for more voters to request absentee ballots in the July 11 primary and Aug. 15 runoff, is set to expire after polls close....

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Voting rights advocates filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Louisiana’s governor and chief elections officer, saying the state is doing too little to protect ballot access in November and should widen mail-in voting options amid the coronavirus outbreak. The lawsuit was filed in Baton Rouge federal court on behalf of the Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and three voters from Baton Rouge and Hammond. It challenges Louisiana’s restrictions on absentee by mail voting and the length of its early voting period for the Nov. 3 election — which features the presidential contest, congressional races and other competitions — and the state’s December runoff....

Twenty-eight advocacy groups, including the NAACP, Voice of the Experienced and the Power Coalition for  Equity and Justice sent a letter to Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin last week asking that he develop a election emergency plan that will allow for maximum voter participation amidst the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. In their letter to Ardoin, the letter writers say, “The Emergency Election Plan in effect for the July and August elections omitted important measures to protect Louisiana voters, and at best offers a baseline of mechanisms that should at minimum remain in effect for the November and December elections.”...

Louisianians Protest for $600 Benefit, Against Evictions By Janet McConnaughey and Rebecca Santana, Associated Press Posted: Jul 30, 2020 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Demonstrators rallied at separate events Thursday to demand continued $600 federal coronavirus unemployment benefits and to put an end to evictions, as the economic fallout from the pandemic continued to take a toll on residents. More than two dozen unemployed workers chanted and held signs outside the New Orleans-area offices of two U.S. senators, calling on them to keep the federal unemployment money that is set to expire Friday at $600. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has proposed cutting the benefit to $200 a week, which would be in addition to state unemployment pay. Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy of Louisiana both said Thursday that they support extending the federal benefit but have not settled on a specific figure....

Amid COVID-19, absentee voting advocates request emergency election plan for fall by: Harrison Golden for BRProudPosted: Jul 30, 2020 BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Amid concerns over COVID-19 spreading at polling places, absentee voting advocates want Louisiana’s elections chief to expand mail-in access for the November and December elections. More than 25 advocacy organizations across the state sent a letter Tuesday to Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin. It asks him to let all voters file by mail for November and December — and to give them more time to request and mail back those ballots. “Action is necessary now to ensure the safety of voters and elections workers through these elections,” the letter reads. Louisiana is no stranger to emergency election plans this year. In April, Ardoin and state lawmakers agreed to limit crowds and loosen absentee voting guidelines for summer ballots. That plan expires in mid-August. With the state...

In certain cases, preemption—when a higher level of government limits the authority of a lower level to enact new policies—can devastate public health. Public health advocates were winning. City after city was innovating ways to reduce smoking and protect public health between the 1960s and 1970s. As former industry lobbyist Victor Crawfordobserved, you’d “put out a fire one place, another one would pop up somewhere else.” But in the mid-1980s, this momentum stopped. Big Tobacco had discovered a way to reverse local gains. And according to a 2020 study in the American Journal of Public Health, the industry’s counteroffensive has led to more disturbing and enduring ramifications for public health—and our democracy—than previously understood....

Judge rules against state’s motion to dismiss plaintiffs Louisiana voters who say they will be disenfranchised by the state’s absence of a pandemic-related emergency election plan will begin making their case to U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick this morning.  But Dick, the chief judge of the federal court in Baton Rouge, issued a ruling yesterday that suggests she’s skeptical of the state’s argument that its current election plan is adequate. Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry asked Dick to dismiss the plaintiffs lawsuit as she did when she ruled against them before the state’s summer elections.  But the judge declined to do so because, she ruled, the plaintiffs have a stronger case against the state now than they did before....

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Unemployed Louisiana workers will hold a virtual town hall with elected officials to discuss the challenges families experiencing job loss are facing, the impact emergency federal unemployment benefits have on the economy and the need for congressional action. The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday via Zoom. In addition to Louisianians who have lost their jobs or had their hours cut amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rep. Ted James (D-Baton Rouge) and representatives of Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-La2), U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La) and Congressman Clay Higgins (R-La3) will attend the virtual meeting, according to Step Up Louisiana spokesman Ben Zucker....

After Gov. John Bel Edwards announced in April that 70 percent of Louisianians who had died of COVID-19 were Black, he established the Louisiana COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force to look at the racial inequities that had led to the lopsided death toll. According to the state’s latest figures, Black Louisianians now account for about 52 percent of the state’s COVID-19 deaths, but that number remains wildly disproportionate to Black people’s 33 percent share of the population. The task force has now submitted to the governor  a report that includes recommendations on how to improve COVID-19 testing for vulnerable communities, how to better monitor the disease’s impact on marginalized groups and how to better protect those who are incarcerated and in nursing homes.  The report also recommends policy changes that would reduce inequities and suggests ways to help faith-based and community organizations get reliable public health information out to the communities they...

In St. James, a majority-Black parish in Louisiana, COVID-19 is infecting and killing Black people at disproportionately higher rates than people of other races—as is the case in other communities across the country. St. James, as well as the neighboring parish Orleans, has seen disproportionately high numbers of COVID-19 cases, with Black people accounting for about 75 percent of reported COVID-19-related deaths in the two parishes, despite making up only 49 percent of the population. Physicians have noted that higher rates of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart and kidney disease, among Black people predispose them to more extreme complications from COVID-19. Many of these preexisting conditions are the result of systemic barriers like residential segregation and ongoing discrimination, substandard housing, and lack of access to quality health care....

Da Winnas & Da Loozas, Part 2, of the legislative sessions. Here’s a look at where things stood after Round 2 By Clancy DuBos for Gambit Published on July 2, 2020  2020’s legislative sessions gave all major players a reality check. Here’s a look at where they stood after Round 2. One thing I love about government and politics is their ability to surprise, even in the face of sometimes mind-numbing banality. After the last election cycle, everyone from the high-and-mighty to the up-and-coming predicted bloody, partisan fights between the Democratic governor and his GOP legislative adversaries. By and large, that didn’t happen, though they certainly had their differences. That was a welcome surprise. This year brought an even bigger — but most unwelcome — surprise in the form of COVID-19, which took the life of one freshmen lawmaker and sidelined several others, at least temporarily. Lord knows how many staff...

Integrated civic engagement is essential to electoral justice By Alexis Anderson-Reed for Prism on The Daily Kos Published on June 29, 2020  The COVID-19 pandemic and the uprisings against policing and in defense of Black lives are exposing injustices that have existed in our society for centuries. Underrepresented, disenfranchised, and oppressed people continue to be harmed the most. The virus and police are devastating Black and Indigenous communities at disproportionate rates. Oppressed people need to be able to have a say in our democracy if we want a better world. Despite the pandemic and ongoing violence, the fight for political power for Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color (BIPOC) is growing in intensity  and many are pushing for our right to a healthy democracy. Organizers and advocates involved with civic engagement must take a holistic approach to voting and to social justice. Voting is a tool in a larger...

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — The Shreveport LGBTQ+ community marched from The Korner Lounge to the Caddo Courthouse Sunday afternoon for trans lives in conjunction with 45 Days of Action Shreveport. Afterwards, they held a Facebook Live panel discussion. Marv Kevea Campbell is the event organizer and says the LGBTQ+ community felt compelled to bring awareness to Black trans lives, because they are often excluded from the conversation about inequality and injustices. ...

Coronavirus response reveals clear split between Republicans, Democrats in Baton Rouge over whom to aid By Tyler Bridges for The Advocate Published on June 27, 2020  The coronavirus pandemic has caused more confusion and uncertainty than just about anyone can remember. But one clear picture has emerged in the State Capitol: lawmakers in the two parties are offering sharply divergent prescriptions to revive the battered and bruised economy. Republicans are focusing on using the levers of government to directly aid businesses. “The best way to help people is for them to have a job where they can support their family. By helping small businesses, we’re putting people back to work,” said state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, of Slidell, summing up the Republican view. Democrats want to help unemployed workers and send money to workers who earn less than $50,000 a year. Republicans “have been really focusing on folks who have had a really...

To celebrate Juneteenth, some post bail for those who couldn’t pay By Jacqueline DeRobertis for The Advocate Published on June 20, 2020  When Kenneth Parker was arrested in late May on drug and theft-related counts, his biggest worry was that he would miss Father’s Day with his six children. His bond had been set at $6,500, according to booking documents — an amount he could not easily pay. “That was like the biggest stress,” Parker said. “It wasn’t sitting well with me because my kids are small. That was the biggest thing I was thinking of — like letting my kids down.” To his relief, Parker — along with around 15 other men and women — were released from East Baton Rouge Parish Prison after bonding out through a community bail fund on Friday afternoon. Organized by YWCA of Greater Baton Rouge, the bailout was scheduled in honor of Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates emancipation...

Voices of Protest, Crying for Change, Ring Across US, Beyond By The Associated Press Published on Monday, June 17, 2020  They are nurses and doctors, artists, students, construction workers, government employees; black, brown and white; young and old. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in big cities and tiny towns in every U.S. state – and even around the world – to protest the killing of George Floyd, who died after a police officer pressed his knee into his neck as he pleaded for air. They say they are protesting police brutality, but also the systematic racism non-white Americans have experienced since the country’s birth. Many say they marched so that one day, when their children asked what they did at this historic moment, they will be able to say they stood up for justice despite all risks. Most say they do not support the violence, fires and...

Marcus Simmons was released from prison almost two decades ago, but says he’s still chasing freedom. He was among a crowd of about 100 protesters who commemorated the Juneteenth holiday — which marks the day in 1865 when the last American slaves in Texas received news of the their emancipation, months after the Civil War had ended — with a march to the front gates of the massive Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola....

A proposal to study police reform in the wake of George Floyd’s death touched off an emotional and at times divisive debate over race and policing at the State Capitol Wednesday, with several black lawmakers making impassioned pleas for changes to law enforcement practices and some white lawmakers chafing at the measure’s reference of Floyd and race. Baton Rouge Democratic Rep. Ted James, who is African American, put forth the resolution to create a study group to review law enforcement and issue a report to the state House ahead of the 2021 Regular Session, the next time lawmakers are currently scheduled to be able to take up such changes....

Will Covid-19 Be a Turning Point in the Fight Against Racial Disparities in Health Care? Public health experts hope that the vast scale of the crisis will prompt meaningful political action to counter health inequities, which have been persistent in America for well over a century. By Zoe Carpenter Published on Monday, June 1, 2020 by The Nation Jason Hargrove was driving a bus through the West Side of Detroit when one of his passengers began to cough, failing to cover her mouth. It was March 21, and Covid-19 was spreading through cities across the United States. Hargrove was rattled. “Hey, look,” he said in a Facebook Live video taken on his lunch break, which quickly racked up tens of thousands of views. “This coronavirus shit is for real, and we [are] out here as public workers doing our jobs, trying to make an honest living to take care of our families…. That...