WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• La. drivers can't tweet or post to Facebook

  May 21, 2013 5:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Motorists in Louisiana will have to add tweets and Facebook updates to the list of activity banned while driving, in addition to texting. A bill prohibiting posting to social media sites while driving gained final approval with a 34-1 Senate vote on Tuesday. It now heads to... more »

• French president signs gay marriage into law

  May 18, 2013 3:32 PM

  PARIS - France will see its first gay weddings within days, after French President Francois Hollande signed a law Saturday authorizing marriage and adoption by same-sex couples and ending months of nationwide protests and wrenching debate. Hollande's office said he signed the bill Saturday morning, a day after the Constitutional... more »

• Investigation: appeal filed in case over man never serving sentence

  May 13, 2013 10:41 PM

  GONZALES- Prosecutors filed an appeal after they lost a hearing to have a man serve time for a crime he was convicted of nearly twenty years ago. Stanley White never served a sentence for killing an eleven-week-old in a crash. A mistake in the justice system has been blamed... more »

• Texas launches criminal probe into plant explosion

  May 10, 2013 10:53 AM

  WACO, Texas - Texas law enforcement officials are launching a criminal investigation into last month's deadly fertilizer plant explosion. Investigators have up to now largely treated the West Fertilizer Co. blast that killed 14 people as an industrial accident. The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a Friday statement... more »

• Judge: LSU must release candidates' names

  April 25, 2013 3:49 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A judge ruled today that LSU must release the names of candidates who were considered for the newly-formed president's position. F. King Alexander, from California, was selected from a pool of candidates, but his was the only name released. Journalists sued when LSU refused to release... more »

• La. House backs ban on enforcing federal gun law

  April 23, 2013 5:40 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana House has voted to ban enforcement of any federal restrictions on owning semi-automatic weapons. The 67-25 vote Tuesday followed more than an hour of contentious debate. Supporters say the measure is a protection of individual and states' rights. Opponents argue that Louisiana can't choose which... more »

• Proposed law about eyes gets close look Play Video

  April 17, 2013 9:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE - There's a debate at the Louisiana State Capitol that has optometrists and ophthalmologists pleading their cases. House Bill 527 would allow optometrists to perform certain procedures that are currently only allowed to be performed by ophthalmologists. Optometrists say it's about performing simple procedures in a... more »

• Conn. governor signs sweeping gun limits into law

  April 4, 2013 12:22 PM

  HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut's governor has signed into law some of the country's tightest gun restrictions in response to December's shooting massacre at a Newtown school. The measure adds more than 100 firearms to the state's assault weapons ban and outlaws the sale of large-capacity ammunition magazines similar to the... more »

• Obama health law anniversary finds two Americas

  March 21, 2013 12:42 PM

  WASHINGTON - Three years, two elections, and one Supreme Court decision after President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, its promise of health care for the uninsured may be delayed or undercut in much of the country because of entrenched opposition from many Republican state leaders. In half the... more »

• City leaders approve historic alcohol law, allowing 24/7 sales

  March 13, 2013 5:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE- For the first time, ever, alcohol will be sold around the clock at some establishments. Wednesday evening, Metro Council approved a special permit allowing sales at casinos. It passed 7 to 4. more »

• 24/7 alcohol sales, elected chief up for discussion Wednesday

  March 12, 2013 9:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Wednesday, city leaders could make a historic change and allow 24-hour liquor sales. The sales would only be allowed on riverboat casinos, if Metro Council approves the change. Currently, city laws don't allow sales after 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and midnight Sunday. Among other... more »

• 24/7 alcohol sales law introduced

  February 27, 2013 8:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A law change was introduced at the city's Metro Council meeting Wednesday, to allow alcohol sales 24/7 at some establishments. The ordinance would allow riverboat casinos to get a special license to sell after other bars are required to close. The item will eventually be available... more »

• BR casinos could get okay to sell alcohol 24/7

  February 27, 2013 3:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A few months after changing city law and allowing more alcohol sales on Sunday, city leaders will discuss the possibility of allowing some Baton Rouge establishments to sell alcohol at all hours of the day. Discussions begin at Wednesday night's Metro Council on a special, 24/7 liquor... more »

• Supreme Court considers DNA collection case Play Video

  February 26, 2013 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The US Supreme Court is deciding if police have the right to collect DNA evidence without a warrant during an arrest. Right now, Louisiana law allows police to collect DNA when someone is arrested for a felony or some violent misdemeanors. "It allows us to bring... more »

• Obama signs bill averting government default

  February 5, 2013 7:30 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill raising the government's borrowing limit, averting a default and delaying the next clash over the nation's debt until later this year. The legislation temporarily suspends the $16.4 trillion limit on federal borrowing. Experts say that will allow the government... more »

• Lafourche Parish could see tougher fireworks law

  January 28, 2013 11:29 AM

  THIBODAUX - It could prove more difficult to get and use fireworks in Lafourche Parish. The Parish Council recently upped fees vendors must pay to sell fireworks, set new rules for where stands can be located and is promising to enforce existing restrictions more vigorously than in the past. Councilman... more »

• Senators reach deal on immigration

  January 28, 2013 2:42 AM

  WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of senators has reached agreement on the principles of sweeping legislation to rewrite the nation's immigration laws. The deal being announced Monday covers border security, guest workers and employer verification, as well as a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in... more »

• Bill filed in Miss. seeks to nullify federal laws

  January 25, 2013 6:17 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - In a state that defied the union during the Civil War and Civil Rights era, two lawmakers want Mississippi to block some current and future federal laws. Republican state Reps. Gary Chism and Jeff Smith have filed a bill to form the Joint Legislative Committee on... more »

• Fake social media profiles appear in Baton Rouge Play Video

  January 17, 2013 4:50 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend fiasco isn't the first time a ficticious social media profile has caused trouble, nor will it be the last. Just ask Ashley Hebert, a legislative analyst at the State Capitol and a beauty pageant queen. "I had a... more »

• Panetta defends Obama's gun control package

  January 17, 2013 6:42 AM

  VICENZA, Italy - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says he doesn't understand why anyone outside the military needs assault weapons or armor-piercing bullets. During a visit with U.S. troops in northern Italy on Thursday, Panetta defended President Barack Obama's sweeping gun control package. A soldier asked Panetta what steps... more »

• Obama to outline action against gun violence tomorrow

  January 15, 2013 1:05 PM

  WASHINGTON - Just a little more than a month since the Connecticut school massacre, President Barack Obama tomorrow will be unveiling his proposals to fight gun violence. The White House says he and Vice President Joe Biden will be joined by children who wrote the president letters after the Newtown... more »

• Obama: Gun control specifics to come within days

  January 14, 2013 12:20 PM

  WASHINGTON - He's acknowledging an uphill fight in Congress -- so President Barack Obama says he's looking at actions he can take on his own to confront gun violence. He told reporters today that he will present a plan within days. Obama says the ideas that are on the table... more »

• Lifetime Secret Service protection for former presidents

  January 10, 2013 7:25 PM

  President Obama singed a law that grants lifetime Secret Service protection to former presidents and their wives. It applies to presidents elected after January 1, 1997 and reverses a law that ended protection ten years after a president left office. The protection could have only been extended on a temporary... more »

• Biden to meet with gun-safety, victims groups

  January 9, 2013 7:27 AM

  WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden will meet at the White House today with victims groups and gun-safety organizations, as the administration seeks to spur action on gun legislation. Biden is holding a series of meetings this week aimed at building consensus around proposals to curb gun violence after... more »

• Obama pressing for policy changes after shooting

  December 19, 2012 11:22 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is asking a team led by Vice President Joe Biden to offer "concrete proposals" to curb gun violence no later than January, in the aftermath of the horrific massacre at a Connecticut elementary school. Obama says after he receives recommendations from Biden's group, he will... more »

• Education reform package in court again Play Video

  December 17, 2012 4:59 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Federation for Teachers is challenging another part of Governor Jindal's education reform package, this time taking aim at the constitutionality of a portion dubbed the 'talent act.' The act deals with teacher tenure, hiring, firing and evaluations. New rules allow the Superintendent to hire... more »

• UPDATE: Law enforcement named wrong Lanza as shooter

  December 14, 2012 3:15 PM

  WASHINGTON - A law enforcement official says the suspect in the Connecticut school shootings is 20-year-old Adam Lanza, the son of a teacher at the school where the shootings occurred. A second law enforcement official says the boy's mother, Nancy Lanza, is presumed dead. The first official says Adam Lanza's... more »

• Pot legalized in Colorado with gov's proclamation

  December 10, 2012 3:27 PM

  DENVER - Using marijuana for recreational use is now effectively legal in Colorado. Gov. John Hickenlooper declared a voter-approved marijuana legalization amendment as part of the state constitution on Monday. It was the last procedural step needed for the amendment to take effect. The drug became legal in Washington state... more »

• Congress votes to remove word 'lunatic' from law

  December 5, 2012 12:40 PM

  WASHINGTON - You can say "lunatic" all you want, but you probably won't have the government's blessing. 'That word will be stricken from federal law under legislation that passed the House Wednesday and is headed to President Barack Obama for his signature. The congressional action is the latest effort to... more »

• Feds propose fee on health insurers in new market

  November 30, 2012 3:58 PM

  WASHINGTON - Health insurance companies will have to pay to play in new health insurance markets coming under President Barack Obama's health care law. The federal Health and Human Services department said Friday it is proposing a "user fee" amounting to 3.5 percent of premiums for health insurers who want... more »

• GOP-led states start warming up to health care law

  November 15, 2012 1:21 PM

  WASHINGTON - From the South to the heartland, the once-solid wall of Republican resistance to President Barack Obama's health care law is cracking. Ahead of a federal deadline Friday for states to declare their intentions, Associated Press reporters interviewed governors and state officials around the country. AP found surprising openness... more »

• LSU board to redo vote on merger after criticism

  November 15, 2012 11:40 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The attorney general's office says it has "serious concerns" that LSU's governing board may have violated the open meetings law with its October vote to merge the positions of system president and chancellor of the flagship campus. The Board of Supervisors announced Thursday that it will revote... more »

• Former Jindal adviser doing lobbying, legal work

  November 14, 2012 3:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal's former chief of staff, Stephen Waguespack, is taking a job that will keep him near the Louisiana Capitol. The Jones Walker law firm announced Wednesday that Waguespack has joined the business as special counsel and as the director of the firm's government relations practice,... more »

• Petraeus case shows FBI's authority to read email

  November 12, 2012 4:58 PM

  WASHINGTON - Your emails are not nearly as private as you think. The downfall of CIA Director David Petraeus demonstrates how easy it is for federal law enforcement agents to examine emails and computer records if they believe a crime was committed. With subpoenas and warrants, the FBI and other... more »

• LSU to offer specialized study in energy law

  November 12, 2012 10:31 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The LSU Law Center is developing a specialized program in energy law in reaction to increasingly complex legal and regulatory issues. The Louisiana Board of Regents approved the LSU Energy Law Center in August. Chancellor Jack M. Weiss discussed the plans in a recent interview with NOLA.com... more »

• Court will decide on collection of DNA samples

  November 9, 2012 2:31 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court says it will decide whether police may collect DNA samples from people under arrest in a case that pits privacy concerns against public safety interests. The justices say in an order Friday that they will review a Maryland court decision that effectively barred the collection... more »

• New synthetic drug banned in Louisiana Play Video

  November 9, 2012 10:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE - State officials today banned a new synthetic drug which is blamed for at least one death in Louisiana. The compound, called 25i, was added to the Controlled Dangerous Substance Act. State health officials, lawmakers, and law enforcement made the announcement at the State Police crime lab.... more »

• House leader says Jindal surplus plan violates law

  October 19, 2012 2:56 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The leader of the House budget committee says Gov. Bobby Jindal's proposal for using a $143 million surplus violates the law and an agreement reached with the House earlier this year to end a budget stalemate. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Fannin made his comments Friday as... more »

• Feds probing Jefferson Parish school bias claims

  October 12, 2012 3:05 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Federal officials are investigating allegations by the Southern Poverty Law Center that the Jefferson Parish public schools discriminate against Latino students. In a letter dated Sept. 27, the Justice Department's civil rights division and Education Department's office for civil rights said they haven't reached any conclusions about... more »

• SU center named most diverse law school

  October 12, 2012 10:18 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Southern University Law Center has the most diverse faculty among any law school in the country. That's according to the Princeton Review, an education services company. The Advocate reports the law center is featured in the Princeton Review's 2013 edition of "The Best 168 Law Schools."... more »

• Judges OK SC voter law, say it must wait to 2013

  October 10, 2012 4:28 PM

  WASHINGTON - A panel of three federal judges in Washington has upheld South Carolina's voter identification law, but says the state cannot put it in practice until 2013. The judges say in their unanimous ruling that time is too short to put the law in effect ahead of the Nov.... more »

• City committee has no opinion on changing Sunday alcohol law

  October 3, 2012 10:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A committee of members of the Metro Council did not make a recommendation on a change to the Sunday alcohol sales law. There's a change being pushed to allow sales on Sundays and let bars open. Before a final decision by the entire council, it must... more »

• Court seems unclear on house versus boat question

  October 1, 2012 12:31 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court seems torn on when the law should treat some floating homes as houseboats and when it should treat them as houses. The question came up Monday as the court was trying to figure out whether Riviera Beach, Florida should have used maritime law to seize... more »

• Judge: Police to enforce Ariz. immigration law now

  September 18, 2012 3:29 PM

  PHOENIX - A judge has ruled that police in Arizona can immediately start enforcing the most contentious section of the state's immigration law. The ruling on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton marks the first time police can carry out the 2010 law's requirement that officers, while enforcing other... more »

• Judge OKs contentious part of Ariz. immigration law

  September 6, 2012 7:12 AM

  PHOENIX - A federal judge has ruled that Arizona authorities can enforce the most contentious section of the state's immigration law, which critics have dubbed the "show me your papers" provision. The ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton clears the way for police to carry out the... more »

• New law puts the brakes on inexperienced drivers Play Video

  July 24, 2012 10:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A new law which goes into effect next week is intended to put the brakes on inexperienced drivers. Beginning Aug. 1, all first-time drivers will have to have more time behind the wheel and in a classroom before getting their first license. Drivers aged 15 and... more »

• Judge continues to block Mississippi abortion law

  July 11, 2012 3:03 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. - A federal judge is continuing to block a new anti-abortion law in Mississippi. If the law were allowed to take effect, it could shut down the state's only abortion clinic and make it nearly impossible for a woman to get an abortion in Mississippi. The U.S. Supreme... more »

• GOP-controlled House votes to repeal health law

  July 11, 2012 3:02 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Republican-led House has voted to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law. But the election-year move stands no chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate. The vote Wednesday was 244-185. By the Republican count, it was the 33rd time in 18 months that the tea party-infused GOP majority has... more »

• White House threatens veto on health care repeal

  July 9, 2012 6:13 PM

  WASHINGTON - The White House has issued a veto threat for a House bill to overturn President Barack Obama's health care law. The White House says the repeal would cost millions of American families the security of affordable health coverage. House Republicans are scheduled to vote to overturn the law... more »

• Obama signs student loan, road-building bill

  July 6, 2012 5:52 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says a bill to keep construction workers on the job and prevent a spike in interest rates on new loans to college students "will make a real difference" for millions of Americans. Obama signed into law legislation allowing more than $100 billion to be spent... more »

• Dissenters say entire law was invalid

  June 28, 2012 11:33 AM

  WASHINGTON - The ruling that upheld the vast majority of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul came from the court's four liberal justices, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts. The dissenters were Justices Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. In a joint statement, they said, "The act... more »

• Jindal: GOP must push for health care law repeal

  June 28, 2012 10:47 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal says the GOP must push for a full repeal of President Barack Obama's health care law, after it was upheld by the Supreme Court. The Republican Louisiana governor said Americans don't want the health care overhaul. He said it will decrease the quality of... more »

• Lying on the internet legal in Rhode Island

  June 26, 2012 8:11 PM

  It may be wrong to lie but it's legal if you do it on the internet in Rhode Island. State lawmakers repealed an obscure law from 1989 that made lying on the internet a misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $500 and up to a year in prison. It made... more »

• Court strikes down Montana law rather than re-examining Citizens United ruling

  June 25, 2012 4:58 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is rejecting a plea that it take another look at its ruling from two years ago on campaign finance. Instead, the court today struck down a Montana law that limits corporate campaign spending. The same five conservative justices who made up the majority in the... more »

• New law calls for uninsured motorists to lose car

  June 20, 2012 10:09 PM

  BATON ROUGE- More than a quarter of Louisiana drivers don't have car insurance. A new law set to take effect in August is aimed and dropping that figure. It calls for any person caught without coverage to lose their car automatically. The current law gives drivers a break... more »

• Florida to carry out health law if upheld by court

  June 20, 2012 12:29 PM

  WASHINGTON - Florida's Republican governor - one of the staunchest opponents of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul - says his state will carry out the law if the Supreme Court upholds it. Gov. Rick Scott told reporters Wednesday "if it is the law of the land, then we are... more »

• Gov't report: health cost relief only temporary

  June 12, 2012 3:07 PM

  WASHINGTON - The nation's been enjoying a respite from rising health care costs, but government experts say don't look for it to last. Health care spending will grow faster than the economy for the foreseeable future, says a report Tuesday from Medicare's nonpartisan economic analysts. President Barack Obama's health care... more »

• Sex offenders fight for right to use Facebook

  May 30, 2012 3:46 PM

  INDIANAPOLIS - Registered sex offenders who have been banned from social networking websites are fighting back in state courts. Sex offenders have successfully challenged many of the restrictions, arguing that the laws infringe on free speech and their right to participate in common online discussions. The legal battles in Indiana,... more »

• Obama signs Ex-Im Bank bill into law

  May 30, 2012 11:39 AM

  WASHINGTON- President Barack Obama has signed legislation that renews the charter of the Export-Import Bank for three years and increases the bank?s lending cap to $140 billion from the current $100 billion. The bank is the government?s vehicle for promoting U.S. export sales. Obama says the move will help thousands... more »

• Louisiana given No Child Left Behind waiver

  May 29, 2012 1:14 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana has been granted a waiver from the hard-to-reach federal goals of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. That law requires that all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014. The waivers granted to Louisiana and seven other states on Tuesday allow them to... more »

• Lawmaker intimidation bill scrapped by author

  May 22, 2012 2:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A proposal to set up a formal House process for disciplining people who attempt to intimidate lawmakers was shelved Tuesday for the legislative session. Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, said he offered the legislation after being threatened for his position in a dispute between the oil and... more »

• La. lawmakers at odds over how to ban bullying

  May 16, 2012 3:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's lawmakers disagree over how to craft a new ban on bullying at public schools. Two different proposals advanced Wednesday in the House, one by Baton Rouge Rep. Patricia Smith getting 71-16 backing on the House floor and another by Port Allen Sen. Rick Ward getting passage... more »

• New sex offender bill signed into law

  May 11, 2012 5:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Governor Bobby Jindal signed into law today a bill which cracks down on sex offenders. Sex offenders cannot establish a residence or reside within three miles of their victim, go within 300 feet of their victim. Sex offender are also prohibited from communicating with their... more »

• Supreme Court takes up Arizona immigration law

  April 25, 2012 9:37 AM

  WASHINGTON - The fate of Arizona's tough immigration law is in the balance as the Supreme Court hears its final day of arguments for the current term today. The Obama administration challenged the law in federal court soon after Arizona's governor signed it two years ago. Five other states have... more »

• Vitter supports Arizona immigration law

  April 24, 2012 3:48 PM

  Washington - U.S. Sen. David Vitter today issued the following statement in advance of the Arizona immigration law heading to the U.S. Supreme Court. "The Arizona law is absolutely constitutional. If President Obama doesn't want states to act on immigration, he should start doing his job and controlling the... more »

• Abuse scandal continues to take toll on US church

  April 10, 2012 5:37 PM

  NEW YORK (AP) - Roman Catholic dioceses and religious orders received nearly 600 credible clergy sex abuse claims last year. All but a few of the allegations involve wrongdoing from decades ago that is only being reported now. The findings released Tuesday are part of an annual child safety report... more »

• St. Helena hires legal expert to craft new sex law

  April 2, 2012 7:12 AM

  GREENSBURG - The St. Helena Parish Police Jury has hired Scott Bergthold, a Chattanooga, Tenn.-based lawyer whose practice specializes in helping local governments draft laws that regulate adult businesses. Police Jury Vice President Thomas Wicker says Bergthold was recommended to the police jury by the Moral Alliance of St. Helena,... more »

• Judge rules La. sex law violates offenders' rights

  March 30, 2012 7:30 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has ruled that a Louisiana law violates the constitutional rights of people who were required to register as sex offenders after they were convicted of soliciting oral or anal sex for money. U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman's ruling Thursday says state lawmakers had no... more »

• High court takes up fight over Obama health law

  March 26, 2012 7:09 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is front and center at the Supreme Court for three days of hearings to determine the fate of a law aimed at extending health insurance to more than 30 million Americans. The justices will hear arguments beginning today in a highly partisan... more »

• Former U.S. Senator named LSU speaker

  March 14, 2012 12:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Former U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston will be the commencement speaker at the LSU Law Center graduation ceremonies. Johnston served 24 years in the U.S. Senate representing Louisiana. He was either directly or indirectly responsible for all energy legislation considered by the Congress during his terms. Johnston... more »

• Lawmaker calls for repeal of Louisiana Science Education Act

  March 6, 2012 11:11 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- There's a renewed movement afoot to repeal what is widely viewed as Louisiana's creationism law. The Louisiana Science Education Act of 2008 allows teachers to help students "understand, analyze, critique, and review scientific theories in an objective manner," using textbooks and "other instructional materials." Sen. Karen... more »

• Sunday bar ordinance becomes law

  February 17, 2012 11:25 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The West Baton Rouge bar ordinance becomes law today, February 17th. The new law stipulates that businesses selling alcoholic beverages must close at 10pm on Sundays and cannot reopen until 6am Monday. There are some exceptions: Super Bowl Sunday, Sundays that are followed by holidays... more »

• Groups: Repeal La. law against TED enforcement

  February 6, 2012 3:13 PM

  NEW ORLEANS, La. - Twenty-six conservation groups say Louisiana should repeal the law forbidding state wildlife agents to enforce a federal law requiring trap-doors for turtles in shrimp nets. Louisiana's law, passed in 1987, states that Louisiana won't enforce the federal law until turtle excluder devices have been thoroughly and... more »

• Louisiana law leaves liability for actions on intoxicated customers, not servers Play Video

  January 25, 2012 10:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana law says bartenders and businesses that sell alcohol are not responsible for an intoxicated person's actions. News 2 looked into the state's statute following a deadly crash over the weekend that killed one bicyclist and severely injured another. Authorities say the driver was almost four-times the... more »

• New driver's ed requirements target litter Play Video

  January 2, 2012 6:16 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A new law went into effect Sunday that hopes to squash litterbugs before they become licensed drivers. The new law requires driver's education classes to teach students about the consequences of litter. Senator Fred Mills, who sponsored the bill, told News 2 he hopes targeting a... more »

• Obama pulls plug on part of health overhaul law

  October 14, 2011 2:23 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Obama administration says it is unable to go forward with a major new program in the president's signature health care overhaul law. Officials said Friday a new long-term care insurance program has critical design flaws that could not be fixed to make it financially self-sustaining. ... more »

• LSU gets state's highest passage rates on bar exam

  October 8, 2011 11:14 AM

  BATON ROUGE- LSU Law Center students have achieved the highest passage rate among all examinees on the latest Louisiana State Bar Exam. According to results released Friday by the Committee on Bar Admissions of the Supreme Court of Louisiana, 86.5 percent of LSU students received passing scores on the... more »

• Ad campaign seeks limits on civil lawsuits

  September 26, 2011 1:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A coalition of business groups is launching a statewide advertising campaign, seeking new legislative momentum to put limits on civil lawsuits, like for asbestos claims. Two organizations representing a list of business lobbying groups and others are putting $70,000 into 30-second radio commercials and online ads... more »

• New law boosts payments for wrongfully imprisoned

  September 1, 2011 2:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana has paid out nearly $2 million to exonerated prisoners who spent years behind bars for crimes they were later found not to have committed, and the compensation for the wrongfully convicted is going up. Under a change to state law that takes effect Thursday,... more »

• ACLU sues over limits on sex offenders' Web access

  August 15, 2011 3:24 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana is suing to block enforcement of a new state law that limits sex offenders' access to social networking websites and other online forums. The federal suit filed Monday in Baton Rouge claims the law is overly broad and violates... more »

• LA law supports families eliminating driving abilities of Alzheimier's patients

  August 12, 2011 10:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The law is on your side in taking a driver's license from someone too incapacitated to drive. It's one way families of Alzheimer's patients can keep loved ones safe. News 2 looked into the rules of the road after an 88-year-old man vanished from Livingston Parish. ... more »

• Judge calls waiver law unconstitutional

  July 18, 2011 3:05 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La.- A state teachers union has won its challenge of a law pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal to let public schools waive certain state education regulations. State District Judge Mike Caldwell declared the law unconstitutional Monday. The Louisiana Federation of Teachers, along with the East Baton... more »

• Neighborhood disputing group home

  July 15, 2011 6:05 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A neighborhood association is at odds with a Baton Rouge group home they claim is breaking the law. According to the Unified Development Code in Baton Rouge, a single family dwelling cannot have more than two unrelated people living in a home or more than four if... more »

• La. lawmaker considering "Caylee's Law"

  July 8, 2011 4:55 PM

  SLIDELL - A Louisiana lawmaker wants to move forward with legislation called "Caylee's Law", which would stiffens penalties on parents when a child is not reported missing in a timely manner. Sen. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, has drafted a bill for the 2012 session in response to the Casey Anthony... more »

• Zoning changes for historic Ascension schoolhouse

  July 7, 2011 5:31 PM

  BURNSIDE - It appears Ascension Parish will alter zoning laws for a nearly 150-year-old schoolhouse located in Burnside. St. Joseph's School was originally located in Convent. Historians say it was one of the first Catholic schools in Louisiana that taught African-American students. The owner of The Cabin restaurant... more »

• Failed abortion bills likely to return

  June 27, 2011 2:36 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Most legislation pushed by abortion opponents failed to pass during the Legislature's just-completed session, but abortion supporters expect similar bills to pop up next year. The Legislature did approve a bill setting up a website with information on abortion alternatives and requiring that abortion clinics post... more »

• Calif. law to ban violent video games struck down

  June 27, 2011 12:42 PM

  CALIFORNIA - The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a California law Monday that would ban the sale of "violent" video games to children. The 7-to-2 vote made it a victory for video game makers and sellers, who said the ban would go too far. If the law had... more »

• Bill would repeal La.'s 'Science Education Act'

  May 26, 2011 6:36 AM

  BATON ROUGE- A Senate panel is considering a proposal to repeal a Louisiana law that allows public school science teachers to use supplemental materials in their classrooms beyond state-approved textbooks. More than 40 Nobel Prize-winning scientists are urging the repeal of the Louisiana Science Education Act, saying it creates a... more »