WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• Ex-La. lawmaker booked on theft charge

  March 27, 2013 12:59 PM

  GRETNA - A former Louisiana lawmaker has been booked on a theft charge that is reportedly tied to a probe of a rebuilding project following Hurricane Katrina. A spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office says former state Rep. Sherman Copelin Jr. surrendered to investigators Wednesday. He also was booked... more »

• Lawmaker blasts DHH secretary for not being at hearing Play Video

  March 26, 2013 10:32 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A state representative said it was "very irresponsible" that the head of the Department of Health and Hospitals was not at a budget hearing today to answer questions about a controversial Medicaid contract cancelled last week. Rep. Jim Fannin, the chair of the House Appropriations Committee,... more »

• Lawmaker wants term limits for statewide officials

  March 12, 2013 10:33 AM

  BATON ROUGE - An Iberia Parish lawmaker again is seeking to put term limits on all statewide elected officials, after voters overwhelmingly supported such limits for school boards. Republican Rep. Simone Champagne has filed the proposal to limit statewide elected officials to three consecutive four-year terms. Lawmakers will consider the... more »

• Lawmaker wants suggestions on school safety

  February 20, 2013 7:41 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A state lawmaker is seeking ideas from educators and parents about ways to improve school safety. Covington Rep. John Schroder leads the House homeland security committee. He's asking people to send their comments to schoolsafetycomments@legis.la.gov. Schroder's committee held a hearing to get suggestions from state education... more »

• Lawmaker: Ala. child held in bunker got medicine

  January 30, 2013 2:30 PM

  MIDLAND CITY, Ala. - An Alabama legislator says a 6-year-old boy who is being held hostage has been able to receive medicine and watch TV. State Rep. Steve Clouse said Wednesday he met with authorities and visited the family of the boy. The boy's captor is accused of intercepting a... more »

• Husband of wounded lawmaker says Congress must act

  January 30, 2013 10:34 AM

  WASHINGTON - The husband of wounded former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords says that while curbing gun violence is a complex problem, it is no excuse for inaction by lawmakers. Former astronaut Mark Kelly told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that he and his wife, former Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords,... more »

• LaBruzzo weighing options for legislative seat Play Video

  December 5, 2012 5:55 PM

  CENTRAL - Former state representative John LaBruzzo is known for his annual battles at the Capitol attempting to make drug testing mandatory for people on welfare. Now LaBruzzo has a new home, but may have to wait a bit befreo getting back into politics. LaBruzzo and his wife... more »

• CIA deputy: Rice got initial assessment on Libya

  November 15, 2012 4:28 PM

  WASHINGTON - The deputy CIA director has told lawmakers that U.N. ambassador Susan Rice was provided with an unclassified version of what happened during the deadly Sept. 11 attack in Libya that later proved to be incorrect. Mike Morell briefed members of the House Intelligence committee on Thursday. Emerging from... more »

• State lawmaker calls for special session

  October 4, 2012 11:29 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A state lawmaker is calling for a special session to address health care cuts. State Rep. Jerome "Dee" Richard of Thibodaux has called for the special session and has sent a petition to lawmakers, requesting their support. Richard says he wants the legislature to have a... more »

• Recall efforts against Jindal, Kleckley fall short

  September 20, 2012 10:14 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A group of public school teachers has failed in its efforts to recall Gov. Bobby Jindal and House Speaker Chuck Kleckley. Angie Bonvillain and Brenda Romero, the two Calcasieu Parish teachers leading the effort, told The Associated Press in an e-mail Thursday that they didn't get enough... more »

• State lawmaker wants special session to work on budget Play Video

  September 19, 2012 6:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE- State Representative Dee Richard, I- Houma, says lawmaker need to call a special session before the end of the year. Richard says the legislature needs to be more involved in recent decisions about the budget. Lawmakers have criticized Governor Bobby Jindal's plans to close Phelps Correctional Center,... more »

• Thibodaux lawmaker trying to call special session

  September 19, 2012 10:15 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A Thibodaux lawmaker is trying to rally support for a special legislative session to revisit budget decisions made in recent months by Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration. Rep. Jerome "Dee" Richard, an independent, says he is sending out a letter Wednesday to House members asking them to call... more »

• Joint committee questions tax breaks, health cuts

  July 23, 2012 10:19 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers gathered in Baton Rouge today for a join budget committee meeting. On the agenda are questions about just how much the impact of the state's tax breaks are to the budget. Lawmakers also plan to question the Jindal administration about recent Medicaid cuts, most of... more »

• Jetson officials answer questions about security, youth services

  July 19, 2012 12:52 PM

  BAKER - News 2 was allowed inside the Jetson Center for Youth today for a tour of the complex. There have been many complaints about the site after a recent escape from the facility. A former state lawmaker says many of the juvenile justice reform measures approved a decade... more »

• Ex-state lawmaker blasts the La. Office of Juvenile Justice Play Video

  July 11, 2012 5:29 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Former lawmaker Don Cravins, Sr, says there needs to be a shakeup in the Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice. Cravins, who is currently the mayor of Opelousas, helped fight for a legislative package known the the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2003. A team of professionals, including... more »

• Event planned "to teach women how to sit"

  July 3, 2012 4:32 PM

  NEW YORK- A New York state lawmaker has canceled an event for teaching women how to sit. Republican Sen. Marty Golden sent out a mailing advertising the July 24 business etiquette event on "posture, deportment and the feminine presence." His website said women would be taught to "sit,... more »

• Veto session letters sent Tuesday to La. lawmakers

  June 19, 2012 11:16 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Notification letters are being sent to Louisiana's lawmakers, advising them about the planned July 14 veto session and how to scrap the meeting if they don't want to hold it. The veto session was automatically set when Gov. Bobby Jindal rejected bills from the regular legislative session that... more »

• Lawmaker forced from leadership role offered to resign Play Video

  June 14, 2012 6:15 PM

  BATON ROUGE- State Representative Jim Morris, R-Oil City, says he did not agree with some of Governor Jindal's key session issues concerning the budget and education reform. Critics of the governor say that is the reason he was removed as the vice-chairman of the House Natural Resources and Environment... more »

• House approves GOP bill repealing medical tax

  June 7, 2012 4:49 PM

  WASHINGTON - The House has shrugged off a veto threat and passed legislation repealing a tax on companies that produce many medical devices sold in the United States. Lawmakers approved the measure 270-146. Majority Republicans won support from three-dozen Democrats representing states where medical equipment makers have a heavy presence... more »

• $3.4B school funding plan gets final passage

  June 4, 2012 3:16 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana House has given final legislative passage to a $3.4 elementary and secondary school spending plan, without reaching the vote threshold needed to pass a bill in the chamber. House Speaker Chuck Kleckley decided that since the multibillion dollar spending plans were contained in a legislative... more »

• Bill that drug tests welfare recipients stalls

  May 29, 2012 6:40 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Legislation requiring that some welfare recipients submit to random drug tests stalled in a Senate committee after members left the meeting before a vote could be taken. The House-passed bill by Rep. Sherman Mack, R-Livingston, would require that 20 percent of adults receiving aid from the Family... 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 »

• Lawmakers seek wholesale review of La. tax breaks

  May 18, 2012 11:52 AM

  BATON ROUGE- As the state's budget woes pile up and tax break bills continue to sail through the Legislature, lawmakers are setting the stage for a wholesale review of the billions of dollars in tax exemptions, rebates and credits on the books. The effort is being pushed by conservative Republicans... more »

• Lawmakers question VA's plans to hire more staff

  May 8, 2012 11:21 AM

  WASHINGTON- Federal lawmakers are casting doubts on the adequacy of the Department of Veterans Affairs' plans to hire 1,900 additional workers to improve access to mental health care. Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House committee with jurisdiction over veterans' issues, said the VA's plans looked like a knee-jerk reaction... more »

• New Orleans lawmaker: Rename Danziger Bridge

  March 1, 2012 7:38 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A New Orleans lawmaker wants to rename the notorious Danziger Bridge, the site of deadly police shootings after Hurricane Katrina. Democratic Rep. Wesley Bishop has proposed a bill to name the span the Madison-Brissette Memorial Bridge, after the two men who were killed: 17-year-old James Brissette and... more »

• New lawmaker proposes welfare drug testing mandate

  February 29, 2012 4:48 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A new state lawmaker is reviving an annual debate over whether Louisiana should mandate drug testing for welfare recipients. Rep. Sherman Mack, a Republican from Livingston beginning his first term in office, has proposed the measure for the legislative session that begins March 12. Mack's bill would... more »

• Miss. lawmaker: 'Gulf of America' bill was a joke

  February 10, 2012 5:19 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - The sponsor of a bill that would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" says all the people outraged about the proposal have missed its satirical intent. State Rep. Steve Holland, a populist Democrat known for over-the-top gestures, said Thursday the measure is meant... more »

• Landrieu asks if $80M grant can be salvaged

  November 8, 2011 3:22 PM

  BATON ROUGE - U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is asking federal officials if Louisiana can reverse the loss of an $80 million grant to expand broadband Internet connections. The Democratic senator released a letter Tuesday that she sent to the U.S. Department of Commerce, asking if the state can appeal,... more »

• State lawmaker wants rails where boy fell

  November 8, 2011 3:17 PM

  Update 4:30: A "Keep Off" sign has been added below the ledge where the boy fell from. BATON ROUGE - A state lawmaker said he wants railings added to the Capitol steps where a young boy from his district fell this weekend. The 9-year-old boy fell 25 feet... more »

• Lawmaker says BP claims aren't enough for stricken residents

  September 29, 2011 6:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana may not be getting a fair shake when it comes to the BP claims process, according to some state lawmakers. Representative Joe Harrison (R-Houma) said at a claims hearing in Baton Rouge today that hurricanes, river flooding, seafood imports and the oil spill have all... more »

• Former Baton Rouge area lawmaker dies at 73

  August 5, 2011 3:00 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. - Former Baton Rouge area lawmaker Donald Ray Kennard, who worked as an athletic adviser at LSU for more than 20 years, has died. He was 73. LSU says Kennard died Friday following complications from a brain aneurysm. Kennard, a Republican from Central, represented... more »

• Letters go out to La. lawmakers about veto session

  July 15, 2011 3:55 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Letters have gone out to lawmakers, advising them about the Aug. 2 veto session that was automatically set when Gov. Bobby Jindal rejected bills from the recent legislative session. A majority written vote of either the House or Senate can scrap the veto session. Most years,... more »

• Work begins on unified affordable housing policy

  July 13, 2011 11:32 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A group of lawmakers and state officials are meeting Thursday to consolidate Louisiana's multiple housing agencies into one public corporation. The new Louisiana Housing Corporation, pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal, will develop a unified housing policy across the state. LHC will take the reins of programs... 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 »

• Senate panel approves House drug testing bill

  June 15, 2011 4:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A Senate committee has approved a Metairie lawmaker's proposal to require drug testing of welfare recipients, despite concerns the bill may be unconstitutional. Republican John LaBruzzo says the courts should decide whether it will be overturned, similar to a program in Florida. At issue is whether... more »

• 'Birther' bill scrapped in La. legislative session

  June 14, 2011 4:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A proposal to require presidential candidates to prove their U.S. citizenship before their names can be included on Louisiana's ballot has been shelved for this session, after running into opposition from lawmakers. Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, said Tuesday he didn't press for the measure because he... more »

• Second lawmaker tables sweeping immigration bill

  June 13, 2011 2:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A Belle Chasse legislator has withdrawn his broad immigration bill, similar to an Arizona law being challenged in the courts. Independent Rep. Ernest Wooton says his bill would help secure the borders. But critics say the measure's $11 million estimated cost would strain state and local... more »

• DEQ, DNR give lawmakers a flood impact report

  June 7, 2011 5:46 PM

  BATON ROUGE- State environmental agencies say oil and gas facilities were notified and prepared for the Mississippi River flooding, despite reports of some chemical storage facilities being threatened by the rising water. Members of the Department of Natural Resources and Dept. of Environmental Quality said the opening of the... more »

• Bill to allow concealed weapons on campus stalls

  June 1, 2011 2:37 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A Belle Chasse lawmaker's proposal to allow college students to carry concealed handguns on campus has been rejected by a House committee. Rep. Ernest Wooton, an independent from Belle Chasse and chairman of the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, said his bill would help preserve the... more »

• Lawmaker defers controversial immigration bill

  May 25, 2011 4:22 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A Republican lawmaker has withdrawn his sweeping immigration enforcement proposal from debate this session. After hearing testimony Wednesday against the bill from law enforcement and immigrant rights advocates, Rep. Joe Harrison, of Napoleonville, deferred his proposal. The measure would have required providers of public benefits... more »

• BR area lawmaker wants guarantee about medical network

  March 30, 2011 4:59 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge area lawmaker is looking for a guarantee of continued support for a statewide trauma network. State Representative Bodi White, R-Central, serves on the board for the Louisiana Emergency Response Network. There are already facilities in New Orleans and Shreveport providing emergency treatment.... more »

• Another La. lawmaker switches parties

  March 17, 2011 6:08 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Another Louisiana lawmaker has switched to the Republican party. The state Republican Delegation announced Sen. Jody Amedee of Gonzales switched parties today. "Jody is the third Democrat to switch parties in the last five months in the State Senate. We do not believe he will... more »

• Ex-lawmaker's corruption case ends in mistrial

  February 24, 2011 3:04 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has declared a mistrial in the case against a former Louisiana lawmaker charged with conspiring to pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars in government grant money earmarked for charitable and educational programs in New Orleans. The deadlocked jurors who heard the case against... more »

• Jury in ex-lawmaker's trial to keep deliberating

  February 23, 2011 5:18 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has instructed jurors to continue deliberating in the racketeering case against a former Louisiana lawmaker even though they appear to be deadlocked. Michael Fawer, an attorney for former state Rep. Renee Gill Pratt, said the jury gave U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle a... more »

• Ex-lawmaker testifies in her racketeering trial

  February 15, 2011 3:06 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A former Louisiana lawmaker on trial on charges that she conspired to rip off hundreds of thousands of dollars in government grant money has testified that she did not know members of a New Orleans political family were pocketing the funds. Former state Rep. Renee Gill... more »

• Obama: Challenges are "bigger than party"

  January 25, 2011 5:37 PM

  WASHINGTON - Declaring a new era of shared responsibility, President Barack Obama is imploring Republican and Democratic lawmakers to work with him to revitalize the economy, saying in his State of the Union address the enormity of the challenge is "bigger than party, and bigger than politics." In brief excerpts... more »

• Indictments against former Senator Fontenot dismissed

  October 26, 2010 3:39 PM

  A judge has dismissed two federal indictments for fraud that had been filed against former state lawmaker Heulette "Clo" Fontenot. According to the U. S. Attorneys Office, Judge James Brady dismissed the indictments earlier today, which alleged Fontenot had lied twice to banks about a campaign debt. Prosecutors... more »

• State bill to reject health overhaul called premature

  March 9, 2010 10:33 AM

  The Democratic leader of the state House says a Republican senator's bill that would nullify any federal health care overhaul passed by Congress is ridiculous and premature. Rep. Karen St. Germain, head of the House Democratic Caucus, says it's too soon for state lawmakers to issue a "blanket no" to... more »

• State lawmaker targets texting while driving

  March 7, 2010 12:13 PM

  A Louisiana state lawmaker is taking a stand against texting while driving. State Senator Butch Gautreaux, from Morgan City, thinks the current law is "ridiculous." Gautreaux wants to change the current Louisiana law, making texting a primary offence rather than secondary. The current law does not allow... more »