Current News Items
Sheriff Garber: Cashing In on a Manufactured Crisis
Sheriff Mark Garber warned Lafayette Parish of a growing jail funding crisis. Then LCG took him up on his challenge to “re-analyze” the numbers. The results were… illuminating. From a $43 million surplus to statutory obligations quietly shifted onto taxpayers, the Sheriff’s narrative began unraveling the moment someone finally checked the math.
Op-Ed: Local Elections, National Stakes—and the Need for Reliable Funding
Local elections may be administered at the parish level, but their consequences reach far beyond it. In this guest op-ed, State Rep. Lauren Ventrella argues that secure elections require more than debate over policy and procedure — they require sustained investment in the systems and people responsible for carrying them out.
$6.3 Million Sitting Idle — Lafayette’s Economic Development Districts Exposed
Lafayette’s economic development districts have accumulated $6.3 million with little to show—raising new questions about taxes, spending, and accountability.
Amendment 5: A Closer Look at Judges Serving Past Age 80
Amendment 5 sounds simple: raise the judicial retirement age to 75. But some could serve well into their 80s. This amendment is about more than age—it’s about lowering accountability while increasing tenure and power.
SCOTUS Kills the Cleo Map — Congress Races May Move to November
The Supreme Court struck Louisiana’s congressional map. State officials already have contingency legislation ready, no special session is needed, and House races could move from May to November.
LAFAYETTE: Sheriff-LCG Slugfest Sends the Courts Running for Cover
The entire Lafayette 15th JDC recused itself from the Sheriff vs. LCG lawsuit — citing structural relationships that call impartiality into question. If that concern exists here, what else does it say about the system?
Lawmakers Got Serious — The Justice System Refused to Change
Louisiana’s leaders promised sweeping crime reform in 2024. Two years later, repeat offenders, delayed prosecutions, suspended sentences, and the same old courtroom culture remain. Lawmakers got serious. The justice system didn’t.
NEW IBERIA: They Finally Admitted There Was a Problem
For months, concerns about New Iberia’s civil service board were brushed aside. Then the City tried to fix it — and in the process confirmed the problems were real.
The problem with the Orleans Parish Criminal Clerk
An election, a newly chosen official, and a fast-moving bill that could erase the office entirely. It’s an interesting sequence of events that leaves Orleans residents with more questions than answers.
A $1M Plan to “Study” Lafayette? Mayor Boulet’s Veto Explained
A $1 million study with no scope, no sites, and broad authority handed to an unelected board. Lafayette’s Mayor Boulet vetoed it—and for good reason. Was this about making a plan, or about taking over Lafayette’s development authority?