louisiana

October 12, 2018 - A look at the South's major state and federal elections this year, and how a Democratic surge could shift regional politics for years to come.

October 9, 2018 - Tuesday, Oct. 9 is the voter registration deadline in more than half of the states in the South. The deadline looms as dozens of key races for Congress, governor and other contests are expected to be decided by razor-thin margins, and interest in the November mid-terms grows among Republicans.

September 13, 2018 - The state's refusal to move inmates being held in what are now hurricane evacuation zones puts lives at risk and violates international human rights standards.

September 7, 2018 - More than eight years after BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, tens of thousands of sickened cleanup workers, first responders, and coastal residents are still awaiting financial compensation — and many may not ever receive it because of the way the settlement has been structured.

August 2, 2018 - State supreme court seats across the South are up for grabs this year, and contributions are pouring into partisan races. What does the research tell us about the effects of big-money politics on the judiciary?

July 30, 2018 - North Carolina lawmakers recently called a special session to make major changes to election ballots. The changes aim to influence the outcome of the state Supreme Court election and referenda on constitutional amendments that would give the legislature more power. 

July 16, 2018 - The public has until July 31 to weigh in on a proposal to bar key federal funding from family planning service providers who so much as mention abortion to patients. The policy would have a disproportionate impact on the health of poor women and women of color in the South.

June 15, 2018 - A North Carolina voter charged with violating the state's ban on voting while on probation for a felony is arguing that the policy violates the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause. 

June 6, 2018 - At the same time President Trump is appointing federal judges with a history of opposing equal rights for LGBTQ people, national conservative groups are spending big to elect LGBTQ-hostile judges to state supreme courts.

May 11, 2018 - With protests ongoing over the planned Bayou Bridge oil pipeline, the Louisiana legislature advanced a bill this week creating new crimes with stiff penalties for conspiracy to trespass on pipeline property — part of a broader trend of states and the federal government targeting protest actions.