Julie O'Donoghue

@jsodonoghue.bsky.social

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Senior writer at Louisiana Illuminator. I formally worked at The Times-Picayune, St. Louis Public Radio, The Connection Newspapers and The Northwest Current. Macalester College and Northwestern University alum.

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Hey folks! I put out a weekday newsletter with news clips from around the state of Louisiana. (This is a personal project and not connected to the Louisiana Illuminator.) Below is a sample of today's newsletter. I hope you consider signing up. julieodonoghue.substack.com/p/beaucoup-n...

Beaucoup News - July 18, 2024julieodonoghue.substack.com Attorney general, 6th congressional district race and more...

There's lots of good stuff in the Louisiana Illuminator newsletter every morning. Please consider subscribing here: lailluminator.com/subscribe/

Subscribe • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com

Three candidates, two Democrats and one Republican, have signed up to run in the new majority-Black 6th congressional district in Louisiana. lailluminator.com/2024/07/17/2...

2 Democrats, Republican join race for Louisiana’s new majority-Black congressional district • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Former Congressman Cleo Fields, former state Sen. Elbert Guillory and upstart candidate Quentin Anthony Anderson signed up Wednesday to run in the election for Louisiana’s newly drawn, majority-Black ...

Three Democrats signed up to run in Louisiana's new majority-Black district for the Louisiana Supreme Court. lailluminator.com/2024/07/17/c...

Candidates sign up to run in new majority-Black Louisiana Supreme Court district • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Two state appellate court judges and a Baton Rouge government administrator signed up Wednesday to run for a newly-created majority-Black seat on Louisiana’s Supreme Court. All three candidates for t...

A powerful Republican donor sent dozens of suggestions for rewriting the Louisiana constitution directly to state lawmakers in an email Tuesday. lailluminator.com/2024/07/10/g...

GOP megadonor circulates Louisiana Constitution draft with school f...www.newsfromthestates.com An influential Republican political donor emailed a rough draft of a proposed, new state constitution to Louisiana lawmakers Tuesday that suggests changes to public school funding, the homestead exemp...

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Julie O'Donoghue

The proposal marks the first comprehensive look at what powerful convention supporters might want to accomplish in reworking Louisiana's constitution, including a new system for picking the chief justice of the state supreme court. Via Louisiana Illuminator @jsodonoghue.bsky.social

Under a new law, the Louisiana ethics board will have a new challenge in launching investigations into government officials over the next 5 months. lailluminator.com/2024/07/08/l...

Louisiana ethics board faces higher quorum hurdle under new law • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com The Louisiana Board of Ethics will face challenges conducting its business over the next five months under a new state law that gives Gov. Jeff Landry more control over the body. Senate Bill 497, spon...

Louisiana lawmakers won't attempt to override any of Gov. Jeff Landry's vetoes. The veto override session has been canceled. lailluminator.com/2024/07/09/l...

Louisiana legislators decide not to override Jeff Landry vetoes, as expected • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Louisiana lawmakers will not attempt to override vetoes Gov. Jeff Landry has issued this year. An overwhelming majority of legislators in the House and the Senate returned forms indicating they did n...

Starting Aug. 1, Louisiana will require all health insurance plans to cover menopause/perimenopause treatment. They will be obliged to cover hormone replacement therapy without prior authorization, etc. that is sometimes used to delay or deny HRT coverage. lailluminator.com/2024/07/03/i...

Louisiana mandates insurance coverage for menopause, perimenopause treatment • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Louisiana will require Medicaid and private health insurance plans offered in the state to cover menopause and perimenopause treatment

In Louisiana, state lawmakers who are attorneys get significant leeway to request extensions from the courts because of their legislative work. The Louisiana Supreme Court has agreed to review whether that practice is being abused. lailluminator.com/2024/06/27/l...

Louisiana lawsuit could limit advantage for attorneys who are state legislators • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com The Louisiana Supreme Court will review whether granting automatic delays in court proceedings to attorneys who are also state lawmakers is fair. The justices’ decision to do so comes just days after ...

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Louisiana gives attorneys who are lawmakers leeway to ask for delays in court proceedings. Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed a bill that would've changed that but the state's high court agreed to review the practice. Via Louisiana Illuminator @jsodonoghue.bsky.social

Louisiana lawsuit could limit advantage for attorneys who are state...www.newsfromthestates.com The Louisiana Supreme Court will review whether granting automatic delays in court proceedings to attorneys who are also state lawmakers is fair. The justices’ decision to do so comes just days after ...

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry cut $1 million in funding for a homeless shelter run by his hometown chapter of Catholic Charities. The governor, who is Catholic, said he is unhappy with the support Catholic Charities provides to immigrants. lailluminator.com/2024/06/26/c...

Catholic Charities immigrant aid compelled Landry to cut state money for its homeless shelter • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Gov. Jeff Landry cut $1 million in state funding from the largest homeless shelter in Lafayette over objections to the help its operator, Catholic Charities of Acadiana, provides to immigrants. “Part ...

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Under the vetoed bill, Louisiana's governor would have been able to bypass the traditional pardon process to clear the criminal records of people who met a narrow definition of a marijuana offender. Via Louisiana Illuminator @statesnewsroom.com

Gov. Jeff Landry rejects easier pardon process for minor marijuana...www.newsfromthestates.com Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed legislation that would have made it easier for him and future governors to pardon people for minor marijuana possession convictions. He said the proposal reflected a “soft-on-c...

Gov. Landry vetoed legislation that have let him pardon people convicted of minor marijuana possession more easily. He said it was part of President Biden's "soft-on-crime, no-consequences-for-criminals agenda." lailluminator.com/2024/06/24/g...

Gov. Jeff Landry rejects easier pardon process for minor marijuana offenses • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed legislation making it easier for him and future governors to pardon people for minor marijuana possession convictions. He said the proposal reflected a “soft-on-crime” attitude...

A Louisiana senator who owns a trucking company created a new law that reduces the number of $2500 permits trucking companies must purchase from the state. lailluminator.com/2024/06/20/l...

Louisiana lawmaker who owns trucking business authors law to reduce trucking fees • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com A new law to reduce the number of commercial truck permits the state requires might benefit the family business of the state lawmaker who pushed the measure.

Gov. Jeff Landry is closing state offices Wednesday to observe Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery. Landry had to issue a specific proclamation to honor Juneteenth because it is not an automatic day off. lailluminator.com/briefs/gov-j...

Gov. Jeff Landry gives state workers Wednesday off to observe Juneteenth • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Gov. Jeff Landry will close state offices Wednesday in observance of Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Louisiana lawmakers have repeatedly complained about having to spend too much on private attorneys who defend people facing the death penalty. It's one of the reasons they changed the public defender board his year. But spending on those attorneys isn't going down. lailluminator.com/2024/06/13/l...

Louisiana’s death penalty spending stays the course, despite public defense shakeup • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Louisiana will continue to spend millions of dollars on private contracts with attorneys to represent people facing the death penalty, despite Gov. Jeff Landry’s high-profile overhaul of public defens...

More victims of child abuse will be able to sue in Louisiana after the state Supreme Court reversed itself on a "look back" law this week. lailluminator.com/2024/06/13/m...

More child abuse victims can sue after Louisiana Supreme Court reversal • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Adults abused as children decades ago will be able to sue over the mistreatment under a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling released Wednesday.

Louisiana lawmakers decline to endorse using campaign funds for child care expenses. But dozens of elected officials used their campaign money to purchase Saints, Southern and LSU football tickets each year. lailluminator.com/2024/06/12/c...

Louisiana lawmakers refuse to endorse child care as campaign expense • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Five years ago, the Louisiana Board of Ethics told a political candidate she could use her campaign money to cover child care costs as long as the expense was related to her efforts to get elected. Bu...

Here's six new and incoming laws that will increase Jeff Landry's power as governor. lailluminator.com/2024/06/07/6...

6 incoming laws that will increase Jeff Landry’s power as Louisiana governor • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Louisiana’s powerful governor will become more so after a massive push from Republican Jeff Landry to increase his authority and influence over state government.

From teachers' pay to new attorneys to handle public records requests. Here's a rundown of what was included in the state budget in Louisiana. #lalege lailluminator.com/2024/06/04/e...

Everything you wanted to know about Louisiana’s budget but were afraid to ask • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com The Louisiana Legislature has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to infrastructure projects and maintaining teacher pay in the state budget plan that goes into effect July 1.

Louisiana lawmakers will NOT be passing legislation to protect IVF services this session. Rep. Paula Davis is shelving her bill to do so. Her colleagues refused to remove language that referred to embryos as human beings. lailluminator.com/2024/05/29/l...

Louisiana voters could decide if Gov. Landry gets more control over state employees • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com The Louisiana Legislature is close to approving a proposed constitutional amendment that lets state residents decide if Gov. Jeff Landry gets greater control over state government jobs and New Orleans...

Louisiana lawmakers have overwhelmingly voted to give Gov. Jeff Landry control over the state ethics board, even though he is in a dispute with the board over the charges he faces. #lalege lailluminator.com/2024/05/28/l...

Lawmakers give Landry control over ethics board amid dispute over discipline • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Louisiana lawmakers voted to give Gov. Jeff Landry control over the Board of Ethics, just a few months after its members charged him with breaking state ethics law.

Teacher stipends and early childhood education get restored in the latest version of the Louisiana state budget. But there's a whole lot more in there too. lailluminator.com/2024/05/23/l...

Teacher stipends, early childhood funding restored in latest Louisiana budget proposal • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Louisiana lawmakers have restored money for public school teacher pay stipends and early childhood education programs in the latest version of the state budget plan released Wednesday evening.

Two key constitutional convention backers said they would support moving sales tax breaks on food for home consumption, residential utilities and prescription drugs out of the constitution. This would make it easier to repeal or change those tax breaks. #lalege lailluminator.com/2024/05/17/c...

Constitutional convention backers support removing protections for tax breaks on food, utilities • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Two of Gov. Jeff Landry’s allies in his effort to overhaul the state constitution would personally support weakening protections around popular state sales tax breaks for residential utilities, prescr...

Louisiana lawmakers have voted to make documents and meetings about the publicly funded governor's mansion secret. The bill also gives the governor more authority over the mansion operations. lailluminator.com/2024/05/16/l...

Louisiana Governor’s mansion records, commission meetings likely to be made secret • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com The Louisiana Legislature has voted overwhelmingly to give the governor more power over the publicly funded Governor’s Mansion and keep records and meetings related to the home secret. The Senate on T...

Gov. Jeff Landry is still in a dispute with the state ethics board over charges he faces for failing to disclose trips he took on a private donor's plane. Now, lawmakers are considering giving him direct control over most of the ethic board's members. #lalege lailluminator.com/2024/05/15/g...

Gov. Jeff Landry, in dispute with state ethics board, might gain more control over its members • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Gov. Jeff Landry has yet to resolve a months-long dispute with the Louisiana Board of Ethics for failing to disclose private flights he took to Hawaii on a campaign donor’s plane.

The Louisiana Senate has some concerns about confirming Gov. Jeff Landry's pick to run the Office of Juvenile Justice. lailluminator.com/2024/05/14/l...

Louisiana Senate leader seeks to block Landry juvenile justice appointee • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com A legislative leader doesn’t believe Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s choice to run the state’s youth prison system should get the job, and she’s preparing to put up a fight over his Senate confirmation.

Louisiana lawmakers continue to move forward a bill that is supposed to protect IVF services, but legislators refused to remove language that refers to an embryo as a "biological human being" - which could still cause problems for doctors/fertility clinics. lailluminator.com/2024/05/14/l...

Louisiana lawmakers move IVF protection bill forward, but doctors still might be vulnerable • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Louisiana lawmakers continue to move forward a bill to keep in vitro fertilization (IVF) services legal, but they haven’t been willing to make all the changes necessary to fully protect doctors from p...

Louisiana lawmakers may extend the deadline for a "look back window" to file lawsuits in older child abuse cases. lailluminator.com/2024/05/13/l...

Look back period for child abuse lawsuits could be extended in Louisiana • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com Louisiana lawmakers are swiftly advancing legislation that would extend the timeframe adults who are survivors of child abuse have to file lawsuits against institutions such as Catholic Church and ind...