Latest Louisiana Headlines

All the headlines from our Louisiana Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Federal Aid Now Available to Rain-Swamped Louisiana Farmers

Jun 27 2017 // The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated Evangeline Parish in Louisiana as a primary natural disaster area as the result of losses and damages caused by heavy and excessive rain that occurred from April 4,...

Tropical Storm Cindy Bears Down on Gulf Coast

Jun 22 2017 // Tropical Storm Cindy churned slowly on Wednesday across the Gulf of Mexico toward an expected landing on the Texas-Louisiana border, after claiming the life of a vacationing child and threatening to bring flash floods from...

Tropical Storm Cindy Heads Toward Texas/Louisiana Border

Jun 21 2017 // The National Hurricane Center reports that a tropical storm warning is in effect from San Luis Pass Texas to the mouth of the Mississippi River as Tropical Storm Cindy moves closer to the central Gulf Coast. The storm...

Louisiana Employment Picture Improves with Large Job Gains

Jun 20 2017 // Seasonally adjusted data for the month of May shows that total nonfarm employment gained 10,500 jobs over the month in Louisiana for a new figure of 1,983,200, according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC). This is...

Fake Arkansas Insurance Broker Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

Jun 19 2017 // An Arkansas man who pretended to be an insurance broker and collected more than $1 million selling fake policies in three states has been sentenced to more than five years in prison, the Arkansas Insurance Department...

Louisiana Tightens Rules to Prevent ‘Doctor Shopping’ for Opioid Drugs

Jun 19 2017 // Louisiana lawmakers have ordered physicians to consult a statewide prescription monitoring program before prescribing opioid drugs. The Senate approved minor changes the House had made to Sen. Fred Mills’ bill and...

Bills Meant to Curb Opioid Abuse in Louisiana Signed by Governor

Jun 14 2017 // Obtaining prescriptions for highly addictive opioid drugs in Louisiana will soon be more difficult under bills signed into law on June 12 by Gov. John Bel Edwards, who is hoping to turn the state into a leader in battling...

3 Named to Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council

Jun 14 2017 // Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has reappointed one and appointed two others to the three to the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council. The council monitors and reports to the governor and the legislature on the...

Louisiana Adds Hurdles to Prevent ‘Doctor Shopping’ for Opioid Drugs

Jun 5 2017 // Hoping to stop people from “doctor shopping” for highly addictive painkillers, Louisiana lawmakers have ordered physicians to consult a statewide prescription monitoring program before prescribing opioid...

Louisiana Woman Gets a Year in Prison for Insurance Fraud

Jun 5 2017 // A 54-year-old Louisiana woman has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for insurance fraud, and must pay $9,100 restitution. Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook said in a news release that Lasandra Laverne...

Louisiana, Arkansas Enact Flooding Emergency Rules

Jun 5 2017 // Both Louisiana and Arkansas recently enacted emergency regulations aimed at protecting insureds in the aftermath of devastating floods in those states. Louisiana’s action extends an emergency rule put in place...

90% of Louisiana Parishes Declared Disaster Areas in Last 18 Months

Jun 5 2017 // In advance of the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, the Louisiana Department of Insurance pointed out that over the last 18 months, nearly 90 percent of the state’s parishes have been included in major disaster...

Fake Arkansas Insurance Broker Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

Jun 1 2017 // An Arkansas man who pretended to be an insurance broker and collected more than $1 million selling fake insurance policies in three states has been sentenced to more than five years in prison, the Arkansas Insurance...

Bill Creating Workers’ Comp Drug Formulary Advances in Louisiana

Jun 1 2017 // A bill establishing a workers’ compensation closed drug formulary in Louisiana passed the House and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations. A legislative analysis of House Bill...

Uber, Lyft Statewide Regulation Bill Deemed Dead in Louisiana

Jun 1 2017 // Louisiana won’t join 44 other states in regulating ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft after a proposal to standardize rules and expand access to smaller cities was blocked by New Orleans lawmakers, the...

Louisiana Fake-Crash Scheme Leads to 13 Arrests

May 30 2017 // Louisiana State Police say 13 people have been arrested in connection with an insurance fraud scheme involving staged automobile crashes. A news release says the May 25 arrests followed an investigation that began with...

Louisiana Disaster Declarations in Last 18 Months Involved Nearly 90% of Parishes

May 24 2017 // With hurricane season fast approaching, the Louisiana Department of Insurance is pointing out that in the last 18 months, nearly 90 percent of the state’s parishes have been included in major disaster...

Louisiana Getting Another $51M in Federal Flood Aid

May 22 2017 // Louisiana’s getting another $51 million in federal dollars to help with recovery from last year’s floods. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy announced the latest figure Thursday. He says the U.S. Department of Housing and...

New Louisiana Emergency Rule Extends Flood-Impacted Policyholder Protection

May 15 2017 // Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says a new emergency rule extends the time in which policyholders affected by August 2016 flooding have to comply with insurance policy provisions. Emergency Rule 33 continues...

Louisiana Flood Damage Survey Help Sessions Planned

May 15 2017 // Louisiana is holding outreach sessions to help homeowners with damage from last year’s floods to fill out a survey that is the initial step to requesting aid from the state. Six events are scheduled across Louisiana...