NELA Legislative Awareness

07/11/2026

Jamie Davis in RUSTON Saturday, July 11th, 3:00pm, Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church, 622 West Line Avenue.

07/05/2026

Ten years ago today, J. D. Vance called Donald Trump “cultural heroin” in The Atlantic: “What Trump offers is an easy escape from the pain. To every complex problem, he promises a simple solution … He never offers details for how these plans will work, because he can’t. Trump’s promises are the needle in America’s collective vein,” Vance wrote.

The Atlantic is republishing Vance’s essay on its tenth anniversary so that our readers can judge for themselves how well his assessment of the man he now serves as vice president has stood the test of time.

Read the full essay: https://theatln.tc/Y3fq9FZq

06/24/2026

06/09/2026

RUSTON AREA FOLKS!

A Ruston signing for the Louisiana Deserves Better recall petition of Gov. Landry will be held on Tuesday, June 9 from 3:00-5:30 pm at No 9 Books and Records, 301 N Trenton Street, suite 2 in Ruston. Regular signings will start in Ruston and Grambling after June 22. Stay tuned.

05/31/2026

In a state where women die from pregnancy-related causes at more than double the national average, Republican Louisiana lawmakers quietly sidelined a resolution last week that would have forced a deeper examination of the crisis.

The resolution directed health officials to examine the state’s persistently high maternal death rates — 222 confirmed pregnancy-associated deaths from 2020 to 2022, with 84% deemed preventable.

It also called for a look into racial disparities that leave Black mothers 2.2 times more likely to die than white mothers.

Also suggested for review were gaps in prenatal and postpartum care, including the finding that only 5.2% of pregnant Medicaid beneficiaries received a case management plan of care.

The resolution also covered the collapse of obstetric services in rural parishes, including seven parishes with no birthing hospital, no obstetric providers and drives for patients exceeding an hour to the nearest facility.

It also sought scrutiny for workforce shortages, including 24 parishes with no OB/GYN providing Medicaid services.

Finally, Marcelle’s resolution was meant to measure the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of existing state maternal care programs.

Despite years of reports documenting preventable deaths, racial inequities and failures in postpartum care, Louisiana has not implemented many of the recommendations made by its own review committees. The same categories of prevention recommendations — care coordination, substance use treatment, workforce expansion, racial disparities and data infrastructure — have appeared in every Pregnancy Associated Mortality report since 2017.

https://lailluminator.com/2026/05/24/maternal-mortality-4/?fbclid=IwdGRleASIbtJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeBwYV_L7TWdEABLBgQxGCqBVp77RPudhLEu0wousq62K3YbUwQ17UAgbgeho_aem_oSQ0gV4lozOlsjsnIstXcA

The move underscores a broader trend in Louisiana’s maternal health response: Lawmakers concede the severity of the problem, but efforts to enact meaningful systemic change repeatedly stall.

05/24/2026

4th Year in a Row: LA Republicans say NO to abortion care for r**e survivors.

04/30/2026

FREE Civil Legal Help
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
4:30pm
West Monroe Community Center
400 South 5th Street, 71292

04/27/2026

🏳️‍⚧️❤️🏳️‍🌈⚠️🏳️‍🌈❤️🏳️‍⚧️

Your Voice Is Needed This Tuesday at the Capitol!!

This Tuesday the House Labor & Industrial Relations Committee will hear HB 293, authored by Rep. Delisha Boyd. This critical bill would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Louisiana.

Please email Chairman Raymond Crews and the committee:

[email protected]

[email protected]


Dear House Labor Committee,

I’m writing to ask for your support of HB 293.

“This bill simply ensures employment decisions are based on merit—not sexual orientation or gender identity—by extending existing protections to the LGBTQIA community. It does not create special rights and preserves religious and occupational exemptions, offering a balanced approach.
HB 293 also helps Louisiana stay competitive by promoting fair, consistent workplace standards that attract businesses and talent. Please support HB 293. Thank you for your time and service.”

2026 Regular Legislative Session Information 2026 Regular Session House of Representatives Bulletin 2026 Regular Session Senate Bulletin Daily Legislative Actions Subject Index to Bills ` Future Session Dates