Downsville Mayor Reggie Skains, made sure Union Parish was represented in Baton Rouge at the Jan. 7 inauguration of Gov. Jeff Landry. At right, Skains with his granddaughter, Emma Lou Ford, and Louisiana’s new Health Secretary, Dr. Ralph Abraham and his wife, Diane. Skains attended the inaugural ball with his daughter, Paula S. Ford (not pictured) and his granddaughter, Emma …

BATON ROUGE (AP) — A proposed Louisiana congressional map with a second majority-Black district, which could deliver another U.S. House seat to Democrats, received bipartisan support and advanced through a legislative committee Tuesday.During the second day of Louisiana’s special redistricting session, lawmakers took their first in-depth look at proposed congressional boundaries, backed by newly inaugurated GOP Gov. Jeff Landry. Under …

State lawmakers have passed a series of new laws that took effect Jan. 1. Many of them may not seem to impact your daily life but could in the months to come.Louisiana Political Analyst Jim Engster said the marquee item as far as new bills that went into effect at the first of the year is the bill banning gender-affirming …