Michael Carroll News
EPA, chemical firm agree to legal settlement to reduce 'Cancer Alley' pollutants
A chemical company that operates a plant in Reserve, La., has agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that will result in the reduction of 5.6 tons of hazardous air emissions annually.
Louisiana NFIB doesn't expect major state tax reforms to pass this year
A Louisiana small business association is cautioning residents to moderate their hopes for the state Legislature to pass tax reform in the current session, but the group remains optimistic about the enactment of insurance reforms.
Appeals court upholds Louisiana food-labeling law but narrows its focus
A federal appeals court has rejected arguments that Louisiana’s food-labeling law infringes on the First Amendment rights of plant-based food companies whose marketing campaigns often compare their products to meat.
New Orleans tenants sue apartment complex owner over 'uninhabitable' units
Six tenants of an apartment complex in New Orleans are suing the nonprofit company that owns the building, alleging that many units are simply not livable due to continuing problems such as mold, a rodent infestation and broken plumbing.
Pelican Institute launches litigation campaign to end restrictive occupational licensing rules
The Pelican Institute is launching an initiative this week to strike down excessive occupational licensing requirements in the state that the institute says have barred residents from practicing their chosen profession.
Attorney General Landry leads coalition opposing new emission standards for gas stoves
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and officials from 20 other states are calling on the U.S. Department of Energy to abandon proposed new emission standards for gas stoves that they say would sideline more than 50% of the stoves currently on the market.
Louisiana ranks 5th for jury verdicts against corporations exceeding $10 million, study finds
Despite representing only 1.5% of the U.S. population, Louisiana ranked fifth among the states in a new study that catalogs the increasing number of jury verdicts against corporations that exceed $10 million.
Louisiana senator files bill requiring parental consent for minors to get TikTok app
A Louisiana lawmaker has filed a bill that would bar social media companies such as TikTok from providing accounts to minors without a parent’s or guardian’s permission and require that new age-verification rules are followed.
5th Circuit ruling affirms injunction against COVID-19 vaccination mandate for federal workers
A federal appeals court has affirmed a lower court’s decision to block the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement for federal workers, finding that the administration had overstepped its authority.
St. James Parish groups seek industrial site moratorium in lawsuit to overturn 'racist' zoning policies
Black St. James Parish residents are suing the parish council and seeking a moratorium on future industrial projects, arguing that the parish’s current land-use and zoning policies are rooted in a history of slavery and Jim Crow laws.
State court tosses out environmental lawsuit against Plaquemines Parish LNG project
A proposed Plaquemines Parish liquefied natural gas plant is moving forward after a Baton Rouge judge tossed out a lawsuit filed by environmental groups arguing that the project failed to obtain a needed coastal use permit.
Louisiana regulators sued over efforts to police hemp product sales
Makers of consumable hemp products are suing the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC), arguing that the agency’s recent crackdown on goods containing the psychoactive component THC exceeds its authority.
Roofing company sues MMA law firm, alleging malpractice in property insurance claims
A roofing company that partnered with the McClenny, Moseley & Associates law firm to file hundreds of hurricane-damage claims in Louisiana is now suing the Texas firm’s Louisiana managing partner, alleging malpractice and economic damages.
9 insurers apply for state matching funds to expand Louisiana property insurance coverage
Nine insurers have applied for more than $60 million as part of Louisiana’s matching-fund program to expand the number of property insurance policies they write in the state, the Louisiana Department of Insurance said last week.
New Orleans mayoral recall campaign fails after signature review
The effort to subject New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell to a recall vote officially flat-lined this week as the Governor’s Office announced that nearly 60% of the 67,022 signatures on recall petitions were invalid.
Stanford University under fire after Louisiana-based federal judge is shouted down during campus talk
The president of the Federalist Society chapter at Stanford University has urged school officials to do more to protect free expression on campus after a Louisiana-based federal appeals court judge was heckled and shouted down during a speech this month.
Judge says California gator products ban violates federal law, in win for Louisiana industry
A federal judge has concluded a California law banning the sale of products made from alligators raised in other states, including Louisiana’s wetlands, violates the federal Endangered Species Act, leading Louisiana wildlife officials to claim a legal victory.
Federal lawsuit alleges racial hostility at ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge facility
The federal government has sued ExxonMobil over what attorneys say is a racially hostile work environment at the company’s Baton Rouge energy complex, alleging ExxonMobil didn’t respond adequately to the discovery of nooses in the workplace.
LABI chief resigns post, announces run for Louisiana governor
Longtime CEO of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry Stephen Waguespack has joined the field of Republican hopefuls in this year’s governor’s race, a move that could put more focus on economic issues.
U.S. Supreme Court turns down petition to keep Louisiana coastal erosion lawsuits in federal court
Louisiana parishes’ coastal erosion lawsuits against energy companies advanced a step closer to being tried in state courts last month after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the companies’ petition to send the cases to federal courts.