In the pipeline: Bayou Bridge Pipeline LLC attorneys said in a court filing Wednesday that construction of the entire 163-mile crude oil pipeline is 76% complete as of Sunday and is estimated to finish by October. However, the project could still be halted by a decision from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is still considering whether the company can continue building the pipeline through the environmentally fragile Atchafalaya Basin swamp. Read the full story.
Near the bottom: Louisiana slipped one spot to No. 49 in an annual national assessment of child well-being that looks at poverty, education and health. The Kids Count report was released Wednesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private research and policy organization. Louisiana is ranked No. 50 in measures of economic well-being. The report notes 314,000 Louisiana children live in poverty and 393,000 are in households where parents lack secure employment. The state is No. 47 in education, while its rate of low-weight births and child-and teen deaths both exceed the national average. See the full rankings.
In the race: Republican Lawmaker Rick Edmonds announced his candidacy this morning for Louisiana Secretary of State in the special election that will be held Nov. 6. “As a legislator, I have served as a watchdog for the taxpayer and a fighter against out-of-control government spending,” he says. “I will take this same watchdog mentality to the Secretary of State’s office by doing everything I can to fight against any and all attempts to weaken secure voting.” See the announcement.
