Cold snap: The recent cold weather has hit south Louisiana crawfish farmers hard, The Advertiser reports. Crawfish farmer David Savoy, who also sits on the Louisiana Crawfish Promotion and Research Board, says there is high demand, but farmers can’t seem to supply enough mudbugs for those who want them. “Mother Nature had been kind to us, but we knew it wasn’t over yet. She slapped us. It doesn’t take a lot of cold water,” Savoy says. Last month, the mild winter offered a temporary promise of larger, more abundant crawfish for the early season. But this week in his own ponds, Savoy says he has 40 fewer sacks than expected. Read the full story.
On hold: Congressman and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise is among the Louisiana lawmakers commending the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the enforcement of President Barack Obama’s carbon emissions rule for power plants. “I applaud the Supreme Court for recognizing that this radical proposal by President Obama’s EPA would force household electricity rates to skyrocket and have a devastating effect on America’s economy,” Scalise says in a statement. The Associated Press reports a divided Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to halt enforcement of the president’s plan to address climate change until after legal challenges are resolved. The move is a blow to the administration and a victory for the coalition of 27 mostly Republican-led states and industry opponents that call the regulations “an unprecedented power grab.” The White House vows to press ahead. Read the full story.
Have your say: Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration is seeking voters’ advice on how to deal with the state’s looming budget crisis, the Associated Press reports. On Monday, Edward’s administration posted a special web page soliciting comments from Louisiana citizens. The site provides information on Edwards’ plan to deal with the budget gap and gives people a place to provide feedback. For this current fiscal year, there is an estimated $750 million shortfall that must be addressed by June 30. For the next fiscal year, beginning July 1, there is already an estimated $1.9 billion shortfall. Lawmakers begin a special legislative session to tackle the problem this weekend.
