A closer look: Gov. John Bel Edwards toured storm-damaged parts of the state on Monday, visiting with elected officials and with the relatives of a two people killed on Sunday when a tornado flipped their mobile home in St. Martin Parish. The Advertiser reports that the deceased are Francine Gotch, 38, and her daughter, Nevaeh Alexander, 3. A National Weather Service spokesman says the NWS on Sunday confirmed an EF1 tornado with winds of about 110 mph was on the ground for nearly one mile. Edwards says a special account has been set up for the family. Read the full story.
Another loss: A Louisiana Supreme Court justice has lost another round in his federal court lawsuit against four other justices. The Associated Press reports Justice Jefferson Hughes filed suit in 2015, saying other justices illegally removed him from two cases against oil companies. U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance last year dismissed his suit, saying the Eleventh Amendment generally bars people from suing their states in federal court. In November, Hughes went back to federal court seeking a new ruling from Vance or permission to file a renewed complaint. But Vance, on Monday, ruled against him again. At issue are campaign contributions Hughes received, through political action committees, from lawyers pursuing environmental lawsuits in two cases against oil companies. Four state Supreme Court justices granted defense motions to remove Hughes from the two cases.
On the table: Conservative House Republicans are entertaining a White House offer today to revise the party’s failed health care bill as the GOP tried to resuscitate a measure that crashed spectacularly less than two weeks ago. The Associated Press reports Vice President Mike Pence and two top White House officials made the offer Monday night in a closed-door meeting with members of the House Freedom Caucus, participants says. Under the White House offer, states would be allowed to apply for waivers from several coverage requirements that President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care law imposed on insurers. Read The full story.
