All together now: Gov. Bobby Jindal is asking to join a lawsuit filed by 17 state lawmakers seeking to stop Louisiana from using the Common Core education standards. The governor petitioned the court Thursday to add him as a plaintiff. The lawsuit alleges state education officials didn’t follow Louisiana law when adopting the standards, saying it required a public comment period and legislative oversight. Education Superintendent John White disagrees, saying the oversight process wasn’t required. And the district judge in the case earlier refused to immediately stop use of Common Core, saying the lawmakers failed to demonstrate the likelihood they would succeed at trial.
It’s a deal: Treasurer John Kennedy and the Jindal administration have struck a deal that will allow the state to borrow $200 million for construction work before any projects experience delays, both sides confirmed Thursday. Kennedy and Jindal’s Division of Administration reached a compromise on the financial documents needed for the borrowing. The treasurer insisted the paperwork needed to explain an ongoing dispute over whether Louisiana ended last year with a budget surplus or deficit. The Associated Press has the full story.
Reach out and touch faith: Jindal will host a major event for Christian pastors called “The Response-Louisiana: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis” on Jan. 24 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, The Christian Broadcast News reports. Over 100,000 evangelical pastors are being invited by American Renewal Project leader David Lane. “In addition to this Saturday event, we’re planning something special for the Friday too,” Lane tells CBN in an email. “We are asking 63,000 Evangelical pastors to begin praying to discern if God is calling you to run for political office in 2016.” Read the full story.
