Public comment: Louisiana Economic Development today opened the public comment period for the designation of federal Opportunity Zones in Louisiana. The program—part of the federal tax overhaul signed in December—will establish lower-income communities across the nation as tax-advantaged areas for new, long-term private investment. Gov. John Bel Edwards will nominate 25% of Louisiana’s low-income census tracts for inclusion in the program. The public may go online to identify census tracts they want to see nominated. Read more.
Charged: A federal grand jury has indicted a Baton Rouge area woman on multiple counts of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to embezzle more than $387,000 from her employer, Engineers & Constructors International Inc., an oil and gas consulting firm. Katherine Cancienne, 40, is accused of establishing a shell corporation and bank account under the name Cappo LLC—which had a similar name to an actual ECI vendor. Cancienne, who handled accounting matters for ECI, allegedly caused the company to issue checks and make electronic payments to the shell company. If convicted, she faces a significant prison term, fines, and restitution orders. Read more.
Spring ahead: Daylight saving time—the practice of advancing clocks during the summer months—begins Sunday, but a growing number of states are trying to ditch it. As Governing magazine reports, the movement to drop the clock-switching practice has gained steam in recent years, with states up and down the East Coast flirting with the idea. Florida is the closest to doing it. Florida lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the bill, with the state Senate taking less than one minute to pass it, 33-2. Gov. Rick Scott said he will consider the proposal, which needs federal approval. Read more.
