Prohibited: Louisiana senators have agreed to prohibit abortions performed because the fetus is determined to have a genetic abnormality. The Associated Press reports lawmakers rejected concerns such a ban would lead Louisiana to a court battle it cannot win. Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, said he couldn’t vote for the proposal because it runs afoul of court decisions upholding a woman’s right to an abortion. Rep. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, defended the bill as protecting “the life of unborn children.” She said anything lawmakers pass could end up in court. The Senate voted 29-6 for the House-backed bill. It heads back to the House for consideration of minor Senate changes.
Listed: The New York Stock Exchange has notified PetroQuest Energy of Lafayette that it has regained compliance with an important NYSE requirement for continued listing, the company announced today. The Advertiser reports that PetroQuest, an oil and gas company engaged in exploratory, development and acquisition activities, says the company’s stock had listed at a minimum average closing price of $1 per share for the previous consecutive 30-day trading period. NYSE regulators notified PetroQuest in December that it faced delisting because of continued low common stock value.
Restructured: The Dow Chemical Co. has completed the restructuring of Dow Corning and now owns all of the company’s silicone business. The Associated Press reports that Dow Corning had previously been equally owned by Michigan-based Dow Chemical and New York-based Corning Inc. It had revenue of more than $4.5 billion in 2015. The companies still maintain equal equity interests in Hemlock Semiconductor Group, a polysilicon producer in which Dow Corning was the majority shareholder. The unit will be headquartered in Midland, Michigan, and Mauro Gregorio will be CEO of the unit. He is also currently a Dow Chemical vice president.
