Felons in office: Senators have blocked re-enactment of a prohibition that would have convicted felons waiting years after serving their sentences before they could run for office in Louisiana. The Associated Press reports the House had overwhelmingly agreed to the constitutional amendment by Rep. Greg Miller, a Norco Republican, which would have required felons to wait eight years. But the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee rejected the proposal Wednesday, with two senators voting for it and three voting against it. Louisiana had an amendment barring felons from running for office for 15 years. The Louisiana Supreme Court overturned the provision in 2016, saying voters approved a version different from the one passed by lawmakers. The House agreed to re-enact the 15-year buffer last year, but that bill also failed in the Senate.
Branching out: Investar Bank will open its 11th branch on Monday, this one located just off Airline Highway at 525 East New River Street in Gonzales. The branch will offer products and services for both consumers and business owners. The 2,400-square-foot facility offers three drive-through lanes—one of which is dedicated to commercial clients—a separate drive-up ATM that accepts cash and check deposits, safe deposit boxes and a full-service lobby. Holly Hidalgo-DeKeyzer, Baton Rouge regional president, says this is the second location in Ascension Parish.
Gushing oil: The controversial Dakota Access pipeline has started carrying oil between North Dakota and Illinois, The Hill reports. The project opens up a new route for up to 570,000 barrels of oil daily to be carried from major drilling areas in the Bakken oil formation to a major pipeline hub, where it can be carried to refiners or exporters on the Gulf Coast. At 1,172 miles long and 30 inches in diameter, the Dakota Access cost $3.8 billion to build, Energy Transfer Partners says. Together with the Illinois-to-Texas Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline, it has 520,000 barrels per day of commitments from shippers, leaving room for another 50,000 barrels. The Hill reports that American Indian tribes and their allies are still working in court to shut the project down, saying the federal government didn’t conduct the proper environmental reviews before permitting construction under Lake Oahe in North Dakota. The Hill has the full story.
