Voted down: Without debate, the Senate voted 24-11 against the bill that would loosen the state’s absentee voting rules. The Associated Press reports the bill by Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, D-New Orleans, would have allowed people expecting to be away from their home parishes on Election Day to vote absentee by mail. Currently, people can only vote absentee by mail if they meet a list of specific criteria, like being in the military or in college away from home. Peterson suggested the change would open voting options to more people. But questions were raised about the cost of mailing out more ballots and the need for lessening restrictions when Louisiana has other early voting options for those away from home on Election Day.
Popping up: Philadelphia-based retailer Five Below, which primarily caters to teens and pre-teens, announced this morning that it plans to open three Louisiana stories in Covington, Lafayette and Slidell. “Entering Louisiana is an important step as we continue to expand our rapidly growing footprint across the country,” says Joel Anderson, CEO of Five Below in a news release. Five Below currently has 444 stores in 27 locations. The retailer intends to open 85 stories this year.
Deliberating: A jury in a New York City trial stemming from the General Motors ignition switch controversy that resulted in millions of recalls ended its first day of deliberations Tuesday without reaching a verdict. The Associated Press reports the jury deliberated in Manhattan federal court for more than two hours after hearing a lawyer for a Louisiana man and woman blame a defective ignition switch for a 2014 accident on a New Orleans bridge. A GM lawyer says there was no evidence the ignition switch was to blame. The trial will be used as a blueprint to define legal boundaries for similar unsettled claims against the automaker, which has issued recalls affecting more than 30 million vehicles since early 2014. Read the full story.
