Blight fight: The Metro Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to close a loophole in a city law barring illegal roadside signs. The amendment, which aims to address unsightly signs, deletes a requirement that police officers must observe the placement of signs to impose a penalty and increases the fine for placing signs in right of ways and on public properties. Read a recent Business Report cover story on illegal signs and blight in Baton Rouge.
Gaining steam: Momentum to rewrite the Louisiana Constitution gained a boost Wednesday when a state House of Representatives committee approved a bill that calls for a convention to do so in 2020, the Manship News Service reports. House Bill 500, by Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, calls for a limited constitutional convention if the idea is approved by a 27-member committee of non-legislators whose purpose is to decide by 2019 whether the convention is needed. The convention would focus on local government; state funds, taxes and revenue; and K-12 and higher education. Read more.
Sound waves: Westlake Chemical officials have confirmed that a loud boom at its polymers facility in Louisiana was caused by a process called “decomp.” Joe Andrepont with Westlake Chemical tells KPLC-TV that the public and employees at the company are safe. Louisiana State Police Sgt. James Anderson confirms there is no danger to the public. Andrepont says it was an emergency pressure release of ethylene. He says on the side of the reactors are discs that are set at a certain pressure. If that pressure of the gas exceeds that level, the disc ruptures and gas is released. Read more.
