Withdrawn: Adam Hensgens, a consultant with ties to mayoral hopeful Jordan Piazza, has withdrawn a lawsuit he filed seeking to disqualify mayoral candidate Matt Watson, according to a statement Hensgens released this morning. In a petition filed Tuesday in 19th Judicial District Court, Adam Hensgens alleged that Watson, a Metro Council member, violated both the code of governmental ethics and state campaign finance laws by failing to disclose that at the time he qualified for the mayor’s race on July 24 he had several outstanding fines from the Louisiana Ethics Administration. Read a Daily Report story about the lawsuit here.
Earnings: Baton Rouge-based Business First Bancshares, parent company of b1BANK, today announced second-quarter earnings of $2.1 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, decreases of $4.8 million and $0.39, respectively, from the quarter ended June 30, 2019. Both net income and diluted earnings per share were adversely impacted by additional provisions for loan losses associated with the sustained pressure on the general economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and acquisition-related expenses, the company says.
State lagging: Only about 57% of Louisiana residents have responded to the 2020 census, which means the state has one of the lowest response rates in the country, Louisiana Illuminator reports. As of Wednesday, Louisiana ranked 45th in the Census Bureau’s self-response ratings. Read the full story.
