Gun policy: Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration today accused Louisiana’s treasurer and other state leaders of sidelining a specific bank from working on multimillion-dollar state borrowing deals because of its firearm restriction policies. At the urging of Treasurer John Schroder, the Bond Commission selected eight banks to be given favored status in competing to handle Louisiana’s largest bond sales for up to three years. The list excluded Citigroup, which came in ninth in a scoring process, from the financial underwriting work. The Edwards administration accused Schroder and others of rigging the scoring process because of their objections to the financial giant’s gun control policies. Read the full story.
SOLD: A Michigan-based real estate investment trust has purchased the O’Reilly Auto Parts property on Burbank Drive, which was built in 2006. Doing business as Agree Stores LLC, Agree Realty Corporation purchased the property from WJ Burbank LLC, represented by Kent Walker, who has developed several O’Reilly stores in Baton Rouge over the last several years. The price was listed as $10 “cash in hand paid, and other good and valuable consideration.”
Frequency switch: The Federal Communications Commission today announced that local stations WBMB-TV (FOX 44) and KBTR-CD (CH 41) are among nearly 1,000 TV stations nationwide that will be changing to a new frequency to make room for broadening 5G and mobile broadband services. Viewers in the Baton Rouge area who watch over-the-air television with an antenna will need to rescan their TV to continue receiving these local channels after they switch on March 13. The FCC has more information.
