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• Louisiana Senate rejects smoking ban extension

  May 23, 2012 7:41 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Louisiana Senate has refused to prohibit smoking within 25 feet of the entrance to any building where smoking already is banned, even after the measure was limited to state-owned buildings. Louisiana prohibits smoking in restaurants, public places, public buildings and many places of employment.... more »

• Dutch judge upholds ban on foreigners buying pot

  April 27, 2012 10:50 AM

  THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - A Dutch judge on Friday upheld the government's plan to introduce a "weed pass" to prevent foreigners from buying marijuana in coffee shops in the Netherlands. Amsterdam, whose scores of coffee shops are a major tourism drawcard, opposes the plan, and mayor Eberhard van der... more »

• Feds ban dog-deer hunting in Kisatchie Forest

  March 2, 2012 8:19 AM

  ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) - Hunters who use dogs to hunt deer in Kisatchie National Forest again are on the defensive. The Town Talk reports U.S. Forest Service officials say dog-deer hunting will be prohibited in Kisatchie starting with the 2012-13 season. Thursday's announcement by the Forest Service and previous attempts... more »

• Jindal revisits ban on sex offenders from Facebook

  March 2, 2012 6:14 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Gov. Bobby Jindal is again attempting to ban certain sex offenders from Facebook and other social networking sites, backing legislation Thursday that would rewrite a state law declared unconstitutional by a federal judge. Jindal said the prohibition is among anti-crime bills he's pushing in the... more »

• South Miss. Officials Looking at Fireworks

  June 19, 2011 12:01 PM

  BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - Two South Mississippi counties will take a look on Monday at whether or not to extend the burn ban and supervisors say that won't be the only drought related issue on the table. Both the Jackson County and Harrison County board presidents say the possibility of... more »

• Bath salt ban headed to Gov. Jindal's desk

  June 15, 2011 9:17 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A ban on dangerous chemicals sold as bath salts and snorted like cocaine is headed to Gov. Bobby Jindal's desk. The proposal by Republican Rep. Ricky Templet received final passage Tuesday with a unanimous Senate vote. Snorting the powders can cause extreme paranoia, hallucinations, delusions,... more »

• St. Tammany Issues Burn Ban for 30 Days

  May 19, 2011 6:47 AM

  COVINGTON, La. (AP) - Due to the dry and windy conditions in St. Tammany Parish, Parish President Kevin Davis and Chief of Fire Services John O'Neill have issued a 30 day burn ban. Over the last 30 days, the parish's various fire districts have responded to over 230 backyard fires... more »

• Lousiana Senate backs ban on prisoners using Facebook

  May 18, 2011 5:55 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - State prisoners would be banned from using social networking sites like Facebook, if the Louisiana House agrees to a proposal backed by the state Senate. Delhi Sen. Francis Thompson, a Democrat, calls his bill a bid to end inappropriate use of Internet sites. The only... more »

• Ban on Fake Bath Salts Headed to House for Debate

  May 11, 2011 12:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - An emergency ban on the sale of fake bath salts will be put into Louisiana law, if legislators agree to a proposal that has received the backing of the House Criminal Justice Committee. In a January emergency order, Gov. Bobby Jindal outlawed a half-dozen dangerous... more »

• Interior Dept. found in contempt over drilling ban

  February 2, 2011 8:03 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal judge who struck down the Obama administration's initial moratorium on deepwater drilling in the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill is holding the Interior Department in civil contempt for what he called its "determined disregard" of his order. U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman ruled... more »

• Chevron, Total Warn UK Not to Ban Deepsea Drilling

  October 26, 2010 11:14 AM

  LONDON (AP) - Leading oil and gas companies warned British lawmakers Tuesday that any U.K. moratorium on deepwater drilling in response to the Gulf of Mexico spill would force them to abandon the North Sea in favor of projects elsewhere. Executives from Chevron Corp., France's Total and Danish state-controlled DONG... more »

• Obama-Military's Ban On Gays Will End On His Watch

  October 14, 2010 5:11 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says the military's ban on gays serving openly in the military will end on his watch. Speaking at a town hall meeting of young adults Thursday, Obama said he believes anyone who wants to serve in the military should be allowed to do... more »

• Lt. Governor Responds to Drilling Ban Being Lifted

  October 12, 2010 3:38 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Today, Lt. Governor Scott Angelle responded to the announcement by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that the moratorium on deepwater drilling has been lifted by the Obama Administration. “We have worked vigorously over the past four months urging our federal government to lift... more »

• Sheriff Melancon Reminds Residents the Entire State Under Burn Ban

  October 5, 2010 10:52 AM

  Sheriff Melancon is once again reminding residents that effective October 3, 2010, the entire State of Louisiana has been put under a burn ban. All residents are to refrain from any activity that could initiate a fire. Shortly before noon on Monday the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office received a... more »

• Cameron Parish Burn Ban Today

  September 30, 2010 4:52 PM

  The Cameron Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security has issued an outdoor burn ban today Thursday September 30, 2010. Police Jury Vice President, Thomas McDaniel, ordered the outdoor burn ban in accordance with the Louisiana Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993. Officials say current drought conditions potentially... more »

• Update: Gay Ban in the Military

  September 21, 2010 12:00 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins says she'll vote against a bill that would allow gays to serve openly in the military unless Democrats agree to extend debate so that her colleagues can weigh in on other issues. Collins' position is likely the last nail in the coffin... more »

• Judge: Military's ban on gays is unconstitutional

  September 9, 2010 9:48 PM

  RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) - A federal judge in Southern California on Thursday declared the U.S. military's ban on openly gay service members unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment rights of gay and lesbians. U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips granted a request for an injunction halting the government's "don't ask,... more »

• Lafayette Council Has Voted To Ban Go-Cups and Cruising

  September 8, 2010 5:33 PM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - The Lafayette City-Parish Council has voted to ban go-cups and cruising from two areas of the city. Any open containers of alcohol would be barred from the Surrey Street corridor and downtown Lafayette, where police say nightlife has led to traffic and safety problems. The cruising... more »

• Northern Gulf of Mexico Fishing Ban Lifted

  September 2, 2010 4:45 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Federal authorities have lifted a fishing ban in the northern Gulf of Mexico from the Florida Panhandle to the far eastern coast of Louisiana. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials said Thursday about 5,130 square miles of federal waters from Pensacola west through Alabama and Mississippi are... more »

• Feds to Spill Commission: Drilling Ban Stays

  August 24, 2010 7:05 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The top federal offshore oil drilling regulator is telling the presidential oil spill commission that the temporary halt to deepwater drilling will remain in place for a few more months. The Interior Department issued the moratorium after the deadly April 20 BP oil rig explosion. It was... more »

• Feds to Spill Commission: Drilling Ban Stays

  August 23, 2010 6:00 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The top federal offshore oil drilling regulator is telling the presidential oil spill commission that the temporary halt to deepwater drilling will remain in place for a few more months. The Interior Department issued the moratorium after the deadly April 20 BP oil rig explosion. It was... more »

• Gov't: 23K Workers Affected by Gulf Oil Drill Ban

  August 21, 2010 4:10 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A six-month ban on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico would directly put more than 9,000 people out of work and indirectly affect another 14,000 jobs, according to a memo from the nation's top drilling regulator. The federal document, which weighed the economic impact and alternatives... more »

• Lt. Gov.: Ban an Attempt to Change Energy Policy

  August 18, 2010 8:55 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - President Barack Obama's continued moratorium on deepwater petroleum drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is an attempt to move the United States toward alternative energy at a high economic cost to southern Louisiana, the state's lieutenant governor says. During a hearing Tuesday before the state's two... more »

• Mexico Slaps Tariffs on US Goods Over Trucking Ban

  August 16, 2010 8:33 PM

  MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico says it will increase tariffs on a total of 99 U.S. products to pressure Washington to lift a ban on Mexican trucks entering the United States. Last year, Mexico added tariffs to 89 products after the U.S. canceled a pilot program that allowed some Mexican... more »

• With BP Spill Under Control, US Looks at Drill Ban

  August 14, 2010 11:02 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Now that the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history has effectively been stopped, the White House is considering an early end to its moratorium on deepwater drilling. But four months after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon, regulators have only started to make good on... more »

• Federal Judge Overturned California's Same-Sex Marriage Ban

  August 4, 2010 5:22 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A federal judge overturned California's same-sex marriage ban Wednesday in a landmark case that could eventually land before the U.S. Supreme Court to decide if gays have a constitutional right to marry in America, according to a person close to the case. Chief U.S. District Judge... more »

• Judge Refuses to Withdraw From Drilling Ban Case

  July 19, 2010 8:28 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal judge who overturned the Obama administration's initial six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling has refused to disqualify himself from the case. Several environmental groups had asked U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman to withdraw from the case because of his investments in several oil and... more »

• Amendment Would Ban Companies With Significant Violations Offshore Drilling Permits

  July 14, 2010 3:51 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A House committee wants to put BP in a penalty box of sorts. The Natural Resources Committee approved an amendment Wednesday that would ban companies with significant workplace safety or environmental violations over the preceding seven years from new offshore drilling permits. The California Democrat who sponsored... more »

• Coast Guard Lifts Ban on News Coverage Near Booms

  July 13, 2010 10:28 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Coast Guard has modified a policy on safety zones around boom deployed on oiled coastlines, a policy news organizations had said unnecessarily restricted coverage of the impact of the BP oil spill and efforts to clean it up. In a statement Monday night, the government's... more »

• Ban On Offshore Drilling In Florida Waters On November Ballot

  July 8, 2010 5:35 PM

  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Gov. Charlie Crist has called a special session of the state Legislature to get a constitutional ban on offshore oil drilling in Florida waters on the November ballot. Crist on Thursday said the session will be held July 20 to July 23. Crist has said he... more »

• Judge Who Nixed Drilling Ban has Oil Investments

  June 23, 2010 9:30 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Louisiana judge who struck down the Obama administration's six-month ban on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico has reported extensive investments in the oil and gas industry, according to financial disclosure reports. He's also a new member of a secret national security court.... more »

• White House to Appeal Ruling Against Drilling Ban

  June 22, 2010 8:29 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House said Tuesday it will immediately appeal a federal judge's ruling against the Obama administration's moratorium on new deepwater drilling. A New Orleans judge on Tuesday blocked the six-month ban imposed in the wake of the Gulf oil spill, saying the Interior Department had failed... more »

• Oil Rig Workers Forced to Job Hunt After Drill Ban

  June 17, 2010 9:18 AM

  MORGAN CITY, La. (AP) - Mr. Charlie has seen the up and downs over the years in the oil patch off Louisiana's coast, but this could be the toughest slump of all. Earlier this week, the steel rig stationed on the Atchafalaya River graduated what could be one of its... more »

• Calif. Moves to Ban Plastic Bags at Grocery Stores

  June 2, 2010 10:51 PM

  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - It could soon cost California shoppers at the checkout aisle if they forget to bring their own bags to the grocery store. Legislation passed Wednesday by the California Assembly would prohibit grocery stores, pharmacies, liquor stores and convenience stores from giving out plastic bags. It would... more »

• Health Insurance Ban For Abortions Scaled Back

  May 26, 2010 12:03 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A proposed ban on health insurance coverage for all elective abortions has been scaled back by a Senate committee to affect only the state insurance purchasing pools set up by the federal health overhaul legislation. Lawmakers on the Senate Health and Welfare Committee say they... more »

• Smoking Ban Snuffed Out

  May 25, 2010 1:12 PM

  Smoking will continue in bars and casinos. Did lawmakers make the right decision? RANT to Hoyt at hoyt.harris@katctv.com. We could air your opinions tonight BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A Senate-backed attempt to ban smoking in Louisiana bars and casinos has been snuffed out. The... more »

• Handheld Phone Ban While Drive Clears Committee

  April 27, 2010 5:45 PM

  Two bills that would ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving breezed out of the House Transportation Committee Tuesday morning. Both would allow drivers to talk using hands-free devices. One measure (House Bill 863), sponsored by Rep. Charmaine Stiaes, D-New Orleans, originally... more »

• Government Must Reconsider its Ban on Selling Small Turtles

  April 26, 2010 1:21 PM

  ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) - The government must reconsider its ban on selling small turtles, a federal district judge has ruled. "This is a firefight this time," said Eddie Jolly, president of the Independent Turtle Farmers of Louisiana. "This has got teeth. We're going to win this one." Judge Dee D.... more »

• Energy Drink Ban Dead

  April 21, 2010 2:39 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A proposed ban on the sale of energy drinks in Louisiana to anyone under the age of 16 is likely dead for the session, after it was rejected by a Senate committee. Republican Sen. Robert Adley, of Benton, says he offered the bill on behalf... more »

• Bill Would Ban Texting While Driving

  April 15, 2010 4:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana's ban on text messaging while driving would be toughened, under a bill approved Thursday by the Senate Transportation Committee. Currently, a driver can only be cited for texting while driving if a police officer stops the driver for another alleged violation. Sen. Butch Gautreaux,... more »

• Ban On Red Light Cameras Failed

  April 12, 2010 4:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A ban on the cameras that take photos of speeders and drivers who run red lights failed to win support Monday in a House committee that stalled the proposal for a second year. Rep. Jeff Arnold, D-New Orleans, said the cameras in Baton Rouge, Lafayette,... more »

• Proposal Will Ban Government Worker Pay Raises

  March 16, 2010 6:29 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Civil Service Commission is considering whether to suspend pay raises for more than 61,000 rank-and-file state government workers in the upcoming budget year. The proposal, released Tuesday, would strip state agencies of the ability to give 4 percent annual... more »

• Trail Riding Ban Could Be Looked At In St. Landry

  November 24, 2009 6:01 PM

  The Saint Landry Parish Council is expected to begin work on a revision of its trail ride ordinance next month. This comes in light of increased complaints and a death at a Mardi Gras trail ride earlier this year. Trail rides are a long standing tradition in the rural parts... more »