It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to catch up on politics with Stephanie Grace, The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist.

We’ll get the latest on efforts to hold a constitutional convention in Baton Rouge this summer. Plus, a new leader takes top role in the state’s Democratic Party. 

A former New Orleans police chief is calling on President Biden to support changing how marijuana is classified in the United States.

Ronal Serpas is one of 32 law-enforcement leaders who signed a letter to the president in support of moving marijuana to a less serious category of controlled substance law. The Gulf States Newsroom's Kat Stromquist spoke to the former head of the NOPD about what it would mean for criminal justice. 

Over 50% of Louisiana’s adults have experienced some form of intimate partner violence–including knife attacks, choking, or other physical threats.  Louisiana women are three times more likely than men to experience severe or fatal forms of IPV. 

A new report puts a price tag on the costs of intimate partner violence to everyone in Louisiana; and the economic cost is surprising. Anita Raj, Executive Director of the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University, joins the show to share more. 

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to.

Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to catch up on politics with Stephanie Grace, The Times-Picayune/The Advocate’s editorial director and columnist.
We’ll get the latest on efforts to hold a constitutional convention in Baton Rouge this summer. Plus, a new leader takes top role in the state’s Democratic Party. 
A former New Orleans police chief is calling on President Biden to support changing how marijuana is classified in the United States.
Ronal Serpas is one of 32 law-enforcement leaders who signed a letter to the president in support of moving marijuana to a less serious category of controlled substance law. The Gulf States Newsroom's Kat Stromquist spoke to the former head of the NOPD about what it would mean for criminal justice. 
Over 50% of Louisiana’s adults have experienced some form of intimate partner violence–including knife attacks, choking, or other physical threats.  Louisiana women are three times more likely than men to experience severe or fatal forms of IPV. 
A new report puts a price tag on the costs of intimate partner violence to everyone in Louisiana; and the economic cost is surprising. Anita Raj, Executive Director of the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University, joins the show to share more. 
__
Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.
You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. 
Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHnljV3ag4Kri5od8CIZW2fWdbKHDgH9J8FxhaZRxqvz8hHg/viewform?usp=sf_link">pitch line</a> to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmz4xLJ921qOeYHhAAKSuzzp9RVnDPjvqH3yXmDCtrP0WizQ/viewform?usp=sf_link">listener survey</a>! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to.
Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

“Louisiana Considered” showcases South Louisiana's biggest stories and features interviews with journalists, newsmakers, and artists. The show is a collaboration between the WWNO and WRKF newsrooms. 

Airs Monday through Friday at noon. 

&ldquo;Louisiana Considered&rdquo; showcases South Louisiana's biggest stories and features interviews with journalists, newsmakers, and artists. The show is a collaboration between the WWNO and WRKF newsrooms.&nbsp;
Airs Monday through Friday at noon.&nbsp;

A daily podcast and show about the top stories facing New Orleans, Baton Rouge and South Louisiana

Louisiana Considered Podcast

“Louisiana Considered” showcases South Louisiana's biggest stories and features interviews with journalists, newsmakers and artists. The show is a collaboration between the WWNO New Orleans Public Radio and WRKF Baton Rouge Public Radio newsrooms. 

Airs live on WWNO and WRKF Monday through Friday at noon.

“Louisiana Considered” showcases South Louisiana's biggest stories and features interviews with journalists, newsmakers and artists. The show is a collaboration between the WWNO New Orleans Public Radio and WRKF Baton Rouge Public Radio newsrooms. 
Airs live on WWNO and WRKF Monday through Friday at noon.

Louisiana Considered

Where the effort to rewrite Louisiana’s constitution stands; Intimate partner violence costs millions annually

A multi-year fight to form a new city out of an unincorporated suburban portion of southeastern East Baton Rouge Parish culminated last week with a Louisiana Supreme Court decision. Justices ruled in favor of the organizers working to incorporate the city of St. George. 

The court ruled against objections by East Baton Rouge officials, which had claimed the incorporation was “unreasonable,” that St. George couldn’t provide city services with a balanced budget and that the loss of tax revenues would hurt the city-parish. 

St. George organizers want to keep the area’s tax money within their own portion of the parish. The effort to incorporate sprouted from a desire to create a new breakaway school district more than a decade ago. 

To talk us through what led to this and where the city of St. George will go from here, we speak with Lara Nicholson, Baton Rouge city hall reporter for The Advocate/Times Picayune.

One of the most expensive parts of your water bill can be the sewage fees. That can be frustrating, especially when you don’t have a sewer.

That’s the case for our latest Utility Bill of the Month. Stephan Bisaha, reporter with the Gulf States Newsroom, went to a New Orleans community garden that has been fighting for years to fix their bills.

The Louisiana state legislature is considering multiple bills that would increase the number of political appointments the governor could make to various boards and commissions. The legislation would make an already-powerful governor even more powerful. One bill, if approved by voters, would let the governor appoint all state supreme court justices and would concurrently expand the state’s highest court by two seats, from seven to nine justices, making Louisiana’s supreme court among the largest state supreme courts in the nation. 

To explain what this legislation could do and what the chances are these proposals will survive the legislative process, we speak with Barry Erwin, president and CEO of Council for a Better Louisiana.

____

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to.

Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

A multi-year fight to form a new city out of an unincorporated suburban portion of southeastern East Baton Rouge Parish culminated last week with a Louisiana Supreme Court decision. Justices ruled in favor of the organizers working to incorporate the city of St. George. 
The court ruled against objections by East Baton Rouge officials, which had claimed the incorporation was “unreasonable,” that St. George couldn’t provide city services with a balanced budget and that the loss of tax revenues would hurt the city-parish. 
St. George organizers want to keep the area’s tax money within their own portion of the parish. The effort to incorporate sprouted from a desire to create a new breakaway school district more than a decade ago. 
To talk us through what led to this and where the city of St. George will go from here, we speak with Lara Nicholson, Baton Rouge city hall reporter for The Advocate/Times Picayune.
One of the most expensive parts of your water bill can be the sewage fees. That can be frustrating, especially when you don’t have a sewer.
That’s the case for our latest Utility Bill of the Month. Stephan Bisaha, reporter with the Gulf States Newsroom, went to a New Orleans community garden that has been fighting for years to fix their bills.
The Louisiana state legislature is considering multiple bills that would increase the number of political appointments the governor could make to various boards and commissions. The legislation would make an already-powerful governor even more powerful. One bill, if approved by voters, would let the governor appoint all state supreme court justices and would concurrently expand the state’s highest court by two seats, from seven to nine justices, making Louisiana’s supreme court among the largest state supreme courts in the nation. 
To explain what this legislation could do and what the chances are these proposals will survive the legislative process, we speak with Barry Erwin, president and CEO of Council for a Better Louisiana.
____
Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.
You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. 
Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHnljV3ag4Kri5od8CIZW2fWdbKHDgH9J8FxhaZRxqvz8hHg/viewform?usp=sf_link">pitch line</a> to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmz4xLJ921qOeYHhAAKSuzzp9RVnDPjvqH3yXmDCtrP0WizQ/viewform?usp=sf_link">listener survey</a>! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to.
Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

St. George gets court’s OK to build new city; NOLA garden fights mystery sewage bill

Abortion care is about to get even more difficult to access for people across the Gulf South when a new ban takes effect in Florida on May 1. 

The ban outlaws nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, which is often before many people know they’re pregnant.

Rosemary Westwood, WWNO/WRKF reproductive health reporter, has more on  how abortion access is about to get even more difficult.

The busiest part of a highway is usually the cars driving on the road. But in one part of New Orleans, there’s a lot happening underneath the street.

The new Backatown Plaza recently opened in the city’s Treme neighborhood, directly underneath the Claiborne Expressway. The space is now a community event center, designed to connect a neighborhood that was fractured by the expressway’s construction in the 1960’s. 

Josie Abugov, reporter with Verite News, recently covered theplaza’s opening and joins us for more. 

The second weekend of the 53rd annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival kicks off later this week and an iconic girl group, The Dixie Cups, are the focus of the festival’s official poster. The trios 1964 hit “Chapel of Love” knocked the Beatles out of the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Kellie Talbot, the poster’s artist, joins us to talk about her work. 

___

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. 

Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to.

Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Abortion care is about to get even more difficult to access for people across the Gulf South when a new ban takes effect in Florida on May 1. 
The ban outlaws nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, which is often before many people know they’re pregnant.
Rosemary Westwood, WWNO/WRKF reproductive health reporter, has more on  how abortion access is about to get even more difficult.
The busiest part of a highway is usually the cars driving on the road. But in one part of New Orleans, there’s a lot happening underneath the street.
The new Backatown Plaza recently opened in the city’s Treme neighborhood, directly underneath the Claiborne Expressway. The space is now a community event center, designed to connect a neighborhood that was fractured by the expressway’s construction in the 1960’s. 
Josie Abugov, reporter with Verite News, recently covered theplaza’s opening and joins us for more. 
The second weekend of the 53rd annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival kicks off later this week and an iconic girl group, The Dixie Cups, are the focus of the festival’s official poster. The trios 1964 hit “Chapel of Love” knocked the Beatles out of the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. 
Kellie Talbot, the poster’s artist, joins us to talk about her work. 
___
Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.
You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. 
Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHnljV3ag4Kri5od8CIZW2fWdbKHDgH9J8FxhaZRxqvz8hHg/viewform?usp=sf_link"> pitch line</a> to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmz4xLJ921qOeYHhAAKSuzzp9RVnDPjvqH3yXmDCtrP0WizQ/viewform?usp=sf_link"> listener survey</a>! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to.
Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Jazz Fest poster artist honors The Dixie Cups; community park opens under NOLA expressway

Louisiana is facing a Black infant and maternal mortality crisis.  Black infants in Louisiana are more than three times as likely to die from premature birth as white infants and Black mothers are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as their white counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, .

Legislation before the Legislature this session seeks to address this crisis. Advocate groups and survivors have been sharing their concerns at the Capitol as lawmakers hear proposed bills.  

Frankie Robertson, a consultant with the Amandla Group, joins us for more on potential solutions.

The legendary Dew Drop Inn has reopened its doors. The two-story music venue in New Orleans drew huge crowds in the 1950’s and 60’s, when it was a safe haven for Black performers during Jim Crow segregation. 

Musical greats including Ray Charles, Etta James and Aretha Franklin performed and stayed at the Dew Drop in its heyday.

Dew Drop closed down after Hurricane Katrina, when it suffered major damage. With the venue finally back open, reporter Matt Bloom takes us there to listen to some music.

Passover wraps up Tuesday at sundown. The holiday celebrates Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt. This year, many Jews have grappled with how to celebrate the holiday amid Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. Last week, one Jewish community group in New Orleans held a “liberation Seder,” or ceremonial dinner outside on X street.

Drew Hawkins, with the Gulf States Newsroom, was there and brings us a non-narrated piece.

The New Orleans chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, a grassroots organization that advocates for Palestinian freedom, organized the event. 

Rory Michelen, a New Orleans resident and membership manager for the group, and Marlana Fireman, a student at the University of New Orleans and member, tell us more about the action.

___

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. 

Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to.

Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Louisiana is facing a Black infant and maternal mortality crisis.  Black infants in Louisiana are more than three times as likely to die from premature birth as white infants and Black mothers are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as their white counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, .
Legislation before the Legislature this session seeks to address this crisis. Advocate groups and survivors have been sharing their concerns at the Capitol as lawmakers hear proposed bills.  
Frankie Robertson, a consultant with the Amandla Group, joins us for more on potential solutions.
The legendary Dew Drop Inn has reopened its doors. The two-story music venue in New Orleans drew huge crowds in the 1950’s and 60’s, when it was a safe haven for Black performers during Jim Crow segregation. 
Musical greats including Ray Charles, Etta James and Aretha Franklin performed and stayed at the Dew Drop in its heyday.
Dew Drop closed down after Hurricane Katrina, when it suffered major damage. With the venue finally back open, reporter Matt Bloom takes us there to listen to some music.
Passover wraps up Tuesday at sundown. The holiday celebrates Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt. This year, many Jews have grappled with how to celebrate the holiday amid Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. Last week, one Jewish community group in New Orleans held a “liberation Seder,” or ceremonial dinner outside on X street.
Drew Hawkins, with the Gulf States Newsroom, was there and brings us a non-narrated piece.
The New Orleans chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, a grassroots organization that advocates for Palestinian freedom, organized the event. 
Rory Michelen, a New Orleans resident and membership manager for the group, and Marlana Fireman, a student at the University of New Orleans and member, tell us more about the action.
___
Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.
You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. 
Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHnljV3ag4Kri5od8CIZW2fWdbKHDgH9J8FxhaZRxqvz8hHg/viewform?usp=sf_link"> pitch line</a> to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmz4xLJ921qOeYHhAAKSuzzp9RVnDPjvqH3yXmDCtrP0WizQ/viewform?usp=sf_link"> listener survey</a>! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to.
Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Where the effort to rewrite Louisiana’s constitution stands; Intimate partner violence costs millions annually

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