skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Second federal judge orders temporary reinstatement of thousands of probationary employees fired by the Trump administration; U.S., Canada political tension could affect Maine summer tourism; Report: Incarceration rates rise in MS, U.S. despite efforts at reform; MI study: HBCU students show better mental health, despite challenges.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration faces legal battles on birthright citizenship; the arrest of a Palestinian activist sparks protests over free speech. Conservationists voice concerns about federal job cuts impacting public lands, and Ohio invests in child wellness initiatives.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

LA community group wins suit against parish for open meeting violations

play audio
Play

Monday, January 27, 2025   

A judge has ruled that elected officials in St. James Parish broke Louisiana's open meetings law by conferring secretly with a Chinese company seeking to build a chemical plant.

The complaint, filed in 2019 by the community group RISE St. James, took five years to work through the courts.

However, on January 6, a state court ruled that parish council and planning commission members met without proper public notice with the Wanhua Chemical Group.

Sharon Lavigne. executive director of RISE St. James, said the meeting shows the level of dishonesty among local leaders.

"St. James is so corrupt until, you know, you have little hope - because we're fighting this other plant, and they voted for it to come in anyway, even though we said no," said Lavigne. "We are loaded. We are full. We can't take anymore. And for the judge to vote in our favor, that was like a miracle."

The chemical plant would have been located along a portion of the Mississippi River known as Cancer Alley.

Statistics show people in the area have a 95% greater chance of developing cancer than the average American.

Lavigne said there are more than 200 heavy industry plants along the corridor, located mostly near low-income communities of color.

She said public officials in St. James and other parishes along the river have a long history of excluding local neighborhoods from the licensing industry process.

"We have to fight so hard to breathe clean air and drink clean water, when our politicians could just tell these industries, 'No. You can't come into St. James because we are full,'" said Lavigne. "But they don't do that. For this Open Meetings Law, I feel that our own Parish Council betrayed us."

Despite being found guilty, parish officials were not fined or sanctioned for their actions - other than having to pay RISE St. James and other plaintiff's attorney's fees.

Lavigne said she was glad but still surprised at the verdict.

"I just thought the judge would rule against us," said Lavigne. "Even though we went to court, and I wasn't expecting a victory. I really wasn't because they do things under cover, and they meet with these industries without our knowledge. It's not the first one, but this is the one we caught."


get more stories like this via email

more stories
According to Wisconsin's Judicial Code of Conduct, judges are not required to recuse themselves based on an endorsement or campaign contributions. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Early voting for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race starts next week and, although the seat is technically nonpartisan, both candidates have clear …


Environment

play sound

As the warming climate continues to reshape the environment, its impact on people's health is becoming increasingly evident in Florida. Doctors and …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Maryland is facing a $3 billion budget deficit, and planned cuts in 2026 would include millions in disability assistance. But one advocate says those …


A rally for property tax cuts is set for Monday at the Indiana Statehouse. Organizers have encouraged attendees to wear green to signal their opposition to high property taxes. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Indiana lawmakers introduced a third property tax plan this week, aiming to protect local governments from funding cuts while offering minimal relief …

Social Issues

play sound

Nearly half of Americans age 50 and older are using credit cards to pay for basic living expenses, according to a new AARP survey, and a Minnesota …

Expanded oil and gas subsidies, included in current versions of upcoming federal tax legislation, would support a massive expansion of LNG projects to more than double national export capacity by 2030. (Jeeraphun/Adobe Stock)

play sound

Forty religious leaders from different denominations gathered in Texas this week to call for an end to fossil-fuel subsidies and expansion of related …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that Black students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Blac…

Environment

play sound

The Sierra Club's Utah chapter said electric utility PacifiCorp's long-term plan to embrace renewable energy has changed and is now placing more relia…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021