Julie O’Donoghue, Louisiana Illuminator

An influential Louisiana lawmaker will push for minors to be sent to adult prison for a slew of new crimes such as fentanyl distribution and robbery without a weapon if voters approve a state constitutional amendment next month.

State Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Kenner, is a former prosecutor and one of the most powerful members of the Louisiana Legislature when it comes to criminal justice policy. She is also a close ally of Gov. Jeff Landry and helped him change laws last year to significantly lengthen prison sentences.

This year, Villio hopes to dramatically extend the time behind bars 15- and 16-year-olds could experience if convicted for certain offenses. Should she get her way, minors who are currently guaranteed release at age 21 could see their time behind bars extend until they are into middle age. ...

Louisiana State Police bought a small passenger plane for $5.5 million in September that Gov. Jeff Landry has been using to travel around the state.

The 2019 model Pilatus PC-12 single-engine turboprop plane was purchased secondhand, according to a Sept. 18 state government receipt from the sale. Federal Aviation Administration records show the state certified it for flight on Oct. 15.

Designed by a Swiss company, the aircraft can be used for cargo transport, medical assistance or search and rescue operations, but it is mostly marketed as a “business” plane that can comfortably seat between six and nine passengers. ...

BENTON – When Mike Johnson first ascended to become U.S. House speaker, his profile was so low that senators and foreign dignitaries had to turn to Google to figure out who he was.

A year later, however, Johnson has grown into much more of the public figure the speaker is expected to be. The Louisiana congressman makes the rounds of Sunday political talk shows and is quoted regularly by the country’s biggest news outlets. Elite magazines published lengthy profiles on him last spring.

What was already known in Louisiana, but has become apparent to the rest of the world in recent months, is Johnson’s long history of evangelical activism. The congressman isn’t just a conservative Republican. He is first and foremost a conservative Christian, specifically a Southern Baptist. ...

While no hospitals have fully closed for Hurricane Francine, four medical centers near the Louisiana coast moved patients out of their facilities to ensure they will have enough capacity to treat people when the storm passes.

Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Cut Off has preemptively discharged five people, transferred one patient and limited services to the emergency room only, according to documents provided by Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham Wednesday.

Three other hospitals moved a small number of people from their intensive care, behavioral health and other units to medical facilities expected to see less impact from Hurricane Francine.

“Those hospitals are still fully operational,” Abraham said. “They’re just getting a little proactive. I commend them for that.”

Those transferring patients include Ochsner St. Mary in Morgan City, Ochsner St. Anne in Raceland and Leonard Chabert Medical Center in Houma, which is also run by Ochsner Health. ...

Gov. Jeff Landry has asked the Louisiana Board of Ethics to waive a $100 fine for filing his 2023 annual campaign finance report late by one day in February.

The request comes a few months after the governor, who has been at odds with the ethics board for years, signed a law that gives him more control over picking ethics board members.

Landry’s spokeswoman in the governor’s office, Kate Kelly, said his campaign submitted the report in question on time, but it failed to transmit. When the ethics staff sent a notice the following day saying it had not been filed, the campaign submitted it again.

State law requires the ethics board to automatically fine candidates for major political offices $100 per day when they turn in campaign reports late. Landry is disputing that he missed the initial deadline. ...