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Category
Opinion

Perspectives and reflections that challenge, question, and inspire.

The New Orleans jailbreak: crisis, blame, and a system built to break

Some of the loudest voices talking about problems that led to the jailbreak are the same ones who’ve supported underfunding and cuts to social services, education, and mental-health programs—drivers of crime and incarceration in the first place.
by Gus Bennett May 28, 2025 Updated May 28, 2025

Working for bike safety, after suffering a severe bicycling injury

Bejasa, an avid bicyclist who spent three months in a wheelchair after being hit by a car, asks Lens readers to join her at two upcoming bicycle-safety events this weekend. See details below.
by Elyse Bejasa May 15, 2025 Updated May 15, 2025

Legislature must demand that Mid-Barataria Diversion proceed, as planned

At stake is decades of scientific consensus, years of bipartisan commitment and the credibility of Louisiana’s entire coastal program.
by David Muth May 14, 2025 Updated May 14, 2025

Does the Louisiana Legislature represent us, or should we find someone else?

Last week, the state Senate Judiciary committee passed SB 74, a bill that would automatically funnel all arrested 15- and 16-year-olds into the adult court system. Yet, as Sarah Omojola notes, every single senator on that committee comes from a district that recently voted down Amendment 3.  
by Sarah Omojola May 12, 2025 Updated May 13, 2025

Levee board members have no sway over Army Corps design

The Army Corps controls the design and operational procedures of flood reduction, so it doesn’t matter whether the governor selects the levee board members or if a panel picks candidates – or even if we choose the first nine people coming out of church on Sunday.
by Stephen Estopinal April 24, 2025 Updated April 27, 2025

For hidden wonders, visit wetlands near you

Learn more about the Mississippi River Basin's wetlands from coastal Louisiana to the headwaters in Minnesota.
by Dean Klinkenberg, author of The Wild Mississippi: A State-by-State Guide to the River’s Natural Wonders April 14, 2025 Updated April 14, 2025

Dark Resurrection

Prisoners come to terms with the return of capital punishment in Louisiana.
by John Corley April 4, 2025 Updated April 2, 2025

It’s not a teacher raise, voices against Amendment 2 emphasize

As Louisiana restarts executions, stories about the state’s death penalty — from condemned men, victims, families, and those who work in the death chamber.
by Lens contributors March 29, 2025 Updated March 29, 2025

Our kids deserve better: vote NO on 3

"Accountability is about helping someone take responsibility and change," Malcolm Jenkins writes "It’s about making sure they never go back down that same road again. And for kids, that only works when you treat them like kids."
by Malcolm Jenkins March 28, 2025 Updated March 27, 2025

Who gets hurt by an execution?

by Denny LeBoeuf March 17, 2025 Updated March 17, 2025

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