Criminal Justice
Killer set for Wednesday execution wins 90-day delay, trial regarding drugs | The Lens – The trial will seek to determine the appropriateness of the lethal-injection drugs that the state plans to use to execute child-killer Christopher Sepulvado.
Questions about drugs halt Sepulvado execution | The Advocate – The mother of the 6-year-old killed by Sepulvado reacts with dismay to the delay.
“I just think it’s crazy,” said Yvonne Jones, mother of the 6-year-old victim in the case, Wesley Allen Mercer, in a statement… “The only reason they’re delaying the stuff is he (Sepulvado) might suffer a few minutes. My son suffered.”
Jones said five minutes of suffering is nothing compared with her son’s brutal death.
Anti-sodomy statute targeted | The Advocate – State Rep. Patricia Smith, D-Baton Rouge, intends to remove an unconstitutional law from the books that was used by authorities to arrest men who agree to consensual sex.
Schools
Common Core: ‘We’re building the plane while we’re flying it’ | The Louisiana Weekly – Despite growing questions among parents and teachers, the phase-in of Common Core curriculum continues. Test scores are expected to drop.
Ivy League law school dean top pick in search for new Tulane president | Home | The New Orleans Advocate – The top candidate to replace outgoing president Scott Cowen has demonstrated fundraising prowess as dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Land Use
Newcomb Gate still standing two months after court ordered its removal | NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune — City Attorney Sharonda Williams says, “The city is working with the Court and the parties to move forward with the removal of the fence and to ensure the intersection and adjacent streets remain safe for drivers.”
The Lens has covered the story of the Newcomb Boulevard closure, including a 2011 opinion piece by Keith Hardie, one of the residents who sued to take down the fence.
Sounding it Out | NOLA DEFENDER – A recap of the public debate from last week’s City Council committee meeting regarding its attempt to amend a controversial noise ordinance.
A third option: Move Old Metairie trains to the Westbank and not to Hollygrove | The Louisiana Weekly – Community activist and former mayoral candidate Drew Ward claims that officials have studied and expressed support for rerouting freight trains along the West Bank.
Environment
More than a dozen environmental groups led by the Environmental Integrity Project say a loophole in federal rules is exposing residents in Louisiana, Texas and other states at the center of the U.S. energy boom to thousands of pounds of unreported toxic chemicals released by oil and gas facilities each year.
Senate’s “Dirty Duo” Ready To Lift Oil Export Ban | DeSmogBlog – U.S. Senators Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, say they will consider introducing legislation to remove restrictions on oil exports if President Barack Obama does not act soon. Writer Farron Cousins observes:
The demand for increased oil and gas exploration on American soil was sold to citizens under the guise of securing our “energy future” and reducing our dependence on “foreign oil.” Shipping our domestic crude overseas will only increase our dependence on foreign oil and leave us as vulnerable as we were during the fuel embargo in the 70’s.
Adapting to Sea Level Rise Could Save Trillions by 2100 | Climate Central – A new study by the National Academy of Sciences anticipates sea-level rise of 9 to 48 inches by 2100. The value of land and assets that would be underwater: $17 trillion to $210 trillion.
Government & Politics
Minimum wage hike would be big step in La. | The Advocate
Figures from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2012 show that, 7.1 percent of workers in Louisiana, or 74,000 people, made the current minimum wage of $7.25 an hour or less. Only Idaho, Texas and Oklahoma had a larger percentage of the workforce making minimum wage or less.
John Bel Edwards throws elbow to Landrieu in re-election congratulations | The Lens – Some speculate that Mayor Mitch Landrieu will run for governor. Rep. John Bel Edwards, D-Amite, has already announced.