In The Bayou by Kayla Thompson

The Origin Of The Bayou

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 02:07:04 UTC

Louisiana was initially colonized by the French in the late 17th century. It was later transferred to Spanish control before officially becoming a part of the United States.

Role In Independence

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 02:07:33 UTC

Louisiana had no direct role in declaring independence from Great Britain in 1776. At this time, Louisiana was under Spanish control as a result of the Treaty of Paris 1763. In 1803, Louisiana officially became a part of the United States due to the Louisiana Purchase.

The Constitution

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 02:07:47 UTC

Louisiana didn't have any delegates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 because at that time it was not yet part of the United States. Louisiana was not represented when the U.S. Constitution was drafted and ratified. Louisiana does have its own state constitution. "Louisiana has had 10 constitutions since 1812." Both the U.S. Constitution and Louisiana's establish a system of government with three branches. Those are executive, legislative, and judicial.

https://lasc.libguides.com/Louisiana-Constitutions#:~:text=Louisiana%20has%20had%2010%20constitutions,additions%20to%20the%20state%20constitution.

Land In Louisiana Owned By The United States

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 02:23:40 UTC

Louisiana holds various types of land owned by the United Staes government. Those lands range from national parks and forests to military bases and waterways. "The federal government owns 27.1% of all land in the United States, or 615.3 million of 2.27 billion acres. Federal lands are managed mostly for preservation, recreation, and the development of natural resources."

https://www.kalb.com/2022/06/03/see-how-much-land-louisiana-is-owned-by-federal-government/

Money Made By Louisiana From The Gov.

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 02:25:21 UTC

Louisiana receives half its revenues from the federal government. The government puts in "$19.7 billion in revenues to the $38.6 billion budget". As of March 2022, the federal government accounts for $20.3 billion of the state's $40.2 billion budget. "The year before federal funds made up $16.6 billion of the $35.7 billion total budget."

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/federal-government-pitches-in-half-of-louisianas-revenue-near-top-in-u-s/article_3d19ceaa-9c0f-11ec-b8c7-df5024c09cad.html#:~:text=In%20the%20current%20fiscal%20year,the%20%2435.7%20billion%20total%20budget

The Louisiana Purchase

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 02:25:42 UTC

The Louisiana Purchase was a landmark event in American history. It took place in 1803 when the United States acquired a vast territory, Louisiana, from France. "The Louisiana Purchase eventually doubled the size of the United States, greatly strengthened the country materially and strategically." The territory contained around 828,000 square miles of land and was purchased for $15 million.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Louisiana-Purchase

John Bel Edwards

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 02:28:43 UTC

John Bel Edwards is a politician was is currently in his third term as the Governor of Louisiana. He, a democrat, assumed office as the 56th Governor of Louisiana. He was a representative in the House for 8 years before being elected as governor.

His Duties & Responsibilities

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 02:28:57 UTC

As the governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards has a wide range of duties and responsibilities. Some are

Overseeing the executive branch's operations like the President of the U.S.
Proposing budgets, managing finances
Crisis Management

His responsibilities don't differ a lot from the President of the United States. Those duties, among others, allows the governor to have significant impact on the State's overall well-being. "In his first official act, Gov. Edwards signed an executive order to expand Medicaid coverage to over 747,200 of the state’s working poor. Louisiana’s uninsured rate has now dropped from 22.7 percent in 2015 prior to expansion to just 9.4 percent, saving lives and improving the quality of life for citizens across the state. Gov. Edwards considers this the easiest big decision he’s had to make as Governor."

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 02:35:16 UTC

Voting and elections in Louisiana follow the general framework established by federal laws and regulations. "All registered voters in Louisiana have the right to vote in elections for candidates and propositions on the ballot where they reside. The only closed election in Louisiana is the Presidential Preference Primary held every four years in the spring before the presidential election". Louisiana has requirements for the voters. They have to present identification when voting at the polls. Acceptable forms include drivers licenses, ID card, or a passport. The purpose of this is to be able to verify and validate the identity of the voter. Louisiana allows both in-person voting and absentee voting, which is by mail. Those are just some key aspects of voting and elections in Louisiana.

https://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/Vote/Pages/default.aspx

Senate

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 03:57:51 UTC

The senate is one of the two chambers of the Louisiana State Legislature. It is composed of senators who represent different districts within the state. Those senators are elected by the citizen of Louisiana. They serve a 4 year terms. The number of senators for the district is based on the population.

House Of Representatives

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:03:04 UTC

The House of Representatives is the second chamber of the Louisiana State Legislature. It consists of representatives who are elected for 4 year terms by the citizens of Louisiana to serve the House. Like the Senate, the number of representatives are based on the population. It plays a crucial role in the legislative process.

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:26:27 UTC

Louisiana has a bureaucracy that consists of various state agencies, departments, and offices that are responsible for implementing and administering laws and regulations. For example, Executive Branch Agencies. Theses agencies focus on specific areas such as education, healthcare, transportation, and etc. The Louisiana Department of Education "is built on the premise that Louisiana students are just as capable as any students in America."

https://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/about-us

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:29:47 UTC

Louisiana's judicial system consists of serval courts that handles different cases at different levels. The structure of the courts allow this to occur form trail courts to appellate courts, with the Louisiana Supreme Court severing as the final authority on the state law matters.

Louisiana Supreme Court

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:32:43 UTC

The Louisiana Supreme Court is the highest court in them state and serves as the court of last resort. "The state's highest court, the Supreme Court, devotes much of its time to considering applications for writs to the lower courts."

https://www.lsba.org/Public/CourtStructure.aspx

Court Of Appeal

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:34:24 UTC

Louisiana has five intermediate appellate courts, known as the Courts of Appeal, divided into districts. These courts review appeals from lower courts, such as district courts.

District Courts

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:35:07 UTC

Louisiana's district courts are trial courts with general jurisdiction. They handle both civil and criminal cases, including major civil disputes, felony criminal cases, family law matters, and etc.

Juvenile Courts

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:37:10 UTC

These courts focus on cases that involve minors. That includes "delinquency proceedings involving persons under the age of 21 who commit delinquent acts before attaining 17 years of age."

https://www.lsba.org/Public/CourtStructure.aspx

Plessy v. Ferguson

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:41:08 UTC

Plessy v. Ferguson is a good example of a legal case centered around the "preservation" of civil liberties. "The case stemmed from an 1892 incident in which African American train passenger Homer Plessy refused to sit in a car for Black people."

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/plessy-v-ferguson

What are Civil Liberties?

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:43:49 UTC

Civil Liberties refer to the fundamental rights and freedom of individuals posses and are protected by the law.

What are Civil Rights?

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:53:04 UTC

Civil rights refer to rights that are given to all individuals by their of status as human beings and citizens of a country. They are intended to ensure equality, fairness, and protection from discrimination.

Gideon v. Wainwright

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 04:59:58 UTC

"Gideon v. Wainwright" was a case in the area of civil rights, ensuring that the right to legal representation is afforded to all individuals accused of crimes, regardless of their financial position enhancing fairness and equality within the criminal justice system. This case is associated with the Sixth Amendment.

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 05:14:58 UTC

The Republican Party has gained support from this population heavily. This supports leads to a partisan makeup that tilts in their favor. John Bel Edwards is the governor and he is a Democrat. Although, the Democrats maintain control over the executive branch now, Republicans have control of both chamber of the legislature, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Political News Stories

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 05:20:08 UTC

Like many states, Louisiana struggle with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There are many discussion and developments regarding vaccine distribution, public health measures, and the economic impact on the state.

Major Media Outlets

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 05:22:23 UTC

The Advocate
WWL-TV
WAFB-TV
NOLA.com

Those are just SOME of the many different outlets that the citizen use to keep up with the news of Louisiana.

What is Public Opinion ?

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 05:25:37 UTC

"Public opinion occurs when a large group of people within society express an opinion. Public opinion can include a collective idea that everyone agrees with or a combination of many different opinions."

Social Issues

kaylathompsonn4 — 2023-12-06 05:29:46 UTC

Louisianas's stance on social issues such as abortions. LGBTQ+ rights, gun control can differ from national averages. There can be different viewpoints that are affected by cultural and religious factors. Views on healthcare, access to healthcare, and responses to public health crises like COVID-19 align with national concerns.