Sam Karlin

1 week ago | nola.com | Sam Karlin

Louisiana lawmakers are proposing a host of measures to help incentivize — and possibly require — the building of fortified roofs, which are widely seen as one solution to the spiraling insurance premiums saddling homeowners. The Legislature will consider at least six bills directly addressing fortified roofs during the session that begins April 14. If successful, proponents of the changes hope Louisiana can rapidly accelerate the pace at which new, stronger roofs are built in the state.

1 week ago | nola.com | Sam Karlin

A year after lawmakers agreed to a package of bills to make Louisiana friendlier to insurance companies, the ongoing home insurance crisis is prompting a host of legislators to seek more relief from spiraling costs for homeowners. Lawmakers have filed bills to ramp up oversight of insurers, to crack down on what some see as “excessive” profits and to provide tax credits to people who pay high premiums, among an array of other ideas.

1 month ago | nola.com | Sam Karlin

Entergy Louisiana’s plans to procure billions of dollars worth of new gas-fired power is setting up a pivotal fight over the utility’s control over the electric market, with an unlikely coalition of opponents arguing that the company is set to heap huge costs on residents. Entergy is planning to deactivate a host of aging power plants built in the 1960s and 1970s in the coming years. At the same time, the company is courting power-hungry data centers that require new infrastructure to be built.

1 month ago | nola.com | Sam Karlin

On a busy day at the State Capitol in 2019, a freshman legislator was about to run into a buzz saw. State Rep. Nicholas Muscarello took a seat at a committee table to present a controversial bill. Then-Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office had asked Muscarello, a Hammond Republican, to sponsor legislation to blanket information in secrecy about companies providing execution drugs to the state. It was part of a bid to end a decadelong pause in executions in Louisiana.

1 month ago | nola.com | Sam Karlin

The benefits of getting a fortified roof in south Louisiana — including lower insurance premiums and fewer hurricane losses — generally outweigh the costs of putting the roof on, according to a new study by state auditors. The report, released Monday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, found most people who have taken advantage of a state grant program to install a stronger roof have seen insurance premiums drop. The median recipient saw a 22% discount, saving them $1,250 a year.