| BY JESSICA WILLIAMS | Capitol News Bureau Editor |
Crime session ends: Louisiana lawmakers this week agreed to new death penalty execution methods, stricter sentencing and other tough-on-crime laws championed by Gov. Jeff Landry and his allies, ushering in a sea change in the state's approach to criminal justice. Our reporters have those stories. Public defense: State lawmakers this week also granted Landry more say over the state's public defense system - though not quite as much say as he wanted, Meghan Friedmann reports. Here's more about the controversial set-up the Legislature approved. Coastal restoration: After the state refused this week to fight a legal challenge filed to halt a massive coastal restoration project, questions swirled about whether Landry is against the project. But a state official said the administration supports it, Mark Schlefstein and Tristan Baurick report. | 