 BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer Baton Rouge Mayor Sid Edwards has proposed taking money that currently goes to the East Baton Rouge Parish library system and rededicating it to the city's police department and other initiatives. The plan would raise average starting pay for BRPD officers from $40,900 to $58,000. The raises would be the highest ever for officers in the department, Edwards said. The library's 2025 budget of $61.1 million is funded separately from the parish general fund. Edwards' proposal would change that. He said the library system is collecting more money from taxpayers than it needs, creating a surplus — which he called "overtaxation." It the Metro Council passes the issue in March, it would go before voters in October. Read more about the mayor's plan.
A task force appointed by Gov. Jeff Landry is meeting behind closed doors to find ways to eliminate or shrink government programs. The governor says the group is not subject to the state public meetings law. Reasons why that may not be true: eight of its nine members are state legislators; it is planning to spend tax dollars to hire outside consultants, and it is meeting in government buildings. Read why some experts say Landry should open up the meetings to the public.
Assessments show Louisiana's troubled flounder population remains overfished, but encouraging signs are raising hopes for an improvement. Read more about the current shortage of the dinnertime favorite. | 
