This Week in Louisiana Politics: 10 Commandments case, Smitty’s Supply lawsuit and SNAP

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — On This Week in Louisiana Politics, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to hear arguments regarding the placement of the Ten Commandments in Louisiana’s public classrooms, overturning a previous ruling that deemed the proposal unconstitutional.

This decision marks a significant development in the state’s ongoing legal battle to allow the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools. The initial ruling over the summer had barred such displays, citing a violation of the separation of church and state.

Attorney General Liz Murrill has argued that there is no violation of the separation of church and state, stating that since the commandments have not yet been displayed, no harm has been done.

Murrill’s office is seeking to have the injunction preventing the displays dismissed. The case has sparked debate over religious symbols in public spaces and their implications for church-state separation.

In a separate legal matter, Murrill is filing a complaint against Smitty’s Supply following an explosion at their facility in August. The company is accused of failing to comply with regulations under the Clean Water Act and the Louisiana Environmental Quality Act.

The complaint aims to hold Smitty’s accountable for damages and repair costs, with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Justice also involved in the case.

In other news, former Vice President Dick Cheney has passed away at the age of 84 due to complications from pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. Cheney served as Vice President under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009.

A federal judge has ordered the Trump Administration to fully fund SNAP benefits through the rest of the month, despite the White House’s claims of insufficient contingency funds to cover the estimated $9 billion cost.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Louisiana First News. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Louisiana First News staff before being published.

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