Julie O'Donoghue

Saints Patriots

First Saints game ....

Voting

Louisiana! Don't forget to vote today!

Reminder: It's been 10 days since Gov. Jeff Landry asked for federal support to deploy 1,000 members of the Louisiana National Guard and still no public response from Trump.

It's like our governor has been left on read? It's weird.

#lalege #lagov

Via Julie O'Donoghue & Louisiana Illuminator: Medicaid enrollees can struggle to find doctors because of low reimbursement rates. The Louisiana Department of Health said Tuesday it raised rates to incentivize more medical professionals to see people with Medicaid coverage. https://ow.ly/XlZ850X8AaN

Hoping to improve health care access, Louisiana increases Medicaid payments to doctors • Louisiana Illuminator Medicaid enrollees often struggle to find doctors willing to treat them because the government health care program pays low reimbursement rates for services.

Hoping to improve health care access, Louisiana increases Medicaid payments to doctors (from @jsodonoghue.bsky.social) lailluminator.com/2025/10/08/l... #lalege

Huge congrats to @paulflahive.bsky.social for winning the first Collier Spotlight award for his coverage of failures in the Texas CPS system.

Read his whole series here: whenhomeisthedanger.org #txlege

There's some movement on Memphis in Tennessee, which is in a similar position to us because the Republican governor has consented to the plan to deploy the Guard.

So now we're nine days from Gov. Jeff Landry
asking for a National Guard deployment in Louisiana and there is still no response from the Trump administration.

I know we're in a government shutdown but that doesn't appear to be stopping the Illinois deployment. Weird. #lalege

For the second year in a row, Louisiana won’t promote the flu vaccine • Louisiana Illuminator It’s a departure from practice for Louisiana’s health agency, which held mass flu vaccine events for several years under previous governors.

For the second year in a row under Gov. Jeff Landry, the Louisiana Department of Health won't hold flu vaccine events.

Flu vaccine drives were held for several years under previous governors, both Democratic and Republican.

lailluminator.com/2025/10/08/f... #lalege #lagov

For the second year in a row, Louisiana won’t promote the flu vaccine • Louisiana Illuminator It’s a departure from practice for Louisiana’s health agency, which held mass flu vaccine events for several years under previous governors.

Louisiana will not hold public flu vaccine events or promote it through advertising for the second year in a row under Gov. Jeff Landry. Though @jsodonoghue.bsky.social reports Surgeon General Ralph Abraham provides flu shots at his NE Louisiana practice.
lailluminator.com/2025/10/08/f...

Hoping to improve health care access, Louisiana increases Medicaid payments to doctors • Louisiana Illuminator Medicaid enrollees often struggle to find doctors willing to treat them because the government health care program pays low reimbursement rates for services.

Hoping to increase health care access, Louisiana raised payments for doctors, nurse practitioners, etc. who treat Medicaid patients.

It's not cheap. The Medicaid program will grow by $258m per year this new plan from Gov. Jeff Landry and lawmakers.

lailluminator.com/2025/10/08/l...

Louisiana doubles capacity of domestic violence shelters with state funding • Louisiana Illuminator Louisiana domestic violence shelters doubled the number of beds available for emergency housing in recent years with millions in state funding.

Louisiana doubles capacity of domestic violence shelters with state funding lailluminator.com/2025/10/01/l... (from @jsodonoghue.bsky.social) #lalege

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Signs your work lunch is in New Orleans...

Louisiana doubles capacity of domestic violence shelters with state funding • Louisiana Illuminator Louisiana domestic violence shelters doubled the number of beds available for emergency housing in recent years with millions in state funding.

Louisiana domestic violence shelters have doubled the number of beds available in recent years with millions in state funding, but 1,300 people were turned away for a lack of space over the past 12 months. @jsodonoghue.bsky.social reports lailluminator.com/2025/10/01/l...

Louisiana doubles capacity of domestic violence shelters with state funding • Louisiana Illuminator Louisiana domestic violence shelters doubled the number of beds available for emergency housing in recent years with millions in state funding.

Thanks to an extra $7 million per year from Louisiana lawmakers, the state's domestic violence shelter bed capacity doubled.

The number of people asking for shelter who have to be turned away has dropped by almost half. #lalege #lagov

lailluminator.com/2025/10/01/l...

Louisiana issues arrest warrant for California doctor who allegedly sent abortion pills • Louisiana Illuminator Murrill posted a statement on X, calling it “dangerous, irresponsible, unethical, and illegal to distribute these pills to strangers in violation of the criminal laws of our State, without any relatio...

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has issued an arrest warrant for a California doctor who allegedly mailed abortion pills to a Louisiana woman.

lailluminator.com/2025/09/30/r...

Landry asks for Pentagon support to activate Louisiana National Guard • Louisiana Illuminator "Louisiana currently faces a convergence of elevated violent crime rates in Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans coupled with critical personnel shortages within local law enforcement," the govern...

FWIW: Gov. Jeff Landry can deploy the Louisiana National Guard to Louisiana without permission from the president or Secretary of Defense.

He has to ask them for help if he wants the feds (not the state) to pay for the deployment. #lalege

lailluminator.com/2025/09/29/l...

The Louisiana Department of Health and the state pharmacy board did not respond to questions from the reporter for this story.

It's the job of state officials to help pharmacists and the public understand vaccine policy - whatever that is. They are failing to do their job. #lalege

Louisiana pharmacies make their own rules amid confusing COVID guidance: ‘It’s clear as mud’ Unclear rules and inconsistent interpretations of federal and state COVID-19 vaccination rules leave families confused and vulnerable patients unprotected.

Louisiana residents are having problems getting the COVID-19 vaccination, particularly for children. Some of the big chain pharmacies won't vaccinate children in Louisiana, even with a prescription. From @wwno.org #lalege www.wwno.org/public-healt...

Landry asks for Pentagon support to activate Louisiana National Guard • Louisiana Illuminator "Louisiana currently faces a convergence of elevated violent crime rates in Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans coupled with critical personnel shortages within local law enforcement," the govern...

Gov. Jeff Landry asks the feds to pay for up to 1000 Louisiana National Guard troops to be deployed to Shreveport, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Story from @greglarose.bsky.social.

lailluminator.com/2025/09/29/l...

I thought so too!

I'm watching The Fugitive for the first time in 30 years. I loved this movie as a kid ... We will see how it holds up.

Send me a DM!

Baton Rouge folks!

I'm starting a local fiction writing group to review and provide feedback on each other's work.

Our first meeting is Oct. 19. Lmk if you are interested and I'll send you the info.

Ellie

Hey y'all. I had the reversed the numbers for the PBM contracts in this story. I am so sorry for this error and have issued a correction. Apologies for the mistake. It's embarrassing to say the least. #lalege

With 'Louisiana Lockup,' ICE wields Angola's 'notorious' reputation in immigration crackdown The prison's notoriety should scare people into self-deporting, a Trump official says.

State and federal officials refuse to answer questions or provide basic information about the immigration detention center at Angola prison. They wouldn't even answer what contractor will be running the facility. #lalege

www.nola.com/news/new-ice...

Louisiana partially breaks from CVS Health as pharmacy middleman for state workers • Louisiana Illuminator Louisiana has shifted one of its two large pharmacy benefits contracts for state employees away from CVS Health, but Gov. Jeff Landry and state lawmakers kept the most lucrative agreement with that ph...

Louisiana partially breaks from CVS Health as pharmacy middleman for state workers (from @jsodonoghue.bsky.social)
lailluminator.com/2025/09/21/l... #lalege

When Louisiana votes next year, the list of candidates will likely be much shorter. Here’s why. Candidates for U.S. House and Senate who aren’t Democrats or Republicans have more work to do to get on the Louisiana ballot for the 2026 midterm elections.

In 2026, Louisiana's process for getting on the ballot will change such there is one process for Dems/Republicans and another for other parties candidates/independents.

I suspect someone will sue over this at some point. #lalege

www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...

Charlie Kirk

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and his son attended the memorial service for Charlie Kirk in Arizona today. #lalege #lagov