| BY CHAD CALDER | Staff writer |
Thanks for starting your day with Morning Headlines. Here are some of our top stories. More than a dozen bills seeking to toughen criminal penalties sailed through legislative committees Tuesday, the second day of a session called by Gov. Jeff Landry to overhaul Louisiana's justice system. The day included emotional testimony and harsh criticism for bills that will likely fare well in the increasingly conservative body. James Finn has the details. Also, you'll find a list of all the proposed bills here. One bill in particular, which would give a single gubernatorial appointee control of the state’s public defense system, has cleared its first hurdle. This despite criticism that it could compromise the independence of public defenders and leave them vulnerable to political influence. Meghan Friedmann has this report. A bill has been filed that would redraw boundaries for the seven state Supreme Court districts and create a second Black-majority seat has been filed. Supporters say it would codify a recent legal settlement and provide a welcome conclusion to long-running dispute, but not everyone happy with the proposal. Tyler Bridges has the story. Check out all the latest news, sports and entertainment coverage from The Times-Picayune. Chad | 