| By KASEY BUBNASH | Staff writer |
Good morning and happy Monday. Here are some of our top headlines. Labor law overhaul: With an ally in the governor’s mansion, the state’s GOP-controlled Legislature will try over the next few months to weaken public-sector unions and slash worker benefits. While workers’ rights advocates are sounding the alarm over about a dozen pieces of legislation filed in the regular session, Republicans see them as a chance to empower employers and grow the strength of allies in the private sector. James Finn has the details. Save the trees? Since the day the first excavator rolled onto St. Roch Avenue in November as part of a city-run road project, neighbors have documented what appear to be flagrant violations of the city’s live oak protection rules. Stephanie Riegel has more on the controversy and why tree advocates say it underscores the need for new laws. 'Third world medicine': A financial crisis plaguing a national for-profit health care chain has hit West Monroe, where one of the company's hospitals is restricted to a third of its capacity after inspection reports revealed a litany of problems at the facility. The reports paint a troubling picture of a medical facility where staff often had no idea what supplies they would have and critical equipment stayed broken for days at a time. Here's the full story. Check out all the latest news, sports and entertainment coverage from The Times-Picayune. Kasey | 