[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6103605,"mediaKeyId","2794142-02ad6435bce6d2ffeb120820760432ea","parentId",2794142,"title","Attorney general office reports dozens of Troop NOLA cases, flags Medicaid fraud workload and investigative priorities","audioSeconds",675,"startMs",9572000,"endMs",10247000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2794142-02ad6435bce6d2ffeb120820760432ea&start=9572&end=10247","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2794142-02ad6435bce6d2ffeb120820760432ea/thumbnail_9572000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6103605/Louisiana/Attorney-general-office-reports-dozens-of-Troop-NOLA-cases-flags-Medicaid-fraud-workload-and-investigative-priorities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103605-4bcf5fcf5cac98908c1a3b98e5423553/orig.mp4?Expires=1770900881&Signature=ADqIFwNxhpUjdxIcBqoWcC3y2pWSrBpHyH7Txd8kg6pA-IH1yQxZRLSI7cvpNN8A~MaT4i8o~J73ugm4eyknd3518DKiCRvqR8Gl5qmk-ltL4NOPIUJcqVc6rUTXpABfnOmO68HJoce0KwP8oX5ISJc-MgYGV3-tRArQtIKwqGkYOxClVPdwZLt5d4iRfKG-hCZEP9QnlrDR3vcRFKZZD09wox4RQU0qrDe0qUj5vTDHxyJ94wCXAUVYjXzDQEoUnTygWqDU-8cecd~TtKz8GQJ5RNx3DZZhDX5y9mfBdAfvr2PicC1SI1y4r88eynEyJmu-nCuwoo2tsNyJFJ7S6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","article","Zion Wilson of the House Fiscal Division presented the Department of Justice FY26 executive budget recommendation, which the packet lists at roughly $113 million and which relies on statutory dedications and federal grants as major funding sources.

Why it matters: the attorney general's office conducts statewide civil and criminal litigation, operates investigative units (including the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children unit), and prosecutes cases referred by State Police including Troop NOLA investigations in New Orleans.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Larry Freeman said Troop NOLA has produced hundreds of new cases: \"right now, as of today, we have 389 open cases. 389 cases that we've opened since the beginning of Troop NOLA. That's just in New Orleans alone.\" He told the committee the office closed 46 of those matters and currently has about 343 active criminal prosecutions pending originating from Troop NOLA investigations.

The department said FY26 includes funding for criminal law, civil law, Medicaid fraud and other units. House Fiscal noted FY26 statutory-dedication totals are higher than FY24 because FY25 included one-time appropriations from the Criminal Justice and First Responders Fund; the department's packet said $15 million was appropriated into FY25 and that about $12 million remained to carry forward into FY26.

Lawmakers asked about a long-running criminal and administrative investigation into a Madison Parish hospital. Freeman said the office is actively investigating the matter and \"it is on our front burner,\" but he declined to provide details because of the active criminal and administrative elements of the inquiry.

The department also discussed Medicaid fraud recovery work. Officials said the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit requires state match funding for some federal awards and that the unit is productive but would be able to recover more if matched with additional state resources. The packet and witnesses noted the federal fund-replacement language and carryforwards affecting fees and self-generated revenue in the department's budget.

Lawmakers asked about vacancies and recruiting; the department reported 56 vacancies as of Dec. 30 in the packet but said the number had fallen since then. Committee members also asked about the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and the office's work on Internet Crimes Against Children and fugitive apprehension; Freeman described wide-ranging investigative operations and interagency coordination with state police and local district attorneys.

Freeman closed by outlining the office's litigation workload including the defense of recently enacted state laws and work on redistricting appeals; he thanked the committee for past appropriations and said the office would continue to execute its criminal and civil responsibilities with the requested resources.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations Mar 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Chief deputy AG Larry Freeman told the appropriations committee the Justice Department has opened hundreds of Troop NOLA cases and that the office is expanding Medicaid fraud work; lawmakers asked about a long-running Madison Parish hospital investigation and statutory dedication funding changes.","taxTitle","Appropriations, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Louisiana","taxId",20967,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6103609,"Revenue Department outlines LATAP upgrades, staffing and interagency costs in FY26 request",591,7709000,8300000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2794142-02ad6435bce6d2ffeb120820760432ea&start=7709&end=8300","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2794142-02ad6435bce6d2ffeb120820760432ea/thumbnail_7709000.jpg","/articles/6103609/Louisiana/Revenue-Department-outlines-LATAP-upgrades-staffing-and-interagency-costs-in-FY26-request","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103609-2f9eb68bb3f1ad22665b2c57491c68f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770900881&Signature=S1XPy3B8jVegKQMBggp2sU8pEuhFgG~0o3sBtGMIClfUb9Da2XPpO7yH9Wre67Xo1i3mAzkBdqVYG6SjzDV7HbbDTlBmNmtUcjduDLOnBsrqWy4K4sXAZI38G7SChSPQkqObI2XA9ND~bwKIJ29VGI2gUSchZheLy9mPOq0~D~A39zk4K2GtFTio3AlfRaPzzEysFj1zdwIYjBOeWoJFmrLcOau7HvKey~qNbvIhER1hDX4~OnCn7uBtLx07rFKAJf4AhYscgoYqJSUBGwgqqWlk61T0GrBCosXhuuEEAAYTafkQ-lzC5TzUQ9ikxQA~GFhVchoEut3k5DoWFngKHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Abigail Chasen of the House Fiscal Division presented the Department of Revenue's FY26 recommendation of about $134.8 million, noting the budget is almost entirely self-generated fees and that the tax-collection program houses the majority of the department's 723 authorized positions.

The why: Department leaders told lawmakers the biggest near-term increases are interagency transfers, largely payments to Office of Technology Services (OTS) for core tax software, while an internal plan to move to a new software version and alternative hosting is expected to reduce hosting costs in future years.

Secretary Richard Nelson described customer-service and technology improvements underway and said the department is upgrading its tax-software stack from an older version to a newer release this year; that change increases FY26 interagency-transfer costs but should allow a future $1.5 million annual hosting savings by moving to outsourced hosting after the upgrade. Nelson also highlighted a new public website and a chatbot designed to reduce call volume and improve online access for taxpayers.

House Fiscal said the department began collecting a 1% dedication on certain tax collections in FY23 and that the department's budget relies heavily on self-generated revenues; the fiscal packet shows 51 vacancies as of Dec. 30 and that the largest vacancy counts and turnover are concentrated in tax collection operations.

Members asked about the recent statutory change that returned Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) collections to OMV and whether that shift affected collections or operations. Department staff said the transfer of certain Office of Debt Recovery (ODR) accounts to OMV has recently completed and that the full effect is still working through accounts and operations.

Lawmakers also pressed on audit staffing. Multiple members noted tax-auditor positions are hard to fill; staff said the department will again seek civil-service classification changes and emphasized recruiting to reduce vacancies for tax-auditor and collection positions. The department confirmed taxpayers can file amended returns and other services online through the LATAP portal and that the office has negotiated lower card-payment fees for some online transactions.

The department said it is pursuing efficiencies to reduce unnecessary notices, forms and filings for taxpayers and to make the taxpayer experience more digital. Nelson told the committee the department's public Google rating has improved as part of that effort and reiterated that modernizing the tax software should reduce long-term hosting costs.","Department of Revenue officials told the committee the FY26 recommended budget ($134.8M) is driven by self-generated revenues and personnel needs, and that planned tax-software upgrades and hosting changes will raise near-term interagency-transfer costs but save money long term.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6103613,"Secretary of State's office defends $17 million closed-primary costs, outlines e-poll book procurement",777,5640000,6417000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2794142-02ad6435bce6d2ffeb120820760432ea&start=5640&end=6417","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2794142-02ad6435bce6d2ffeb120820760432ea/thumbnail_5640000.jpg","/articles/6103613/Louisiana/Secretary-of-States-office-defends-17-million-closed-primary-costs-outlines-e-poll-book-procurement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103613-e782f5b102b645c2bc8ac0253ce45f56/orig.mp4?Expires=1770900881&Signature=E1dtIoa41HryqIUtVttBez~eJ70fg-d8i6k5Avoxk3GXqg5Lhd0p54eOM2GqYrbGG4uIdNOA8wld5gZT5eMOV5FqHyBQcPliPiQhdK68ftAD3LL6EN6edKyHB1mTya7qcX2PETWYWBzOcvqP9hMJ2I5T9tFFJv93q6VnOCdfbFPbl~7oqhMoDaOPtnYlHp8eopXGx19fTgVjq2X7PP3MUwFtKiWVyAjBK70YGS7UMlJfS-iJH7ZQIRQFVYZZYKquDXY55E8svoolRQ7Lhpm-Vpwsue2Z0SGNWJp5Gk8CDDrfGnf5H-ep7pJRa49bshqx2Grb0yj9Btz9W19ZOVXlNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Blair LeBlanc of the House Fiscal Division told the committee the Department of State's FY26 recommended budget totals about $131 million, with the elections program comprising roughly $90.8 million and a requested state-general-fund increase of roughly $18.8 million tied to a statewide closed-party-primary change and implementation costs.

The nut: the Secretary of State's office told lawmakers the largest near-term costs are for voter education about the closed primaries and for a statewide move to electronic poll (e-poll) books required to run the new primary process.

Katherine Newsom, the first assistant secretary of state representing Secretary Nancy Landry, said the office asked for $12.7 million for electronic poll books and $3.5 million for public education on the change to closed party primaries. Newsom told the committee the voting-technology procurement process is underway: \"Step 1 of the procurement process created by act 4 80 of the 2021 session was completed last Thursday, March 20, with the final publication of our system standards,\" and the law requires waiting 30 days after promulgation before moving to procurement.

Officials said the new voting system will include a paper component and allow voters to confirm selections on a paper ballot before casting votes; that approach responds to prior audit recommendations and auditability requirements in state law. Newsom said the voting-technology fund holds about $63.0 million and that the current voting equipment fleet is nearly 35 years old.

The committee pressed on voter confusion and poll-worker strain. Newsom and election officials described a planned voter-education mix that includes a household mailer, television and streaming ads, radio spots, print material and targeted digital outreach. The $3.5 million education budget is allocated roughly as: $1.3 million for a household mailer, $1.0 million television, $300,000 radio, $200,000 streaming, $170,000 printed materials, $200,000 video production, and smaller amounts for social media and reserves.

On election administration, the Department said the e-poll books are necessary for administering the new closed-primary mechanics and that election administrators will consolidate closed-party contests on ballots to reduce voter confusion. Commissioner of Elections Sherry Hatzke briefed the committee on prior experience with a first-party primary in 2008 and the operational differences that made the FY26 implementation more complex.

Lawmakers asked about ongoing costs; department staff said the public-education push is concentrated around implementation and should not be as costly in subsequent years once voters and officials adjust. Committee members also discussed poll-worker recruitment and compensation; Secretary staff said they are coordinating trainings and working with local registrars and clerks to staff polling places and that some legislative fixes for commissioner pay were under consideration.

The department also described procurement steps for a new voting system that will be widely audited and will require subsequent vendor selection after the promulgation period ends. Newsom said the office has implemented or is implementing legislative-audit recommendations from a 2021 audit and emphasized the department's recent national rankings for election integrity.","Department of State staff told the appropriations committee that implementing closed party primaries and switching to electronic poll books are the primary drivers of an $18.8 million state-general-fund increase budgeted for elections in FY26; the office also said voting-system standards were published and procurement will follow.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6103616,"Louisiana lieutenant governor touts tourism gains, details parks recovery and statewide litter push",1391,85000,1476000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2794142-02ad6435bce6d2ffeb120820760432ea&start=85&end=1476","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2794142-02ad6435bce6d2ffeb120820760432ea/thumbnail_85000.jpg","/articles/6103616/Louisiana/Louisiana-lieutenant-governor-touts-tourism-gains-details-parks-recovery-and-statewide-litter-push","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103616-729e6beca04805e31a8a3015520ffdfb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770900881&Signature=nAJrcdDy9NufB3SgJg4j3zrMO~LamzlHQAPJsJMTSiT4Y2B60AOKbU7BPbCCWbYwP-FntJeugb72m6rNY-BRVZ4O4Zwgyal1r4mJ3f8l8bh7WdKWSilUc8mxfu7L-6fuKWGFdlT3Ip9DJqsrjnNXnAUnNYtYN8WbkziI-HM56m7Svqe0pbBU0iuzcgQ8JS-OS9xuJQsfJfOX~HMGwrpss5lyS47MEReESBUHO4re6drC6ZrAkNdcFy0Tq52OJ1GXXQFv2KqaGZXfnfth-AgdldEpWh2mNdhnNIc-Jye9C9VZJP4g9dFIrVhe~lrtJBFs4nwvny9bmY-n1bbnKVdZNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Abigail Chasen of the House Fiscal Division presented the executive budget recommendation for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, saying the lieutenant governor's office is recommended at about $10.6 million for fiscal 2026 and the department at about $135.2 million.

The presentation matters because the agencies oversee tourism promotion, the state park system and Volunteer Louisiana programs that deliver services and drive visitor spending statewide.

Lieutenant Governor (first reference as \"Lieutenant Governor\") summarized tourism and parks results and initiatives, saying \"we are the fifth biggest industry in Louisiana\" and that tourism returns roughly 45-to-1 on the state's investment. He credited marketing and new international efforts for recent gains and told lawmakers the office canceled a contract with Macy's parade after finding it did not deliver promised airtime.

On state parks, the lieutenant governor said parks had been at risk of closure but now approach two million annual visitors after private-public partnerships and in-house maintenance work; he said staff saved the state \"over $20,000,000 from hurricane recovery\" by using in-house repair teams. The Office of State Parks is budgeted to receive almost 40% of the department's recommended budget; the department overall has 591 authorized positions and 60 vacancies as of Dec. 30, according to the House Fiscal presentation.

Officials described staffing and pay issues for park maintenance workers. Brandon Burris, representing State Parks, said starting wages for park building-and-grounds attendants have made recruitment difficult in rural areas and the department is pursuing a new civil-service job series to improve starting pay and career progression.

The lieutenant governor and other officials also highlighted Volunteer Louisiana, which receives federal funds administered through the office. Judge Johnson, executive director of Volunteer Louisiana, said the agency passes federal grants to local volunteer organizations, and Katherine Newsom'style programs such as AmeriCorps were described as important partners.

Litter abatement and Keep Louisiana Beautiful: the lieutenant governor said the office took over the Keep Louisiana Beautiful program and that participation has risen from about 50 groups two years ago to roughly 860 groups so far this year, with a goal of 1,000. Susan Russell, executive director of Keep Louisiana Beautiful, described a new litter-surveillance camera grant and training workshops for local law-enforcement and municipal staff to enforce anti-dumping laws. The lieutenant governor and members discussed options to fund local drop-off or bulk-disposal events and to pay locals to perform highway grass-cutting and litter removal.

Tourism marketing and fees: Doug Bourgeois, with the Office of Tourism, said the office budgets roughly $8–$9 million for advertising and is developing targeted products such as road-trip itineraries and demand-based pricing for popular park cabins. The department reported a decline in some self-generated revenues tied to the State Parks Improvement and Repair dedicated fund and requested additional general fund to replace forecasted shortfalls.

Museums and cultural development: officials said the department is investing in museum marketing and repairs, running programs such as a women-in-Mardi-Gras exhibit and the America 250 project, and seeking $500,000 for cultural development and Main Street grants. Carrie Broussard said the Main Street program received $450,000 last year, and the department requested $225,000 in recurring funding for FY26 while requesting $500,000 from the Office of Planning and Budget.

Lawmakers pressed for specifics on vacancies, fee accounts and capital requests; staff answered that several FY25 appropriations were one-time carryforwards that reduce FY26 other-charges totals. Representative Marcel and others asked about three frozen positions removed from the parks personnel table; Nancy Watkins, undersecretary for the department, said positions vacant more than a year are removed automatically by budget rules.

Looking ahead: the department and lieutenant governor framed the FY26 request as an effort to stabilize park operations, expand volunteer and litter-abatement work, and continue tourism promotion that officials say spurs broad economic activity. Several representatives urged more funding for Main Street and local litter grants and asked for continued attention to park staffing and wage parity.","The lieutenant governor and Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism officials presented the FY26 budget recommendation, highlighting tourism returns, state parks recovery and expanded litter-abatement programs, while answering lawmakers’ questions about staffing, revenue changes and grant funding.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Attorney general office reports dozens of Troop NOLA cases, flags Medicaid fraud workload and investigative priorities

Revenue Department outlines LATAP upgrades, staffing and interagency costs in FY26 request

Secretary of State's office defends $17 million closed-primary costs, outlines e-poll book procurement

Louisiana lieutenant governor touts tourism gains, details parks recovery and statewide litter push