BATON ROUGE, La. – Gov. Kathleen Blanco proposed a $1 billion plan Monday to ease the post-hurricane insurance burden on Louisiana homeowners by sending them refund checks to cover recent rate increases.
The plan requires legislative approval and a change to the state constitution, in part because some of the money would be raised by selling off what remains of Louisiana’s share of the 1998 nationwide tobacco settlement.
The plan calls for the state to essentially refund the rate increases, averaging 15 percent, that private insurance companies imposed on the state’s 1 million policyholders after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Prosecutor’s novel ruled too close to case
An appeals court has removed a prosecutor from trying a rape suspect because she wrote a crime novel about a remarkably similar case.
Deputy District Attorney Joyce Dudley’s desire to see her book succeed is so strong that she may not treat defendant Massey Haraguchi fairly, the 2nd District Court of Appeal said in a decision issued last week.
In both the real-life case and the book, a woman claims to have been sexually assaulted after being given an intoxicating drug.
The court said Dudley’s self-published novel, “Intoxicating Agent,” had enough similarities to suggest Dudley relied on the case for plot lines.
