BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer Louisiana's nursing homes are ranked among the worst in the country, but lawmakers in the state House approved a bill Tuesday that would largely shield the industry from lawsuits despite their consistently low performance in federal quality measures. The lead-up to the vote featured an intense lobbying campaign between powerful nursing home interests and advocates for the elderly. Supporters of the industry protested multimillion-dollar verdicts from lawsuits that allege administrative negligence and improper staffing. Critics of the bill say it would protect bad actors like Bob Dean, the nursing home owner who sent more than 800 elderly and infirm nursing home residents to a tepid warehouse in 2021 during Hurricane Ida. Read more about the debate over Senate Bill 134. The St. George City Council has approved what Mayor Dustin Yates terms "a no-frills budget" for 2025-26. Some public works items are still under the jurisdiction of the city-parish, but the budget approved Tuesday represents operations after those services have been completely transferred over to St. George. Read about where the money will be spent. Baton Rouge civil rights Sadie Roberts-Joseph was found dead in the trunk of her car in July 2019. On Tuesday, the murder trial began for her alleged killer, Ronn Jermaine Bell, who faces a mandatory life sentence if he is convicted. Read about the opening statements from both sides. | 