Whales vs. Louisiana jobs? U.S. House investigates

Whales vs. Louisiana jobs? U.S. House investigates

Whales vs. jobs?: U.S. House Republicans are investigating a court settlement that pits endangered whales against possibly hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue for Louisiana, Mark Ballard reports. The protections for whales in the settlement have tamped down enthusiasm for a Sept. 27 offshore lease sale.

Entergy hikes: Entergy Louisiana is asking state regulators for permission to increase customers' electric bills by $8 per month, Sam Karlin reports. The utility, which provides electricity and gas service to customers in much of the state, wants to increase profit and pay for other costs.

Burn ban: Gov. John Bel Edwards is warning residents not to start fires this Labor Day weekend, given the dry conditions plaguing the state, Rebecca Holland reports. The state's burn ban forbids all forms of outdoor burning, including grilling and agricultural burning.

Numbers to Know

100 Rice whales live in the Gulf of Mexico

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Industry bid $310M for 1.6M acres of Gulf bottom in the last offshore lease sale

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Louisiana got $112M in revenue from those bids

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A deal, now being investigated by House Republicans, is meant to protect the whales and limit oil and gas activity

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Source: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

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