LSU TOPS N.C. STATE 80-73, ADVANCES TO ELITE EIGHT 1C THE
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T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M
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S at u r d ay, M a r c h 29, 2025
LAST CALL
Demolition of longtime downtown restaurant nearly complete
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ELECTION 2025
La. will vote on four amendments Measures include changes to state tax law, criminal justice system and elections
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Demolition of Don’s Seafood and Steakhouse in downtown Lafayette continues on Wednesday.
Demolition of the former Don’s Seafood and Steakhouse in downtown Lafayette is nearly complete. The building, which dates back to 1934, was a popular destination for locals and visitors over the years. The building has been empty since the restaurant closed in 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. An 83-room hotel is planned for the site.
Voters across Louisiana on Saturday will be asked to decide on four proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution. If approved, they would impact the state’s courts, taxes, treatment of juveniles in the criminal jus- ä Lafayette tice system, and elections for Parish will judges. The Louisiana Legisla- vote Saturday ture approved the amendments on two during a special session in November, but voters now have property tax renewals. the final say. Some voters also have local PAGE 1B issues on their ballots. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your polling location and see what’s on your ballot at www.GeauxVote.com, on the GeauxVote mobile app or by calling the registrar of voters in your parish. Here’s an overview of the amendments:
Amendment 1 State lawmakers would gain the power to create regional and statewide specialty courts, should this amendment pass. Currently, legislators can only create specialty courts within a parish or a judicial district. Drug, mental health and veterans courts are examples of these legal programs. Amendment 1 would also clarify that, under the Louisiana Constitution, the state Supreme Court has authority over disciplinary cases involving lawyer misconduct by out-of-state attorneys working in Louisiana. The constitution currently says the Supreme Court has authority over “disciplinary proceedings against a member of the bar.” Proponents say this amendment will give state lawmakers flexibility to set up needed legal forums like business courts, and it will empower the state to punish bad actors who don’t live in Louisiana. Opponents, however, say the real reason for the changes is unclear, and those pushing for them haven’t revealed why exactly the new courts are needed.
A worker picks through the debris at the site of the former Don’s Seafood and Steakhouse on Wednesday.
Amendment 2 This amendment restructures one of the 14 articles of the Louisiana Constitution that governs
ä See VOTE, page 6A
LSU announces hiring freeze
OMV director resigns as computer issues continue
‘Unpredictable, unprecedented federal funding changes’ cited
BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writer
Dan Casey, commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, is resigning amid an ongoing breakdown in the agency’s computer systems that has disrupted services across the state for weeks. “I want to sincerely thank Dan Casey for stepping up to serve as the Commissioner of Office of Motor Vehicles at a time when most people would shy away from the position,” Gov. Jeff Landry said Friday in a news release announcing Casey’s departure. “Dan faced nearly impossible circumstances including a system that was designed in
ä See OMV, page 7A
WEATHER HIGH 76 LOW 68 PAGE 8A
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
LSU will enact a hiring freeze and consider eliminating some positions as the federal government seeks to slash funding for higher education.
tightening measures the public university will take in response to “unpredictable and unprecedented federal funding changes.” The school will pause hiring “with limited exceptions,” look for “redundant” positions to cut and explore usBY PATRICK WALL ing AI to take over some and ELLYN COUVILLION administrative tasks. Staff writers Universities nationwide LSU will enact a univer- have announced hiring sitywide hiring freeze and freezes, layoffs and other consider eliminating some cost-cutting measures after positions as the Trump ad- the Trump administration ministration seeks to slash said in February it would higher-education funding, reduce federal research LSU President William Tate funding by an estimated $4 billion annually. IV said Friday. In a letter to faculty and ä See LSU, page 7A staff, Tate outlined belt-
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