It’s an election year, and lawmakers in Baton Rouge spent a lot of time this spring discussing ways to change Louisiana’s voting system. One driving force behind a lot of the discussion was Secretary of State Nancy Landry. 

Landry, a Republican, has said that Louisiana elections are secure and well-run. Still she supported over 11 bills this session as part of her ‘election integrity package’, that include a ban on ranked-choice voting, tighter rules around absentee ballots and the creation of a new ‘division of election integrity’ within her department. She joins us for more on how these changes will impact voting in November.

Juneteenth is just around the corner, and the Whitney Plantation in Wallace, Louisiana is gearing up for its second annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival. Director of education Erika Hernandez tells us for more on the significance of celebrating the liberation from slavery in a space where it was once the law of the land.

Last week, we reported on two schools in New Orleans that not only closed for the summer, but closed for good. But in Jackson, Mississippi, the number is even higher, as 11 public schools have permanently shut their doors. 

The Gulf States Newsroom's Maya Miller went to the now-shuttered Wingfield High School's graduation where parents felt a mix of joy and uncertainty.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schrieber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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