Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us.

Because together we power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum, located in Jennings City Hall.

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana.

And the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Thank you.

State lawmakers wrapped up a whirlwind special session that could result in big shake ups to congressional maps.

We will sit down with a civil rights organizer instrumental in the fight for fair representation.

The magic behind the screams.

Meet the makeup artists, turning actors into scenes straight from a horror movie.

At the 13th gate.

And we'll take you into the swamps of Acadiana for The Legend of the Feufollet Let's get started.

Let's do it.

Hi, everyone.

I'm Christina Jensen, and I'm Victor Howell much more on those top stories in a moment on this week's edition of Louisiana, the state we're in.

But first, Louisiana leaders plan to tap into state money to keep Snap benefits going for some struggling families.

On Wednesday, Governor Jeff Landry held a press conference to discuss the plan.

our priorities are very specific.

We are going to protect the most vulnerable population in Louisiana, which is our kids are elderly and disabled.

And I really am proud of our great state because, you know what?

We're going to do something.

We're going to lead the nation in a way.

We take care of people.

because of the federal government shutdown, Snap benefits will not be renewed starting this weekend.

State leaders will fund benefits for children, the elderly and disabled for now.

But that still leaves thousands of others who normally receive benefits without assistance.

Landry encouraged those people to look for work or lean on food banks for help.

Louisiana lawmakers have set the stage to once again redraw the state's congressional map.

The Republican supermajority voted to delay primary elections for U.S.

House and Senate races as they await a ruling from the Supreme Court.

Here's a look at the potential wide ranging impact.

are back at the Capitol for another special session in anticipation of a Supreme Court ruling dealing with the state's congressional maps.

Lawmakers moved with unusual speed, passing two bills designed to delay the state's spring primary elections by a month.

Under the new timeline, Louisiana's primaries for U.S.

House, Senate and several municipal offices will take place on May 16th.

Candidate qualifying shifts to February 11th through the 13th, with general or runoff elections scheduled for June 27th.

But as the legislation advanced, frustration outside the chamber, where Democrats and voting rights advocates rallied, calling the decision a setback for voting access and representation.

Our voice our power.

Republicans defended the change, saying it's about timing, not politics.

They argue the state needs flexibility ahead of a pending U.S.

Supreme Court ruling that could once again reshape Louisiana's congressional districts.

We have a case before the Supreme Court that's a huge case looking at the Voting Rights Act and whether the particular map that we have, which has two minority districts, might not be constitutional.

What they're trying to do is buy themselves as much time as they can so that if the Supreme Court does throw it out, they can redraw the maps and add another Republican district.

Barry Erwin, chief policy officer at leaders for a Better Louisiana, a nonpartisan organization that tracks policy and voter engagement across the state, says the choices made in this special session could shape the state's next elections.

I think the big thing, number one, is that while we're trying to prepare for a very new election kind of system here in our state, going from open primaries to closed primaries, now we're going to have to say, okay, we're going to push it back another month.

it will give people more time to qualify, more time for the legislature to draw maps more times for a lot of politics, if you want to get right down to it.

And I think people are going to see a lot of confusion because of that.

Creating confusion and the potential to shift political power across the South and nationwide.

depending on how they rule on the Voting Rights Act, it could definitely have ripple effects all the way down to the local level At Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Professor Angela Allen Bell, an expert in constitutional law, has been following the session closely.

what I saw coming out of the legislature, what I see as a result of the state's efforts with this litigation is to create a system, where there will be factions, to create a system where we are not going to be enriched by the diversity of thought that comes about when we actually achieve a democracy that is inclusive.

So this cuts to the essence of the way every citizen wants to experience freedom in this country.

And what's important about this, is making sure that the person who's chosen to be in Congress can first and foremost identify with the needs of the constituents back home.

law professor Alan Bell also says the outcome of the Supreme Court's decision could have national implications.

This case talks to us about what redistricting is going to mean around the whole country.

It talks about race, the way race can play or factor into redistricting.

It talks to us about the way politics and political parties can become a part of this redistricting conversation.

This case also will decide that this case also will ask us, do we really want a Voting Rights Act any more in this country?

while Republicans call it a sensible move and Democrats say it's an overreach.

One thing is certain the election calendar has changed.

And as Louisiana waits for the Supreme Court's decision, the political landscape continues to shift beneath it.

this decision has the potential to result in what I term political apartheid, not just in Louisiana, but around the entire nation.

That's how high the stakes are at this moment.

In a year when every day and every vote counts, Louisiana's special session has once again put time at the center of its democracy.

The fight over redistricting in Louisiana dates back several years.

Advocates initially pushed for a second majority minority district in 2022, when census data showed that black people made up about 33% of the state's population.

I spoke with the lead plaintiff in that case to talk about how we got here.

Joining me now is Press Robinson.

You led the case challenging Louisiana's congressional map.

That fight is now before the Supreme Court.

Take me back.

How did we get here?

This process started years ago, quite frankly, and minorities have been fighting constantly to make sure that they had their rights protected.

In Kent in 2022, after the legislature passed their map for the congressional district with one majority black district, we filed suit because the 2020 census showed that the minority population of the state is about one third, while one third or sixth congressional districts two in anybody█s math.

Okay?

But we only had one, so we filed suit to get that second one.

I'm the lead plaintiff in that suit is, entitled Robinson versus Landry.

Landry was our secretary of state at the time.

We took it to the federal court.

Judge Shirley Dick ruled that the, map likely violated, section two of the Voting Rights Act.

The Fifth Circuit agreed with that twice.

And from that, there were a group of, voters in Monroe .They called themselves non African-American voters.

I don't know who they are, but they filed suit claiming that that map that the legislature and the governor and all approved and was, you know, signed into law, was not politically drawn as the state was contending, but actually a racially drawn.

We initially argued the case before the Supreme Court last year, expected it to have an answer at the end of the term didn't happen.

Instead, they rescheduled for rehearing this past October 15th.

We argue that this time, however, instead of the state being on our side and arguing the same thing, they're in opposition.

Flipped.

Unfortunately, the Louisiana legislature is currently in special session.

They say to alter the election dates from April to May.

That's what it's about.

But that's not the real reason that they're doing it.

They're really doing it because they're thinking that Supreme Court may very well say that section two is no longer applicable, and that maybe that, the map does violate the 14th and 15th Amendment to the Constitution.

Let's talk about the voters.

What's at stake for them, specifically in black and rural communities?

In black and rural communities.

If we don't have section two of the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court several years ago got rid of section five, which dealt with preclearance.

So we only have section two to protect our voting rights.

I see that we will have an opportunity to express our choice for representatives at any level of the electoral process.

Whatever happens in this particular case will set the stage for what happens throughout the state, and that will set us back 50, maybe 100 years in the process.

What's going through your mind, as you say?

That statement right there.

Horror ... horror.

We thought that we won this battle in 1965.

Or the 60s and 70s only now to be reliving the whole thing all over again.

It takes a toll.

It takes a toll.

And the more things change, the more the same.

Whether it's a win or a loss, depending on what the Supreme Court rules.

What is your message to people in Louisiana?

We got to keep fighting.

If they vote against this, we have to find another way to attack the issue.

We deserve, that's the fundamental birthright of a citizen in a democracy.

So how can you deny us an opportunity to do it?

Yet the people in power seemingly have no trouble whatsoever in denying us our basic and fundamental rights.

Is there anything else you want to add on the subject that I haven't asked only to emphasize again, this is extremely important, and it's very important for minority voters to understand so that they get out and vote.

Voting is important.

Important every single time.

And it doesn't matter at what level that vote is.

You ought to get out and vote.

And to realize that this is going to set the stage for not only Louisiana, but the entire country, and not only at the level of the congressional, but at the judges levels, the state legislature, school boards, all levels of of the electoral process are going to be affected.

History repeats itself.

Well, thank you so much for sharing your story with us.

I really appreciate it.

My pleasure.

All right.

Thank you.

That's press Robinson, everyone.

All right, Victor, let's take a look at what's trending this week.

Hurricane Melissa now spinning off into the Atlantic after devastating parts of Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean.

It's good thing to see that storm getting out here.

It was a massive Cat five when it hit Jamaica, making it the strongest storm ever to hit the island.

Here's the sad news, Christina.

At least 50 people are dead and major damage is being reported throughout the island.

Yeah, specifically at the airport.

The United Cajun Navy had a team on the ground ahead of landfall, and they are working now with Jamaican authorities on rescue and recovery.

And at least two groups from Louisiana.

Victor were stranded in Jamaica when the storm hit.

Both sheltered at the resorts and are believed to be.

Okay.

Let's get back to the mainland and let's talk about this government shutdown, because the shutdown is causing now major delays at a lot of major airports.

Air traffic controllers and TSA agents are now working without pay and delays are being reported out of New Orleans.

So plan ahead if you are flying out of there.

Officials say arrive about 2 to 3 hours before your departure time.

It has been a mess.

Hopefully it gets straightened out sooner rather than later.

Well, Thursday night, LSU athletic director Scott Woodward announced he was leaving LSU.

The announcement came just over 24 hours after Governor Jeff Landry announced.

And then doubled down on the fact that Woodward would not be involved in LSU's finding its next head football coach.

I can tell you right now, Scott Walker is not selecting the next coach.

Hell, I'll let Donald Trump selected before I let him do it.

Friday morning, longtime associate aide and former Tiger Verge Ausberry is named the interim aide and has been given full authority to go find the next coach.

And all of this comes after head coach Brian Kelly was fired Sunday night.

Very big news.

And the governor voicing his concerns over Kelly's $54 million buyout.

The governor said that Woodward made a bad deal to get Kelly, and his buyout is the second most expensive in college football history.

Yeah, and this and a lot of several reports saying the private donors expected to cover most of the cost.

But if you don't think football is important, look at what it has done here in Baton Rouge to LSU in a six day span.

And that's a lot of money.

Yeah, a lot indeed.

Have you heard about this one?

The lab monkeys that escaped free lab monkeys from Tulane University still on the run in Mississippi?

Yeah, this made national news, too.

The truck was carrying the monkeys crashed on I-59, and they were located and put down.

Initial reports claim that they were infected with Covid and hepatitis, but Tulane says that's not true.

Unfortunately, they did put some down because they didn't know at the time and how the monkeys weigh about 40 pounds each could be aggressive.

Three are still on the loose.

Wild story.

The 13th Gate haunted House in Baton Rouge routinely ranks as one of the best spooky attractions in the country.

Behind every scream is a team of artists who spend hours perfecting Hollywood level makeup to bring these terrifying characters to life.

I got in on the Halloween fun.

Check it out.

He's.

Oh.

From blood splattered t shirts to all of these different costumes and then to the scary masks, you can be whatever you want to be this Halloween.

Here at the 13th gate, I'm going to undergo a transformation.

It's like walking through the world's creepiest closet.

And before it can scare anyone, I have to dress the part.

I'm really thinking like a zombie or a vampire.

From zombies to vampires to witches.

Who will I be?

Oh, that's the one.

A haunted doll classic.

And just the right amount of creepy.

Next up, the hair and makeup room.

With the costume chosen, it's time to become the haunted doll.

Starting with my hair and makeup.

All right, Grace, tell me what you are doing to my hair right now.

So since you are going to be a doll, we want to make you look like all the other dolls in the room that you're going to be with.

So we are going to do some high pigtails with some tight, tight curls.

That's what most of the dolls in there look like.

I will say people are terrified of dolls alone.

So when you see that room with all the dolls in it, them, just knowing somebody in there is terrifying enough.

So it is really easy to get good scares in there.

That is so cute.

Well, not that cute until the makeup█s on.

Exactly.

But no, I really look like a doll.

I love it.

Awesome.

I can't wait to see the final look.

It takes nearly an hour to get every detail right.

By the end, I barely recognize myself.

Next, it's time to learn the art of the scare.

How to make visitors scream.

It is actually my first year being a doll.

We hear you the expert though.

Already.

Yes, I have, like a high pitch whenever I do my position and I'm like, very loud.

But sometimes I'd like to do is like, put my head down and wait for a few people to pass by.

Once they come past, go you want to play?

Do you want to play with us?

If they say no, get out of the cubby and follow them because they'll be very scared.

Okay, there is also Won█t you take me with you?

I need a new playmate.

Or you can be like, don't scream.

Mom will hear you.

But there's a lot of things you can say in this kind of spot.

All right, so let me try it.

Go ahead.

All right.

Do you want to play?

What is the process to just get prepared for this haunted house?

Well, we never really stop working on a haunted house.

It's a year round process for about 20 people who are amazing artists who work with me every year.

So as soon as a haunted house closes, we start again doing for next year.

The great thing about the 13th gate, it's it's so massive that we, no matter what you're afraid of, it's here somewhere waiting for you.

It is a big haunted house.

What's your favorite part when you walk through it?

Oh, the new section.

Right now, the Frankenstein Castle is just absolutely beautiful, and it is probably one of the most detailed sets we█ve ever built.

All right.

Well, thank you so much.

It was such a blast.

I mean, look, I got made up and I look really good.

Yeah.

We're going to keep you here and it█s gonna scare people.

I think I might just go back to the doll room.

Whether you're behind the mask or walking through the fear, haunted houses remind us why we love being scared safely and tonight, I learned the best way to understand fear is to become it.

That looked like it was so much fun.

Can I ask you?

You don't do this full time.

So what was more difficult?

You stay in character or watch everybody and their reaction?

Being scared throughout the 13th.

I staying in character.

I mean, that was just so different for me.

And the fact it was an hour full of makeup, like so it was just insane.

And just to go through that process and picking out the character was so much fun.

Have you been?

I have not.

I have not been to 13.

You seen the lines around the building, so very well.

Nice job.

Yeah, this scares some people coming at Halloween weekend.

Hey, speaking of Halloween, let's keep with that theme, right once again.

We are digging back into our archives this Halloween for some more spooky fun in the swamps of Cajun country.

According to legend, a threat lingers in the marshes hoping to lure unlucky travelers to their demise.

Here's Kara St.

Cyr with more on the legend of the Feufollet Deep in the heart of Louisiana's bayou.

It's easy to lose your way in the night.

Maybe it's the darkness.

Or is it the shadows?

Or is it the spirit of the faithful?

Can you find me?

One can only hope that if they are ever so unlucky as to cross paths with this entity, that they make it home alive.

many peoples, describe them as the souls of, unbaptized babies, who were roaming in limbo.

And, you would see their the light of their souls at night.

And people, used to claim that they would try to lure people away from the right path, you know, to, like, get them lost.

my aunt and uncle remember it and told lots of stories about seeing, you know, you know, the round bales that you see out, now that were as big as that.

And they would roll, they would roll and bounce, That's what they said.

Big lights, big, huge balls of fire light, And and my aunt, specified that they looked blue, whitish blue, As the story goes, the faint light of the Philly would shine for travelers walking Louisiana's roads and bayous.

At night, they'd see the spirit of the unbaptized child in the distance and confuse it for a candle or lantern that led them home.

But as they followed it, the lights would lead them further into the darkness, and sometimes toward their death.

people would often tell stories about how they saw, they saw a light down the way thinking, oh, that's the light at the house.

I'm trying to get to the lantern at the house I'm trying to get to.

But then it would, it would move it, and.

Oh, I must have been turned around on top of this window, out this way.

And they would get lost in the woods, when in fact it was the light was moving.

So it's trying to trick you.

Trying to trick you.

They weren't so malevolent.

They weren't evil.

They were considered just rascally or, you know, impish, playing tricks on people.

But sometimes the tricks would had, you know, consequences the name of this story is uniquely Cajun.

The origin is not so much the food.

FIL A is loosely based on the European will of the wisp, which is a ghost, fairy, or elemental spirit that seeks to lead you astray.

The ball of light it emits is usually blue, and you could find them late at night in bogs or low lying wet areas.

When the French settled in Louisiana, they changed the name to flee.

The food means fire and filet loosely translates to wisp.

Why are they unbaptized babies specifically?

were unbaptized babies were, you know, described as being in limbo, wandering around between.

You can't get into heaven but can't be sent to hell.

According to Catholic tradition And, so I guess the notion of them wandering sort of caught, can't, can't go anywhere else, may have had something to do with it.

Now, there are a number of reasons for this story, and not all of them are exciting.

In fact, most of them are scientific.

The light that travelers saw was most likely a product of gas.

Barry took me to a lot on his property, where his aunt encountered the family to give me a better idea.

We had a, a fire that the fire department had to come and put out some bales of hay that got, that were baled wet, and they, they started smoldering and caught fire.

So if people had just cut their hay and there were clumps and they got wet, it'll start rotting and produce methane and sometimes catch fire, For all of you who don't know, a methane fire is sometimes blue.

Barry's home is located near an old oil well site that produced the gas.

This is your website.

So this was sort of a naturally lo occurring spot, and then right, right behind those big tree.

That tree line right there.

There's a swamp.

Yeah.

And it it gets, you know, holds about as much water.

Maybe sometimes in, heavy rain.

So hold it with water.

My, my dad and uncle used to go cat fishing in there, in fact.

And, that was another naturally occurring fossil.

Would, you know, a spot that would have likely produced gas from decomposition.

berries?

The last explanation is a little more unconventional, but gas produced by cows on location could have also produced enough methane to cause a spark.

Now, if you ever come across the food fully, here's what you should do.

You could avoid having them make you get lost by planting a multi blade knife into a fence post or a stump and, you know, sticking it.

And, and apparently the football was interested in its own reflection and would come and dance around the blades and, you know, playing the blades and that way you could get away.

I'm not here to tell you what's true or not.

That's up to you to decide.

But this Halloween, when you're walking through the darkness, don't follow the light.

You may not come back.

That's our show for this week.

Remember you can watch anything LPB anytime wherever you are with our LPB app.

You can catch LPB news and public affairs shows as well as other Louisiana programs you've come to enjoy over the years.

And please take a moment to like us on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram for everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, I'm Christina Jensen and I'm Victor Howell.

Thanks for joining us.

And until next time.

That's the state we're in.

Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us.

Because together, we power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum.

Located in Jennings City Hall, the museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana, and by Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, visit Baton Rouge and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana.

Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Thank you.