Louisiana Government

The Government of Louisiana is guarded and established by the Louisiana Constitution. The government of Louisiana is divided into three separate branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

The Executive branch of Louisiana

The Executive Branch manages the constitution and laws conceded by the legislative branch. The governor is the chief executive officer of the state. The Governor oversees the agendas and maneuvers of state government. It creates the awareness among the state to attract new businesses and controls the stipulation of services by local government.

Governor

The Governor is nominated for a four-year term and can have only two successive terms. A position in the office is occupied by lieutenant governor, Secretary of State, attorney general,Treasurer, Senate president and speaker of the House in a same order. However, a governor who has been in office for two terms can be in election again after taking a gap of one term.

Office of the Governor

Lieutenant governor

The lieutenant governor acts as governor when there is a position in the office of governor or if the Governor is not present in the state. The lieutenant governor acts as commissioner of the Recreation and Tourism, Louisiana Department of Culture, and has such other responsibilities and duties as the Governor shall assign.

Office of the lieutenant governor

Secretary of State

The Secretary of State heads the Department of State and is the state’s chief election officer. He oversees parish registrars of voters, certifies and prepares the ballots for all elections, administering the voter registration laws, administering the election laws, announcing election returns and buying, keeping, checking and maintaining voting machines. The Secretary of State distributes and publishes the acts of the legislature, conserving the official records of the state and keeping the Great Seal and attaching it to official state documents.

Office of the Secretary of State

Attorney General

The Attorney General is the chief of the Department of Justice and is the state’s chief legal officer. He defends the interest and rights of the state. He or she has the authority to arbitrate in any civil action in which the state has significance. The Attorney General's office protects Louisiana laws against constitutional disputes in federal court.

Treasurer

The Treasurer is the chief of the Department of the Treasury and is the guardian of state finances. The Treasurer expends unrestricted money as requisites by law and keeps a record of the money. The Treasurer works as the banker of the state and endows amount in the bank that are not presently needed in the state. The Treasurer also acts as primary chief of the State Bond Commission and is a part of the Interim Emergency Board.

Office of the Treasurer

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry

The commissioner of agriculture and forestry is the chief of this agency and works toward the protection, promotion and advancement of forestry and agriculture. Some new researches are handled by other state agencies. The department supervises fire protection services for the forestry industry. The department implements regulations that defend the agricultural welfare of the state, counting groups that practices agricultural products.

Office of the commissioner of agriculture and forestry

Commissioner of Insurance

The Commissioner of Insurance is the chief of the Department of Insurance and manages Louisiana’s laws leading the insurance industry. The commissioner regulates phases of insurance. He receives financial reports, collects insurance premium taxes and fees, evaluates complaints against insurers, examines articles of incorporation of insurance companies doing business in Louisiana, inspects and authorizes insurance brokers and agents, clears policy forms and determines the solvency of the companies.

Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

Legislative Branch of Louisiana

The legislative branch includes the legislature, which consists of the Senate with 39 members and House of Representatives with a limit of 105 members. The legislature assembles in Baton Rouge at the Louisiana State Capitol for usual yearly meetings and may summons for unexpected or extraordinary sessions and for proscription sessions. The legislature enacts law, and determines policies through these laws. The use of funds to support programs and gathering of state government is a power vested solely in the legislature.

The legislature is generally not allowed to pass local or special laws in these cases:

• By implementing special or local laws by somehow holding actual laws
  
• Fixing the rate of interest and checking the manufacturing, trade, labor or agriculture
• Defining any crime.
• Creating, amending, or granting special privileged to private corporations.
• Authorizing roadway construction
  
• By granting the permission to change the name of person and giving status which is legal
• Maintaining the laws during election and polling time
• Regarding any civil/criminal case
  
• Regulating or funding the management or construction of parish and city public schools.

Legislative Sessions

Spending
One of the legislature's main responsibilities is to check where the public money is being utilized and how. The legislature must create and concur upon a new budget annually.

Adjournment
When the legislature is in conference, neither house suspends for more than three days or shifts to another assembly place without permission of the other house.

Journal
Each house of the legislature maintains a record of its proceedings and issues it right away after the close of each session. The journal shows the meetings of that house, counting all votes.

For more information on Legislation click here.

The Judicial Branch of Louisiana

The Judicial Branch consists of Louisiana Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeal, District Courts, among other parts of Louisiana's judicial branch, there are federal courts and clerks of court.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and six associate justices and out of them, four must have a unique verdict. Judges of Supreme Court serves ten-year terms. The state has seven Supreme Court districts, and at least one judge is nominated from each one. The Supreme Court has individual power to hire attorneys as temporay or judges of family courts, municipal, city, traffic or juvenile. Chief justice is the chief administrative officer of the judicial
system of the state.

The Supreme Court can take cases of state bar associations and can take necessary actions against them. The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in civil cases re-evaluates both the law and main issues when handling cases. In criminal matters, The judgement of Supreme Court is valid only regarding the laws in the criminal cases.

Website of Supreme Court

Court of Appeal

The judge with the longest term of service is named chief judge. Each court has panels of at least three judges. The state at present has five circuit court. The term of a court of appeal judge is ten years. A person can take the case further and can evaluate it if he/she is not satisfied with the verdict of Circuit Court Judge. A court of appeal has authority of all cases from family and juvenile courts, civil matters and most criminal cases . A court of appeal also has the authority to evaluate and oversee cases which are taken from circuit courts.

District Courts

A District court has original authority of all criminal and civil matters. It has the special new authority of crime cases and of most cases having conflicts of land. District Court doesn't take these types of cases. Juvenile Court takes cases of individual less than age of 17. A chief judge is nominated in each district. A family court may have authority of cases concerning property when those cases relate to arguments over property. The state has 40 judicial districts; each comprises of at least one parish and served by at least one district judge.

Clerks of Court

Clerks of court are chosen to four year terms. They are accountable for keeping reports of all legal proceedings. Clerks of court manage mortgages, notarization and other legal.

District Attorneys

The district attorneys impeach criminal cases within their districts. In each judicial district a district attorney serves a six-year-term. A district attorney must practice law for five years before appointment. District attorneys may not be concerned in the protection of any criminal cases.

Sheriffs

A sheriff is nominated in every parish for a term of four years. He acts as the tax collector and the chief law enforcement officer in the parish.

Jurors

A citizen of the state having the age of 18 or more can serves as a juror within the parish in which she lives.

Louisiana state agencies

Louisiana Health Department

The Louisiana Health Department works efficiently to improve the health and living standards of the community by implementing many health regulating services and policies. The health department also has its sub divisions which provide all vital records and health statistics of the state. The health department also focuses on community and environmental health so that people lives a healthy life.

In order to fulfill its mission, the Department of Health and Hospitals intends to:

• Utilize available resources in the most effective manner
• Protect and promote health
• Provide quality services
• Develop and stimulate services by others
  
  

Contact Details
Department of Health and Hospitals
628 N. 4th Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Phone: (225) 342-9500
Fax: (225) 342-5568
dhhwebinfo@la.gov
Website- http://www.dhh.state.la.us/

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development oversees roads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and airways in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The department administers and manages the state’s highways, freeways, railways, airports, hospital heliports and implements primary programs to improve accessibility and convenient mobility with cities across Louisiana and also with neighboring states.

Contact Details
1201 Capitol Access Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802.
PO Box 94245
Website- http://wwwsp.dotd.la.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Louisiana Department of Agriculture

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry administers many of the programs and implementing the rules that blows every feature of the state’s agriculture and forestry. The department has many divisions that operate to improve the state’s agricultural outputs that that benefit producers as well as consumers.

Contact Details
5825 Florida Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Website- http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/

Louisiana Department of Revenue

The Louisiana Department of Revenue manages the entire taxation of the state and also attends to the tax payers’ needs and expectations. The department emphasizes in educating the people on taxation and also to provide updated accurate instructions and information on tax laws and policies. The department provides proper guidance on how to file and pay taxes, what to do before tax filing, filing frequencies and due dates, file or amend any returns, late filing penalties, and guidelines on how to apply tax returns.

Contact Details
Baton Rouge Headquarters
Post Office Box 201
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0201
617 North Third Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
855.307.3893
Website- http://revenue.louisiana.gov/

Louisiana State Police

The Louisiana State Police is the state police department of Louisiana, which has authority in the state, has main office in Baton Rouge. It works to protect the lives, property and constitutional rights of people in Louisiana. They work toward the safety of our communities, highways and environment through impartial enforcement of the laws of this state.

Contact Details
7919 Independence Boulevard,
Baton Rouge, LA 70806, United States
Phone: 1 225-925-6006
Website- http://www.lsp.org/

Louisiana Department of Education

Louisiana Department of Education is a state agency of Louisiana, United States. The department’s mission is to provide world class education and best values to the students to ensure success in education, workplace and in every spheres of life.

Contact Details
Louisiana Department of Education
P.O. Box 94064
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9064
Website- http://www.louisianabelieves.com/