Julie O’Donoghue

Julie O'Donoghue

[email protected]

Julie O’Donoghue is a senior reporter for the Louisiana Illuminator and producer of the Louisiana Illuminator podcast. She’s received awards from the Virginia Press Association and Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press. Julie covered state government and politics for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune for six years. She’s also covered government and politics in Missouri, Virginia and Washington D.C. Julie is a proud D.C. native and Washington Capitals hockey fan. She and her partner, Jed, live in Baton Rouge. She has two stepchildren, Quinn and Steven.

A Louisiana law change will erase an ethics fine for just one person
Louisiana

A Louisiana law change will erase an ethics fine for just one person

12:39pm ET
Julie O'Donoghue
The Louisiana Legislature voted for a law change that benefits only one person, state Rep. Steven Jackson, D-Shreveport, by erasing a $1,000 ethics fine he faces. Act 777 will likely force the Louisiana Board of Ethics to revoke a financial...
Louisiana modernizes access to WIC food assistance benefits
Louisiana

Louisiana modernizes access to WIC food assistance benefits

Jul 30, 2026
Julie O'Donoghue
Louisiana’s extra food assistance program for women, infants and children will come with a new benefits card that can be used at grocery stores starting Saturday. The new card allows state officials to upload the program’s benefits remotely. Previously, WIC...
These Louisiana K-12 school jobs won’t come with a state stipend this year
Louisiana

These Louisiana K-12 school jobs won’t come with a state stipend this year

Jul 29, 2026
Julie O'Donoghue
Gov. Jeff Landry’s plan to provide another round of temporary pay stipends to public school employees will exclude thousands of positions that previously received the pay bump. School nurses, therapists and counselors are among the 12,200 positions that qualified for...
Louisiana’s school teacher stipend plan for this year tweaked – again
Louisiana

Louisiana’s school teacher stipend plan tweaked — again

Jul 23, 2026
Julie O'Donoghue
With less than a month to go until classes begin, state officials have updated the plan to cut state funding to public schools in order to fund teacher pay stipends this year. School districts who give teachers locally funded pay...
Landry says not all school districts have to give teacher stipends. Local leaders await more info.
Louisiana

Landry says not all school districts have to give teacher stipends. Local leaders await more info.

Jul 21, 2026
Julie O'Donoghue
With classes starting next month, Louisiana school districts still don’t know how many of them, if any, will be exempt from having to pay $2,000 teacher stipends out of their existing state funds. Gov. Jeff Landry reiterated at a news...
The lingering question: Who’s behind the indictment of AG Liz Murrill?
Louisiana

The lingering question: Who’s behind the indictment of AG Liz Murrill?

Jul 17, 2026
Wesley Muller Julie O'Donoghue
Attorney General Liz Murrill’s indictment by a New Orleans grand jury has been the top political news story in Louisiana for the past two weeks. But in spite of all the attention, there are still some basic questions that haven’t...
Landry says Louisiana is leaning into the ‘next industrial revolution’ with data center expansion
Louisiana

Landry says Louisiana is leaning into the ‘next industrial revolution’ with data center expansion

Jul 13, 2026
Julie O'Donoghue
Gov. Jeff Landry announced on Monday a major data center expansion in Richland Parish that he said positions Louisiana to lean into the “next industrial revolution.” “The next generation of economic growth will not simply be measured in barrels of...
Gov. Jeff Landry: New Orleans is no longer as important to Louisiana as it once was
Louisiana

Gov. Jeff Landry: New Orleans is no longer as important to Louisiana as it once was

Jul 13, 2026
Julie O'Donoghue
Amid an ongoing power struggle between state Republicans and New Orleans Democrats, Gov. Jeff Landry said New Orleans is no longer as important to Louisiana’s economic success as it has been in the past. “Used to be, the saying was...
Louisiana rewrites law that criminalized publication of elected officials’ personal information
Louisiana

Louisiana rewrites law that criminalized publication of elected officials’ personal information

Jul 12, 2026
Julie O'Donoghue
The Louisiana Legislature has watered down a state law that made it a criminal offense to publish elected officials’ personal information on the internet. The statute had been used by a former Louisiana Supreme Court justice to justify the sealing...
Baton Rouge Mayor declares Friday a ‘day of mourning’ for the late Sen. Larry Selders
Louisiana

Baton Rouge Mayor declares Friday a ‘day of mourning’ for the late Sen. Larry Selders

Jul 09, 2026
Julie O'Donoghue
East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards declared Friday a day of mourning for state Sen. Larry Selders, D-Baton Rouge, who died suddenly Tuesday night. Edwards, a Republican, said all parish and city flags will be lowered to half-staff Friday, and...
Louisiana Legislature cancels veto override session
Louisiana

Louisiana Legislature cancels veto override session

Jul 08, 2026
Julie O'Donoghue
Louisiana lawmakers voted this week to cancel a special session scheduled this month to potentially override a handful of vetoes Gov. Jeff Landry issued. Twenty-one of 39 senators and 73 of 105 House members returned ballots saying they didn’t want...
A ‘gentle giant’: State Sen. Larry Selders, who represented Baton Rouge, dies
Louisiana

A ‘gentle giant’: State Sen. Larry Selders, who represented Baton Rouge, dies

Jul 08, 2026
Julie O'Donoghue
State Sen. Larry Selders, D-Baton Rouge, died suddenly Tuesday evening after collapsing at his son’s football practice. He leaves behind his wife, Dr. Kendra Michael, and two sons, Larry and Luke. Selders, 44, joined the Louisiana Legislature as a state...