By the Kean Miller Construction Law Team

One of the Executive Orders enacted by Governor Kathleen Blanco in response to the disaster arising out of Hurricane Katrina and the flooding caused by the breaches of the levees around New Orleans is Executive Order KBB 2005-27. This Executive Order is captioned “Emergency Procedures for Conducting State Business”.
Continue Reading Emergency Procedures for Conducting State Business

By the Kean Miller Labor & Employment team Many clients, friends and neighbors are now faced with serious and unanticipated storm-related decisions regarding the interruption/closure of businesses and issues related to their employees. Employers will encounter individualized issues, but we provide the following checklist of some general considerations for employers who face business interruptions and closures.
Continue Reading Checklist of Employment Considerations in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Another press release from the Louisiana Department of Revenue website:

Date: September 6, 2005

BATON ROUGE- The Department of Revenue is granting tax relief to those taxpayers who are unable to file tax returns or make tax payments because of the effects of Hurricane Katrina, announced Revenue Secretary Cynthia Bridges.

Under the authority of Louisiana Revised Statute 47:1514, the state is granting:

* a 30-day extension of time to file or make payments for sales tax returns due September 20, 2005, and
* a 60-day extension of time to file or make payments for other taxes, except income, that would otherwise be due August 30th through September 30th.
Continue Reading Louisiana Department of Revenue to Grant Tax Relief to Hurricane Victims

On September 7, 2005, the Conservation Commissioner issued a memorandum authorizing certain exceptions to the rules of the Commission which deal with oil and gas production activities. The memorandum applies only to operations in the eight worst-affected parishes: Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, Terrebonne, and Washington. However, the memorandum states that the

Governor Blanco has issued Executive Order No. KBB 2005-32, which can be found here.

The heart of the order is found in Sections I and II:

SECTION 1: All deadlines in legal proceedings, including liberative prescriptive and peremptive periods in all courts, administrative agencies, and boards are hereby suspended until at least September 25,

According to two articles in the Baton Rouge Advocate this morning, some courts and/or judges affected by the hurricane are temporarily relocating as follows:

1. The Louisiana Supreme Court will be housed with the First Circuit Court of Appeal

2. Three Eastern District judges — Chief Judge Helen G. Berrigan, and Judges Sarah Vance and

According to its Web site, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana has issued a notice and ordered that U.S. Eastern District (New Orleans) filings may be made at the U.S. Middle District in Baton Rouge or U.S. Western District in Lafayette. Due to computer problems, the Middle District is not