New law puts cameras in special ed. classrooms; grassroots air quality monitoring under threat; history of Spanish Town Mardi Gras

By Karen Henderson,

Published February 9, 2026 at 1:09 PM CST

Cynthia Robertson, shown with her Nubian goats, Jewel and Dolly, Sept. 19, 2025, moved back to Sulphur, Louisiana, nearly a decade ago to care for her aging mother. Her mom is one of many local residents who has developed a chronic illness that may be caused by air pollution.

A new law that took effect Feb. 1st requires a camera to be in place in special education classrooms in all Louisiana public schools. It expands on an existing law that required cameras in special education classrooms, but only if parents requested them. The new law followed an audit that found most special ed classes did not have cameras installed.

Safura Syed, a reporter for Verite News, has been covering this story. She joins us today with more.

Louisianans are no strangers to poor air quality, particularly for those who live in the state’s industrial corridor. Over the last few years, some residents began taking air quality into their own hands, tracking pollution with commercial air sensors.

But now, these grassroots air monitoring efforts are under threat. Illan Ireland is a reporter for the Mississippi Free Press who’s been covering this story. He joins us with the details.

Since 1981, the Spanish Town Mardi Gras parade has rolled through the streets of Baton Rouge. As the largest parade in the city, it's known for its pink flamingo mascot and the saying “poor taste is better than no taste at all.” It rolls this year on Valentine's Day, Feb 14.

Robert King, president of the Mystic Krewe for the Preservation of Lagniappe (SPLL), joins us for more on the history of the parade and what to expect this year.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.

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