New state-created task force will study Sewerage & Water Board woes

July 13, 2018 - Uptown Messenger

The state legislature is creating a new task force to study the endemic problems at the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans — an entity it created more than a century ago — and has requested a report within six months on whether the agency should continue to exist.

The task force was created in a bill sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, a Lakeview Republican. It will be comprised of eight people — a member of the New Orleans City Council, a representative of Mayor LaToya Cantrell, a representative of the Sewerage & Water Board, a representative of the Inspector General, plus engineering, business and tourism leaders — and is charged with examining whether the agency should continue to function.

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Louisiana pushes for minimum marriage age

June 2, 2019 - The Advocate

Conservatives in the state House fought back a measure to set a minimum age to marry at 17 in Louisiana, heavily amending the bill to allow people under the age of 16 to get married with some conditions.

The state currently has no age floor for getting married, and backers of the legislation said current law allowing child marriages leaves young girls vulnerable to human trafficking and cover-ups for rape.

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Meet Stephanie Hilferty: The 4th Louisiana legislator in 200 years to give birth while in office

May 11, 2019 - The Advocate

It was the normal early morning chaos at the Lillis-Hilferty household in New Orleans.

Nine-month-old Teddy, sitting in a high chair, was tossing as many Cheerios onto the floor as he was plopping into his mouth.

Claire Marie, nearly 3, was watching "Sesame Street," half-playing with a doll and half-talking with her mother, state Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, who had just donned a tan jacket over a black-and-white dress and was leaving for Baton Rouge. She needed to be there for a 10 a.m. committee meeting.

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