Legislative leaders in the state House of Representatives say they are committed to an override veto session if Governor Jindal vetoes the revenue generating bills they have passed. Monroe Representative Katrina Jackson, Chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus, says there is one big factor in determining if lawmakers will be successful in this budget fight…

cut 11 (09) “enough is enough”

The House approved 615-million dollars in additional revenue last week, by raising the state’s cigarette tax and suspending or reducing tax benefits many businesses currently enjoy.

The House Appropriations Committee has approved a 24-billion dollar budget that funds higher education at the same level as this year. It heads to the full House for a vote next week. Chairman Jim Fannin says they were hoping to generate 900-million dollars or so in new revenue, but there’s still time to do that…

cut 8 (07) “30-percent”

Governor Jindal has said he’ll veto a budget that raises taxes, which this proposed budget will do.

Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi says Kevin Ambeau Jr., the son of the police chief in St. Gabriel, fatally shot two brothers Sunday night but authorities are waiting for more evidence before filing homicide charges. He says autopsies will be conducted today and the investigation will continue before any rush to judgement is made that this was murder…

cut 5 (10) “invasion type”

Stassi says the two deceased men had been fighting and witnesses say they went inside Ambeau’s home and that’s when the shots were fired.

New Orleans Representative Austin Badon feels his anti-discrimination legislation has a decent chance of passing this year. Badon says if we pass this law, it would send a clear message that Louisiana is a friendly place to live and work…

Cut 14 (08) “discrimination”

House Bill 612 seeks to protect gay, bisexual, or transgender people from job and housing discrimination among other things.