Among bills passed last week, is a measure to give a $500 tax credit to Louisiana gun owners for purchases of safes, locks, and other gun storage devices. New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry hopes her bill provides a layer of safety
The bill awaits the governor’s signature.
Fort Polk – in Vernon Parish – officially changes its name today to Fort Johnson. The Army base is named after World War One hero Henry Johnson. A soldier who fought in France in 1918-19. Brigadier General David Gardner says Sgt. Johnson embodied the warrior spirit.
House and Senate leaders are facing criticism for cutting 100-million dollars from the Louisiana Department of Health’s budget. House Appropriations Chairman Jerome Zeringue says L-D-H’s budget is over 15-billion dollars and a majority of the Legislature believes they can handle this cut. But Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says the 100-million-dollar cut will be impactful…
Cut 7 (08) “…to the department”
Dardenne says the governor is looking at using his line-item veto power to remove the budget cut language from the budget.
Next January, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources will change its name to the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources. DNR spokesperson Patrick Courreges says the name change reflects how the agency’s role has expanded over the years. He says they oversee much more than oil and gas now.
The department also oversees solar and wind energy projects.