On Monday, lawmakers will have the first legislative hearing on Governor John Bel Edwards’ proposed Commercial Activity Tax, which would generate at least 400-million dollars and replace tax revenue scheduled to fall of the books next year, when a one-cent sales tax expires. Edwards says the CAT will make sure businesses pay their fair share.

Cut 13 (10) “work for”

Business groups like Truth in Politics strongly oppose the CAT tax. Executive Director Kelli Bottgher says over half of respondents to their recent survey said they do not support the tax. She says 60 percent also say they expect business conditions to stay the same or get worse in the next 6 months.

Cut 10 (11) “the trend before”

This week US Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy met with White House officials seeking an additional $2 billion for flood recovery. Kennedy says he’s thankful for the financial assistance Congress has provided to flood victims, but it is not enough to help the middle class and the small businesses fully recover.

Cut 5 (07) “hand out”

Congress has already appropriated Louisiana 1.6 billion dollars in flood recovery dollars. 

Today begins the Buckle up in Your Truck campaign, when police will be on the lookout for people not wearing seatbelts in pickup trucks. State Police Sgt. Jared Sandifer says for some reason they see less seatbelt compliance in pickup trucks than other vehicles. He says some drivers may feel safer in a big vehicle, but they’re not.

Cut 7 (07) “those pickup trucks”

Pickup trucks are twice as likely to roll over in a crash, according to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.