Former Governor Kathleen Blanco reacts to the news that actress Annette Bening has been cast to portray her in the upcoming FX show Katrina: American Crime Story. Emelie Gunn has more…
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State lawmakers return to the state capitol tonight for a 10-day special session to eliminate a 304-million dollar budget deficit. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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It’s been 6 months since The Great Flood of 2016, so how far have affected Louisiana communities come? Michelle Southern gets a progress update…:
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Former Governor Kathleen Blanco is honored to hear Oscar nominated actress Annette Bening has been cast to portray her in the upcoming FX television series, Katrina: American Crime Story. She says the show will explore the extreme poverty of New Orleans residents before and after the hurricane.
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Blanco expects there will be about 13 episodes during the season, which is scheduled to air in 2018. She says she would be happy to sit down and talk with Annette Bening to help her play up the character.
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The script is based off a book by Doug Brinkley, The Great Deluge. Blanco says much of the filming will take place in New Orleans. She anticipates one of the storylines will be how the White House did not immediate bring the resources needed to help the thousands that were impacted.
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A 10-day special session begins tonight as Governor John Bel Edwards is asking lawmakers to use a combination of cuts and money from the rainy day fund to close a 304-million dollar midyear budget deficit. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says it’s their recommendation that legislators approve the use of 119-million dollars in rainy day dollars
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If the legislature uses 119-million dollars from the rainy day fund on this fiscal year’s budget deficit that means 185-million dollars in cuts and shuffling of dollars will be needed to close the deficit. Republican House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry proposes to cut more than what the governor recommends, because the state faces another significant deficit next fiscal year
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A two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate is required before money can be taken out of the Rainy Day Fund. Monroe Representative Jay Morris is also in favor of cutting the budget deeper than what the governor proposes…
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Morris says he’s found areas in the Louisiana Department of Health’s budget that can be cut further than what the governor has suggested. He points out a specific program within the governor’s council on physical fitness and sports…
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The special session must conclude business by midnight February 22nd. Dardenne says they know there’s a group of lawmakers who oppose using rainy day dollars to eliminate the deficit…
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6 months ago, the worst disaster to strike the United States in over 4 years hit Louisiana; “The Great Flood of 2016.” So where to things stand now? In Livingston Parish, approximately 80% of residential and commercial structures were damaged by flooding. Parish President Layton Ricks says many residents are back in their homes, but…:
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Ricks says recovery has moved along much faster than he thought it would, but there’s still a long way to go. He says even so, there’s no doubt in his mind that the parish will double in population as was projected prior to the flood…:
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Several schools were displaced by the flood, but are slowing but surely starting to come back. St. Amant High is returning to its campus today, and Ascension Parish Public Schools Superintendent David Alexander says that’s a major milestone in the road to recovery…:
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Alexander says he knows St. Amant’s 2,000 students will be glad to be off the platoon schedule with Dutchtown, and back on their home campus. He says it was incredible to see how well everyone impacted handled the circumstances…:
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In Lafayette Parish, hundreds of homes took on water in the town of Youngsville. Mayor Ken Ritter says he’s frustrated at the recovery effort because many of their residents don’t qualify for flood aid due to their income being above moderate…:
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Ritter says he’s extremely proud of their residents as most are back home because they took the initiative to rebuild themselves. He says as recovery money comes into the state, he hopes their people aren’t forgotten…:
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