Nearly eleven months after southwest Louisiana was struck by Hurricane Laura, still no disaster aid funding from Congress Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington”
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A new report finds the state has seen a 15-percent decline in construction jobs since the pandemic started. Jeff Palermo has more…
Cut 2 (30)…I’m Jeff Palermo”.
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The Veto Override session begins tomorrow and there are 28 vetoes that could be potentially overturned. Including the constitutional carry bill, which would allow non felons to conceal a gun without a permit. Matt Herriman with the NRA believes this bill has a good shot at being overturned.
Cut 3 (09) “…get started”
The bill is Senate Bill 118 by West Monroe Senator Jay Morris. It will take a two-thirds majority vote, 70 in the House and 26 in the Senate to overturn the governor’s veto of the legislation.
Opponents of the legislation say it could lead to an increase in gun violence and Governor John Bel Edwards believes the training needed to obtain the permit is important. But Herriman says other states that have passed Constitutional carry legislation have not seen an increase in any particular crimes.
Cut 4 (09) “…particular crime”
The bill passed the Senate on a 27-9 vote during the regular session, while the House approved the legislation on a 73-28 margin. So supporters of the legislation can’t lose too many votes in order to override the veto. Herriman believes the support is still there for this legislation.
Cut 5 (11) “…the house”
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Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter voiced his frustration and made pleas for help on “Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster” this morning. Hunter says it’s been nearly eleven months since Hurricane Laura demolished parts of the city, but the federal government has yet to approve a federal disaster aid bill.
Cut 6 (10) “…not yet”
Hunter says he’s trying to hold his emotions in check but it’s difficult when the city he represents continues to be ignored. Hunter also reminded listeners the southwest Louisiana city has not only endured two major hurricanes without federal assistance but in less than a year also a major winter storm…
Cut 7 (12) “…disaster aid.”
Hunter says federal aid was issued 10 days after Katrina, 34 days for Hurricane Andrew, and 98 days for Super Storm Sandy, but it’s been 320 days since Hurricane Laura.
After a year of unprecedented pandemic relief funding from the Federal government, Hunter says there is no excuse for the federal government not to help those who lost homes and do not have flood insurance…
Cut 8 (07) “…Louisiana”
Hunter says the city also needs to demolish as many as 1,000 uninhabitable homes but they don’t have the funds to do so. Due to the lack of assistance, Hunter stated they are about to launch a campaign to remind lawmakers and citizens of their ongoing unaddressed needs.
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A new report shows 21-thousand fewer construction jobs in Louisiana compared to February 2020. The 15-percent loss is the second-highest in the country. Louisiana Associated General Contractors C-E-O Ken Naquin says the pandemic slowed down the chemical industry and the oil and gas industry is reeling from the President’s executive order that prohibits new oil and gas exploration
Cut 9 (07) “…rebounded since.”
Naquin says there are plenty of construction projects that can be completed, but supply chain challenges are impacting firms’ ability to hire new workers…
Cut 10 (11) “…that work.”
Naquin is glad that the Legislature made plans this year to dedicate more state dollars for road, bridge, and drainage construction, but the construction industry is a long way from full recovery…
Cut 11 (10) “…those materials.”
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38 people have lost their lives due to home fires this year in Louisiana, four more than at this same time last year. Most of these home fires appear to be related to cooking, smoking, or electrical issues.
State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says when it comes to cooking-related fires they’re finding most of those incidents come from people who are either impaired, tired, or distracted…
Cut 12 (11) “..forgetting”.
Rodrigue says smoking really needs to be done outdoors and not inside of a home, and when you smoke outside make sure you safely discard whatever is left…
Cut 13 (10) “…over time”
Rodrigue says many of the electrical fires have been linked to people overloading outlets by connecting extension cables to each other…
Cut 14 (10) “…these”
Rodrigue says the number one most common factor all of these fatal home fires shared was the lack of a functioning smoke detector.