NBC’s hit show “The Voice” begins its second week of the new season tonight and Louisiana already has ties to three contestants who made it through the blind auditions. Michelle Southern reporting.
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As the Louisiana filmed blockbuster “Focus” opened over the weekend, a group of lawmakers is looking at ways we can improve the film tax credits in the state. Michelle Southern reports…:
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A south Louisiana lawmaker believes a student should not be punished if he or she opts out from taking the Common Core exam. Scott Carwile has the story…
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NBC’s hit show “The Voice” begins its second week of the new season tonight and Louisiana already has ties to three contestants who made it through the blind auditions. 22-year-old Rob Taylor, who was raised in Baton Rouge and now lives in Donaldsonville, gets to move on to the battle rounds which take place next month. Taylor says he never thought he would get such an opportunity…:
The Voice’s blind auditions continue tonight at 7. Taylor says when he graduated high school he was offered a partial scholarship to Boston’s Berklee College of Music, but he chose to stay home to care for his mother who was sick. He says his biggest musical influence is his grandmother…:
Also vying to win a recording contract this season is Tonya Boyd-Cannon who’s from Jackson, Mississippi but currently lives in Chalmette. And Meghan Linsey who’s from The Big Easy but currently lives in Nashville. Taylor says one of the things that influences him the most musically from Louisiana is that styles here are so eclectic…:
Cut 6 (06) “to everyone I guess”
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As the Louisiana filmed blockbuster “Focus” opened over the weekend, a group of lawmakers is looking at ways we can improve the state’s film tax credits. Some have argued that the movie credits here are corrupt and too generous. New Orleans Senator JP Morrell, who is working on reform legislation, says he fully supports the program but it has major issues.:
CUT 7 (12) “who are paying for it”
Economic impact numbers revealed Focus filmed here for 43 days and spent over $8.3 million on local labor at in-state businesses and on location. Morrell says they don’t want to lose the fact that Louisiana has become an industry film leader in the country and earned the name Hollywood South. But he says there are things that must be done to restore taxpayer confidence in the film tax credit program…:
Morrell says drafts of possible legislation will be discussed on Wednesday in a meeting with the Entertainment Industry Development Advisory Commission. He says in addition to legislators, that group also is made up of stakeholders in the industry and the goal is a “comprehensive reform” of the film tax credit program…:
Cut 9 (13) “on the right track”
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In two weeks, students will take Common Core exams and a state lawmaker has introduced a bill that will prohibit penalties if a student decided to opt out of the testing. Abbeville Representative Bob Hensgens’ bill would protect students, schools, and school systems from non-participation penalties. He says there is no law that levies penalties for not taking the tests, but that’s not what he’s hearing from school districts…
Currently students who opt-out of the testing will be given a score of zero, which will be transferred to the performance score of schools and school districts. Hensgens says the decision for a student to take these tests belong to the parent and not the government…
Education Superintendent John White says they will address opt-outs when they see how many students actually opt-out of the exams. Hensgens says it shouldn’t be left up to White to determine if penalties should be levied if someone decides not to take the Common Core tests…
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The Jindal administration has said they are willing to scale back 526-million dollars in tax credits for businesses, but Chairman of the republican house delegation, state Representative Lance Harris of Alexandria is disappointed the governor didn’t suggest reeling back some of the film tax credits
As a way to help reduce cuts to higher education, The Jindal administration proposes higher fees to attend public college, but provide a tax credit to offset those costs, which would be paid for by raising the cigarette tax. But Harris doesn’t like the idea of a cigarette tax
The governor has highlighted 12 tax credits that could become non-refundable which would give the state more money to spend. But the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Amite representative John Bel Edwards, says legislators should look beyond those tax credits as a way to raise revenue…
Cut 15 (08) “comprehensive job”
Edwards says he’s not a fan of Jindal’s proposal to raise cigarette taxes and have that money pay for a tax credit for those individuals who pay higher fees at colleges
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ULM officials will break ground today on a new end zone building at Malone Stadium. It’s the first new athletic facility built on campus in 1983 and it will feature a new locker room, a Hall of Fame area and new coaches’ offices. Coach Todd Berry says the project has been a long time coming for the program….
Cut 17 (16) “excited about it”
Berry says the facility will have an impact on their current players and recruiting…
Today is also the first day of spring football for the Warhawks. ULM has to find a new starting quarterback. Brayle Brown is listed number one on the team’s depth chart, after completing 12 passes last year, but Berry says Brown will compete against a couple of other quarterbacks….