The House is scheduled to take up a proposal today to increase the state’s gasoline tax by 17 cents a gallon. Jeff Palermo has more…
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Vice President Mike Pence is travelling to Baton Rouge today to meet with business leaders. Halen Doughty has more on what to expect from the meeting…
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Legislation that would lead to Louisiana citizens on parolees paying an additional 37-dollars a month to fund parole officers’ salaries is moving closer to final legislative passage. Emelie Gunn has more….
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Today lawmakers in the House are expected to debate raising the state’s gasoline tax for the first time in 27 years. A proposal by Baton Rouge Representative Steve Carter would up the tax by 17 cents a gallon. President of the Council for a Better Louisiana, Barry Erwin says more revenue is needed to pay for better roads.
Cut 4 (09) “all have them”
The state gasoline tax is currently 20-cents a gallon. Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere is skeptical the additional revenue raised by the tax would be used to pay for roads. That’s why he’s calling on GOP lawmakers to reject this proposal. He says the state needs to use the money they have now properly before asking for more from taxpayers.
Cut 5 (10) “new roads”
Erwin understands the hesitance but says that won’t be the case with this bill. He says there are provisions in this measure that ensure any revenue generated by the tax hike will go towards better roads and bridges. He says there’s more accountability and transparency with this proposal.
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Villere is disappointed the measure has made it this far with some Republican support. He says GOP lawmakers ran on a platform of no new taxes, and they should be true to that commitment. He’s also concerned about how this measure would impact businesses.
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The proposal will need support from two-thirds of the House to advance, and according to Carter, they will vote next week.
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Vice President Mike Pence will be in Baton Rouge today to meet with business leaders. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says the frustration business owners have experienced over the last few years has peaked. He says in the first year of opening a small business, owners spend more than $80-thousand just complying with federal regulations.
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Graves says government regulations, taxes, and fees are making it harder for someone to run a small business. He says he will fly down with the Vice President, which will give him the opportunity to discuss some of the issues that are important to Louisianans.
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Graves says Louisiana business leaders can offer the Vice President a unique perspective, as we’ve faced some unusual challenges, from a historic flood to new energy policies. He says a lot of these issues have applications for the rest of the country as well.
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A Senate Judiciary committee voted to raise the fees for individuals on probation and parole in Louisiana to increase salaries for parole officers. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris’ measure would up the fee by 37-dollars to 100 dollars. Harris hopes this would be an incentive for parole officers to stay in their position.
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The Senate panel passed the House approved measure on a 3 to 1 vote. Harris says his legislation is needed because the governor’s criminal justice reform effort will lead to more offenders on probation and parole.
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But New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson says this bill would increase the financial burden placed on parolees. She also says until the House passes a budget that adequately funds state government, no state employee should get a raise.
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The bill that would require students starting 9th grade this fall to have at least a 2.75 GPA in order to receive the TOPS scholarship advanced on the House floor. The current requirement is 2.5. Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil says there is a reason his bill wouldn’t take effect for 4 years…:
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TOPS is currently not fully funded and Foil says he’s trying to help the financial sustainability of the program, and also encourage students to strive to do better in order to get the award. But New Orleans Representative Joe Bouie says this bill would have unintended consequences…:
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A concern about this bill by opponents was that it would cut out poor kids who need help paying for college the most. That’s why New Orleans Representative Gary Carter offered an amendment that would take any savings generated by the measure and put that money towards the Go Grant Program, but the change was not added.
Natchitoches Representative Kenny Cox says many people who support this bill don’t understand communities that struggle…:
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The bill heads to the Senate on a 53-32 vote.
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Freshman Todd Peterson was scheduled to start today’s SEC Tournament game against Missouri, but the freshman from Florida has been suspended for one game, because of a violation of team rules. So sophomore right-hander Caleb Gilbert will get the start. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says Gilbert should do just fine….
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LSU is seeking its sixth SEC Tournament championship with Coach Paul Mainieri at the helm. Moran doesn’t think the change in starting pitchers will have a negative impact on the Tigers….
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McNeese State heads into the Southland Conference Tournament in Sugar Land, Texas as the top seed after winning the league’s regular season championship. The Pokes will take on Lamar today after taking two of three from the Cardinals last week. Cowboys Head Coach Justin Hill….
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Hill says the key to winning the Southland Tournament is staying out of the losers bracket….
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