The House was scheduled to meet at 9:30 this morning, but the chamber is relatively empty as behind the scenes negotitiations continue on a sales tax plan that would replace a portion of the over one-billion dollars in revenue that comes off the books when temporary sales taxes expire on June 30th.

House Speaker Taylor Barras addressed the lower chamber before they adjourned last night and said legislators are deadlocked. Barras says he plans to keep talking with the caucus chairs in the hopes an agreement can be reached….
cut 16 (12) “….impasse is”
The Governor and Democrats want a half-a-penny renewed of an expiring one-cent sales tax, while Republicans seek renewal at four-tenths of a cent in an effort to cut back on government spending. The governor’s plan would not result in any cuts. The special session must end on Wednesday night.

The statewide average for a regular gallon of gasoline has dropped below $2.60, but get ready for an increase at the pump. AAA’s Don Redman says the supply of fuel is dwindling and demand for gas is getting ready to skyrocket….
cut 12 (09) “…record-breaker”
Redman says gasoline prices to increse by at least five to ten cents over the next couple of weeks.

Louisiana officials are happy about the Farm Bill that the U-S House passed. Congressman Ralph Abraham says the legislation will help farmers recover from natural disasters and it supports Louisiana dairy farmers, which has seen a decline in the number of producers…
cut 9 (11) “…sometime”
The measure still needs Senate approval.

Lawmakers in the House remain deadlocked over how much to renew an expiring one-cent sales tax that could generate hundreds of million dollars and prevent deep cuts to higher education, TOPS and other state agencies. Last night the House concluded its official business around 8:30 after a long day of behind the scenes negotiations. Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle expressed her frustration….
cut 17 (04) “…of time”
LAPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford says the governor and Democrats want a half-a-penny renewed of an expiring one-cent sales tax, while Republicans prefer four-tenths…
cut 13 (07) “…foreseeable futrure”
The House is set to come back in this morning, but it’s unclear if any sales tax renewal bill can get the 70 votes needed for the measure to advance to the Senate.

The statewide average for regular gasoline is hovering around $2.60 a gallon, but we could see an increase of five to ten cents in the near future. Kevin Barnhart explains why…
Cut 3 (27) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The U-S House has passed a Farm Bill that contains stricter requirements for food stamps. Republican Ralph Abraham says able bodied adults would have to either work or participate in a job training program for 20 hours per week to remain eligible for food stamps…
cut 8(12) “….this training”
The Senate still has to sign off on this controversial change.

Louisiana House Speaker Taylor Barras says the lower chamber is in extreme deadlock as another attempt to pass a sales tax bill that would replace some of the revenue that’s set to fall off the books on June 30th failed to muster enough votes last night.

LaPolitics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says Governor Edwards and Democrats are seeking to renew a half-a-cent of an expiring one-cent sales tax, but Republicans support a point-four-percent renewal, which would result in cuts to the state budget…..
cut 14 (11) “….there going to do”
The House is set to come back at 9:30 this morning.

President Donald Trump has endorsed Acadiana Congressman Clay Higgins as he seeks a second-term in office this November. Higgins is facing a challenge from fellow Republican Josh Guillory. Mr. Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giulani will host a fundraiser for Guillory at Monday. The former New York mayor is dating Guillory’s political fundraiser.

The statewide average for regular gasoline is $2.59, which is a few cents lower than last week. But AAA Fuel Analyst Don Redmond anticipates the price at the pump to go up…
Cut 10 (13) “…going back up.”
He says the increase could be anywhere from five to ten-cents.

Louisiana Congressman Ralph Abraham calls the passage of the Farm Bill in the US House a great day for America’s farmers. Abraham, who is the only member of Louisiana’s delegation on the agriculture committee, says it will help farmers recover from natural disasters…
Cut 7 (06) “…one more time.”
Abraham says the legislation heading to the Senate also requires able-body adults to either work or participate in a job training program for 20 hours per week in order remain eligible for food stamps.

The Louisiana House is struggling to reach an agreement on renewing a portion of an expiring one-cent sales tax that’s needed in order to avoid cuts to state services. A proposal to renew half a cent failed by 10 votes last night. So does the most recent vote come off as a failure? LA-Politics-dot-com Publisher Jeremy Alford says not necessarily…
cut 15 (12) “…wait and see”
Alford says the governor and Democrats prefer the half-a-cent sales tax renewal, while Republicans are digging in at four-tenths of a cent.

The state Revenue Deparment says it’s too soon for a definitive estimate on how much revenue the state will receive as a result of a US Supreme Court ruling that allows states to collect sales taxes from online purchases. L-D-R says the state currently receives sales tax from big internet retailers, like Amazon.

The statewide average for regular gasoline is down three-cents from a week ago, but AAA is anticipating a rise in prices at the pump, because demand is growing and inventories are decreasing. AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says OPEC meets today and they will discuss increasing oil production….
cut 11 (11) “….such as russia
The current statewide average is $2.59 a gallon for regular gasoline.

An organization dedicated to preparing Democratic women for the challenge of running for office will hold its inaugural graduation this weekend. The Emerge Louisiana event will honor 22 class members who completed 70 hours of in-depth candidate training. Executive Director Melanie Oubre, says the program has a history of favorable outcomes for graduates in other states…
Cut 4 (08) “…a 70% win rate.”
Oubre says two women in this graduating class will be on ballots this fall and the others plan on running for an office next year.

The House failed to pass a proposal to renew half a cent of an expiring one cent sales tax, as a way to generate revenue to avoid cuts to state services. The measure received 60 votes, but it needs 70 for passage.

House Speaker Taylor Barras addressed the lower chamber before they convened for the night and said legislators are deadlocked. Barras says he plans to keep talking with the caucus chairs in the hopes an agreement can be reached….
cut 16 (12) “….impasse is”
LAPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford says the governor and Democrats want the half-a-penny renewal, while Republicans would prefer four-tenths…
cut 13 (07) “…foreseeable futrure”
The House is set to come back in at 9:30 this morning and another vote on a sales tax renewal bill is expected.

Louisiana’s Republican Delegation in Washington DC says the Farm Bill approved by the House protects farmers and improves the food stamp program. Michael Farrar has the story…
voicer 2 (31) “…I’m Michael Farrar”

The House failed to approve a proposal to renew a half cent of an expiring one cent sales tax as a way to generate revenue to avoid cuts to state services.  The measure received sixty votes, but it needs seventy in order to receive passage and head to the Senate.  The legislation can be brought up for reconsideration.  And it can be amended to lower the amount that is renewed.  But time is ticking as the special session is set to end Wednesday.

The US Supreme Court ruled today that state can go after online retailers for sales taxes on purchases made by consumers. Jeff Palermo ahs the story…
voicer 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”
Louisiana no longer holds the distinction as the prison capital of the nation. According to the latest data made public by the Advocate Newspaper, Oklahoma incarcerates more people per 100-thousand residents than Louisiana. When running for office, Governor Edwards promised to reduce the state’s prison population and last year the legislature approved 10 criminal justice reform bills to jump-start the process.
Cut 10 (03) “…better direction.”
Louisiana’s incarceration rate remains well above the national average.

The Mighty Lions of Lafayette High School are working out in their new weight room today, thanks to a generous donation by former NBA superstar Shaquille O’ Neal who helped fund the project that cost a little more than $40,000. Football coach Rob Pool believes Shaq’s donation sparked other contributions to get the weight room put together. Without his help, it would have been another two years before they could have raised the necessary money.
Cut 7 (10) “…helped as well.”
O’Neal’s donation was part of South Louisiana Giving Day.

A U-S Supreme Court ruling issued today gives states the authority to collect sales taxes on online purchases. Previously, Louisiana and other states couldn’t collect taxes on items bought from a warehouse or store that didn’t have a physical presence in their state. Global Tax Consultant Jason DeCuir says today’s ruling changes those rules…
cut 11 (11) “….taxes”
DeCuir says Louisiana will collect more tax revenue, but it may take months and possibly legislation passed on the state level to get it done.

Meanwhile, at the state capitol there’s been very little movement towards passing a sales tax bill in the House to address the fiscal cliff that arrives July 1st. The Supreme Court ruling on internet sales tax collections has some lawmakers wondering if the state will soon collect more revenue. The special session must end next Wednesday and the Fiscal cliff arrives July 1.

A video of Mike the Tiger has spread across the web and has led his caretakers to set expectations on how visitors should interact with LSU’s live mascot.
Cut 1 (26) “I’m Becca Dill”

Louisiana Congressman Ralph Abraham calls the passage of the Farm Bill in the US House a great days for America’s farmers. Abraham, who is the only member of Louisiana’s delegation on the agriculture committee, says it help farmers recover from natural disasters…
cut 7 (06) “…one more time”
Abraham says the legislation heading to the Senate also requires able-body adults to either work or participate in a job training program for 20 hours per week in order remain eligible for food stamps.

A US Supreme Court ruling has paved the way for Louisiana and other states to collect online sales taxes when it comes to purchases made with vendors or companies that do not have a presence in that state. The potential of Louisiana receiving more tax revenue in the future from online sales has worked its way into the debate at the state capitol as lawmakers debate sales tax bills that would be used to close a budget deficit that hits on July 1st. But Tax Consultant Jason Decuir says additional revenues from online sales taxes are still months away from happening…
Cut 13 (07) “…couple of weeks”

We were expecting a big day of votes on the House floor regarding sales tax bills that would generate hundreds of millions of dollars that could be used to soften proposed cuts to higher ed, TOPS and public safety programs. But the online sales tax ruling by the Supreme Court has postponed those votes.

LSU’s live mascot, Mike the Tiger, has gone viral after a video was posted of him slowly stalking several guests visiting his habitat. The guests had their backs to Mike which prompted him to approach the glass enclosure before pouncing against it. LSU Veterinary school spokesperson Ginger Guttner asks Mike’s visitors to not turn their backs to him.
Cut 3 (08) “…looks like prey.”
Guttner says this precaution is taken because of the potential harm Mike could suffer from hitting the glass.

The Mighty Lions of Lafayette High opened their new weight room today, thanks to a generous donation by former NBA superstar Shaquille O’ Neal to help fund the project that cost a little more than $40,000. Football coach Rob Pool says he was stunned when Shaq stepped in to help.
Cut 6 (11) “…more grateful.”
Shaq’s donation was part of South Louisiana Giving Day, which was organized by the Community Foundation of Acadiana.