The House will hear a bill today that would allow minors to work eight hours without a break. Connor Ferrill has the story.
Cut 1 (32) “I’m Connor Ferrill”
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We’re nearly a month away from the end of the 2019 regular session and there’s still quite a few controversial topics left for lawmakers to tackle. Matt Doyle talked with a political analyst about what comes next…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”
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The Louisiana Committee for a Conservative Majority is likely to see more money pumped into its operation with the newly added support of US Senator John Kennedy. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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The House will hear a bill today that would allow minors to work eight hours without a break instead of the current five. The House Labor Committee has already unanimously approved the measure. Author of the bill, Shreveport Representative Raymond Crews says the current law discourages employers from hiring minors as the mandatory break can disrupt a fluid shift…
Cut 4 (12) “…real problem.”
The law also issues employers a 500 dollar fine for violating the break requirement.
Julie Cherry with the Louisiana AFL-CIO is concerned the bill could lead to minors not receiving breaks at all…
Cut 5 (08) “…it can happen.”
President of the Louisiana Restaurant Association Stan Harris said the current law can prevent students in the LRA’s ProStart program from getting the mandatory 400 hours of work experience. Harris said the program is meant to skill students pursuing a culinary career but…
Cut 6 (09) “…program.”
Executive Director of the Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families Susan East Nelson says the bill may open the door for job opportunities but it also could also lead to health issues in developing children…
Cut 7 (12) “…is stand.”
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Governor Edwards is seeking 39 million dollars in new K-12 education funding, but House Republicans say the money is not there to do it. Political Analyst Clancy DuBos looks we have another battle shaping up between the governor and the House.
Cut 8 (04) “…priorities.”
Edwards also continues to push to raise the minimum wage, and DuBos says a proposal to raise it to nine dollars an hour is likely to get further than last year, but he says it’s unlikely any pro worker bills will pass…
Cut 9 (09) “…anything else.″
The recently released Louisiana Survey showed there is strong support among voters for a slight increase in the minimum wage.
So will we see anything substantial approved during this regular session? A proposal to allow sports betting at the state’s casinos and racetracks has been approved by the Senate, but faces opposition from conservative House lawmakers. DuBos says sports betting is no safe bet to pass in this session…
Cut 10 (10) “…controversial.”
The session must end by 6pm on June 6th.
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U-S Senator John Kennedy is teaming up with Attorney General Jeff Landry to lead the Louisiana Committee for a Conservative Majority, a political action committee. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Kennedy brings his fundraising talents to an organization aimed at electing more conservative Republicans to the legislature.
Cut 11 (08) “…get Kennedy involved.”
Pinsonat says the news catches the attention of left leaning state lawmakers.
Cut 12 (10) “…news for them.”
Pinsonat says even some Republicans may also want to take notice if there voting record doesn’t reflect a more conservative set of principles.
Cut 13 (08) “…weight and power.”
Kennedy’s teaming with Landry has the potential to leave a significant mark on the House and Senate terms that begin in 2020, with all 144 seats on the fall ballot. Sixteen state senators of the thirty-nine are termed out, as is nearly 30% of the House. The House could face further vacancies with some members choosing to run for Senate.
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The U.S. Coast Guard begins a week long public hearing today regarding the October 2018 barge wreck that resulted in damage to the Sunshine Bridge in St. James Parish. Legal analyst Tim Meche says anytime there is a major incident on a major waterway, there is an investigation followed up by a public hearing.
Cut 14 (10) “…major airplane crash.”
In the wreck, a crane carried on a barge collided with the bridge, resulting in the closure of the bridge for repairs until it was fully reopened in January. Meche says if the final report finds that individuals are implicated as culprits in the cause, they may be liable civilly or even criminally.
Cut 15 (06) “…or criminal prosecution.”
In previous investigations, such as the BP oil spill, the agency was very thorough, with criminal charges stemming from that. Meche says with the publicly available evidence, it’s likely there will be individuals to take a fall.
Cut 16 (13) “…of that problem.”
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It could have been one of the great comebacks in LSU baseball history, the Tigers hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the 9th inning to erase a 5 run deficit, but ended up losing 19-15 in 10 innings to Ole Miss. Coach Paul Mainieri says it was a wild game…
cut 17 (25) “to stop”
Ole Miss responded to the home barrage by LSU scoring by scoring four runs in the 10th inning as Mainieri says losing pitcher Devin Fontenot struggled with his command again.
The loss drops LSU into fourth place in the SEC West with a 14-10 record. Antoine Duplantis, who had five hits, including a three-run homer in the 9th, says with eight games left, they can’t have too many more losses…