Governor Bobby Jindal has formed an exploratory committee in efforts to help him in deciding whether or not to make a presidential run in 2016. Eric Gill reports…
==================
The state senate begins the process of approving House-approved bills that raise an estimated 615-million dollars in state revenues. Jeff Palermo has the story….
===================
Flash Flood Watches and Warnings have been issued across north Louisiana as heavy rains have pounded the area throughout the morning. Jason Hansford with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says they’ve had reports in the Shreveport area of up to six inches of rain this morning…
CUT 3 (07) “Bossier City areas”
There have been reports of flash flooding across north Louisiana this morning. In Ruston, police say an 11-year-old was killed when the car he was riding in was swept away by flood waters. Hansford says up to 5 inches of rain fell in the Monroe area this morning…
He says the Caldwell Parish town of Columbia has reported in excess of seven inches of rain this morning and sandbagging operations have been put in place. Hansford says these rains could last into the afternoon and dump a significant amount of additional rain across north Louisiana…
CUT 5 (10) “Columbia, Louisiana”
============================
Governor Bobby Jindal has formed an exploratory committee in efforts to help him in deciding whether or not to make a presidential run in 2016. Jindal has been considering a run for several months and has stated he will make a final decision by the end of June. Michael Henderson, Director of LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab, says this is not a surprising move…
This is seen as a sign of how serious Jindal is about running for the GOP presidential nomination, despite the low numbers the governor has received in recent polls. Henderson says this exploratory committee will help Jindal gain financial support and get his name out there…
CUT 7 (11) “gain some momentum”
The exploratory committee has launched a website, BobbyJindal-dot-com, for supporters to receive updates on the governor’s efforts. Henderson says Jindal does not seem deterred by the lack of support the surveys indicate. He says it’s a little early too early in the process to place too much emphasis on poll numbers…
============================
The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s office arrests four including the ex-husband of a 54-year-old woman who has been missing since early April in an apparent murder for hire plot. Detectives believe 64-year-old Hamid Ghassemi hired a man who worked for him, 33-year-old Daniel Richter of Walker and two other associates, to kill Tahereh Ghassemi. State Police Col Mike Edmonson says the confessions were chilling…:
Richter, 17-year-old Skyler Williams and 20-year-old Tyler Ashpaul, both of Denham Springs, are all charged with first-degree murder, second degree kidnapping and arson. Hamid Ghassemi is charged with principal to murder, kidnapping and arson and solicitation for murder. Apparently the three suspects who shot and killed the woman split $10,000 paid to them by Hamid Ghassemi for the murder of his ex-wife. Edmonson says this is pathetic…:
An autopsy revealed the victim died of a gunshot wound to the head. Detectives discovered Tahereh Ghassemi’s body Saturday buried in a heavily wooded area in St. Helena Parish. They say during questioning, Ashpaugh told detectives he went with Williams and Richter to the woman’s house where they put her in the trunk of her vehicle and transported her to the burial site. Edmonson commends law enforcement for bringing the family closure…:
============================
The Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee approved a eleven tax bills that have also passed out of the House. The measures raise an estimated 615-million dollars to help stave off large cuts to public colleges and universities and the state’s health care system. Some of the bills reduce rebate and tax credit programs for businesses. Benton Senator Robert Adley on why they need this legislation to pass…
cut 12 (10) “hospitals and universities”
All of the tax bills head to the Senate Finance Committee for more discussion. Many of them face heavy opposition from business lobbyist groups. Adley understands their concerns, but the legislature is trying to raise revenue to avoid major cuts to health care and higher ed
The senate panel also agreed to increase Louisiana’s cigarette tax by 32-cents, which means the state tax on a pack of cigs would be 68-cents. But New Orleans Senator JP Morrell indicated the proposed tax could go up even more as the bill moves through the legislative process
cut 14 (09) “final disposition”
============================