Louisiana is receiving federal help to fight flooding caused by climate change, and it’s FIVE TIMES the amount the state is currently spending per year. More from Marsanne Golsby…:
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Marsanne Golsby”
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After numerous property insurers exited the state, leaving tens of thousands without coverage, Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon proposes an incentive fund to attract new ones. Kevin Gallagher has more…:
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Louisiana is receiving 134 million dollars in federal money to offset the effects of climate change and reduce chronic flooding. Louisiana Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says projects that will receive this funding are currently being identified…
Cut 3 (07) “…harden infrastructure.”
Wilson says the 134 million dollars will be spread out over the next five years, so the state is expected to receive 25 million dollars this fiscal year….
Wilson says there are a large number of bridges and roads that stand to be elevated and can benefit for this latest allotment from the federal government…
Wilson says the money can also be used to update pumping capacity.
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Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon wants the state to set aside a pot of money to lure new insurance companies to Louisiana. Donelon says his agency did the same after 2006 Hurricanes Katrina & Rita overwhelmed insurers with over 700-thousand claims. That resulted in companies leaving the state and forcing thousands to the state’s bulwark insurer, Louisiana Citizens. He says, back then, an incentive program successfully brought a number of new companies to take on Louisiana coverage…:
Cut 6 (07) “…global marketplace.”
Donelon says that program successfully employed a fund of over $29-million state dollars, and brought new property insurers to help reduce the Louisiana Citizens book of business…:
Cut 7 (11) “…In Go-Zone parishes.”
Over 90-thousand homes and businesses were left without coverage, when several companies pulled out of Louisiana. Many had to go with Louisiana Citizens.
Donelon has spoken with House & Senate insurance committee heads about the plan, and says he’ll talk soon with the Governor, Senate President and House Speaker to make his request. He says a lot of federal recovery & pandemic money has flowed into Louisiana…:
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The next time you’re in the Dome watching the Saints, thanks to a new partnership with Waitr, soon to be known as ASAP, you won’t have to stand in line to order concessions. Dean Turcol with ASAP says you can use your handy app to order food and then you’ll get a notice when to pick it up.
Turcol says in the Dome there will be two ways to access the ASAP app, you can either use the QR codes on the concourse that will take you to the app to order your concessions…
The new stadium service will also be available at New York Jets and Giants games this fall and Turcol says they plan to add more NFL stadiums in the future. He says the stadium service is just part of the company’s rebranding from Waitr to ASAP.
He says their slogan in the stadium will be “We’re the best pick-up line.” Waitr was founded in 2013 and is currently based in Lafayette
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Three tax preparers from Westwego face felony charges for allegedly defrauding the state’s disaster relief program. Department of Revenue spokesperson Byron Henderson identifies the three people arrested, Starr Carbo, Johnnie Mae Ricard and Erica Williams, employees of Global Tax Service in Jefferson Parish…
Cut 12 (11) “…value of the losses”
Carbo, Ricard and Williams have been charged with Injuring public records. Henderson says their investigators learned they charged clients as much as 110-dollars and they inflated the value of the losses when submitting for a refund on sales tax they paid on items lost during a declared disaster