A state lawmaker seeks a legal opinion on whether medical marijuana patients can get a prescription through telemedicine. Marsanne Golsby has more.
Cut 1(30) “…I’m Marsanne Golsby”
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District 1 Congressman Steve Scalise says fixing the ever-rising cost of federal flood insurance is a priority for his next term in the U.S. House…:
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher..”
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The author of a law allowing telemedicine appointments for new medical marijuana patients says the state board that governs doctors cannot stop doctors from prescribing medical marijuana to new telemedicine patients without an in-person visit first. Gretna state Representative Joe Marino is the author of the law.
The Board of Medical Examiners recently refused to change its policy about telemedicine and new medical marijuana patients. Marino says he is seeking an attorney general’s opinion today.
Marino says the board’s decision has a chilling effect on doctors who won’t risk their medical licenses if the rules are unclear. He says the confused situation hurts rural patients the most because they rely on telemedicine.
The Senate Health & Welfare Committee is scheduled to take up the matter Wednesday.
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The Secretary of State’s office predicts up to 15 percent of registered voters will cast a ballot in the December 10th election. Deputy Secretary for Outreach Joel Watson says 110-thousand votes were cast for early voting either in person or by absentee ballot from November 26th through December third.
Cut 6 (09) “…for the election.”
Watson says just under 39-thousand votes were absentee ballots. When you compare the predicted turnout for this election to previous December elections Watson says it’s about on track. In 2018 he says turnout was almost 18 percent and in 2020 after the presidential election when there was a congressional runoff and amendments on the ballot.
When you look at the party breakdown for the early voting for the December 10th election Watson says 47 percent were Democrat and 39 percent Republican. He says typically more Democrats vote early and there are more registered Democrats in the state versus Republicans.
Polls open Saturday at 7 am and close at 8 pm. For more information and your voting location visit GeauxVote.com
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District 1 Congressman Steve Scalise says he’ll work to reform the federal flood insurance program in the next Congress. FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 pricing system has kicked in; causing dramatic increases in flood coverage for tens of thousands of Louisianans. Scalise says that’ll be one of his projects for 2023…:
Scalise says flood rates have increased so dramatically that untold numbers of homeowners have had to let their flood insurance coverage lapse because they simply cannot afford it any longer. He says FEMA has been reluctant to even explain the sharp spike in rates to Congress…:
Cut 10 (10) “…that’s unacceptable.”
Scalise says House republicans passed a National Flood Insurance program reform bill a few years ago to control rising costs, but it was killed in the Senate. He aims to revive that bill…:
Cut 11 (05) “…and make it work.”
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While it might be beginning to look a lot like Christmas, it sure isn’t feeling like it. The Bayou State is experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures for December and State Climatologist Barry Keim says we’re getting a lot of moisture off the Gulf right now.
With highs in the mid-70s today and under 70’s tomorrow, Keim says it’s not going to cool off anytime soon.
Keim says temps are running about 15 degrees above normal for early December. After Thursday however, things will cool off a little bit.
The above average temps will persist for the next week.