The state House Democratic caucus calls for accountability and transparency as lawmakers prepare to pay a $45-million insurance incentive fund. More from Kevin Gallagher…:
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
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For National Unclaimed Property Day State Treasurer John Schroder will hand out more than 500 checks. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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A new study shows Louisiana’s black public school kids are five times more likely to be attending a failing school. Kevin Gallagher reports…:
Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
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As lawmakers continue to debate a $45-million incentive fund to help Louisiana’s property insurance crisis, House Democrats call for transparency and accountability from the Department of Insurance. Democratic Caucus Chairman Sam Jenkins (D – Shreveport) says the state’s insurance problems all came to be under Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon’s watch…:
Cut 4 (08) “…in a timely manner.”
Jenkins says lawmakers need to assure the Insure Louisiana Fund, if approved, is a good use of taxpayer money. He says they also need to have some tough conversations going forward…:
Jenkins and the Democratic Caucus feel the Insurance Commissioner should be held accountable for the state’s current insurance mess, and – perhaps – a change of leadership at the Department of Insurance is warranted…:
Cut 6 (09) “…want to keep going.”
Jenkins says he’d personally like to see a Democrat challenge Donelon this fall, and see Democrats run for every state office.
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The Saints and Broncos agreed to compensation to send former saints Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean Payton to Denver. New Orleans will receive the Broncos’ first-round pick this year (29th overall) and their 2024 second-round pick in exchange for rights to Payton and the Saints’ 2024 third-round pick. Saints analyst Mike Detillier thinks it’s a good deal…
Cut 7 (12) “…quarterback dilemma.”
Many fans might be disappointed by the compensation after rumors of multiple first-round picks swirled as Payton had interviews with the Panthers, Cardinals, Texans, and Broncos. Some speculated the Saints were hoping teams would get in a bidding war for Payton, but Detillier says those expectations were unrealistic…
The Broncos struggled this season after an offseason of high expectations. Denver sent multiple picks to Seattle in exchange for Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson worked alongside one of the NFL’s top skill-position groups, but the offense under new head coach Nathaniel Hackett was one of the worst in the league. Detillier says the ownership trusts Payton to turn things around…
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Today is National Unclaimed Property Day, and here in the Bayou State, Treasurer John Schroder says he’s celebrating the day by handing out checks.
Cut 10 (08) “… their employees.”
This afternoon he’ll present over 500 checks totaling more than $42,000 to employees at a Baton Rouge General Hospital.
Schroder says the Unclaimed Property division in Louisiana has a billion dollars on paper and they’ve just launched a pilot program that works with large businesses to find data matches and it’s proving to be successful.
You can always check to see if you have Unclaimed Property by visiting LAcashclaim.org. You never know if you have a deposit that was not returned or even a lost paycheck you didn’t know about.
Cut 12 (11) “…in this program.”
On average Schroder says they process 175 claims daily, but on special occasions and when the program is in the media they can receive up to three thousand claims.
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A report from the state Legislative Auditor shows black students in Louisiana are over five times more likely to attend a public school with a D or F rating. The report says about 41 percent of Black kids go to a bottom-of-the-scale school, as opposed to about 8 percent of white kids. Daniel Erspamer, with the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, says the report illustrates that basic fundamental change in public education is called for…:
Cut 13 (10) “…. high-quality schools.”
The Auditor’s report says enrollments at A-rated schools are about 66 percent white, with Black students making up about 20 percent. The largest percentage of black kids was in schools with a D or F rating. Erspamer says this should be unacceptable to lawmakers and educators alike…:
Cut 14 (06) “…a high-quality school.”
The state’s private schools are overwhelmingly white enrollment. Erspamer says too many minority families cannot afford tuition, so they must settle for whatever public schools can offer. He says state public education dollars go to school systems, and perhaps it’s time to change that…:
Cut 15 (09) “…fixing this problem.”
He says too many schools do not demand excellence from teachers or students and allow kids to “fall between the cracks.”
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With the number-one ranked roster of the LSU baseball team, there’s still one position that doesn’t have a sure starter: second base. With the departure of last year’s starter Cade Doughty, junior Jack Merrifield, transfer Ben Nippolt, utility player Gavin Dugas, and freshman Gavin Guidry. Coach Jay Johnson says that there won’t be one starter…
The Tigers had one of the top offenses in the season last year but were held back by poor performances defensively. LSU is hoping to help correct some pitching issues with the addition of transfer Paul Skenes. Skenes was named first-team All-American at Air Force last year and is the 25th-ranked prospect in the draft. Johnson says Skenes is one-thousand percent the Friday night starter…
Cut 17 (20) “…major league starter.”
Johnson says the bullpen was a focus this offseason. LSU welcomed transfers Christian Little and Thatcher Hurd alongside Skenes and hopes to have a deep rotation this season. Johnson says that this year’s group will be an upgrade from last year…
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Cut 20 (12) “…get people on base”
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