The state’s insurance market is facing challenges and if left up to Senate Insurance Chairman Kirk Talbot legislators will soon decide on a bill that would either keep the Insurance Commissioner’s position as a publicly elected seat or be appointed by the Governor. Teiko Foxx has more…
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Voters in Ouachita Parish approved a millage increase for the next decade to fund the construction of a new animal shelter and animal services. Brooke Thorington has more
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”
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The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Sunset man in what they are calling the largest drug bust for fentanyl in parish history. Jeff Palermo has more…
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”
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Senate Insurance Chairman Kirk Talbot says he will propose a bill to have the state Insurance Commissioner appointed instead elected. This comes nearly two weeks after longtime Commissioner Jim Donelon made the announcement not to seek re-election. Talbot says the individual selected should be qualified and ready to fight for the consumers.
Talbot says Louisiana is one of eleven states who still elect the Insurance Commissioner. He says the bill would include a selection process in which the Governor could personally appoint or have a board submit qualified candidates for the process.
Cut 5 (12) “…one of those names.”
The bill would permit term limits ranging from two to six years. It would also require a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate to pass the legislature. Talbot says Louisiana’s insurance market is in a crisis and this could be a potential solution for better rates for consumers.
The proposed legislation will consider the bill in the upcoming legislative session.
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In Ouachita Parish voters overwhelmingly approved a millage increase to fund the construction of a new animal shelter. For the next ten years, a 1.75-mil property tax increase will allow shelter operations to continue. Louisiana Humane Shelter President Jeff Dorson says this is welcome news for the parish.
Cut 7 (10) “…essential service.”
In DeSoto Parish voters rejected a millage increase for animal services.
Dorson says the situation is dire in Ouachita Parish because, in addition to their animal needs in the northeast Louisiana parish, they are having to bear the load for other parishes that go without, like Catahoula, Franklin, and Claiborne. Dorson says there are many more parishes without animal services.
In his 35 years as an animal advocate, Dorson says he’s never seen such an increase in animals that are either abandoned or surrendered at shelters. Because so many parishes lack animal services, Dorson says they are asking lawmakers to set aside a portion of the state budget surplus to help fund animal needs.
In addition to direct donations to humane shelters, Dorson says the public can also purchase a Spay and Neuter cag tag which funds low-cost and no-cost programs in Louisiana.
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St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says deputies made the largest fentanyl confiscation in parish history when they arrested a Sunset man, who had over five pounds of suspected fentanyl inside his home. Guidroz says Benjamin Pittman faces a slew of charges for possessing and manufacturing fentanyl…
Guidroz says inside Pittman’s home was a major pill manufacturing facility and distribution hub, which contained different pill presses and mixers for the illegal manufacturing of pills. He says the amount of fentanyl inside the home was staggering…
Cut 11 (11) “…1.5 million people.”
Guidroz says their narcotics enforcement team made the arrest and Pittman is a repeat offender…
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Placid Refining is relocating its headquarters from Dallas to Baton Rouge and updating its existing Port Allen facilities. The state secured the project with an incentives package that includes a performance-based retention and modernization tax credit of up to $500,000 that West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Anna Johnson says helps attract new and existing businesses…
The company’s West Baton Rouge facility has been in operation since 1975. Much of the investment will go towards equipment upgrades. The company finalized the purchase of its downtown Baton Rouge corporate headquarters in January and Johnson says the investment will take some time…
Cut 14 (11) “…end of the year.”
The corporate offices will create 20 new direct jobs and Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will bring another 88 indirect jobs. With 108 new jobs in the Capital Region, Johnson says the energy sector is still the engine of the Louisiana economy…
Cut 15 (10) “…Capitol region.”
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The Saints have signed a big-body wide receiver familiar with new starting quarterback Derek Carr. Bryan Edwards played with Carr and the Raiders in 2020 and 2021. In 2021 he started 12 games and caught 34 passes for 571 yards and three touchdowns. Edwards says seeing a couple of former Raider players now in New Orleans made the opportunity exciting for him…
Edwards was traded to Atlanta after the 2022 NFL draft and caught three passes for the Falcons last season. He spent the last three months of the season on the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.
Defensive tackle Malcolm Roach is back with the Saints after signing a one-year deal with the Black and Gold. Roach had a career-high 26 tackles last season for New Orleans. He’s from Baton Rouge and played high school football at Madison Prep…
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LSU remains ranked number one in all of the college baseball polls after sweeping Arkansas in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Tigers are 21-and-3 and led offensively by Dylan Crews, who is leading the nation with a .531 batting average and Tommy White is hitting .392. The two have combined to hit 17 home runs and drive in 74 runs. Coach Jay Johnson says they are a big reason why they lead the nation in runs scored…
LSU hosts Grambling State tonight. A starting pitcher has not been announced. But Johnson wants to see sophomore right-hander Sam Dutton throw multiple innings…
Dutton has only appeared in four games this season after appearing in 18 games last year.
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