2:30 LRN Newscast

The long-anticipated tax reform special session is here. Governor Landry wants to lower the state income tax for most Louisiana residents and expand the sales tax base and eliminate dozens of sales tax exemptions. Landry is also looking to renew a temporary point-four-five-percent sales tax, extend the sales tax to 40 activities that are untaxed and eliminate the film tax credit program. LaPolitics-dot-com editor Jeremy Alford says it will be interesting to see if Landry gets what he wants…

Cut 5 (05) “…Jeff Landry.”

The special session must end by 5 PM on November 25th.

It looks like Louisiana may be spared the brunt of Hurricane Rafael’s wrath. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says Rafael will enter the gulf sometime tonight likely as a major hurricane.

Cut 6 (10) “…very slow decline.”

The first College Football Playoff rankings are out. LSU is number 15, and Alabama is number 11. The two teams face one another at Tiger Stadium Saturday night. College football analysts say for all intents and purposes, this is a playoff game with the loser eliminated from CFP contention. Tigers Coach Brian Kelly says the teams at the top of the SEC standings understand what’s at stake…

Cut 14 (10) “…matter.”

Kick-off Saturday is at 6:30.

This year’s presidential election was a record-breaker here in Louisiana. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says almost 850-thousand voters cast ballots in early voting, including more than 100-thousand on the final day of early voting, and more than one-million voters casting ballots on election day. All those results were posted onto the department’s website less than three hours after the polls closed last night.