Small business owners are keeping a keen eye on Baton Rouge now that the legislative session is underway. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
____________________________________________
Legislation that would allow the Louisiana Wildlife Commission to establish a recreational alligator season has received approval from the Senate Natural Resources Committee. Jeff Palermo has the story.
Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
____________________________________________
One lawmaker wants to let voters have the final say on the minimum wage. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
______________________________________________
Two men are cited for allegedly shooting and killing a whooping crane in Evangeline Parish last month. LDWF agents cited 36-year-old Logan Thrasher of St. Landry and 33-year-old Manuel Luis of Mexico for violating the migratory bird treaty act in killing the bird. Wildlife and Fisheries Corporal Tib Guillory says whooping cranes are federally protected.
Guillory says as such, whooping crane biologists place GPS collars on as many of them as they can so that they can alert certain people that the birds are near them and they should be left alone.
LDWF agents were led to Thrasher and Luis because they were working on the farm where the whooping crane was found shot to death and on the day when he stopped sending data. Guillory says the two men face up to 120 days in jail and a 950-dollar fine, along with restitution.
Cut 6 (03) “…15-thousand dollars.”
____________________________________________________
Small businesses in Louisiana are keeping a keen eye on Baton Rouge as the legislative session gets underway. Leah Long, the state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, says one issue facing many small business owners is the quality of labor, and that’s something that she’d like the legislature to address.
Concerns over labor quality caused a slight drop in the monthly Small Business Optimism Index, but that was tempered somewhat by strong sales and profit figures that are causing them to feel more certain in the coming months. Long says the legislature made great strides last year, and she wants to see that momentum continue.
Cut 8 (08) “…workforce in Louisiana.”
Long says navigating Louisiana’s complex taxation system continues to be a minefield for small business owners, and she says that can be alleviated by the legislature implementing a centralized sales tax.
Cut 9 (09) “…remit sales tax.”
________________________________________________________
Louisiana could soon have a recreational alligator hunting season. There’s a commercial alligator hunting season, but Franklin Senator Robert Allain says with the number of alligators increasing in the state, he would like to open alligator hunting to recreational hunters.
Cut 10 (09) “…to hunt alligators.”
About 50 years ago, the state’s alligator population was below 100-thousand; but thanks to conservation efforts, there are now more than three-million gators in the state, with about two-million in the wild. Wildlife and Fisheries General Counsel Garrett Cole says interested recreational hunters would be chosen through a lottery.
Cut 11 (10) “…the secretary said.”
The recreational hunters would not be allowed to shoot alligators; it would be hook and line harvesting from land. LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth says they want to provide this recreational opportunity for the common folk of Louisiana.
Cut 12 (08) “…want to experience.”
The Senate Natural Resources Committee approved the bill to create a recreational alligator hunting season. It now heads to the Senate floor for more discussion. It would be the Louisiana Wildlife Commission that would set up the official rules and regulations.
___________________________________________________________
A lawmaker wants to give voters the final say on a minimum wage increase. Louisiana is one of 20 states in which the minimum wage aligns with the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, which has not changed since July of 2009. Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow says that’s just untenable.
That’s why Barrow is proposing a constitutional amendment not only to increase the minimum wage immediately, but also to make sure it keeps up with inflation. Barrow’s proposal would set Louisiana’s minimum wage to $10.25 an hour, and it would task a state agency to adjust it annually based on the consumer price index. Barrow says too many people in Louisiana still make minimum wage.
This is by no means the first time someone has proposed an increase to the state’s minimum wage. In all previous attempts, business groups have pushed back, saying raising the minimum wage would lead to higher consumer prices and fewer jobs. Barrow says business owners she’s spoken to disagree with that notion.
Cut 15 (12) “…with your employees.”
Since this is a proposed constitutional amendment, it will require a two-thirds majority in both houses before it goes to the voters.
_____________________________________________________________
The number-13 LSU baseball team ended its two-game losing streak Tuesday with an 8-4 win over Creighton. The Tigers also appeared to shake off their hitting slump, recording nine hits, including two home runs. Junior outfielder Jake Brown said the team held a players-only meeting before the game to address the struggles.
Brown hit his ninth home run in Tuesday’s win and leads the Tigers in home runs, batting average, RBI and stolen bases. He credits his offseason work to helping him get off to a fast start this season.
Cut 17 (11) “…perform so far.”
After missing the last 15 games with a hand injury, LSU senior outfielder Chris Stanfield made his return to the lineup. Coach Jay Johnson says having Stanfield in the lineup makes the Tigers better.
Johnson says whether or not Stanfield will start this weekend is still up in the air.
_______________________________________________________
The LSU men’s basketball season ended Wednesday with an 87-82 loss to ninth-seeded Kentucky in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. The Tigers finished 15-and-17, marking the second consecutive and third overall losing season under head coach Matt McMahon in his four years in Baton Rouge. McMahon acknowledged the criticism surrounding the program.
Cut 19 (18) “…make moving forward.”