A Lake Charles native has invented the first re-hydrating mouth guard. Emelie Gunn has more on the hands free system…
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A new poll from Southern Media and Opinion Research shows a majority of Louisiana residents are not in favor of raising taxes to solve the state’s budget deficit. Halen Doughty has the story….
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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Legislators have started proposing bills for the regular legislative session, one of which aims to keep citizens safe at movie theaters. Jeff Palermo has the story….
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A Lake Charles man has developed a new way of keeping athletes hydrated during a game. Joseph Tucker created the Hydra-Guard, which is the first re-hydrating mouth guard in the world. Tucker says the mouth guard will be released online February 25thand you can fill up the hands free system with water or your favorite sports drink.
Tucker says the mouth-guard is pressurized so the athlete just push their tongue against the roof of their mouth to release the liquid and can be refilled quickly. He says the pouch holding the liquid is sealed to the mouth-guard by a mechanical and chemical bond so it won’t get in the way while playing the game.
The mouth guard will retail for $34.99. Tucker says it holds just enough liquid to prevent athletes from getting dry mouth while playing. He anticipates the Hydra-Guard to be a big hit in Louisiana especially with our intense heat.
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A new poll shows that a vast majority of Louisiana residents do not support increasing taxes to help state government solve its huge budget deficit this fiscal year. Southern Media and Opinion Research surveyed 500 likely voters and 72% of them said “no” to raising taxes and fees. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says that’s because state government has lost credibility with the people of Louisiana.
Pinsonat says his poll also shows 61% of the voters say the state government is spending too much money. He says the results from survey could make it tough for the governor to push for higher taxes…
The survey asked votes their opinions on certain taxes and a majority of people oppose raising income and state sales taxes, but Pinsonat says over 60% are in favor of increasing taxes on cigarettes and alcohol.
Pinsonat says “sin taxes” are the easiest to pass, but he is unsure whether they would generate enough revenue. He says the public is wary of raising taxes on businesses because of concern about the economy. 54% of people say the state budget can be balanced without raising taxes.
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Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton has proposed a bill for the regular session that would require metal detectors to be installed at movie theaters. This would prevent people from bringing weapons into theaters.
The bill comes as a response to the deadly shootings that occur at movie theaters around the country, including one in Lafayette last year. Norton says lawmakers need to keep Louisiana residents safe.
Under Norton’s proposed bill, movie theaters would face fines for not having metal detectors. Movie theaters across the country have been hesitant to install metal detectors because of costs. Norton says the added safety measure is well worth the price of protecting a person’s life.
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The House Ways and Means Committee will hear testimony today for tax increases on tobacco, alcohol, Internet sales and car rentals. Jeremy Alford, publisher of la-politics.com, says that legislators will not be voting on these proposed taxes yet.
Legislators will begin voting on these tax proposals, after they hear from supporters and opponents of each of the proposed taxes. Alford says Republicans have been hesitant about raising taxes, but it might be something they have to consider.
Legislators will examine carefully the fiscal notes for each proposal, which detail how much money each measure would raise. Alford says passing any of the proposed bills will take compromise from both sides.
The committee will reportedly not hear corporate and personal income tax bills until next week.