Much of Louisiana is under an enhanced severe weather threat today and that includes the potential for tornadoes. Jeff Palermo reports…
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The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to vote on various tax proposals today, including a measure that would increase the state sales tax by a penny. Halen Doughty reports…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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Charges have been upgraded against a 16-year-old, who fatally shot his 16-year-old niece, in what Baton Rouge police call an accidental shooting. Jeff Palermo has more…
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Much of Louisiana could see severe weather today, including the potential for tornadoes. State Climatologist Barry Keim says it will be a bumpy ride over the next 24 hours or so as result of cold front that’s moving through the state….
Keim says cities like New Orleans, Houma, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Alexandria are under an enhanced threat of severe weather. He says the threat for severe storms is moderate for Bogalusa and northern Tangipahoa Parish. But he says all Louisiana residents should monitor the weather today.
Keim says flash flood warnings could be issued in some parts of the state.
Keim says the severe weather threat will diminish Wednesday morning, but we could see much lower temperatures after the storms pass.
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Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera has released an annual report that points out areas where state government can do a better job of protecting taxpayer dollars. Purpera says on multiple occasions his auditors discovered the Department of Health and Hospitals didn’t do what was needed to receive payments from third parties for medical services provided for Medicaid patients…
Purpera says nationally, nearly 6 percent of Medicaid claims are subject to abuse and the number could be even higher in Louisiana. He says they are planning to increase the number of auditors within DHH.
Purpera says with additional auditors in DHH, they can also do a better job in making sure those who are on Medicaid are actually eligible for the government health program and there are no over payments for Medicaid services…
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Today could be a pivotal day in the special session that’s been called to eliminate a $900 million deficit this fiscal year. The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to vote on various proposals to increase taxes, including a measure that would increase the state sales tax from 4-cents to 5-cents. Jeremy Alford, publisher of la-politics-dot-com, says the sales tax bill is a key revenue raising measure that the Edwards administration is pushing for.
Alford says many republicans could vote for an increase in the sales tax, but they want the governor to commit to some long-term spending cuts. Alford says the governor won’t get something for nothing through the House chamber.
The committee has heard bills that would increase taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, rental cars, phone lines, internet sales and hotels. Alford says the committee may vote on just a few of these proposed taxes.
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Early voting for the Louisiana Presidential Preference Primary continues today through Saturday. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says this primary is costing Louisiana $3.5 million during tough budget times. He says switching to a caucus format would save the state that money, because a caucus is paid for by the political parties…
Schedler says Louisiana needs to make crucial cuts to the state’s budget, and moving from presidential primary to a caucus could be one way to reduce future spending…
Schedler says he has proposed caucus voting to the legislators, but it takes a vote by the legislature to make that change…
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The LSU men’s basketball team is at Arkansas tonight in a game that is a must have for the Tigers who are on the wrong side of the bubble when it comes to making the NCAA Tournament. LSU will play the game without senior shooting guard Keith Hornsby, who reaggravated a sports hernia injury that forced him to miss several games earlier this season. Coach Johnny Jones on Hornsby’s absence
Jones says it’s too early to say if Hornsby will miss the rest of the season as some reports suggest. The Tigers have lost two straight and this losing streak has put LSU in a position where they need to rest of there games to make the NCAA Tournament. But Jones is not panicking
LSU enters tonight’s game with a 16-11 record, 9-5 in the SEC. Arkansas is 13-and-14, with a six-and-eight league record. Jones says handling the Razorbacks defensive pressure is a top priority tonight