The Louisiana House of Representatives has voted 76 to 27 in support to raise Louisiana’s sales tax by a penny. This is a huge victory for Governor John Bel Edwards as part of his plan to balance the state’s budget deficit. The legislation is now on its way to the Senate and is expected to generate more than 210 million dollars for this fiscal year, which ends June 30. The current budget deficit is about $900 million dollars.
Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany’s PROTECT Act to help the Louisiana seafood industry has been signed by President Barack Obama. Boustany says the PROTECT Act will help Louisiana producers expand their markets around the country. He says if other countries want to sell seafood in the United States, they need to play by our rules…
A new study from AAA shows 87% of drivers engaged in at least one risky behavior while driving in the past month. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says the data is not surprising because about 30 to 40 thousand people die in car crashes each year in the US.
Felons in Louisiana face more employment obstacles that any other state, according to a new study. Louisiana has 389 job restrictions but the average number in the US is 123. Allyson Fredericksen, with the Alliance for a Just Society, says this problem can often lead ex-inmates to return to a life of crime to make ends meet. She says some of these restrictions need to be lifted….
Fredericksen says the Alliance for a Just Society is seeking to eliminate the lifetime legislative bans to employment and review the restrictions to see if they are all still applicable.