Today the Senate Labor Committee is scheduled to hear a proposal that would raise the minimum wage to $8.00 an hour beginning next year, and then to $8.50 in 2018. Halen Doughty has more…
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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The state sales tax will increase to five cents starting tomorrow along with a few other taxes. Emelie Gunn has more…
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A bill has been approved by the House Health and Welfare Committee that would require legislative approval to waive work requirements for food stamp benefits. Jeff Palermo has more…
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The Senate Labor Committee is expected to hear a proposal today to raise the minimum wage in Louisiana from $7.25 to $8.00 an hour, beginning next year, and then to $8.50 in 2018. State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business Dawn Starns says businesses already pay competitively based on what they can afford.
Starns says once entry-level employees get this pay raise, upper-level employees will expect one as well. She says this will hit smaller businesses’ bottom line, and they just can’t afford that right now.
Governor John Bel Edwards is in support of a higher minimum wage and so is Louisiana Budget Project director Jan Moller. Moller says $7.25 an hour is not a living wage…
Moller says the current minimum wage is not enough to get by. He says this is a modest proposal that will not lead to job loss in Louisiana.
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Tomorrow the state sales tax will increase from four cents to five cents until June 30, 2018. LSU Marketing Professor Dr. Dan Rice expects some people looking to make a major purchase will try to get that out of the way before the increase goes into effect. But he says this likely won’t change consumer’s purchasing habits.
Rice says most consumers are aware of the higher sales tax, but doesn’t see many stores reducing their prices to offset the tax increase.
Also, state taxes on cigarettes and alcohol will increase on Friday. Rice says shoppers making big purchases, like vehicles or furniture, will likely see a difference after the sales tax goes up.
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A bill to prevent peeping Toms from using drones to spy on people received unanimous support from the House Criminal Justice Committee. Monroe Representative Marcus Hunter says his bill will somewhat duplicate existing laws by adding the use of an unmanned aircraft to video surveillance crimes.
The bill now heads to the House floor for debate. Hunter says the purpose of this bill is to keep up with the times and make sure criminals do not have an out for using a drone as a way to invade someone’s privacy.
Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle says she wants to make sure that kids playing with drones can’t get arrested under this new proposal.
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The House health committee approves a bill that calls for legislative approval to waive work requirements for food stamp recipients. Under federal law, people are required to either work or perform 20 hours a week of community service in order to qualify for food stamps, but that isn’t the case in Louisiana, because it receives a waiver. Monroe Representative Jay Morris says this legislation would require people to work to receive SNAP benefits.
Republicans have criticized Governor John Bel Edwards’ decision to waive the work requirements for food stamp recipients, which average nearly 200-dollars in monthly benefits. Morris says unemployed able-bodied adults should be required to take steps towards getting a job before they receive government assistance…
The state Department of Children and Family Services recently estimated there are 31-thousand able bodied adults who would lose their benefits, if they were required to find work. The governor’s attorney Matthew Block says they are working to make sure there are enough job training and job placement services before re-instating the work requirements.
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It’s the final day at LSU for the legendary voice of the Fighting Tigers, Jim Hawthorne, as he is retiring effective today. Hawthorne has been on the radio call for thousands of LSU events over the past 35 years. He says he has enjoyed his time announcing for the Tigers.
As the Voice of the Tigers, he has broadcast all six of LSU’s national championships in baseball, two national titles in football and three Final Four appearances for the men’s basketball team. Hawthorne says his only regret is the ending of this year’s men’s basketball season.
Hawthorne is looking forward to retirement and spending more time visiting his family and traveling with his wife. He says he is just about done cleaning out his office.