The US-House has passed three bills by Louisiana Congressman Charles Boustany that spotlight recent IRS controversies and would ultimately limit the power of the federal agency. Boustany says one issue he wanted to address was that some denials of tax exempt status were not subject to appeal which he think is wrong..

cut 7 (11) “certain organizations”

Boustany, chair of the oversight subcommittee of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, says safeguards must be put in place to ensure that the public’s trust is not breached. The Senate still needs to approve the bills.

Louisianians are liking the price they’re seeing at the pump these days. According to gasbuddy-dot-com, the current statewide average for a gallon of regular is just $3.13. The lowest prices are seen in southeast Louisiana with some stations reporting regular gas as low as $2.83 per gallon.

A federal report says Louisiana’s prison population fell two-percent last year, but the state still has the highest incarceration rate in the US. Doctor Peter Scharf, with the Justice and Public health institute at the LSU Health Science Center, says the mindset on how to punish criminals is changing and that should help lower the prison population…

cut 11 (11) “…fix crime“

Scharf says the department of corrections has put programs in place to help recently released inmates stay out of jail and there’s been a push to lower sentences for certain crimes.

The Sherveport Police Department has a man in custody accused of beating a child so badly he had to be hospitalized. It is alleged that 23-year-old Frank Butler hit the child with a belt about 25 times causing a significant amount of injuries. Butler was arrested and booked on one count of second degree cruelty to a juvenile. The relationship between Butler and the child is unknown at this time. The child is expected to recover.