Poor quality roads are costing Louisiana motorists an additional $6.5 billion annually, according to a report from the national transportation research group TRIP. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 1 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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Governor Edwards has released his legislative package designed to improve public education. Michelle Southern has details on some of the proposals…:
Cut 2 (28) “I’m Michelle Southern”
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Louisiana State Police is investigating the death of a 3-year-old who was found dead in her mother’s car outside of a nursing home in Ville Platte. Trooper Brooks David says authorities are working to determine a timeline of how long the toddler was in the car.
David says the identity of the child has not been released. He says they are still investigating why the child was left alone in the vehicle.
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A report from the national transportation research group TRIP finds Louisiana drivers are paying an additional $6.5 billion annually because of poor transportation infrastructure. Research and Policy Manger Rocky Moretti says deteriorating roads, congestion, and lack of safety features are leading to increased costs for motorists.
Moretti says Louisiana has the 7th highest rate of traffic fatalities in the country. The report finds traffic accidents claimed the lives of more than 35-hundred between 2011 and 2015. He says adding roadway safety features could greatly reduce that rate.
Cut 6 (11) “fatal traffic crashes”
Moretti says the absence of these features may not cause accidents, but it can contribute to the seriousness of them. TRIP finds 13 percent of the state’s bridges are structurally deficient, and 26 percent of major roads are in poor condition. He says Louisiana didn’t get into this problem overnight, and it can’t be resolved overnight either.
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As part of Governor John Bel Edwards’ plan to improve K-12 education outcomes, a measure has been filed for the legislative session that would prohibit the use of corporal punishment in public schools for students with disabilities. Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil says his legislation would prohibit physical punishment for kids with intellectual disabilities.
Cut 8 (10) “certain disabilities”
Foil says he was surprised that this was even an option in place for students with disabilities. He says corporal punishment varies from school system to school system but physical punishment should never be the answer for students with a mental handicap.
The state Department of Education found over 500 students with disabilities received some kind of corporal punishment during the 2015-2016 school year. Foil says his measure would only apply to students with disabilities.
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Governor John Bel Edwards laid out his plan today for a new tax structure in Louisiana. It calls for lower sales taxes, but more services would be subject to a sales tax and there would be adjustments to the income tax bracket, which he says would benefit a majority of residents….
Cut 11 (13) “federal income taxes”
While many citizens would see a tax cut under this plan, many businesses would be hit with what would be called a Commercial Activity Tax, which would raise nearly a billion dollars a year. Edwards says there are many companies who are not paying their fair share of taxes….
Cut 12 (12) “state income taxes”
Edwards and his team have spent weeks working on this tax proposal. The governor believes it’s the best way to to stabilize the state’s budget, while allowing Louisiana to adequately pay for its critical priorities. He looks forward to working with state lawmakers in getting it approved…