U.S. Senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy met with a Trump administration official this week to seek an additional two billion dollars in federal flood aid. Don Molino has more…
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A poll commissioned by a group that opposes Governor John Bel Edwards tax plan finds most Louisiana residents are concerned about jobs and the economy. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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U.S. Senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy met with a Trump administration official about providing Louisiana an additional two-billion dollars in federal flood aid. Kennedy says they asked the White House to include the 2 billion dollars in a budget bill that needs to pass to keep the federal government running through September.
Congress has already appropriated Louisiana 1.6 billion dollars in flood recovery dollars. But Congressman Garret Graves says the state has not moved fast enough to get the money in the hands of flooded homeowners. The governor’s office blames federal red tape. Kennedy admits this dispute could hurt the state’s effort in getting the additional two-billion dollars…
Kennedy says he’s thankful for the financial assistance Congress has provided to flood victims, but it is not enough to help the middle class and the small businesses fully recover.
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Law enforcement is teaming up for the Buckle Up in your Truck campaign to make sure pickup truck drivers are wearing their seatbelts. Starting today and lasting until next Thursday, expect to see an abundance of police officers looking for passengers in pickup trucks that are not buckled up. State Police Sergeant Jared Sandifer…
According to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, pickup trucks account for 25 percent of vehicles on the road. Sandifer says for some reason they see less seatbelt compliance in pickup trucks than other vehicles. He says some drivers may feel safer in a big vehicle, but they’re not.
Cut 7 (07) “those pickup trucks”
Pickup trucks are twice as likely to roll over in a crash, according to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Sandifer reminds the public that it’s not just the driver who has to buckle up.
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A group opposing Governor John Bel Edwards tax plan has paid for a poll that shows a majority of Louisiana residents are concerned about the economy and oppose higher taxes on businesses. Truth in Politics Executive Director Kelli Bottgher says respondents listed jobs and the economy as their top concerns.
Bottgher says respondents also oppose tax hikes on businesses, with over half saying they do not support the governor’s proposed Commercial Activity Tax. She says 60 percent also say they expect business conditions to stay the same or get worse in the next 6 months.
Cut 10 (11) “the trend before”
Bottgher says the public does not want to see their taxes go up anymore. The survey finds 80 percent say government spends too much, taxes too high, or both. She says 75 percent of respondents also oppose a 23 cent hike on the state’s gasoline tax.
Cut 11 (11) “repair infrastructure”
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Governor John Bel Edwards admits there’s not a lot of legislative support for his controversial Commercial Activity Tax, which would raise hundreds of millions dollars to help stave off a looming budget crisis. But Edwards says he’s disappointed an alternative plan hasn’t been proposed by House Republican leaders….
The Commercial Activity Tax is a corporate sales tax on businesses. It would generate at least 400-million dollars and replace tax revenue scheduled to fall of the books next year, when a one-cent sales tax expires. Edwards says the CAT will make sure businesses pay their fair share…
The Commercial Activity Tax will get its first legislative hearing on Monday, but public support is low and business groups staunchly opposed it. Edwards says with one-point-three billion dollars in temporary taxes set to expire next year, another special session maybe called if an adequate funding plan is not approved
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There is a threat for severe weather on Saturday as a result of a cold front that will provide the state with cool temperatures on Sunday. State Climatologist Barry Keim says eastern portions of Louisiana are under a slight risk of severe weather….
Keim says there’s cool air behind this front. He says it will drop high temperatures for Sunday and Monday by 10-degrees…
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