A House-approved bill requiring voter approval before military monuments, including confederate statues, can be taken down will be heard in a Senate Committee today. Emelie Gunn reports it’s unlikely the legislation will advance…
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Today, the House will debate raising the state’s gasoline tax. Jeff Palermo has more…
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Statewide regulations for Uber and Lyft have been shelved for the session. Halen Doughty tells us why…
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A measure to prohibit local or state government from removing military monuments, including Confederate, without a vote of the people will be heard in a Senate Committee today, but Shreveport Representative Thomas Carmody says the votes are not there for it to pass. He says our veterans fought for our rights to vote on matters like this, so it’s a disappointment.
Carmody says he’s already been told by committee members this legislation will not pass. The Republican lawmaker says he’ll probably file a similar bill next year…
Critics of the bill say the state shouldn’t get involved in decisions made by local elected officials. But Carmody’s argument is…
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A vote is expected today in the House to raise the state’s gasoline tax to fund more highway construction projects. State Representative Steve Carter originally called for a 17 cent a gallon hike, but he’s willing to amend it to a 10 cent increase. State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says lowering the proposed tax means fewer megaprojects will be completed.
Wilson says a 17 cent increase would give his department $500 million more to spend on projects, but a 10 cent hike would only increase transportation funding by $300 million annually. He says the number of projects would have to be scaled back.
Wilson says without this gasoline tax increase, no megaprojects will be completed, and the state could even lose federal match dollars by 2019. He’s hopeful this measure will get the necessary 70 votes to pass the House and advance to the Senate.
The Republican Party of Louisiana has asked residents to call their legislators and ask them to vote against it.
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A study out of Australia finds late night phone usage could hurt teens’ sleep quality and mental health. LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans clinical psychologist Michelle Moore is not surprised by the findings and says parents shouldn’t allow their kids to have cellphones in their rooms at night. She says the bright light on the screen isn’t the only thing keeping them awake.
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The lengthy study involving 11-hundred Australian high school students found increased phone use at night can lead to depressed mood and low self-esteem. Moore adds that if young people can’t sleep and they check their phones, it can keep them awake even longer.
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Moore says with increased cell phone use, many young people may only be getting half as much sleep as they need. She encourages parents to set an example for their kids and put their phones away at bedtime too.
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A bill to put statewide regulations on ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft is dead for the session. Jackson Representative Kenny Havard filed the bill in an effort to have standard rules, with the hope these companies would expand to smaller cities. The measure passed the House, but it didn’t have enough votes to get approval from a Senate committee, so Havard shelved the idea…
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The measure would end existing agreements between the companies and local municipalities. New Orleans lawmakers argued the city would lose $2 million annually without that agreement. But Havard says the measure would collect a 1 percent fee to be dispersed around the state.
Havard says these services are great for local communities. He says not only do Uber and Lyft create jobs, they keep drunk drivers off the roadways.
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It’s LSU and Texas Southern on Friday at Alex Box Stadium to begin the Baton Rouge Regional. Senior Shortstop Kramer Robertson says they are not looking past the SWAC Tournament champions, even though they are 12-games below .500….
Tigers right fielder Greg Deichmann is also taking it one game at a time…
Senior left-hander Jared Poche believes LSU’s experience will pay off in regional play….
LSU has won 11 in a row, but Poche says this LSU team is capable of more…