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A state lawmaker admits it was not the legislature’s intention to discontinue sales tax holidays for the next seven years. But Jonesboro Representative Jack McFarland says the state’s three different sales tax holidays went away as  result of the budget and funding deal passed in the last special session.

 

Cut 3 (11) “tax holiday”

Sales tax holidays were during the first weekend of August for back to school shopping, hurricane preparedness during Memorial Day weekend, and the “second amendment” holiday during the Labor Day holiday.

McFarland says he’s getting a mixed response from businesses on whether the sales tax holidays were beneficial.

Cut 4 (12) “his business.”

Many lawmakers are surprised the sales tax holidays were suspended. McFarland says he wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a push next year to revive the tax holidays, particularly the back to school and second amendment holidays..

Cut 5 (08) “tax holiday”

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According to the latest LDWF bald eagle nest survey, the population continues to flourish in the state.  Once a rare sight, spotting bald eagles in Louisiana is now commonplace, as the population in the 1970s was  devastated by use of the now-banned pesticide, DDT. LDWF Nongame Bird Biologist Michael Seymour…

 

Seymour says anywhere there is a big body of water that would support the food of the species, bald eagles have a tendency of moving into the area.

Cut 7 (05) “…throughout the state.”

Seymour says DDT, when broken down in the environment, effected the ability of many birds to produce calcium which caused thin egg shells.

Cut 8 (10) “…falcons and osprey.”

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The Legislative Auditor has a new report claiming the state health department and the Attorney General’s Office misappropriated money intended to fight Medicaid fraud. Auditor Daryl Purpera says they initiated the investigation at the request of LDH and the AG’s office, who’ve since put the money back in the program.

Cut 9 (09)  “time period.”

Auditors say LDH misallocated 2.8 million from 2012 to 2017, and the AG’s office did not deposit 712-thousand dollars into the fund in 2016. Purpera says the two agencies lacked an effective process to properly identify and deposit the monies…

Cut 10 (10) “the future”

Purpera says auditors also found 475-thousand dollars in salaries for fraud detection were used for other purposes and the report showed the state blew 642- thousand dollars in 2012 on software not compatible with their systems and they did not get a refund.

Cut 11 (07) “use them”