The Louisiana Department of Education is releasing back-to-school resource guides for parents for the new school year. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
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Mississippi has teed up sports betting, but Louisiana may not be out of the game for long. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Governor John Bel Edwards is flying to DC to talk criminal justice reform with the president. Matt Doyle has more.
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The Louisiana Department of Education is releasing back-to-school resource guides for parents for the new school year. The free resources are available via LouisianaBelieves.com’s family support toolbox. Director of Family and Educator Communication, Annie Morrison, says the resources will help guide families as students enter new classrooms and some into new schools.
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Morrison says the parent guides first arrived last year and are expanding this year to be tailored toward a student’s specific needs.
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Morrison adds these resources will be available in a variety of languages as well.
Cut 6 (10) “…school can be intimidating.”
The department will be putting out a guide for pre-k through 2nd grade guide sometime next week.
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Sports betting is off to the races in dozens of states across the nation, but so far Louisiana has sat on the sidelines while neighboring states like Mississippi have elected to receive the expansion. Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Jones says after seeing how other states have started using the new cash, he’s concerned the Bayou State may be losing on crucial revenue.
Cut 7 (10) “in disadvantaged playgrounds.”
Jones says a bill legalizing sports gaming in Louisiana lost in the final seconds during the regular session after a risky play to allow the activity in video poker halls lead to a fourth quarter collapse. Jones says he believes a more conservative approach to allowing sports betting may succeed as early as next year.
Jones says industry leaders have warned that barring sports betting could make it more difficult for the market to attract big money players and gamblers looking for more amenities, but cautioned that even if sports books were allowed into the state, it may not lead to a big score.
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A recent review of the Medicaid program shows the private companies known as Managed care organizations that work with the program have not been providing accurate enough information for where recipients can access their care. Louisiana Medicaid Director Jen Steele says they’ve addressed the issue, which can be a pain for Medicaid recipients…
Steele says they’ve fixed the problem, which boils down to better communication between LDH and the MCO’s…
In December the legislature extended Medicare contracts with MCO’s. Steele says the extension includes an amendment that allows LDH to fine the MCO’s 50,000 dollars if their directories aren’t at least 90 percent accurate, which in this case, they weren’t…
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Governor John Bel Edwards is taking another trip to Washington to discuss criminal justice reform with President Donald Trump. Edwards is one of the few prominent democrats to maintain a working relationship with Mr. Trump. Edwards’ Communications Director Richard Carbo says the invite comes a year after statewide reforms led to a promising reduction in prison population.
The reforms resulted from a bipartisan legislative effort that included major lawmakers from both sides of the isle adopting legislation similar to other southern states. With a federal criminal justice push potentially on the way, Carbo says the president is reaching out to a leader who knows how to craft bipartisan efforts.
Two potential challengers for Edwards’ seat in 2019, Senator John Kennedy and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, have slammed the reforms as being soft on crime and leading to the release of dangerous criminals. Carbo says they’re playing politics with a vitally critical issue.
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LSU’s Devin White and Greedy Williams are on ESPN’s list of Top 50 college football players. White is coming off a 133 tackle performance last season, while Williams led the SEC with six interceptions and second in the league with 17 passes defensed. Williams on how he plans on remaining one of the top cornerbacks in college football…
If you’re looking for a break out star on defense, it could be sophomore safety Grant Delpit. As a freshman, Delpit showed he can help out against the run and in pass coverage he intercepted one pass and had eight passes defensed. But the Houston native says for the Tigers to get to the SEC championship game, the secondary as a whole has to play better…
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