Governor John Bel Edwards says the state’s surging income levels are a substantial part of the expected 300 million dollar surplus for the last budget year. A report showed Louisiana paced most of the nation in income growth at 5.9 percent in the 2nd quarter, good for second in country.
The Revenue Estimating Committee will not have official numbers on the surplus until next month.
The growth in income was pushed by continuing gains in construction and the oil industry, but also on the back of yet another quarter of healthcare growth. Edwards says that’s due to the Medicaid expansion that’s more than paying for itself in revenue returns.
Cut 5 (10) “…with insurance.”

Ruston Republican Representative Rob Shadoin is calling it quits after seven years in the Louisiana House. Shadoin is leaving the Capitol to join the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in a legal capacity. He says after nearly a decade of service, the frequent special sessions were becoming too much for his private practice to bear.

The personal finance website WalletHub has released its report on 2018’s Best and Worst States for Teachers. The website analyzed 22 key metrics, including income growth potential and teacher safety. Louisiana ranks 48 out of 51 spots. Louisiana Federation of Teachers spokesperson Les Landon says teachers are very upset about the evaluation system the state has right now, saying it’s not fair and in many cases inaccurate. He adds it’s something to be worked on in the next legislative session.
Cut 8 (10) “…teachers would recognize.”

Investigators with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality arrested a Lake Charles man on knowingly disposing of gasoline into a stormwater retention pond, which is a felony. 54 year old Dean Domingue and accomplice 51 year old David Mouton dumped 200 gallons of a gasoline and water mixture behind an Albertson’s grocery store. Mouton remains at large. DEQ spokesperson Jeff Nolan says after the first incident, it caused a real scare for those living in the area.
Cut 13 (07) “…chose to evacuate.”