The United Way ALICE report shows in 2016, 48 percent of all households in the state did not make enough to meet their basic needs, up six percent from 2014. The report shows a single adult needs to make 19,548 dollars a year to pay the bills, and the average family needs 54,000. Lead researcher Stephanie Hoopes says with 66 percent of all jobs paying under 20 dollars an hour, it’s clear in this economy the recent economic growth isn’t benefiting most workers.
Those requirements break down to a full time, single worker needing 9.77 an hour, and two working parents combining for 27 dollars an hour.
South Louisiana Methanol announces plans to pursue a $2.2 billion dollar project in St. James Parish, and construction could begin later this year. Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson says access to the river make the location desirable.
Congressman Garret Graves supports pending legal action against several federal agencies for refusing to distribute RESTORE funds to families who fall into the “duplication of benefits” loophole after the 2016 floods, but legal challenges can sometimes take ages to come to a conclusion, so Graves says they’ve consulted legal experts, and found a way to get a much faster resolution.
Cut 11 (10) “…through the court.”
The suit could potentially free up almost a quarter billion dollars in grants for 2016 flood victims.
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue says despite the government shutdown, the SNAP program will be fine, atleast through March. Perdue says the motto at the USDA is to “Do Right and Feed Everyone” and he believes this is the best plan of action during the shutdown.
Perdue says soon the department will be reaching out to states to instruct them to request early issuance of February SNAP benefits.