Legislators are working out ways to regulate fantasy sports after voters in 47 out of 64 parishes legalized the activity last year. Matt Doyle has the story.
____________________________
Congressman Clay Higgins didn’t hold back in a video filmed just steps away from the charred remains of the St. Mary Baptist Church. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”
_____________________________________________
A Houma man is in jail after an investigation into a vehicle fire that left one man dead. State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says 37-year-old David Mason is accused of intentionally setting the blaze that resulted in the death of 39-year-old Wayne Winter, Jr.
Cut 3 (10) “…families were asleep.”
The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are expected. Rodrigue says Mason now faces a litany of charges following the March 31st incident.
Cut 4 (09) “…of criminal conspiracy.”
____________________
There was no holding back for Congressman Clay Higgins as he released a video message aimed at those responsible for the recent fires that destroyed three historically black churches in St. Landry Parish. Higgins filmed the video just steps away from the charred remains of the St. Mary Baptist Church and says the responsible party has succumbed to evil and will be caught.
The FBI has recently announced they are joining the investigation. Higgins says he firmly believes the book will be thrown at whoever set the fires when their day in court comes.
The three fires are being considered suspicious, but investigators have stopped just short of saying the fires are linked as the investigation continues. Higgins has called for those behind the fires to step forward.
__________________________________________
Last fall voters in 47 out of 64 parishes approved online fantasy sports betting, and now lawmakers are tasked with figuring out how to regulate the game in the session that kicks off today.
River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot says they plan on copying the laws passed in other states, but are considering one change…
Talbot says the legislation will include “geo fencing” that tracks a users location, and blocks their access to the game once they cross into one of the 17 that denied legalization, much like players from across state lines deal with now…
The majority of the parishes who did not legalize the game are in north and central Louisiana.
The River Ridge Republican says he doesn’t expect fantasy sports to be much of a revenue generator, as the average player doesn’t spend more than a few hundred dollars, but…
_________________________________
Governor John Bel Edwards laid out his legislative agenda to lawmakers on the first day of the 2019 legislative session. Edwards spoke for nearly 40 minutes during a joint session of the House and Senate and said his top priority is to give teachers a one-thousand dollar increase in pay
Cut 11 (06) “..teachers deserve more”
Edwards is also seeking a 500-dollar increase in pay for school support workers and he wants to see more money put into the classroom, increasing the public school education budget for just the second time in the last 10 years.
The governor is also asking legislators to support legislation to raise the minimum wage and also approve a bill to eliminate pay secrecy as a way to reduce the highest gender wage gap in the country…
Edwards also wants to see legislators approve legislation that would make sure Louisiana residents are not denied access to health coverage because of a pre-existing condition. He says the proposal would go into effect if the courts throw out the Affordable Care Act…
Cut 13 (08) “…style politics.”