Governor John Bel Edwards says he will sign a bill that bans abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected. It received final legislative approval on the House floor after an emotional debate. An amendment to add an exception in cases of rape and incest was rejected, despite this argument from Baton Rouge Representative Patricia Smith…
cut 16 (12) “…of them”
proponents of the fetal heartbeat bill say a fetus should not be punished for the sins of a relative or rapist.
A bill banning drivers from holding their phone while behind the wheel is headed to the Senate after an at-times heated discussion on the House floor. The legislation led to a lengthy back and forth between Erath Representative Blake Miguez and Slidell Representative Kevin Pearson, who argued about whether the penalty was just another traffic cash grab by the state…
An effort to reduce the state sales tax from 4.45 percent to four-percent over a four-year period died in a Senate Committee. Lawmakers settled on a 4.45 percent sales tax rate last year as part of a budget deal to avoid significant cuts. Lafayette Senator Gerald Boudreaux says it’s too soon to change a tax deal that stabilized the budget…
Proponents argued the state is running surpluses and should give the money back to taxpayers.
With the opening of the Morganza Spillway on Sunday, the crawfish industry is going to be feeling the effect. LSU AgCenter Professor Greg Lutz says while the opening may make more habitat for some of the mudbugs, those habitats will not be as easily accessible for harvest. It could have a negative effect on existing habitats.
Cut 3 (10) “…from the crawfish.”