Governor Edwards signs into law a fetal heartbeat abortion ban bill, making Louisiana the 5th such state to do so.
The Morganza Spillway opening has been delayed to Thursday, June 6th but concerns are still rising over the effect of the floodway’s opening on the aquaculture of southern bayou parishes. LSU AgCenter Aquaculture Professor Greg Lutz says crawfishermen could be in short term trouble, but the crawfish population should be okay after the flooding.
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 argue the state is running a surplus of tax revenue and should give that money back.
An East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s deputy is dead following a single vehicle crash in Zachary around 6:30 this morning. Sheriff Sid Gautreaux says Whitstine worked with the K-9 division and had spent eight years with the Sheriff’s Department and more than nine years with Baker Police prior to that. Gautreaux says he will be sorely missed by many.
Cut 10 (10) “…the Sheriff’s office.”
A Senate approved resolution that contains a 1,000-dollar teacher pay raise and an additional 39 million dollars for public education passes through the House Education Committee. But House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry wonders if the state can afford both the pay raise and additional money for schools…
The resolution includes a 500 dollar support personnel raise.