24 states raise their minimum wage today, and Louisiana is not one of them. Matt Doyle spoke the Louisiana Budget Project about the odds of an increase for 2020…
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The state will see an abundance of rain starting tonight and running through Friday. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”
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Minimum wage increases go into effect today in 24 states, but Louisiana is not one of them and remains one of a handful who’ve kept the federal minimum of 7.25 an hour.
Louisiana Budget Project Executive Director Jan Moller says Legislative hostility to raising the wage runs counter to public opinion on the issue.
81 percent of respondents in the 2019 Louisiana Survey supported a raise to 8.50 an hour, and 59 percent backed an increase to 15 dollars an hour.
Most of the rest of the country has embraced increases, including our neighbors in Arkansas. The new more heavily conservative Legislature appears unlikely to support any raises, but Moller is optimistic…
An effort to raise the minimum to nine dollars an hour last year died on the Senate floor. An effort to allow local governments to raise the minimum wage was also killed in a House committee.
The Governor renewed his call to raise the minimum to nine dollars an hour during his reelection night speech. Moller says it would be a start, but still below an adequate living wage for a full-time worker.
State business lobbying groups such as LABI and NFIB say an increase in the minimum wage would hurt many company’s bottom lines, and kill jobs.
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A storm system is churning in the Gulf of Mexico that will ultimately bring rain to the state. By late tonight and into tomorrow morning, a warm front will begin moving in from the south. State Climatologist Barry Keim says not only will this bring in wet conditions, but some very warm temps for this time of year.
Cut 6 (08) “…to increase overnight.”
Keim says later on into Thursday and then into Friday, a cold front will then sweep across the state.
Keim says the rain potential is anywhere from about a half-inch up to perhaps three inches.
Cut 8 (10) “…to Friday morning.”
Once the cold front sweeps through, it is going to usher out the rain and bring in some cold, clear conditions to Louisiana for Friday and through the weekend.
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Georgia takes on Baylor tonight in the Superdome for the Sugar Bowl, with kickoff set for 7:45 PM.
The matchup between number five and number seven has seen ticket prices drop as low as the single digits. Sugar Bowl Chief Executive Officer Jeff Hundley says there’s no way to sugar coat it; attendance will be lower than usual…
He adds the game is also overshadowed by the National Championship game between LSU and Clemson just a week later at the same location.
No matter who shows up, the party will still be rolling. Hundley says last night they started things off with two big-time musical acts…
If you’re going, it’s highly recommended you Uber into the Quarter, as parking on New Year’s day is going to be a nightmare.
And tonight you’ll want to arrive early to the game and set up shop right outside the Dome…
Georgia are 5.5 point favorites.
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About a quarter of Louisiana SNAP recipients will see a decrease in their benefits as a result of a Social Security cost of living benefit increase.
DCFS Secretary for Family Support Sammy Guillory says SSI and veteran’s benefits recipients have received a 1.6 percent COLA increase for 2020.
The COLA increase will also push 226 cases out of SNAP due to income eligibility.
Guillory says the reason for the decrease is that SSI benefits are viewed as income, and the higher a person’s income, the lower their SNAP benefits. For example…
Guillory says the good news is those SNAP recipients are still coming out ahead this year when you balance SSI increases against their SNAP benefit decreases…
The change is effective today and will be noticed on recipients’ first benefits of the new year.
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