Fire marshals are fanning out across the state doing courtesy visits to businesses to help increase COVID compliance. Matt Doyle has the story.
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A Senate committee will take up the budget this afternoon. Matt Doyle has the status of the spending plan for the fiscal year starting in July…
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Governor Edwards expects the upcoming school year to start on time, with kids back in the classroom. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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State Fire Marshal deputies will perform random courtesy visits to businesses in an effort to help owners better comply with COVID spread mitigation restrictions.
State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says they will visit various businesses with the goal of increasing compliance.
Browning says they’re not looking to bust owners for breaking COVID regulations, they’re hoping to help them correct any mistakes.
Browning says most businesses are doing their best to be compliant. Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Steve Waguespack agrees and says owners want to limit COVID spread because it’s good for business.
Waguespack says the one issue business owners have with current COVID guidelines is their lack of specificity for what are fairly common situations…
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The Senate Finance Committee will take up the 34 billion dollar budget for the next fiscal year this afternoon.
Lapolitics.com Publisher Jeremy Alford expects it to be approved, but notes crafting the budget is tricky because total revenue could change if a series of COVID relief tax breaks are passed.
Several of the larger tax break bills headed to the Senate floor have been redirected back to Senate Finance for further review after winning approval in another committee.
Federal relief dollars plugged most of the, at one point, billion-dollar shortfall, but some cuts in healthcare and higher ed are still planned. Alford says early year promises for more early childhood education funding and teacher pay raises had to be abandoned as well.
The state constitution requires the budget to be balanced.
Lawmakers only have a week left to pass the budget which still has to clear the Senate and head back to the House. Alford says that compressed timeline will likely mean fewer fights over its contents.
Alford expects lawmakers will likely be back in Baton Rouge in the fall for a midyear budget review once the state has a better idea of the economic impact of COVID.
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Governor Edwards expects campuses of K-12 schools as well as colleges and universities to reopen in August. Edwards says the latest COVID-19 metrics concerning young people is concerning as to how that will impact heading back to school.
Edwards made the statement during his announcement of the 28-day extension of the Phase Two reopening.
Edwards says the school experience will likely look much different, adding students will not have as much intermingling with those not in their classroom.
Cut 12 (04) “…having school assemblies.”
Edwards says formulating the model for what the school will look like on the first day of class will largely be dependent upon what the circumstances are at that time.
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Thursday night at 6 o’clock, Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley will tell the Senate Education Committee his plan for reopening K-12 schools.
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A Tuesday morning crash in Zachary claims the life of an 11-year-old and results in the arrest of 27-year-old Treasure Charles of Gonzales. Trooper Taylor Scrantz says Charles was traveling southbound on US Hwy 61 in a box truck when she struck a disabled vehicle in the roadway.
Cut 14 (07) “…killed upon impact.”
The child was unrestrained and has been identified as Wayne Ford of Baton Rouge, who was the rear seat passenger in the disabled vehicle. The driver and front seat passenger of the Lexus were also unrestrained at the time of the crash and sustained moderate injuries. They were transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Scrantz says the crash is just the latest in string of fatalities Troop A has responded to in the last week or so.
Cut 15 (09) “…a family member.”
Charles is being charged with negligent homicide, negligent injury, and careless operation. Scrantz says impairment is not suspected, but says the investigation continues.
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Two more members from the Saints Super Bowl team will be inducted into the team’s hall of fame later this year. Offensive guard Jahri Evans and safety Roman Harper were both drafted in 2006 and were starters when the Black and Gold won the Super Bowl a few years later. Saints Coach Sean Payton says Evans and Harper were great players and had a tremendous impact in the lockerroom
After being drafted in the fourth round in 2006 out of Bloomsburg, Evans went on to play eleven seasons with the Saints. During that time he was selected to five straight All-Pro teams and selected to six consecutive pro bowls. Evans is appreciative of the honor
New Orleans selected Harper in the second round out of Alabama. He played in 124 games with the Saints, with 108 starts. Harper recorded 775 tackles, seven sacks, 53 passes defended, 13 forced fumbles, and three fumble recovers. Harper says the Saints have meant so much to his life