The House approves a number of items that would significantly limit, if not overturn the Governor’s ability to set pandemic public health restrictions. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Two are dead after a State Police trooper rear-ends a vehicle in Ouachita Parish. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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The 2020 Census is less than a week away from its October 5th deadline and census workers are hitting the streets to cover the remaining the 5% of Louisiana households that have not yet responded. Assistant regional census manager Marilyn Stephens says there are three ways to participate.
Cut 3 (10) “…interview by phone.”
Stephens says the greatest concentration of homes that have not responded to the census is in the northern portion of the state.
Cut 4 (04) “…into Shreveport..”
Stephens says elected officials are emphasizing the importance of this year’s participation because the 2010 census was not looked at as a complete census for Louisiana.
Cut 5 (09) “…a major difference.”
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The Louisiana House passed several proposals today that would either eliminate Governor John Bel Edwards’ COVID-19 public health orders or give lawmakers more authority.
Speaker Clay Schexnayder’s resolution to terminate the pandemic emergency declaration after the session ends won approval. Haughton Representative Doddie Horton…
Supporters of the resolution say the Legislature would then have time to craft their own pandemic public health policy.
Covington Representative Mark Wright’s bill would create an automatic process for the Legislature to approve or reject an emergency declaration extension by the Governor.
30 days after the declaration is first made if either the Upper or Lower Chamber rejects the extension or aspects of the extension, it would not go into place.
Abita Springs Representative Larry Frieman brought a bill that would allow the Legislature to either terminate entire emergency orders, or just parts of one.
Frieman says this bill was in response to concerns from colleagues that the wholesale elimination of a public health emergency declaration would result in the loss of federal funding.
None of the bills approved had enough votes to override a governor’s veto. The resolution to suspend the governor’s order doesn’t need the governor’s signature.
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An 11-year old and an 18-year-old are dead after a southbound State Police Trooper rear-ended another vehicle while responding to a separate crash last night in Ouachita Parish on Highway 165. Trooper Michael Reichardt says the trooper involved in the crash is Kaleb Reeves, the son of State Police Superintendent, Colonel Kevin Reeves.
Cut 9 (07) “…driver’s side door.”
Reeves was en route to an 18-wheeler crash in Caldwell Parish.
Reichardt says the trooper was not injured in the crash, but the other driver involved, Kenneth Lindsey, was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries.
Cut 10 (06) “…were pronounced dead.”
The deceased have been identified as 11-year-old An-Janne Lindsey and 18-year-old Kajenne Lindsey, both of Monroe.
Reichardt says it has not yet been determined if Trooper Kaleb Reeves will be put onto administrative leave.
Cut 11 (08) “…two young individuals.”
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Governor Edwards says the current restrictions on bars are necessary to keep COVID-transmission low and save lives.
Bars in parishes that can open can only serve until 11 PM, can only do table service, and are limited to 25 percent capacity. Edwards says these aren’t arbitrary rules.
Those under 21 are now not allowed to enter bars.
Only bars in parishes with lower than a five percent positivity rate on new COVID tests may open. Edwards says that’s because areas with higher rates just have too much community spread.
About a third of parishes are still blocked from allowing bars to reopen.
Edwards Administration staff have frequently repeated that bars create environments conducive to the spread of coronavirus, and Edwards says we can’t risk more youth cases with colleges now reopened.