Governor Edwards addresses spread mitigation concerns related to students heading back to school. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin went before the House Governmental Affairs Committee today and defended his fall election plan that the Governor says he will reject because it doesn’t go far enough. Matt Doyle has more.
cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”
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The reopening of schools and colleges is expected to further complicate managing the spread of COVID-19. Governor Edwards says the Louisiana Department of Health is working closely with the Department of Education on monitoring the coronavirus by creating a COVID-19 reporting system.
Cut 3 (12) “…districts and principles.”
Edwards says the schools are not the only reporting entities that are important in the spread mitigation efforts and encourages parents to monitor children for symptoms.
Cut 4 (10)“ …is absolutely false.”
Edwards says his message to college students is clear and asks them to be careful in how they celebrate the new school year. Edwards encourages them to take into consideration spread mitigation efforts that may or may not be happening at a gathering and really think it over if it isn’t safe.
Cut 5 (07) “…to be safe.”
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Two former LSU students told USA Today that former Tigers running back Derrius Guice raped them in 2016 when the Baton Rouge native was a freshman. LSU beat reporter Glen Guilbeau for the USA Today Network says the investigative story found that the women reported the allegations to multiple people at LSU, but…
Cut 6 (07) “…charges”
The story by Nancy Armour and Kenny Jacoby claim two coaches, an athletics administrator and nurse were told about the alleged assault. Guice’s attorney says the accusations are not true.
The Washington Football Team recently released Guice after he was arrested on domestic violence charges. Guilbeau says the USA Today reporters were working on this investigative piece before Guice was arrested…
Cut 7 (08) “…that happened.”
Guice was a second-round pick in 2018 by Washington. He’s only played in five games in the NFL because of injuries. But Guilbeau says Guice might not football play again
Cut 8 (09) “…that much longer.”
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The Legislature is considering Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s election plan for the fall elections that Governor Edwards calls woefully inadequate. The proposal scales back the vote by mail options compared to what the state had for the summer elections. Ardoin on why this election plan is different…
Cut 9 (12) “…be it”
Under Ardoin’s plan, the only COVID-related reason for requesting an absentee ballot is that if you test positive for the virus during early voting or before Election Day.
Edwards says the proposal does not allow people who have to quarantine to receive a mail-in a ballot or make any consideration for individuals who are susceptible to the virus.
Bogalusa Representative Malinda White believes Ardoin should have worked with Governor Edwards on an election plan that protects public health.
Cut 10 (08) “…court”
White noted that the Secretary of State did not report any instances of fraud stemming from the mail-in ballot policies of the summer elections. Ardoin says only two percent of absentee ballots cast in the July election were from voters who used COVID-19 as a reason.
Ardoin says he’s been pressured by both sides to change the plan implemented in the summer, and he feels this is a compromise.
Cut 11 (13) “…i do?.”
White questions whether Ardoin wants a plan that has consensus support.
Cut 12 (13) “….finished”
Ardoin says he’s not changing his election plan and Governor Edwards doesn’t support it, so Louisiana’s election guidelines for this public health emergency could be decided by the courts.
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Total jobs lost in the first half of this year are nearly double the number the state saw after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. That’s according to U-L Lafayette Economist Gary Wagner, who says the total number of jobs has dropped by more than 10-percent in 2020.
Cut 13 (11) “…significant number”
On a positive note, Wagner says he does expect to see job growth in the second half of 2020, but not enough to offset the job losses for the first half of the year.
Cut 14 (06) “…half of the year”
Louisiana’s economy has seen one of the sharpest drops in the nation, only Michigan, New York, Nevada, and Hawaii have seen larger economic downturns. As for a return to a pre-COVID-economy in Louisiana, Wagner has a prediction.
Cut 15 (06) “if not later”