The 2019 legislative session gets underway today and since its a fiscal session, lawmakers can propose tax increases. There is a bill to increase the state’s gasoline tax, but it faces opposition from anti-tax groups like the Americans for Prosperity. State Director John Kay says before the state considers a higher gasoline tax, it should dedicate the current 20-cent gas tax completely to infrastructure and not use a portion to pay for salaries within the transportation department…
Cut 12 (10) “…just that″

Legalizing sports betting and a proposal to extend Harrah’s New Orleans Casino’s land license for another 30 years will also be hotly debated. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat…
Cut 8 (06) “…districts”
The session gets underway after noon today.

A Houma man is in jail after an investigation by State Fire Marshal deputies and the Houma Police Department into a vehicle fire that killed a man. Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says David Mason is accused of intentionally setting the blaze that resulted in the death of 39-year-old Wayne Winter, Jr.
Cut 3 (10) “…families were asleep.”
Rodrigue says Mason now faces a litany of charges following the March 31st incident.

The Louisiana Health Department has selected Asegua Therapeutics to provide the state with medication to treat Medicaid patients and prisoners who have hepatitis C. L-D-H Secretary Rebekah Gee says Asegua’s medication has an overall cure rate of 98-percent across all six main types of Hep C…
cut 5 (09) “…we can”
And Gee says less than three percent of Medicaid patients with Hep C were treated last year.

Lawmakers return to Baton Rouge today for a two-month legislative session with a statewide election right around the corner. Matt Doyle has the story…
Voicer 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

There will be several hot topics up for discussion during this legislative session. They include a stronger restriction against an abortion, legalized sports betting, legalizing recreational use of marijuana, banning hand held cell phones while driving, raising the legal age to smoke and abolishing the death penalty.
A proposal to raise the gas tax to fund bridge and road repair and expansion is shaping up to have a heated debate. Louisiana Coalition to Fix Our Roads President Erich Ponti backs the proposal to raise the tax by six cents in the first year, and 18 cents total over 10 years.
Cut 10 (12) “…these projects”
But many are skeptical tax increase proposals will pass during an election year.

One of the focal points of the legislative session is pay raises for teachers and school support staff. House Education Chairman Nancy Landry expects the pay hikes to go through, because there is bipartisan agreement that teachers do not get enough.
Cut 14 (11) “…right now.”
Landry says she’ll also look to increase state funding for early childhood education.

The 2019 legislative session begins today at the State Capitol. Since it is a fiscal session that means lawmakers can debate tax issues and there is a bill to increase the state’s gasoline tax. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the proposal by Baton Rouge Representative Steve Carter will start its legislative process in the lower chamber…
cut 9 (10) “….pass the Senate”
Americans for Prosperity State Director John Kay opposed a similar proposal in 2017 that failed to gain momentum and he says anti-tax crusaders will be back to stop this year’s push as well…
cut 11 (11) “…enought”
The session will gavel in at noon today and Governor Edwards will speak to legislators at 1 PM.

In the legislative session there seems to be widespread support to give teachers a one-thousand dollar pay raise. And Republicans want to see more money go towards early childhood education. House Education Chairman Nancy Landry says additional dollars would help working families pay for high quality daycare…
cut 16 (10) “….critical time period”

Louisiana’s supply of Hepatits C medication is about to drastically increase as the Louisiana Department of Health finalized a first in the nation deal with Asegua Therapeutics for “subscription model” access to the lifesaving treatment. LDH Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee says before the new arrangement, thousands of Hep C sufferers went untreated.
Cut 4 (10) “…drug.”
The “subscription model” will pay Asegua a flat fee every year for unlimited access to the medication roughly equal to the amount the state previously paid when ordering “a la carte”.

The 2019 legislative session gets underway at noon. It was very contentious at the State Capitol last year as lawmakers struggled to pass a budget, because of a huge deficit. This year the budget is in better shape, but political analyst Bernie Pinsonat doesn’t expect the process of approving a new budget will go smoothly…
Cut 7 (11) “…should be cut”
Governor John Bel Edwards supports an additional 39-million dollars in public school education funding. But House Education Chairman Nancy Landry is not on board with that proposal….
cut 15 (10) “…urgency there”
Landry says she’d rather see an increase in funding for early childhood education.

A bill that would raise the gas tax has advocates mobilizing for a legislative battle over the future of Louisiana’s roads and bridges. Matt Doyle has more.
Voicer 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

The state revenue department says they are collecting more revenue from internet sales tax collections as more remote sellers are voluntarily complying. From October to December, the state received one-point-four million dollars in online sales tax collections, double from the previous quarter.

The 2019 legislative session gets underway today and since this is a fiscal session, lawmakers are able to discuss tax increases. A proposal to increase the state’s gasoline tax, but it faces opposition from anti-tax groups like the Americans for Prosperity. State Director John Kay says before the state considers a higher gasoline tax, it should dedicate the current 20-cent gas tax completely to infrastructure and not use a portion to pay for salaries within the transportation department…
Cut 12 (10) “…just that″
But the President for the Louisiana Coalition to Fix Our Roads, Erich Ponti, says there’s already a mechanism in place to ensure gas tax money is used for highway construction….
cut 13 (08) “….projects”

Governor John Bel Edwards focal point of the legislative session is pay raises for teachers and school support staff….
Voicer 3 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Edwards kicks-off the session with a joint address to the House and Senate at 1 PM.

Louisiana Senator John Kennedy says sports and politics shouldn’t co-mingle during the 2019 governor’s race. Kennedy appeared on a Baton Rouge morning show today and expressed his disappointment that LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron spoke at a fundraiser for Governor John Bel Edwards…
cut 8 (10) “….happen”
A spokesperson for the Edwards re-election campaign says it’s troubling that a U-S Senator and attorney would want to deny a college coach his first amendment right.

Good news for those who love oysters. A professor at Columbia University says eating oysters can help a person who suffers from anxiety and depression. Professor of Psychiatry at LSU Health New Orleans Michelle Moore adds the nutrients in oysters also improve brain power…
cut 14 (05) “…we’re eating healthier”

An on-duty West Baton Rouge sheriff’s deputy fatally struck a pedestrian during the overnight hours this morning in Brusly. State Police Trooper Taylor Scrantz says 37-year-old Clinell Robertson of Plaquemine was killed and deputy Alberto Casco was questioned…
cut 10 (10) “…at the time”
And now Baton Rouge media outlets are reporting that Casco was driving on a suspended license.

Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger reports LSU and Will Wade are working toward a meeting that could lead to the reinstatement of the suspended head coach. Dellenger says Wade has a new attorney, Steven Thompson, and he’s had positive discussions with LSU…
Cut 3 (08) “…a meeting.”
LSU will not reinstate Wade until he meets with Athletic Director Joe Alleva.