If Louisiana legalizes sports betting, then LSU wants in on the action. Jeff Palermo talked with school President F. King Alexander…
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The Ports of New Orleans and Baton Rouge are getting a 3.1 million dollar grant that could reduce traffic congestion by getting more shipping trucks off the road. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”
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There’s a big threat for severe weather on Saturday. State Climatologist Barry Keim says ingredients are in place for numerous thunderstorms, some of them could produce a significant severe weather event
Cut 3 (10) “…severe tornadoes.”
Central Louisiana is under an enhanced threat for severe weather, while south Louisiana is under a slight risk. Keim says flash flooding is also possible…
Saturday’s stormy weather will result in cooler temperatures on Sunday with high temperatures in the 60s. But Keim says north Louisiana especially should be on the look out for severe weather
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When electric scooter companies Bird and Lime placed their electric scooters in Lafayette, there were no ordinances in place to govern their use on the city’s streets. So Lafayette Senator Page Cortez has introduced a bill that provides regulations.
The scooters would be able to be operated on roads which have a speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less. It would also require minors to wear a helmet while operating the scooters.
Cortez says the bill came from local government not knowing how to regulate because the scooter’s hybrid design didn’t fit the criteria of either a motorcycle or a bicycle.
Cortez says his bill would help answer many questions that need to be defined within state law, while at the same time not restricting municipalities and parishes from passing ordinances in dealing with scooters as well.
Cut 8 (10) “…third party companies.”
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LSU President F. King Alexander says if sports betting is legalized in Louisiana, then LSU should get a cut of the revenue since a lot of the gambling will be on the Purple and Gold. Alexander says it’s only right that a portion of the revenue should return to the individuals who will generate the revenue.
But Metairie Senator Danny Martiny says he’s committed to ensuring any revenue generated goes towards early childhood education subsidies for working and middle class families.
He says giving a cut to LSU because of their athletics opens up a nasty can of worms.
Revenue coming directly from sports betting in other states like Mississippi has so far not added up to a lot of money. Martiny says people are lining up to get a slice of the revenue from business that may only be worth 20 to 50 million dollars.
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The feds have awarded the Ports of New Orleans and Baton Rouge a 3.1 million dollar grant to get shipping containers off the roads and back onto the river.
Congressman Garret Graves says we’re seeing more 40-foot steel containers in shipping, and our ports just aren’t built to process enough of them, which means many of them end up on trucks…
Louisiana’s growing chemical industry utilizes the containers to move products from facility to facility.
Graves says as the global market shifts to the use of 40-foot containers, ports that do not have the capability to process the steel boxes will fall behind their competitors.
Graves says securing the grant was a big win for a state that has five of the country’s top 15 ports, and handles nearly 25 percent of America’s waterborne commerce.
The existing container on barge service moves about 16,800 40-foot equivalent units between Memphis/Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
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US Senator John Kennedy says President Trump is getting involved in the duplication of benefits dispute that’s impacted about 62-hundred 2016 flood victims who are unable to get federal recovery grant dollars, because they received an SBA loan. Kennedy says he spoke with the President during a lunch meeting
Cut 15 (11) “…couple of weeks”
Even though Congress passed legislation saying that 2016 SBA recipients are eligible federal recovery grant dollars, the Office of Management and Budget has refused to write the regulations so the money can be distributed. Kennedy says if the President doesn’t get the answer he’s looking for, legal action is the next step