AAA predicts you could see more traffic than normal today, as over one-third of Americans are expected to travel for the holidays. And more Americans will travel by car this holiday season than ever before. AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says gas prices along the Gulf Coast are relatively low…
cut 9 (10) “….higher than Louisiana”
If you’re renting a car, Redman says car rental costs have reached a 10-year high.

Louisiana Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson says they are seeing more and more out of state retailers cooperating with the state’s effort to collect sales taxes on internet purchases made by Louisiana consumers. Robinson says all internet vendors have received guidance on what to do…
cut 5 (06) “…to start collecting”
Robinson says internet purchases are subject to an 8.45 percent sales tax.

The US Senate has approved a bipartisan federal criminal justice reform bill and Louisiana’s John Kennedy was one of 12 to vote against it. In a conference call with Louisiana reporters, Kennedy explained his “no” vote…
cut 12 (11) “….and one”
But Pelican Institute CEO Daniel Erspamer applaud the legislation, and says like Louisiana’s 2017 criminal justice reform legislation, it will help bring down crime and save taxpayer dollars.
Cut 11 (11) “…worst offenders”
Senior Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy voted for the legislation and it awaits House approval before heading to President Trump’s desk. He’s expected to sign the legislation.

Senator John Kennedy was one of 12 to vote against President Trump’s criminal justice reform bill in the Senate. Matt Doyle has more…
voicer 3 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

A south Louisiana man on work release allegedly forced his way into a Lacombe home where his wife and child were staying and shoved his wife to the floor. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s office says 33-year-old Keith Bickham allegedly took his employer’s pickup truck in Livingston Parish and drove to Lacombe. Bickham faces additional charges.

State GOP chairman Louis Gurvuich has expressed a desire to move to closed primaries that only party members vote for party candidates. Currently, voters are free to vote for whoever is in the primary, and the top two candidates advance to the general election. Most states have closed primaries and Governor Edwards says in this case, its ok to stand out…
cut 14 (05) “….other states”

The Louisiana Department of Revenue is gearing up to begin collecting sales taxes on internet purchases made with out of state vendors. Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson says businesses that do not have a physical presence in Louisiana have been instructed to collect 8.45-percent sales tax and four-percent of that tax will go to local governments…
cut 6 (09) “…sales tax rate”

Senator John Kennedy was one of 12 Republican Senators to vote against President Trump’s criminal justice reform bill in Congress. The legislation aims to reduce sentences for non-violent offenders and reduce recidivism, but Kennedy says it lets potentially dangerous people back into society too soon.
Cut 10 (11) “…is justice”
But Pelican Institute CEO Daniel Erspamer says those criticisms are not accurate and based on the success of similar legislation on the state level, it will improve public safety.
Cut 13 (12) “…of dollars”
Louisiana’s Senior Senator Bill Cassidy voted for it. The House is also expected to approve the reform bill that’s also backed by President Trump.

AAA projects over 1/3 of the nation’s population will be on the move during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. Spokesperson Don Redman says they’ve never seen travel numbers like this….
Cut 7 (10) “…the record books.”
Redman says six-point-seven million will fly to their winter holiday destination, the highest number in 15 years.

There’s talk among party leaders to move Louisiana elections to a closed party primary. GOP state chairman Louis Gurvuich says the Jungle Primary system hurts Republicans when there are a large field of candidates and the state Democratic Party has indicated they could support a closed party primary for federal races. But Governor John Bel Edwards says he’ll oppose any efforts to change how we elect our politicians…
cut 16 (09) “…that system”

While many internet transactions are already seeing sales taxes collected for the state, as of January 1, all purchases from out of state internet retailers will be subject to a flat 8.45 percent tax. Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson says some of the bigger retailers have already been collecting the tax.
Cut 4 (05) “…a year now.″
Robinson says her office has provided out of state internet vendors with guidance on collecting sales tax from purchases made by Louisiana consumers and are expected to do so after January 1st.

State Republican Party Chairman Louis Gurvuich has indicated he would like to see an end to Louisiana’s Jungle Primary system. He says it creates issues for Republicans when there’s a large field of candidates running for office. But on his “Ask the Governor” show, Edwards said closed primaries would foster a political culture closer to the one in Washington D-C…
cut 15 (09) “….two parties”

AAA expects a record 112-million people will travel for the Christmas and New Year’s holiday….
cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

After the first day of the early college football signing period, LSU’s class ranks as the fourth best in the country according to 24-7 sports-dot-com. The top three schools ahead of them, Alabama, Georgia and Texas A-and-M.

According to the US Census Bureau, Louisiana is among nine states that saw a population from July 2017 to July 2018, with a decrease of nearly 11,000. Demographer Greg Rigamer says since 2010, Louisiana’s population has only increased by 115,000,
cut 7 (11) “…Louisiana at 2.5%”
Texas has seen an increase of 3.5 million and Florida 2.5 million.

Mississippi-based YoungWilliams plans to hire 80 workers in Bossier City and another 160 in Baton Rouge after signing a five-year agreement with the state to provide call center support for the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. D-C-F-S Secretary Don Pierson says YoungWilliams is investing in the state for the long haul…
cut 10 (09) “….dollars”
Previous call center functions were handled by a company operating in Florida and California.

Louisiana’s two US Senators are on opposite sides of a criminal justice reform bill approved by the Senate on an 87-12 vote. Bill Cassidy says the legislation helps non-violent and low risk parolees re-enter society, get a job and stay out of trouble. But John Kennedy says the First Step Act is a violation of American public safety.

As expected the nation’s top cornerback signed with LSU on the opening day of the early college football signing period. Jeff Palermo has more on the Tigers 2019 recruiting class…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

According to the US Census Bureau, Louisiana has seen a population decrease of nearly 11,000. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (29) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The nation’s number one prospect according to Rivals-dot-com is officially an LSU Tiger on the first day of college football’s early signing period. Derek Stingley Jr. signed his national letter of intent in front of classmates at Dunham High School…
Cut 3 (07) “…applause.”
Stingley has 27 career interceptions during his prep career.

There are people living in a Mandeville neighborhood hoping their neighbor takes down the five inflatable dragons up in her front yard. It started with two dragons, both of them wearing a Santa Claus hat. But the homeowner, Diana Rowland, says she received an anonymous note saying her neighbors were wondering if she was involved in a demonic cult. So Rowland decided to add three more dragons because of her judgy-mcfudgyface neighbor.

A vivint-source-dot-com report finds that Louisiana has one of the highest rates for holiday thefts in the nation. PR Specialist Hilary Bird says over the past five years, Louisiana had an average of 68 thefts per 10-thousand residents during the holiday season…
cut 13 (11) “…the holiday”
Larceny is the most common crime, which is pickpocketing or breaking into someone’s car.