Legislative leaders are optimistic the February special session will end with a deal to fill the one billion dollar budget gap that’s the result of the expiration of sales taxes in July. The session will begin February 19th, and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Gene Reynolds says the two sides are getting close on an agreement.
Cut 10 (09) “this done”
Governor Edwards has pushed for replacing the expiring one cent sales tax by eliminating certain sales tax deductions that benefit businesses. House Republican Caucus Chairman Lance Harris says he’s open to eliminating those deductions, if it’s coupled with spending reductions.
Cut 13 (11) “payers pockets”
The session must come to end by March 7th

Governor John Bel Edwards and state Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson are in Washington DC today to participate in a roundtable discussion at the White House about President Donald Trump’s plans to improve infrastructure across the country. The White House has indicated states may be required to put up additional matching dollars to get access to the potential wealth of federal infrastructure dollars. If so, Wilson says failing to pass a gas tax increase could make it tough to get those funds.
Cut 6 (10) “federal dollar.”

Governor John Bel Edwards has issued the call for a special session to address the fiscal cliff. It will begin February 19th and must end March 7th. Edwards says the special session will give legislators an opportunity to pass reforms to stablize the budget and tax code. It’s still unclear what tax bills House Republicans are willing to support.

A rainy weekend is threatening to make for soggy Mardi Gras parades around the state on Saturday, especially in south Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says it won’t be a heavy continuous downpour
Cut 6 (08) “of that.”
Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, who leads tourism efforts in the state, knows the rain will not dampen the spirit…
cut 4 (12) “…of the state”

Out of the eight members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation, only three of them voted for the spending bill that reopened the federal government after a brief shutdown. US Representative Ralph Abraham was one of those three yes votes, because he says it increases federal funding for our military….
cut 11 (12) “…the yes”
Senator John Kennedy voted against the measure, because he says the bill increases the federal debt.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has filed a lawsuit against the U-S Army Corps of Engineers claiming the Corps is responsible for causing coastal land loss by expanding the borders of the Intracoastal Waterway in Vermilion Parish. Landry says in bigger states, the Corp would not have gotten away with the over expansion…
cut 15 (09) “….its right”
A spokesperson for the Corps says they can’t comment on pending litigation.

Governor John Bel Edwards has called for a special session to begin on February 19th. He’s giving legislators until March 7th to come up with a solution to a looming one billion dollar budget shortfall. It’s unclear if there’s enough support to raise taxes in some areas to cover up the deficit.

A majority of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation voted against the spending bill that reopened the federal government after a brief shutdown. Don Molino has reaction…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit against the Corps of Engineers alleging the Corps expanded the Intracoastal Waterway in Vermillion Parish beyond the borders set in a 1920s agreement. Landry says the Corps has increased the size of the waterway far past what the state imagined, which the AG says has contributed to the decline of Louisiana’s coastline.
Cut 13 (11) “particular servitude”
Governor Edwards says he’ll review the suit, but questions why Landry didn’t consult with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Mardi Gras parade goers on Saturday will have to deal with intermittent rain. State Climatologist Barry Keim says we can see one to two inches of rain over the weekend, some areas might get more…
cut 8 (07) “…of people”
But Keim says we are not expecting severe weather and the temperatures should be mild.

Out of the eight members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation, only three of them voted for the spending bill that reopened the federal government after a brief shutdown. US Representative Ralph Abraham was one of those three yes votes, because he says it increases federal funding for our military….
cut 11 (12) “…the yes”
Both of Louisiana’s US Senators voted against it. Junior Senator John Kennedy…
cut 10 (09) “….some of the waste”
Kennedy says the measure continues to drive up our nation’s debt.

Governor John Bel Edwards has been meeting with lawmakers at the mansion. He set today as the deadline to issue the call for a special session this month to tackle the fiscal cliff.

For many this is one of their favorite weekends of the year. Jeff Palermo has more on the Mardi Gras festivities….
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Monroe authorities arrested a 23-year-old after receiving a call about a man climbing a pole in his underwear. According to a police affidavit, Ballard Layton Rose was pulling on electrical equipment and told the cops he was chewing grass to avoid being electrocuted. Officers checked Rose’s wallet and found a substance that appeared to be methamphetamine. He was booked on drug charges.

We are waiting to see if Governor John Bel Edwards will issue the call today for a special session to begin later this month so legislators can address the fiscal cliff. A one-cent sales tax is set to expire June 30th, which is a big reason why the state is facing a one-billion dollar shortfall in July. Jeremy Alford of La-politics-dot-com, says some republican legislators are interested in renewing at least a portion of that penny, but Democratic lawmakers oppose…
cut 9 (07) “…one penny”

State Police have charged a 27-year-old man from Avoyelles Parish with 80 counts of child pornography. Trooper Scott Moreau says their special victims unit began investigating Dustin Novo of Mansura in January and a search of his home was conducted…
cut 11 (05) “…child pornography”
His bond was set at 100-thousand dollars.
The carnival season ramps up this weekend with parades all across the state. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says New Orleans is the focal point for Mardi Gras, but the entire state benefits from an influx of tourists who want to be a part of the celebration….
cut 3 (09) “….of the state”
Weather will be an issue for the parades that roll tomorrow as some areas of the state could see a couple of inches of rain.

Drax Biomass announces its moving its corporate headquarters from Atlanta to Monroe. Drax operates two wood pellet manufacturing faciliies and a shipping operation in Louisiana. Monroe Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sue Nicholson says Drax joins CenturyLink as another big company with its headquarters in Monroe….
cut 15 (07) “…diversify”
Drax Biomass says they look forward to being closer to the forests they depend upon.

Former Saints backup quarterback Doug Nussmeier has reportedly been hired as an offensive analyst at LSU. Nussmeier has served as offensive coordinator at Alabama, Michigan and Florida, but his offenses struggled in Ann Arbor and Gainesville. But when at Alabama, the Tide won the BCS national title in 2012.

Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell reportedly interviewed for the Indianapolis Colts head coaching job. Campbell is 41-years-old and served as an interim coach for the Dolphins for 12 games in 2015. Campbell has been with the Saints since 2016.

Dante Cunningham is no longer with the Pelicans. New Orleans traded the veteran forward to Brooklyn for shooting guard Rashad Vaughn. The deal was completed right before the NBA’s trading deadline. Vaughn is 21-years-old, but he’s only averaged three points a game during his three-year NBA career. New Orleans begins a three-game road trip tonight in Philadelphia.

The Ragin Cajuns are no longer unbeaten in the Sun Belt after losing to Georgia State 106-92. The Panthers shot 54% from the field. UL-Lafayette shot 43-percent and were led by Frank Bartley who had 21 points.

ULM won in overtime over Georgia Southern 66-64. Travis Munnings had a monster game as he had 26 points and 20 rebounds. Senior Sam McDaniel had 23 points and knocked down six 3-pointers.

Tulane lost in overtime as Tulsa knocked off the Green Wave 91-89, despite 20 points from Jordan Cornish.

Louisiana Tech started a four game homestand by beating Charlotte 83-65. Five players scored in double figures for the Bulldogs led by Sophomore Daquan Bracey who had 17 points.

And in the Southland, despite a furious comeback McNeese State lost to Stephen F Austin 99-95. The Cowboys trailed by 24 points at halftime and scored 63 points in the 2^nd half to make it a game.