A Mason-Dixon Poll finds voters are satisfied with the job Governor Edwards is doing, but it doesn’t mean he will be re-elected in 2019. Jeff Palermo has more…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”
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LSU students guilty of hazing will be expelled from campus. Jeff Palermo has more on the school’s new zero tolerance policy against hazing…
Cut 2 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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New Orleans Senator Troy Carter has filed a bill for the regular session that raises the age to purchase an assault rifle from 18 to 21. Kelley Ray has more.
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Kelley Ray.”
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A Mason Dixon Polling and Strategy poll finds that Democrat Governor Edwards has a 55 percent approval rating. 31 percent disapprove and 14 percent answered they were unsure. But Pollster Brad Coker says the high approval rating doesn’t mean he’ll be re-elected in 2019, if his opponents are either House Majority Whip Steve Scalise or Republican Senator John Kennedy…
Cut 4 (11) “46-43.”
Coker says his approval rating among Republicans may not mirror their feelings come Election Day…
Cut 5 (06) “for him.”
Republican Ralph Abraham has been weighing whether or not he will make a run for the state’s highest office. Coker says his poll finds the U-S Representative would not do well in a head-to-head matcup with Governor Edwards…
Cut 6 (07) “the state.”
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LSU’s new hazing policy calls for expulsions from campus for those who haze another student. Division of Student Affairs Kurt Keppler says System President F King Alexander did not want to leave a gray area where hazing is concerned and students found guilty of doing so will be banned from campus…
Cut 7 (05) “a thing.”
Many of the new rules come from a task force that was formed after LSU student Maxwell Gruver died in an alleged hazing incident. Gruver had a blood alcohol content of .495. Keppler says as part of the new rules hard alcohol will no longer be allowed at on campus or off campus fraternity parties…
Cut 8 (08) “and wine.”
Keppler says fraternities will no longer be able to tailgate before home football games on the parade grounds, which they hope will eliminate fighting and other accusations of hazing that previously occurred…
Cut 9 (12) “one knows.”
President F. King Alexander says the timeline to implement these recommendations is between now and the fall.
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The special session called to address a looming one-billion budget shortfall is on the verge of getting nothing accomplished. The House overwhelming rejected a sales tax bill that would have generated an additional 300-million in revenues. Ruston Representative Rob Shadoin expressed disappointment over not coming together on a solution towards the state’s constant fiscal woes…
Cut 10 (10) “gotta stop”
Democrats strongly oppose this legislation that proposes a sales tax rate of four and a quarter percent. Before the governor took office, the sales tax rate was four percent. New Orleans Representative Gary Carter says he can’t support this bill, unless there are also changes to income tax brackets which would lead to higher wage earners paying more taxes…
Cut 11 (10) “in this state.”
Lake Charles Representative Stephen Dwight says his sales tax bill is part of the solution towards closing the budget deficit, but Leesville Representative James Armes says he told his constituents he would not vote for another bill to raise the sales tax rate above four-percent…
Cut 12 (13) “large sales tax rates.”
The special session must end March 7th and it looks like there’s very little chance anything of substance can come out of this special session. There’s been some accusations that legislators were not willing to go along with substantial tax reform, because it would make Governor Edwards look good when he runs for re-election. Chairman of the GOP House Caucus strongly denies that claim
Cut 13 (10) “in the pasture”
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State Senator Troy Carter has filed a bill for the regular session that raises the age to purchase an assault rifle from 18 to 21. Carter says this is in response to the Florida school shooting which killed 17. The New Orleans Democrat says he believes in the Second Amendment rights, but…
Cut 14 (11) “that matter.”
Opponents to this legislation could say that you can join the military under the age of 21 and carry an assault rifle, so why couldn’t you buy one? Carter has a counterpoint to that argument…
Cut 15 (08) “or none.”
If approved, the legislation would allow those who sell weapons to those under 21 to be fined up to a thousand dollars and up to one year in jail. Carter says this law would not ban assault rifles completely, but they should’t be available for everyone…
Cut 16 (03) “AR-15s.”