A bill to put teachers on the same plane as firefighters and police when working is being heard today at the legislature. Jim Shannon has more.
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Jim Shannon”
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400,000 state returns have been sent out to Louisiana taxpayers, but if you haven’t seen your money yet, it doesn’t mean something went wrong. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle.”
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Senate bill 423 is scheduled to be heard this afternoon in the Senate Finance committee. If passed, it would provide 250-thousand dollars to the families of any teacher or school employee that’s killed while performing their job. Cynthia Posey is with the Louisiana Federation of Teachers
Cut 3 (12) “more important”
Currently fire and police officers are covered under a similar law. This bill was prompted by the tragic events in Florida. Columbia Senator Neil Riser is the bill’s author.
Cut 4 (09) “our teachers”
Riser says it’s one of those laws he hopes is never enforced.
Cut 5 (13) “use it”.
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A Ruston man has been arrested and charged with 7 counts of attempted second degree murder after allegedly plowing his truck into a crowd of people Saturday night. 47-year-old Jason Rockett fled the scene after the incident at the North Village Mobile Home, and was arrested later that night. Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Steven Williams says it was a crime of passion.
Cut 6 (08) “than that”
Williams says Rockett and his ex were arguing when another man intervened, escalating the situation. He says Rockett then got into his truck, and aimed it at the crowd.
Cut 7 (10) “the vehicle”
Rockett allegedly then slammed into a residence, and drove off. Williams says despite the nature of the attack, the injuries were minor.
Cut 8 (11) “the hospital.”
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That new car in the neighbor’s driveway probably has you thinking that their tax return came in, but if you’ve filed and are getting worried about where your money is, the Department of Revenue wants to remind you not to worry, it’s on its way. Spokesperson Byron Henderson says even if you filed on day one, your return won’t technically be late until the end of this month.
Cut 9 (11) “60 days.”
Those who filed a paper return could have to wait up to 14 weeks.
Henderson says if you are past your expected return time, it could be one of these three things.
Cut 10 (12) “fraud indicators”
If you’re getting antsy, you can always reach out to the Department of Revenue by phone or online, but Henderson recommends taking the online route to save yourself some time.
Cut 11 (09) “refund status”
He says you can always call instead, but the wait cues to talk to an agent could be “extremely long”.
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The House Appropriations Committee resumed its review of the proposed budget for next fiscal year by hearing from various state agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain raised concerns about not having enough money to battle the hundreds of wildfires that occur in the state every year.
Cut 12 (10) “a problem”
Strain says the state’s firefighting capacity is already stretched thin, and that a particularly nasty season could exceed his department’s budget.
Cut 13 (09) “fighting capacity”
Strain says the bayou state lags far behind other gulf south state’s when it comes to firefighting capabilities and funding.
Cut 14 (08) “significantly more.”
Strain says the most pressing issue facing state firefighters is outdated equipment, specifically bulldozers, that could falter in the face of a major disaster.