Louisiana’s film industry will be keeping a keen eye on the tax reform debate in Baton Rouge. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

But there have been studies conducted by the state Economic Development Department and Economist Loren Scott that the film tax credit program actually costs the state more than it produces.

A couple of big high school football games in the state tonight…Airline versus Byrd in Shreveport and St. Thomas More against Teurlings Catholic in Lafayette.

The 56^th annual Louisiana Pecan Festival is this weekend in the Grant Parish town of Colfax. The three day festival draws between 60 and 75-thousand visitors and Louisiana Pecan Festival president Danielle Yerby says natives who have moved away, also come back each year…

Cut 10 (11) “….the Pecan Festival”

The weekend kicks off with a Children’s day and there’s a street dance and fireworks show Saturday night.

At 2 AM Sunday, Daylight Saving Time ends and we fall back one hour. Doctor Kennth St. Charles, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross, says check your batteries in your smoke detector and if you’re smoke detector is more than ten years old, it’s a good idea to replace them….

Cut 16 (13) “…save lives”

Next week state lawmakers will tackle tax reform and next year figuring out ways to lower auto insurance rates will be at the top of the agenda for legislators. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says multiple legislative committees have been meeting regularly since the summer and the medical payments that are made because of a lawsuit or settlement is part of the conversation…

Cut 5 (08) “…better than.”

Temple says Louisiana motorists are more likely to claim an injury following a wreck.

Ben Riggs, director of Real Reform Louisiana, says Louisiana has more bodily injury claims, because its roads are not safe…

Cut 7 (12) “…influence accidents.”

Riggs says lawmakers can reduce auto insurance rates by removing credit score as a factor. He says a driver’s low credit score can sometimes double their premium.

Daylight Saving Time comes to an end on Sunday morning as we’ll turn the clocks back one hour. It’s a good time to check if your smoke detectors are working and change the batteries if necessary. Doctor Kenneth St. Charles, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross, says smoke detectors can save lives in the event of a fire…

Cut 15 (11) “…get going”

St. Charles says consider upgrading to newer models if your dectors are more than ten years old.

The 56^th Annual Pecan Festival in Colfax, which is in Grant Parish, gets underway today. Pecan Festival President Danielle Yerby says they have carnival rides, arts and crafts, cooking contests, music, there’s a parade and a fireworks show on Saturday night…

Cut 9 (05) “….open to the public”

Visitors can enjoy homemade pecan treats, jams, and other local goods at The Country Store.

Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple is pointing at the high number of bodily insurance claims as a reason why insurance rates are so high in Louisiana. Colleen Crain has more…

Cut 1 (36) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

It’s November first, but the hurricane season is not over yet. The National Hurricane Center says there’s a high chance of tropical development in the Caribbean over the next seven days. The next named storm will be named Patty.

Next week will be a busy week in politics. Election Day is Tuesday and then Louisiana lawmakers begin a tax reform special session on Wednesday. The state’s film tax credit program could be eliminated or scaled way back as part of an effort to lower individual and corporate income taxes. Film Louisiana President Jason Waggenspack says the Motion Picture Production Tax Credit has been around for two decades and it’s responsible for thousands of jobs…

Cut 13 (10) “….the top five”

This weekend is the 56^th Annual Louisiana Pecan Festival in the Grant Parish town of Colfax.  Festival president Danielle Yerby says it all gets underway this morning with the Blessing of the Crop…

Cut 8 (10) “…cracking ever since”

The carnival opens at noon and this event attracts thousands of visitors every year.

A tax reform special session will get underway next week. Governor Jeff Landry wants to lower income taxes and to offset the revenue loss he’s proposing legislators do away with several tax credits. The state’s film tax credit program could be eliminated or scaled way back. Film Louisiana President Jason Waggenspack will make the case the film tax credit program is good for the state…

Cut 12 (10) “….the Louisiana economy”

But a Louisiana Economic Development study shows the tax film tax credit program only yielded a return of 39 cents in tax revenue in fiscal year 2022.

Lawmakers will take another stab next year in addressing the state’s auto insurance rates that are among the highest in the country. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple believes one of the primary reasons  is that Louisiana motorists are more likely to claim an injury following a wreck…

Cut 4 (07) “…that’s driving cost.”

Temple says multiple legislative committees have been meeting regularly since the summer and the medical payments that are made as a result of a lawsuit or settlement is part of the conversation.

Today is the last day to request an absentee ballot for the November fifth election. To do so, contact your local registrar of voters office. And completed ballots must be received by your parish registrar of voters by 4:30 PM on Monday.

We still have some lingering rainfall in southeast Louisiana this morning, but we are looking at another dry weekend. It’ will be a perfect weekend for the 56^th annual Pecan Festival in Colfax. Season Richardson has a preview…

Cut 2 (33) “….I’m Sean Richardson”

According to highway safety officials, three-thousand people have been killed or injured in vehicle crashes during Halloween since 2019. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Executive Director Lisa Freeman has this message for Trick or Treaters and motorists….

Cut 8 (08) “….just for Halloween”

And Freeman says if you consume alcohol, do not drive.

A study from Bankrate finds that infant care, costs nearly 10-thousand dollars a year per child in Louisiana that’s slightly below the national average. Bankrate’s Alex Galley encourages families to look into subsidy programs that can help pay for daycare…

Cut 11 (14) “,,,higher incomes”

The Louisiana Department of Transportation says nine Louisiana high schools are competing in the Buckle Up Phone Down High School Showdown. Colleen Crain has the story.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office has charged a 12-year-old girl with terrorizing-menacing after the child allegedly bragged about a ‘hit list” she produced. The girl was taken out of Leblanc Middle School in Sulphur.

And a 14-year-old in St. Tammany Parish was also taken into custody after sending threatening text messages to students at a private school in Covington.

Little ghouls and goblins will be roaming neighborhoods this evening, looking to fill their bags with treats. As they do, make sure they know how to stay safe. Lisa Freeman, the executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, says Halloween is historically one of the deadliest nights of the year in terms of vehicle-pedestrian crashes.

Cut 7 (12) “…Year’s Eve holidays.”

Since 2019 in Louisiana, three-thousand people have been killed or injured in vehicle crashes during Halloween, according to data out of LSU.

Rain is in the forecast for today, but LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says scattered showers and thunderstorms are more likely during the daytime than trick or treat times…

Cut 14 (08) “….that you could”

The St. Tammany Parish coroner is warning you about a supplement that’s widely available but could be deadly. Over the summer, a 36-year-old woman died in part of an overdose of the legal drug Kratom. Dr. Christopher Tape says since it’s readily available, people might not realize that it’s lethal in excessive doses.

Cut 28 (07)  “…think it’s safe.”

Kratom is not regulated by the FDA, so there are no standards to ensure its safety.

Nine Louisiana high schools are participating in the Buckle Up Phone Down High School Showdown. State transportation spokesman Rodney Mallett says this competition encourages students to pledge to buckle up and avoid using their phones while driving.

Cut 4 (10) “…save peoples lives.”

The participating high schools are Berwick, LaGrange, Terrebonne, Plain Dealing, Plainview, Chalmette, Ponchatoula, Walker, and Neville.

Louisiana saw a record 849-thousand voters participate in early voting which ended Tuesday. Deputy Secretary for the Secretary of State, Joel Watson, says the next big deadline is absentee balloting. Watson says voters have until tomorrow afternoon to request an absentee ballot and it must be returned by Monday at 4:30…

Cut 26 (07) “….requests in right way”

So far more Republicans have voted compared to Democrats, 430-thousand to 344-thousand.

A new study by Bankrate shows that Americans on average spend just over 14-thousand dollars during the first year of their child’s life. Alex Gailey, an analyst with Bankrate who conducted the study, says on average, Louisianians pay slightly less.

Cut 10 (11) “…dollars per month.”

That translates to about 14-percent of a typical family’s income, which is slightly under the national average.

When your little ghouls and goblins are out casing the neighborhood for yummy treats, make sure they know the dos and don’ts about staying safe.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Rain is expected to develop across Louisiana today, But LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says most of the showers and thunderstorms should dissipate before Trick or Treat times…

Cut 13 (08) “.,.down to 30-percent”

It will be warm and dry through the weekend.