With voters rejecting Amendment Three over the weekend, the fate of the size of teachers’ paychecks now lies with the legislature. Joe Gallinaro reports.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”
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Senator Bill Cassidy gives some strong insight into his future plans. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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With the failure of Amendment Three at the ballot box over the weekend, the fate of teacher pay is now in the hands of the legislature. Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh says he doubts that the legislature will be able to give teachers another two-thousand-dollar stipend for the next fiscal year, since the failure of the proposed amendment will put education funding about 500-million dollars in the hole.
Cut 3 (09) “…amendment not passing.”
Seabaugh says contrary to popular belief, public school teachers are NOT state employees; thus, their salaries are not set directly by the legislature.
Cut 4 (07) “…they can.”
With teachers staring at a pay cut for next year, let alone a lack of pay raise, what about the bill to increase the governor’s salary that’s currently making its way through the legislature? Seabaugh says it’s being greatly pared down.
Cut 5 (11) “…reimbursement of expenses.”
Support staff had received a one-thousand-dollar stipend for this school year, which also stands to go away barring any legislative action to the contrary.
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LSU System President Wade Rousse admits there’s not been much movement in building a 400-million-dollar arena next to Alex Box Stadium. Rousse says the LSU economic development district that’s generating the funding for a proposed arena is collecting money…
Cut 6 (06) “…or not.”
A lawsuit has been filed to prevent the LSU Economic Development District from levying a sales tax on nearby businesses, because the tax was implemented without voter approval.
Rousse says they are also looking for other funding sources to build the new arena, but he opposes taking money away from the academic side. He’s hopeful state government will put money towards the project….
Cut 7 (11) “..up the property.”
Rousse says money remains the biggest challenge in getting the arena built….
Cut 8 (12) “…so on”
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After Bill Cassidy’s failure to advance to the runoff in the Republican primary over the weekend, the big question is, what’s next for his political future? Cassidy made his intentions known in no uncertain terms in a conference call with reporters today, answering a question from David Jacobs with LaPolitics-dot-com.
Cut 9 (11) “…absolutely not.”
After a political career that started 20 years ago, first as a state senator in December of 2006 when he was elected in a special election, to six years in the U.S. House and 12 years in the U.S. Senate, Cassidy says his time in elected office is now numbered.
Cut 10 (03) “…can possibly be.”
Cassidy says come January 3rd of next year, his future will be outside the world of politics.
Cut 11 (07) “…all those opportunities.”
The 68-year-old Cassidy also said he had no intentions of returning to his medical practice once he leaves the Senate.