The House Ways and Means Committee approves legislation that would eliminate the ability for Louisiana taxpayers to deduct taxes paid to the federal government on their state tax returns, but individual income tax rates would drop from six to 4.25 percent. House Ways and Means Chairman Stuart Bishop …

Cut 3 (08)  “…right direction.” 

The proposed tax swap plan has a lot of support among legislative leaders and will need a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate and voter approval.

A suspected road rage incident in Jefferson Parish claims the lives of three people, including an 11-year-old Saturday. Trooper Monroe Dillon says it began when 49-year-old Paul Ferrara of New Orleans attempted to pass another driver in a no-pass zone during bad weather. He was unable and later down the road…

Cut 6 (10) “..exchanged”

Dillon says Ferrara’s vehicle spun out of control after ramming the truck, then collided with another car that claimed his life, and two others in another car.

Covington Representative Mark Wright has a bill that would require first-time DUI offenders to install an in-car interlock device. Taylor Sharp reports the device only allows sober drivers to start the vehicle…

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Taylor Sharp”

A fifth body has been recovered at the site of where a lift boat capsized off the coast of Port Fourchon. Authorities say the body was found on the second floor of the vessel. Eight crew members are still unaccounted for. The Coast Guard will hold a briefing today at 1 o’clock.

A fifth body was recovered in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, a crew member of the Seacor lift boat that capsized a week ago tomorrow. The U.S. Coast Guard and Seacor Marine officials will hold a press conference at 1 pm on recovery efforts. Families of the missing crew members say they are holding onto faith. Six of the 19 crew members were rescued last Tuesday.

The state’s unemployment rate is now the lowest it’s been since the start of the pandemic, but new job growth remains a bit sluggish. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon warns folks not to fall for social media fake news about COVID-19 vaccines and life insurance. Donelon unfortunately says this kind of misinformation is widespread and impact more than just Louisiana.

Cut 12 (09) “…spread.”

It’s Buckle Up in Your Truck week that means law enforcement is looking for pickup truck drivers who aren’t wearing their seat belts and ticketing them. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission spokesperson Mark Lambert says 17-percent of pickup drivers in the state fail to wear their seat belts, and in rural areas, they are less likely to buckle up.

Cut 9 (12) “…buckled up.”

Lambert says pickup truck drivers in Lake Charles have the highest rate of compliance.

A fifth body was recovered from the Gulf of Mexico waters near the capsized lift boat Seacor Power last night. Eight crew members are still missing and the Coast Guard has divers looking for them. Rough sea conditions have hampered search efforts.

If you’re a pickup truck driver in Louisiana and you are not buckled up you might find yourself ticketed as part of the Buckle Up in Your Truck Awareness campaign. Brooke Thorington explains
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A bill that’s waiting for a hearing in the House Transportation Committee would require first-time D-U-I offenders to install an interlock device in their vehicle for at least 180 days. Covington Representative Mark Wright on whether he thinks the legislation can receive House and Senate approval…
cut 6 (11) “…that simple”
Wright believes the legislation can reduce repeat drunk driving offenses by up to 70-percent.

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says there’s false information going around about COVID-19 vaccines and life insurance. Donelon says your life insurance company is required to pay a death benefit on an existing policy if you receive a COVID-19 vaccine and if the vaccine contributes to a person’s death, the person’s life insurance policy is still paid out…
cut 11 (06) “…founded”

The Louisiana Workforce Commission reports the unemployment rate for March was seven-point-three percent as 152-thousand people were unemployed. That’s an increase of 37-thousand from the previous March…
cut 15 (09) “…pandemic”
That’s L-W-C Secretary Ava Dejoie, who says their HiRE site has tens of thousands of job openings.

Law enforcement is on the lookout this week for pickup drivers who are not wearing a seat belt. It’s part of the Buckle Up in Your Truck campaign to increase usage. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission spokesperson Mark Lambert says you are twice as likely to die in a crash in a pickup versus an automobile.
Cut 7 (10) “…even death.”
According to the 2019 Louisiana Seat Belt Observation Survey, occupants in a pickup truck are 9-percent less likely to wear their seat belts.

Covington Representative Mark Wright has a bill that would require first-time DUI offenders to install an in-car interlock device. Taylor Sharp reports the device only allows sober drivers to start the vehicle…
Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Taylor Sharp”

A fifth body has been recovered from a capsized lift boat off the coast of Lafourche Parish. The search continues for eight crew members who remain missing.

The St. John Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office says six people were shot Saturday night at a 12-year-old child’s birthday party in LaPlace. Investigators say shots were fired after verbal confrontations erupted. No fatalities have been reported and no one has been arrested at this time.

A fifth body has been recovered at the site of where a lift boat capsized off the coast of Port Fourchon. Authorities say the body was found on the second floor of the vessel. Eight crew members are still unaccounted for.

The state’s unemployment rate is now the lowest it’s been since the start of the pandemic, but new job growth remains a bit sluggish…
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

We are waiting on more information from Shreveport Police about what they describe as a gunfight in the parking lot of a pediatric clinic last night that resulted in at least five people suffering from gunshot wounds.

Today begins the second week of the legislative session and there’s a bill awaiting debate in House Transportation that would require first-time DWI offenders to install an interlock device system in their vehicle for at least 180 days. Covington Representative Mark Wright says his legislation could reduce repeated drunk driving offenses by up to 70-percent…
cut 5 (09) “….death”

State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon warns folks not to fall for social media fake news about COVID-19 vaccines and life insurance. There are rumors floating around that people who get vaccinated lose life insurance coverage. Donelon says that could not be farther from the truth…
Cut 10 (10) “..vaccination.”
And Donelon says rumors suggesting that life insurance policies do not cover a death due to COVID-19 are also untrue.

Louisiana’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 7.3 percent in March, the lowest number since the start of the pandemic. Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie says despite the high unemployment figure there are a lot of jobs out there to be had.
Cut 13 (11) “…to”
Dejoie says their HiRE site currently has tens of thousands of job openings.

Covington Representative Mark Wright is working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to pass a bill that would require drivers convicted of a first-offense DUI to install an in-car interlock device system in their vehicle for at least 180 days. Wright says the interlock device will not let the car start unless it knows the driver is sober.
Cut 4 (10)“….the car”
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia already have this law on their books.

A fifth body from the Seacor Power lift boat that capsized seven miles from the coast of Port Fourchon last week was reportedly recovered last night. Eight remain missing. Family members and friends have used social media to express frustration that the missing workers are not out of the water yet. The weather has been a factor in search efforts.

Law enforcement will spend more time this week focusing on whether individuals in pick-up trucks are properly restrained as part of Buckle Up in Your Truck Week. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission spokesperson Mark Lambert…
cut 8 (110 “…75-dollar fine”
According to the 2019 Louisiana Seat Belt Observation Survey, occupants in a pickup truck are 9-percent less likely to wear their seat belts.

There’s strong early momentum in the Legislature for the legalization and taxation of raw, smoke-able medical marijuana in Louisiana. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 2 (30) …I’m Matt Doyle”

Covington Representative Mark Wright is working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to pass a bill that would require drivers convicted of a first-offense DUI to install an in-car interlock device system in their vehicle for at least 180 days. Wright says the interlock device will not let the car start unless it knows the driver is sober.
Cut 4 (10)“….the car”
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia already have this law on their books.

Lawmakers are happy to hear that the state added 35-hundred indviduals to the state’s workforce from February to March and the unemployment rate has dropped slightly to seven-point-three percent, the lowest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Louisiana Workforce Commisson Secretary Ava Dejoie says nearly 130-thousand people have returned to work as the state nears the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 impact on the workforce and their Hire Site has tens of thousands of job openings…
cut 14 (07) “…market”
18-hundred leisure and hospitality jobs were added from February to March.

Six people have been rescued and four bodies have been recovered of crew members from the Seacor Power, which capsized on Tuesday due to hurricane-force winds.  One of the bodies was that of of 63-year-old David Ledet, the captain of the lift boat, along with 69-year-old Ernest Williams.  There are nine crew members that remain missing, search and rescue efforts are still ongoing.

There’s strong early momentum in the Legislature for the legalization and taxation of raw, smoke-able medical marijuana in Louisiana. Matt Doyle has more

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

The first of three major SWEPCO wind projects is underway to deliver low-cost renewable energy for their customers in northwest and central Louisiana. SWEPCO spokesperson Carey Sullivan says this is the largest renewable energy project ever for a Louisiana utility and will impact 225,000 customers.

Cut 6 (06) “facilities”

The projects are actually in north-central Oklahoma and the windmills are connected to the power grid for Louisiana.

Two bills aimed at lowering drug prices authored by Senator Bill Cassidy are set to be signed into law by President Biden.  The first bill provides educational material to doctors and patients educating them about “biosimilar” alternatives to expensive name-brand treatments.  The second bill counters a recent court ruling that would have made it harder for much cheaper generic medications to be created after patents on expensive name brands lapse…

Cut 10 (08) “fall”

The bodies of four members of the Seacor Power have been recovered and six of members have been rescued.  The Seacor Power capsized on Tuesday due to hurricane-force wind.  Two of the bodies have been identified as captain David Ledet of Thibodaux and 69-year-old Ernest Williams.  Nine crew members still remain missing as search and rescue efforts continue.

The state’s unemployment rate is now the lowest it’s been since the start of the pandemic, but new job growth remains a bit sluggish. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Covington Representative Mark Wright is working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to pass a bill that would require drivers convicted of a first-offense DUI to install an in-car interlock device system in their vehicle for at least 180 days. Wright says the interlock device will not let the car start unless it knows the driver is sober.

Cut 4 (10) “the car”

Legislation setting up a tax structure for “raw” smoke-able medical marijuana gets unanimous approval from House Ways and Means.  Houma Representative Tanner Magee says there’s been a big shift in public perception of pot and while he doesn’t expect to see recreational marijuana legalized this year, he thinks it will happen soon.

Cut 14 (06) “Louisiana”

Six people have been rescued and four bodies have been recovered of crew members from the Seacor Power, which capsized on Tuesday due to hurricane-force winds.  One of the bodies was that of of 63-year-old David Ledet, the captain of the lift boat, along with 69-year-old Ernest Williams.  There are nine crew members that remain missing, search and rescue efforts are still ongoing.

There’s strong early momentum in the Legislature for the legalization and taxation of raw, smoke-able medical marijuana in Louisiana. Matt Doyle has more

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

The first of three major SWEPCO wind projects is underway to deliver low-cost renewable energy for their customers in northwest and central Louisiana. SWEPCO spokesperson Carey Sullivan says this is the largest renewable energy project ever for a Louisiana utility and will impact 225,000 customers.

Cut 6 (06) “facilities”

The projects are actually in north-central Oklahoma and the windmills are connected to the power grid for Louisiana.

Two bills aimed at lowering drug prices authored by Senator Bill Cassidy are set to be signed into law by President Biden.  The first bill provides educational material to doctors and patients educating them about “biosimilar” alternatives to expensive name-brand treatments.  The second bill counters a recent court ruling that would have made it harder for much cheaper generic medications to be created after patents on expensive name brands lapse…

Cut 10 (08) “fall”