Early Childhood Education Advocates are urging the Louisiana Senate to spend more dollars on the Child Care Assistance Program. Sean Richardson reports the Louisiana House’s proposed budget keeps funding at the same level as this year…
Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”
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Approximately 143-thousand unclaimed property checks, totaling over 34-million-dollars, will be mailed next Friday. Sean Richardson has more
Cut 2 (27) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”
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A Senate bill heading to the House floor would prohibit schools that receive state funding from serving lunches with ultra-processed foods. Andrew Greenstein has more…
Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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The Revenue Estimating Conference has recognized an additional 139-million-dollars in funding, which means the state will have more available dollars to plug into next fiscal year’s budget. Louisiana Policy Institute for Children CEO Libbie Sonnier is urging legislators to use some of the additional revenue to increase funding for early childhood education…
Cut 4 (11) “…child care assistance.”
The Louisiana House approved a budget that contained nearly 78-million-dollars for the Child Care Assistance Program. Sonnier says they would like to see funding return to the 2023-24 level, which was 87-million-dollars.
Cut 5 (08) “…young children thrive.”
Louisiana spends around one-percent of its state budget on early childhood education, and Sonnier says investing in early childhood education is a two generation approach with parents able to work and contribute to the state economy…
Cut 6 (12) “…learn and excel.”
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State Treasurer John Fleming announced that approximately 143-thousand unclaimed property checks, totaling over 34-million dollars, will be mailed next Friday. This follows a data match with the Louisiana Department of Revenue with updated addresses.
Cut 7 (09) “…land next month.”
This is the largest batch of checks mailed since 2018, reaching residents in every parish. Fleming says 25-hundred claims exceed the automatic check limit will receive claim forms with instructions on how to complete the process.
Cut 8 (11) “…verifying their identity.”
Fleming says the blue colored checks, featuring the Treasury’s logo, are legitimate and urged recipients to cash them and no one can cash these checks or deposit them but you…
Cut 9 (08) “…will claim it.”
You can visit L-A-Cash-Claim-dot-org to see if you have any unclaimed property.
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A Senate bill that would prohibit schools that receive state funding from serving ultra-processed foods at lunch is now heading to the House floor after no one voted against the bill in House Health and Welfare. The bill’s author, Covington Senator Patrick McMath, says Louisiana is one of several states considering similar legislation and the goal is…
Cut 10 (10) “…alter the ingredients.”
The MAHA bill advanced to the House floor without objection. Committee member and Slidell Representative Stephanie Berault:
Cut 11 (11) “…have it now.”
McMath’s bill incentivizes food makers to eliminate toxins from school lunches. The legislation also requires a warning label on foods containing artificial colors, additives or banned chemicals. And it requires restaurants to notify customers if they cook or prepare foods using seed oils.
During testimony of the bill, opposition came from those who do not like that artificial sweeteners are banned from being served in school lunches. Lobbyist Alton Ashy represents the Calorie Control Council and he says artificial sweeteners can help with weight management
Cut 12 (13) “…in their diet.”
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Livingston Parish once again teamed up with former Dateline NBC correspondent Chris Hansen in an online sex sting. This time, nine men were arrested, including two registered sex offenders and one man who brought a loaded gun to the sting house. Sheriff Jason Ard says the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force set up the operation in March and April, creating a fake social media profile.
Cut 13 (11) “…an undercover deputy.”
Sheriff Ard reiterates that it’s always the suspect who initiates the conversation, and not the other way around.
Cut 14 (06) “…right through that.”
The conversation escalates to the point that the suspect is given an address to a house to meet up with who he thought was a 12-year-old girl or a 14-year-old boy. Also among the suspects are two foreign nationals – one who’s been studying at LSU for several years and one with ties to a human trafficking gang. Ard says this underscores the importance of monitoring your kids’ online activities at all times.
Cut 15 (11) “…prey right then.”
Some of the cases will be featured on “Takedown With Chris Hansen,” which is streaming on the TruBlu streaming network.