Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser announces Louisiana had a fifth consecutive record breaking year for tourism. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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Attorney General Jeff Landry has once again filed suit against Governor John Bel Edwards. Don Molino has more…
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Louisiana now has just three abortion clinics in the entire state, after Bossier City Medical Suite closed. Jeff Palermo reports…
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Louisiana is down to just three abortion clinics statewide, as Bossier City Medical Suites has closed. Executive Director of the New Orleans Abortion Fund, Amy Irvin says the only remaining clinics are in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Shreveport. She says this closure will greatly impact Louisiana women seeking an abortion.
Irvin says this latest closure is the result of the growing list of state regulations and laws that are in place making it more difficult for women to receive abortions, including a 72 hour waiting period. She says one less clinic in the state will only make it that much harder for women to have an abortion in Louisiana.
Irvin says they are keeping their eyes on two bills in the current session that seek to place more restrictions on abortions. She says the New Orleans Abortion Fund is calling on lawmakers to cease their attacks on abortion access and work for comprehensive healthcare services.
The Louisiana Right to Life is pleased to hear there is one less facility in Louisiana destroying the lives of innocent unborn babies. They say they look forward to a day when all babies are protected by law and welcomed with joy.
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For a fifth consecutive year, Louisiana broke a record for tourism. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says in 2016, the state welcomed a record 47 million visitors, which is more than a 2 percent increase over the previous year. He says tourists spent an average of $360 a person.
Nungesser says the revenue represents a 40-to-1 return on investment. He says in order to protect that investment, we need to make sure the historical sites tourists come to see remain intact. That’s why Nungesser is asking for President Trump’s help in protecting the confederate monuments around the state.
Nungesser also defends himself amid allegations made in a letter by a disgruntled former employee, who claims the Lt. Governor misused a state owned apartment in New Orleans. Nungesser says Tim Chester has been the interim museum director for six months and hasn’t done anything. He says it’s obvious Chester is just an angry old man.
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The feud continues between the governor and the attorney general as Jeff Landry has once again filed suit against John Bel Edwards. The lawsuit states the governor’s office doesn’t have the right to withhold 4 million dollars in operational funds from his agency. Landry says Edwards wants to circumvent the rules and continues to play politics with the state Department of Justice.
The Edwards Administration released a statement claiming this lawsuit is nothing more than a dog and pony show. The governor has said the money that is coming from 2014 pharmaceutical settlement is not legally Landry’s dollars to spend. But the attorney general says Edwards is jeopardizing the operations of his department.
The lawsuit comes one day after Governor Edwards called on legislators to leave partisan politics out of the debate overhauling the state’s tax structure. But Landry says Edwards is being a hypocrite by withholding money that belongs to his office.
Last year Landry and Edwards exchanged lawsuits language involving the governor’s LGBT executive order.
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State Farm reports dog bite claims have increased 15 percent nationwide over the last year. Company spokesperson Kip Diggs says State Farm paid more than $121 million in dog bite claims last year. He says the cost of those claims is on the rise.
Diggs says while we might not be seeing as many bites, the bites are becoming more expensive to treat as the cost of healthcare continues to increase. He says State Farm saw a total of 3,660 dog bite claims last year, and Louisiana had quite a few of those.
State Farm has paid over a billion dollars in dog-related injury claims in the past decade. Diggs says more than 50 percent of the dog bite claims they see are for children. He says that’s why it’s important for both dog-owners and dog-lovers to be careful.