A bill that would have eliminated the need for motorists to get a vehicle inspection stickers failed in a 6-5 vote in the House Transportation Committee. Sean Richardson has more.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”
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Oil and gas has long been a major driver in the state’s economy, and now we know exactly to what extent. Colleen Crain reports.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”
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Balloon releases in Louisiana are one step closer to being illegal. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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The House Transportation Committee voted 6-5 against a measure that sought to eliminate the state’s vehicle inspection sticker program. The bill’s author, Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley argues that the requirement to get your vehicle inspected is government overreach.
Cut 4 (12) “…keep up with them.”
Currently, vehicle owners must pay ten dollars for a one-year inspection sticker or 20 dollars for a two-year sticker. Bagley noted that 39 other states, including Texas this year, have ended similar programs.
Cut 5 (04) “…has the stickers.”
Critics argue inspections are often not properly conducted, while supporters, including inspection station owners, insist the program promotes road safety and maintains vehicle standards. Neal Underwood, representing inspection station owners, warned that removing the requirement could lead to increased accidents and higher insurance rates.
Cut 6 (08) “…insurance rate as well.”
Kathy Slavant, an inspection station operator, defended the integrity of the inspections.
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A new study shows that the oil and gas industry is a major driver of Louisiana’s economy. The study by the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association says the oil and gas industry generates 25-percent of the state’s economy. LAMOGA President Tommy Faucheux (foah-SHAY) says it proves how big a player the industry is in the state.
Cut 8 (14) “…the energy industry.”
Faucheux says the oil and gas industry also generates 15-percent of the state’s jobs and 19-percent of the state’s total earnings.
Faucheux says as technology evolves, there will be a lot of opportunity to build on these strong numbers in the years to come.
Cut 10 (12) “…talk about today.”
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State Treasurer John Fleming has some questions for Orleans Parish schools regarding questionable expenditures, thanks to a new law requiring schools to submit expenses to the K-12 school transparency website. Fleming says two thousand dollars were given to Act Blue.
Cut 11 (08) “…something like that.”
Examination of the data revealed questionable expenditures, such as almost 250 thousand dollars on staff retreats, almost 170 thousand dollars on restaurants, and five thousand dollars for fireworks. Fleming says all these expenses need to be accounted for and examined.
Fleming praised the initiative, emphasizing that transparency promotes accountability, greater efficiency, better educational outcomes, and improved teacher pay by shedding light on how taxpayer money is used.
Cut 13 (08) “…waste, fraud and abuse.”
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Balloon releases in Louisiana are one step closer to being illegal. The House passed HB581 by Harahan Republican John Illg, sending it to the Senate. Illg says balloon releases are tantamount to litter.
Representative Illg says what goes up must come down; and when those balloons released into the air come down, they could have serious consequences for the environment and wildlife.
There was no debate on the House floor before members voted; and as Speaker Phillip DeVillier announced, the vote was not unanimous.
For anyone over 16, penalties under Illg’s proposed legislation would be 150 dollars for a first offense, 250 dollars for a second offense and 500 dollars for each subsequent offense. The measure heads to the Senate for more consideration.
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The second-ranked LSU baseball team will host the top team from the Southland tonight. The Southeastern Louisiana Lions are at Alex Box Stadium. S-L-U is 33-11 overall, 18-6 in the Southland, and Coach Bobby Barbier’s team is coming off a series victory over Houston Christian…
Southeastern Louisiana’s pitching staff ranks fourth in the Southland Conference with a team ERA of 3.28. Brennan Stuprich is their Friday night ace, with a team ERA of 2.06. But Barbier says they have several guys who are pitching well…
Cut 18 (23) “…starting roles.”
Barbier says they are looking forward to playing the second-ranked Tigers…