There are three bills slated to be taken up on the Senate floor today that deal with criminal justice reform. Jeff Palermo reports…:
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There’s been talk about increasing the state’s gasoline tax to pay for better roads. The proposal is expected to finally be heard in House Ways and Means today. Don Molino has more…
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The full House approves a controversial measure to protect Louisiana’s confederate monuments after two hours of heated debates. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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There are three bills slated to be taken up on the Senate floor today that deal with criminal justice reform. State Senator Danny Martiny has a measure that would allow consideration of parole for some offenders who meet specific requirements. He says this is about reducing the state’s prison population, not letting violent criminals out of jail…:
Martiny says the goal of the Louisiana Justice Reinvestment Task Force is to realize savings that will be reinvested into the community for programs that would help keep people from going back to prison. He says they are looking to change the laws to where they make more sense when it comes to the way crime is tried….:
Martiny says when you put someone that has a drug problem in jail, and take away programs to help them and train them to get back into the community, chances are when they complete their sentence they will go right back to their addiction. He says when you put a bad person in jail, and give him no incentive to be good, chances are they will return to a life of crime…:
Cut 6 (10) “turn those people around”
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A proposal to increase the state gasoline tax by 17-cents is expected to finally receive a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee today. Baton Rouge Representative Steve Carter says admits the legislation faces an uphill climb, but he says Louisiana has poor and congested roads, because the tax on a gallon of gasoline hasn’t increase in 20 years…
Some lawmakers are hesitant to raise the state’s gasoline tax over concerns the money will not go towards improving highways. But Carter promises money from the gas tax hike will only be used on road and bridge construction
If a 17-cent gasoline tax increase was approved by the legislature, it would generate over 500-million dollars. But the state Director of Americans for Prosperity John Kay needs to find other ways to fund roadwork. He says legislators raised taxes on Louisiana residents last year and this is not a good time for for another tax..
Kay says he’s also concerned that this gas tax hike proposal will be even higher than 17-cents, because he says it’s tied to the consumer price index. Representative Carter’s bill has the ability to increase the tax over the next several years.
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The Lafayette Police Department says they’ve solved a 10-year-old cold case murder by arresting three people. Cpl. Karl Ratcliff says last December they re-opened the investigation into the brutal death of 39-year-old Malcolm Davis, who was beaten to death at a gas station on August 10, 2007.
Cut 11 (11) “physical altercation”
Ratcliff says after the murder, the individuals involved fled the area. He says two of the suspects were eventually identified through video evidence obtained in 2007 and the third suspect was identified through interviews. He says last week arrest warrants were obtained to charge 29-year-old Marcus Smith, 32-year-old Kendall Smith, and 33-year-old Edward Woods. He says they had to go to Alexandria and Shreveport to make the arrests.
All three suspects are charged with second degree murder. Ratcliff says finally giving the family justice is huge for the department and the investigative team. He says these arrests are a result of the hard work of the cold case team at Lafayette PD.
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After two hours of passionate debate, the full House approves a measure that would protect Louisiana’s military monuments. Black lawmakers vehemently opposed the measure, as it would prevent local municipalities from removing or altering any confederate monuments without a public vote. New Orleans Representative Gary Carter called that offensive.
Supporters of the bill argue it protects Louisiana’s history, but black opponents say it ignores their history. Carter says there are some things in history that shouldn’t be celebrated. He notes that Germans don’t have statues of Hitler, and other places in the world tear down monuments to hate.
Democrats tried to impede the process by proposing a series of amendments to do everything from guarantee equal pay to allow for medical marijuana dispensaries, but they were all shot down. The bill’s author, Shreveport Representative Thomas Carmody, says public art is meant to facilitate conversations about what the memorial is about.
Carmody says we need to protect monuments to those that served our country in any war. But he notes that a vote from the public would be the deciding factor. He says it’s only fair to let the people who live in those cities decide what they want to commemorate.
Members of the Black Caucus walked out of the House chamber when the bill passed on a 65 to 31 vote.
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LSU hosts Northwestern State tonight in the final non-conference game of the season for both teams. The Tigers will start freshman right-hander Todd Peterson to the hill. The Florida native will make his third start of the season and Coach Paul Mainieri says Peterson will audition to be the team’s fourth starter in the postseason….
LSU has won eight of its last ten and they now lead the SEC West by one game over Mississippi State, who they’ll face for a three-game series starting on Thursday. Mainieri believes his team’s recent play has put them in position to be a national seed in the Super Regionals…
LSU is 7-and-6 in midweek games this year. Mainieri says it’s been disappointing they’ve lost to many of their in state foes, but overall it’s been a good season….