The fiscal cliff is smaller, as the state’s Revenue Estimating Conference has lowered the budget shortfall from 994-million to 648-million-dollars. Jeff Palermo has more…
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Legislation that would prohibit smoking inside bars and casinos statewide failed to get out of the House Health and Welfare Committee today. Jim Shannon has more..
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Winn Parish Sheriff’s deputies were met with gun fire when they were trying to serve a civil warrant in the small community of the Chee Chee Dam area yesterday afternoon. 71-year-old Betty Lemoine was killed by deputies who had just driven up to their home. State Police is also investigating, Trooper Scott Moreau.
Moreau say her son 50 year old Kendall Lemoine was the target of the civil arrest warrant, he was seriously injured as well.
Cut 4 (12) “critical condition.”
No deputies were injured.
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The revenue shortfall the state is facing has declined from 994-million-dollars to 648-million-dollars, as a result of the state collecting more income taxes due to the federal tax overhaul. House Speaker Taylor Barras says the extra money would likely go for higher education and the TOPS program…
But based on this new revenue projection, the state would still have to make 648-million dollars in cuts, unless another special session is called to address the shortfall. Barras says he’s not committed to a special session yet, he wants to see what the budget looks like when it’s approved by the House next week…
Barras says the Appropriations Committee is set to vote on a budget that will contain 648-million dollars in cuts on Monday and then the full House could vote on the spending plan next Thursday…
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For the second time in the last five months, an Acadiana area family has claimed a Powerball jackpot. A tax attorney representing the Moore Family Trust out of Lafayette brought their 56-million dollar ticket from the March 24th drawing to Louisiana Lottery headquarters. Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says on what the family plans do their with their winnings…
Chopin says the couple has been playing the lottery for years, buying their tickets at Tigers Touchdown 2 in Lafayette. She says tax attorney Russell Stutes says the winning family is deserving of their new found fortune…
This is the 17th Powerball jackpot ticket sold in Louisiana since the state joined the multistate game in 1995. Chopin says Lady Luck has recently shined twice in Acadiana as a St. Landry Parish couple won a prize last fall…
The latest winners received over 23-million-dollars after state and federal tax withholdings.
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The House Health and Welfare committee heard hours of testimony on a statewide smoking ban that would include casino’s and bars. The bill by Opelousas Democrat Dustin Miller was voluntarily yanked, so he can work on the language of the measure. If passed it would virtually ban smoking in just about every public building in the state. Wade Duty represents casinos.
Brent Rochon is a cardiologist who testified in favor of the measure.
Lobbyist Alton Ashy says this legislation will have a negative impact of video poker halls…
Reagan Carter is a member of the Louisiana Public Health coalition who supports the bill.
Miller says he will bring the bill back in two weeks.