Facing a 700-million-dollar budget shortfall, Governor Landry unveils his tax reform plan in a news conference at the Capitol. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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Union dockworkers went on strike this morning at ports across the country. Experts say we could see similar supply chain issues like we did during Covid. Sean Richardson has the story.
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Southeastern Louisiana University celebrates a major milestone today – its 100th year. University President William Wainwright says the Hammond school has come a long way in one century.
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And during that time, the school has awarded tens of thousands of degrees.
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To mark the centennial, the school is putting on a big celebration in the Student Union breezeway with several speakers, along with a video message from one of its most famous alumni – Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts. Wainwright says you’ll be able to drink to the milestone too!
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The celebration was originally scheduled for the middle of September, but Hurricane Francine forced those plans to change.
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Governor Landry unveils his tax reform plan that he says would close most of a 700-million-dollar budget shortfall. In a news conference at the Capitol, Landry said his plan, which he has dubbed Driving Louisiana Forward, would increase the take-home pay for all Louisiana taxpayers.
Cut 6 (14) “…to 12,500 dollars.”
Landry says in order to compete economically with states like Texas and Tennessee, which have no state income tax, Louisiana needs to eliminate the income tax.
To make up for that shortfall, Landry’s plan would start taxing lobbying services, eliminate other tax breaks and would impose new sales taxes on services that are currently not taxed, such as house cleaning, pet grooming and TV streaming services. He says the tax structure would shift from taxing labor to taxing choices. Landry says his plan would instantly make Louisiana one of the best states to do business in.
Landry will be calling lawmakers back to Baton Rouge for a special session next month to take up his tax reform plan. Some components will involve changing the state constitution; that election would be held in March.
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Beginning today, a person could face a five-thousand-dollar fine or up to five years in prison for possessing mifepristone and misoprostol without a prescription. Opponents have expressed concern this will negatively impact the health care of pregnant women, but Attorney General Liz Murrill says this is fearmongering from the pro-abortion activists…
In May, Governor Jeff Landry signed a law reclassifying the abortion drugs Mifepristone and Misoprostol as controlled, dangerous substances. The law designates them as Schedule IV drugs, making possession illegal without a valid prescription. Murrill says securing medications that can and have been abused isn’t new…
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Supporters believe this reclassification will prevent coerced abortions, while opponents, including some doctors, argue that it may delay access to medications with other medical uses Despite concerns, Murrill says the law includes protections for pregnant women obtaining these drugs for personal use.
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The drugs are used to induce an abortion, but they also can help manage miscarriages, induce labor, insert IUD’s, and stop hemorrhaging in pregnant women.
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Union dockworkers hit the picket lines early this morning, including those at the Port of New Orleans. UNO Economic Professor Walter Lane says prolonged work stoppage could significantly impact the U.S. economy, potentially raising the cost of consumer goods and causing shortages ahead of the holiday season.
Grocery stores, which have limited capacity to store perishable goods, could struggle to restock quickly, leading to empty shelves and price spikes. Lane stresses that affected ports handle 75% of the nation’s banana imports, making this particularly vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.
A one-week strike alone could cost nearly $3.8 billion, according to industry estimates. Lane says the economic fallout would likely move through multiple sectors, with consumers feeling the effects of higher prices and reduced availability of key products.
Cut 14 (09) “…a lot of people.”