A new survey says increasing access to child care would mean big bucks for the state’s economy. Joe Gallinaro reports.
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”
____________________________________________
A new ferry boat has been put into service the Cameron Crossing in southwest Louisiana. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
____________________________________________
A new survey says increasing access to child care could unlock billions of dollars in economic growth for the state. Dr. Heather Cope, the chief of policy and research at the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, says increasing access to early childhood education could allow almost 30-thousand parents to re-enter the workforce, leading to 3.2-billion dollars in additional earnings.
Cope says there are more than 250-thousand children under the age of five in Louisiana; and without adequate access to child care, mothers have no other choice but to stay out of the workforce.
Cut 4 (11) “…the workforce entirely.”
Cope says the state needs to come up with a way to make child care more affordable, with child care in Louisiana currently costing up to 12-thousand dollars a year per child.
Cut 5 (06) “…any family’s budget.”
________________________________________________________________
A new ferryboat is in operation for the Cameron Crossing in Cameron Parish. Department of Transportation Secretary Glenn Ledet says the Holly Beach ferryboat will replace the Cameron Two, which has been in service since 1964…
The Cameron cross is not getting just one ferryboat, it’s getting two. The second ferry boat is expected to be completed in late November.
Each boat will measure 190- feet, by 50 feet, by 13 feet. Ledet says putting these new boats in service will ensure uninterrupted loading and unloading of commercial vehicles across the Calcasieu Ship Channel…
About 800 vehicles a day depend on this ferry service across the Calcasieu Ship Channel.
Nearly 50-million dollars was invested in these new ferries, which will ensure safe evacuations from hurricanes. DOTD says they will also lower greenhouse gas emissions by using battery-powered electric thrusters charged by diesel generators on board.
Ledet says a private company will also handle operation, which will be good for DOTD…
Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors in Houma built the ferries.
____________________________________________
The SEC is not dismissing its federal lawsuit against LSU, but Attorney General Liz Murrill told 104.5 ESPN in Baton Rouge that goes directly against the wishes of the member institutions.
The SEC claims that even though the Tigers never rostered any former NFL or NBA players, Will Wade’s recruitment of former NBA G League player RJ Luis still threatens its pro player ban and its right to enforce its rules. Wade has said he intends to follow conference protocols.
Murrill told 104.5 ESPN in Baton Rouge that SEC lawyers could not negotiate a joint statement in which LSU implied it had done something wrong and would not do anything wrong in the future.
Murrill told 104.5 ESPN in Baton Rouge that she invites the SEC to submit whatever claim it may have of LSU’s wrongdoing. Since no team ever officially rostered any former domestic professionals, LSU did not violate the SEC pro player ban.