State lawmakers could vote as early as today to call themselves into a special session. Jim Shannon on what legislators will consider…
Cut 1 (31) “…Jim Shannon”
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Louisiana local governments are projected to lose an average of six percent of their expected revenue for the 2021 fiscal year. Matt Doyle has the story.
cut 2 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle”
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It appears likely that lawmakers will return to Baton Rouge for a special session covering several different issues that would start next Monday.
The vote to enter the session is imminent, and LaPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford says it will cover everything from Hurricane Laura to unemployment, but…
Cut 3 (07) “…emergency.”
Alford says a number of Republican lawmakers are not happy with the COVID restrictions still in place, including capacity limits, bar limitations, and the outright closure of some businesses.
A petition to roll back the public health emergency failed, and Alford says Legislative attempts to override the Governor’s order will be tough to pull off…
Cut 4 (06)“ …possible”
Initially, it was thought an October special session would be called to allocate potential Congressional relief money, but Alford says those D.C. negotiations have stalled and lawmakers may have to return to Baton Rouge in December for another special session if those funds get passed.
Alford says even if Republicans manage to file an effort to override his public health emergency many lawmakers feel the issue will have to be settled in court.
Cut 5 (11) “inherent ”
Alford says it is likely the session would begin September 28th and run 30 days.
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Pineville Police say one of its officers was shot last night in the leg behind a shopping center in what authorities are calling a police ambush. Deputy Chief of Pineville P-D Darrell Basco says the wounded officer heard two gunshots shortly after he exited his police cruiser
Cut 6 (08) “…and released”
Basco says the second shot hit the rear door of the police car. He says Crimestoppers has offered a five-thousand-dollar reward for information
Cut 7 (10)“ …the area”
Basco says the officer was on routine patrol when the shooting occurred near the intersection of Military Highway and Donahue Ferry Road. He says they are not sure if this was a planned attack
Cut 8 (11) “…right now.”
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Most of south Louisiana is under a flash flood watch until Wednesday night as Tropical Storm Beta is expected to produce several inches of rain in the Bayou State. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the rain will be on and off for the new few days
Cut 9 (09) “…four days”
Keim says if you are tired of the hot weather there is some good news. He says the rainfall and cloud cover will hold down the high temperatures…
Cut 10 (11) “…low 80s”
Tropical Storm Beta is a slow mover and after making landfall in Texas, it’s expected to move northeast and the center of the storm will be in central Louisiana as a depression on Thursday morning.
Keim says as long as Beta doesn’t produce huge amounts of rain over a short period of time, Louisiana should be able to handle its rainfall
Cut 11 (11) “…accommodate rain ”
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Louisiana local governments are expected to see a 714 million-dollar decline in revenues for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years combined due to COVID and Laura.
Legislative Auditor economist Ed Seyler says local governments are heavily dependent on sales taxes which have seen major reductions due to mandatory business closures and mass layoffs…
Cut 12 (08) “…taxes”
For the 2021 fiscal year, the expected total revenue loss sits just under six percent for local governments statewide.
Hurricane ravaged Cameron and Calcasieu are expected to see a 17 and 10 percent drop in 2021 revenue respectively. Seyler says there’s a chance though that storm repair could soften the blow…
Cut 13 (08) “…jobs.”
Other parishes seeing the largest declines in fiscal year 2021 are Orleans at 13 percent, Jefferson and Natchitoches at eight percent, and St. John, St. Tammany, and Beauregard at six percent.
Seyler says the numbers were compiled by the Auditor’s office into a report you can find on their website. He says the numbers are troubling…
Cut 14 (07) “…Louisiana.”
An optimistic projection estimates a loss of only 523 million during those years, while a more pessimistic projection pegs it at 860 million.
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