The national unemployment rate rose slightly in June, but Louisiana is on the decline, powered by a robust job market in New Orleans. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”
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Louisiana casino revenues are down 10 percent year to year and industry experts are warning gaming may be shrinking in Louisiana…
Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle”
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Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins scoped out border security operations in McAllen, Texas. Kevin Barnhart has more.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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Louisiana’s unemployment rate decreased to 4.3 percent in June, down .7 percent from the same time last year. Louisiana’s unemployment rate is it’s lowest since January 2008.
Louisiana Workforce Commission Chief Economist Ali Bustamante says the state gained 300 jobs from May to June, which is better than most places in the US during the same period.
Cut 4 (10) “…direction.”
The field that added the most jobs was healthcare and social assistance, which added 1,200 jobs from the previous month, and 9,400 jobs over the year.
New Orleans powered the state’s above national average performance in June, adding 1,600 jobs, the only metro area in the state to add jobs during that period.
Cut 5 (11) “… right now.”
The city has added 8,800 jobs year to year, followed by Lafayette at 1,500 and Lake Charles at 1,100.
Houma continues to bleed jobs in the most recent report. Bustamante says the city has shed 2,900 in the last year, and 400 over the last month.
Cut 6 (10) “…competitive.”
Shreveport is down 2,400 jobs year to year, and Baton Rouge is down 1,700.
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Louisiana casinos have seen substantial declines in revenue in the last year, leading casino advocates to sound the alarm that the state’s gaming industry is shrinking.
Shreveport casinos are down 11.6 percent, Lake Charles 10 percent, New Orleans five percent, and Baton Rouge 13 percent. Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Jones…
Cut 7 (11) “…operate”
Jones says gaming revenue now exceeds oil and gas revenue in funding the state.
There was a nasty fight in the legislature to get sports betting legal in Louisiana, but that attempt failed. Jones says that, plus new offerings in other states are drawing customers away…
Cut 8 (10) “…kicked.”
Seven casinos saw 10 percent or more declines in revenue year to year, but the Belle of Baton Rouge posted the most shocking decline, at 43 percent. Jones says the owner is trying to get out…
Cut 9 (11) “…yet”
On a whole, Louisiana casino revenues fell 10.2 percent from last year.
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Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins recently visited McAllen, Texas, where US Customs and Border Protection agents process immigrants coming across the border from Mexico. Higgins says if compassionate law enforcement is the goal in America, no one is doing it better than those at the southern border.
Cut 10 (11) “…broken a law.”
Higgins is the Republican leader of the Homeland Security subcommittee. The congressman says after seeing first-hand how the operations at the border work, he believes many media outlets are casting the treatment of immigrants in the wrong light, and the reports are being twisted to reflect the agenda of the left.
Cut 11 (10) “…totally false, man.”
Higgins says the biggest hurdle being faced at the southern border is the mass amount of people trying to be processed into the United States and the first step to fixing the situation is up to lawmakers.
Cut 12 (13) “…and Chuck Schumer.”
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Louisiana’s Justice Reinvestment Reforms 2019 Annual Performance Report indicates the state has saved more than $12 million from criminal justice reform, twice the anticipated savings. Secretary of the Department of Corrections James LeBlanc says while it is still very early in the implementation, the numbers are a positive sign for long term goals.
Cut 13 (08) “…would be today.”
LeBlanc says the further evidence of reform efforts having an effect is the fact that Louisiana is no longer known for being the incarceration leader it once was. The report highlights a reduced total prison population for the state, falling from around 40-thousand at its peak at the end of 2012.
Cut 14 (08) “…had in 2012.”
LeBlanc says after three to five years of the implementation, the state will have a better idea of the recidivism rates under the reforms, but so far so good.
Cut 15 (07) “…of these reform efforts.”