The special session is set to go on February 19^th to take on the state’s one billion dollar budget gap that hits with temporary sales taxes expire on June 30^th.  Governor John Bel Edwards, along with the Senate President and House Speaker all say they wanted the session.  The governor favors a tax package that may raise taxes for businesses, and people with middle to upper incomes to avoid slashing TOPS, health care, and public safety programs.  But Republicans have other ideas like possibly renewing the one cent state sales tax.

Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit against the Corps of Engineers alleging that they expanded the Intracoastal Waterway in Vermillion Parish beyond what it agreed to in a 1920s agreement.  He’s seeking to force the Corps to roll back the waterway to the limits the state initially agreed to.

Cut 14  (11)”… been lost.”

Landry says the expansion contributed to the decline of Louisiana’s coastline.

Congress approved a spending bill that reopened the federal government after a brief shutdown over the night. Louisiana’s delegation voted three to five against accepting the budget deal. Senator John Kennedy voted against the bill, saying the spending increases are not paid for.

Cut 9 (10) “…new expenses.”

Representative Ralph Abraham voted ‘yes’ and is not happy about increasing the deficit, but he says the predictions for how much the debt will balloon may be overstated.

Cut 12 (11) “…long run”

But as Abraham sees it, the biggest benefit of the legislation is that it should give more federal funding for the United States’ military.

Governor John Bel Edwards has called for a special session to begin on February 19th. He’s giving legislators until March 7th to come up with a solution to a looming one billion dollar budget shortfall. It’s unclear if there’s enough support to raise taxes in some areas to cover up the deficit.

A majority of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation voted against the spending bill that reopened the federal government after a brief shutdown. Don Molino has reaction…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit against the Corps of Engineers alleging the Corps expanded the Intracoastal Waterway in Vermillion Parish beyond the borders set in a 1920s agreement. Landry says the Corps has increased the size of the waterway far past what the state imagined, which the AG says has contributed to the decline of Louisiana’s coastline.
Cut 13 (11) “particular servitude”
Governor Edwards says he’ll review the suit, but questions why Landry didn’t consult with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Mardi Gras parade goers on Saturday will have to deal with intermittent rain. State Climatologist Barry Keim says we can see one to two inches of rain over the weekend, some areas might get more…
cut 8 (07) “…of people”
But Keim says we are not expecting severe weather and the temperatures should be mild.

Out of the eight members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation, only three of them voted for the spending bill that reopened the federal government after a brief shutdown. US Representative Ralph Abraham was one of those three yes votes, because he says it increases federal funding for our military….
cut 11 (12) “…the yes”
Both of Louisiana’s US Senators voted against it. Junior Senator John Kennedy…
cut 10 (09) “….some of the waste”
Kennedy says the measure continues to drive up our nation’s debt.

Governor John Bel Edwards has been meeting with lawmakers at the mansion. He set today as the deadline to issue the call for a special session this month to tackle the fiscal cliff.

For many this is one of their favorite weekends of the year. Jeff Palermo has more on the Mardi Gras festivities….
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Monroe authorities arrested a 23-year-old after receiving a call about a man climbing a pole in his underwear. According to a police affidavit, Ballard Layton Rose was pulling on electrical equipment and told the cops he was chewing grass to avoid being electrocuted. Officers checked Rose’s wallet and found a substance that appeared to be methamphetamine. He was booked on drug charges.

The carnival season ramps up this weekend with parades all across the state. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says New Orleans is the focal point for Mardi Gras, but the entire state benefits from an influx of tourists who want to be a part of the celebration.

Cut 3 (09) “of the state”

Some areas of the state tomorrow could see a couple of inches of rain.

Congress approved a spending bill that reopened the federal government after a brief shutdown over the night. Senator John Kennedy voted against the bill, saying the spending increases are not paid for.

Cut 9 (10) “new expenses.”

Kennedy was joined in voting no by Senator Bill Cassidy, and Representatives Cedric Richmond, Mike Johnson, and Garret Graves. Representatives Ralph Abraham, Clay Higgins, and Steve Scalise voted yes.

Today is the deadline for Governor John Bel Edwards to call a February special session to address the fiscal cliff. The governor said he would not call the session without an agreement in principle on a fiscal cliff deal, but LAPoltics.com publisher Jeremy Alford says the governor is being pushed to call the session.

Cut 7 (09)  “the line.”

According to the Tax Foundation, Louisiana’s combined state and local sales tax rate is the highest in the country.

A 27-year-old Mansura man was arrested for distribution of child pornography on Wednesday. Dustin Novo is being held at the Avoyelles Parish Detention Center. State Police spokesperson Scott Moreau is encouraging anyone with information to report it authorities.

Cut 12 (08) “child pornography.”

The carnival season ramps up this weekend with parades all across the state. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser plans to be in Washington DC on Fat Tuesday to promote the state’s new tourism slogan, “Louisiana: Feed Your Soul.” He says it’s his hope that it will be a safe Mardi Gras and he knows our state and local law enforcement is working hard to make sure it is…

Cut 5  (07)  “any incidents”

Weather will play a big part in the festivities this weekend.  Even though it will seem gloomy, above normal temperatures will remain, which State Climatologist Barry Keim says will help it to feel more like spring…

Cut 7 (07)  “overcast skies.”

The Iris parade in New Orleans has been moved to 10am and the Tucks parade will follow at 11am.

Drax Biomass is relocating its headquarters from Atlanta to Monroe.  Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sue Nicholson says Monroe’s economy is booming, and having several colleges in the area, companies are provided with a highly educated pool of workers to choose from.

Cut 14 (05) “to grow”

A Monroe man was arrested after police found him climbing an electrical pole in his underwear.  23-year-old Ballard Rose told police he smelled gas in his apartment. He claimed he climbed the pole and was chewing grass to ground himself.  When police went to his residence, they found methamphetamine.   Rose was taken to the Ouachita Correctional Center.

We are waiting to see if Governor John Bel Edwards will issue the call today for a special session to begin later this month so legislators can address the fiscal cliff. A one-cent sales tax is set to expire June 30th, which is a big reason why the state is facing a one-billion dollar shortfall in July. Jeremy Alford of La-politics-dot-com, says some republican legislators are interested in renewing at least a portion of that penny, but Democratic lawmakers oppose…
cut 9 (07) “…one penny”

State Police have charged a 27-year-old man from Avoyelles Parish with 80 counts of child pornography. Trooper Scott Moreau says their special victims unit began investigating Dustin Novo of Mansura in January and a search of his home was conducted…
cut 11 (05) “…child pornography”
His bond was set at 100-thousand dollars.
The carnival season ramps up this weekend with parades all across the state. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says New Orleans is the focal point for Mardi Gras, but the entire state benefits from an influx of tourists who want to be a part of the celebration….
cut 3 (09) “….of the state”
Weather will be an issue for the parades that roll tomorrow as some areas of the state could see a couple of inches of rain.

Drax Biomass announces its moving its corporate headquarters from Atlanta to Monroe. Drax operates two wood pellet manufacturing faciliies and a shipping operation in Louisiana. Monroe Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sue Nicholson says Drax joins CenturyLink as another big company with its headquarters in Monroe….
cut 15 (07) “…diversify”
Drax Biomass says they look forward to being closer to the forests they depend upon.

Today is the deadline for Governor John Bel Edwards to call a February special session to address the looming one billion dollar budget hole resulting in the expiration of sales taxes.  Reports indicate the house GOP caucus may be coming to consensus on a plan to address the budget gap. LAPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford says Republican leaders may propose renewing a one cent sales tax that’s set to expire June 30^th.

Cut 8 (07) “tax structures”

A 27-year-old Mansura man was arrested for distribution of child pornography on Wednesday. Dustin Novo is being held on a 100,000 dollar bond.  State Police spokesperson Scott Moreau says is encouraging anyone with information about possible cases of child pornography to report it to authorities.

Cut 12 (08) “child pornography.”

Wet weather will be a part of the final weekend of Mardi Gras.  While southeast Louisiana will see a heavy amount of rain, the forecast may be a little better in Southwest Louisiana, where the front will move through causing greater rain chances earlier in the weekend.  Kent Kuyper from the National Weather Service Lake Charles office…

Cut 5  (06)  “are evolving.”

It will be a warm weekend however.

Drax Biomass is relocating its headquarters from Atlanta to Monroe.  Governor John Bel Edwards calls it another big win for Louisiana’s economy. Drax operates two wood pellet manufacturing facilities and a shipping operation in Louisiana. Monroe Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sue Nicholson says Drax joins CenturyLink as another large company operating in the area…

Cut 15 (07) “and diversify”

Many Mardi Gras revelers will keep one eye on the parades and one eye on the skies as threatening weather may put a damper on their celebrations.  Danielle Manning with the National Weather Service in Slidell says Saturday and Sunday will be soggy…

Cut 4  (09) “at once.” 

Drax Biomass is relocating its headquarters from Atlanta to Monroe, in what Governor John Bel Edwards is hailing as another big win for Louisiana’s economy. Drax already operates two wood pellet manufacturing facilities and a shipping operation in the state. Monroe Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sue Nicholson says that means 150 good paying jobs are on the way.

Cut 13 (09)  “management professionals”

Governor John Bel Edwards has set today as the deadline to call a February special session. Matt Doyle talked to LAPolitics.com about what the governor might do.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

A Texas prisoner has confessed to three New Orleans murders.  48-year-old Joseph Brandt confessed to killing the women in 2007 and 2008.  Brandt is serving time on a burglary charge in the Lone Star state.  He agreed to a deal that will spare him the death penalty.    After giving detailed confessions, a judge set his total bail at three-million-dollars.