43 million in new spending for Corrections, Parish Sheriff’s, and other departments are on hold after a Metairie Representative rejects a forecast of more revenue for the state…
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There are some great new releases out now on both TV and the silver screen set in Louisiana, including a possible Oscar contender. Kevin Barnhart has the details.
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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Congress has until Friday to renew the National Flood Insurance Program…
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Former Congressional candidate and Democrat Justin DeWitt was fired less than two days after his failed attempt to unseat Garret Graves in Louisiana’s 6th District. DeWitt worked as a surveyor for Baton Rouge based SJB Group, which a report says is owned by Republican Wilfred Barry. DeWitt says after receiving a performance raise in July, and a performance bonus in October, the decision came as a shock.
The Democrat, on Talk Louisiana, said he’s approached the DA about criminal charges.
DeWitt suspects much of the decision was political, as most of the people he worked for did not share his same opinions, and that management began to increasingly probe the candidate after he qualified.
Louisiana is an At-Will state, which means companies can generally fire employees without cause.
The state’s first openly gay Congressional candidate says he has another theory as to why he was fired. His former firm did a lot of work with his opponent’s construction company, and relies on legislative support from the Congressman…
SJB would not elaborate on the decision, but “wishes Mr. DeWitt the best of everything in his future endeavors.”
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Governor Edwards’ plans to fund 43 million dollars in additional projects for the year are on hold after Representative Cameron Henry put a stop to the Revenue Estimating Committee’s plans to improve the state’s revenue forecast at a Committee meeting. Henry says he disagreed with the REC’s projections that the state’s revenue situation has improved.
Henry was representing House Speaker Taylor Barras at the meeting, who later backed the Metairie Republican’s decision.
The Edwards’ administration was hoping to use a better forecast to authorize tens of millions in additional spending for Corrections, Sheriffs, and Juvenile Justice, among other items. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says the two independent economists in attendance…
Dardenne decried what he says was a partisan maneuver in a non-partisan committee.
Dardenne says he’ll just call for another meeting in near future, and this time he would like Barras in attendance for the unanimous vote necessary to pass the forecast.
The Commissioner says the move endangers the teacher pay raise Edwards is seeking, a raise that he hoped would be paid for by improved revenue. Henry says tying the much needed raise to “potential” revenue is “insulting”, and another example of fearmongering…
Cut 10 (09) “…session starts.”
Henry is calling for the REC to wait a few months to get a clearer picture of the state’s finances.
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Louisiana sees many productions around the state for television shows and motion pictures. Now a recently released film, Green Book, is getting attention for possibly being an Oscar contender. Executive Director of Louisiana Entertainment, Chris Stelly says there are many opportunities to see new content right now featuring the Bayou State.
Cut 11 (09) “…check out the networks.”
For those that choose to stay around the house and dodge the prices at the theater concessions, don’t worry, Stelly say there is plenty to choose from in the comfort of home.
Cut 12 (09) “called the first.”
Stelly says many of the communities around the state have the aesthetic that many film makers are looking to use in their productions.
Cut 13 (09) “…with almost any place.”
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Time is running out for Congress to renew the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood insurance will lapse if a sought after six month extension is not passed by Friday. Senator John Kennedy says they’re working towards an extension, but there’s some lawmakers who are trying to kill the program, permanently.
Kennedy says the opposition is not partisan, but geographical, comprised of leaders from non-flood-prone states.
The former Louisiana Treasury Secretary says a lapse would not only endanger the homes of many Louisianans, but could wreck the national economy by putting a halt on the construction of homes in flood zones.
Kennedy, alongside much of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation, is seeking a long term fix that invests in flood prevention projects, and gets a handle on rising insurance costs, while also financially securing the programs future.
But, he says that’s highly unlikely to pass in the last few weeks of the year before the next Congress starts.
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The Ragin Cajuns will leave tomorrow for North Carolina where they’ll play Appalachian State in the first ever Sun Belt Championship football game on Saturday at 11 AM. Louisiana lost to the Mountaineers by 10 points last month, but Cajuns Coach Billy Napier knows he has a better team now…
App State is 9-2 overall, 7-1 in the Sun Belt as they clinched the East Division with a win over Troy. Napier says they need a good week of preparation in order to beat the Mountaineers on their home turf…
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Southern will meet Alcorn State in Saturday’s SWAC Championship game. The Jaguars have won five in a row and their last loss on the season was to the Braves on September 29th. Jags Head Coach Dawson Odums says they are a more confident team now thanks to the play of their quarterback…
Cut 19 (17) “…different mindset”
The Braves lead the SWAC in total offense and rush offense as they are averaging 274 yards on the ground. Odums says they want to slow down that Alcorn run game…