State Rep. Jack Montoucet of Crowley takes over as Louisiana’s new Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary. Emelie Gunn has more…
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Napoleonville Senator Troy Brown says he will not resign, even after being convicted of his second domestic abuse charge in four months. Jeff Palermo has more…
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State lawmakers are once again getting ready to enter a special session because the state is facing a $313 million budget deficit. Halen Doughty reports…
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Crowley Representative Jack Montoucet begins his duties today as the new Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Montoucet was appointed by Governor Edwards and says his main goal is to ensure Louisiana stays the Sportsman’s Paradise. He plans to try to get more residents involved in outdoor activities, like preservation, hunting and fishing.
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Montoucet has been the owner of an alligator farm in Acadiana for 30 years. Montoucet says alligators were on the endangered species list years ago but through the work of LDWF, the population has grown substantially. He looks forward to expanding other similar programs…
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There’s been allegations of misappropriation of funds by the previous administration and former Secretary Charlie Melancon clashed with recreational fishermen over red snapper management. Mountoucet plans to have a meeting to resolve all issues with the red snapper. And he says when it comes to the controversial spending under former Secretary Robert Barham….
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A local doctor advises parents to limit their children’s screen time each day because too much time looking at a TV, computer or tablet can be bad for a child’s health. Ochsner Health Center Zachary Pediatrician Dr. Myriam Ortiz says children younger than 18 months shouldn’t be exposed to digital media at all, and children up to 24 months should take precautions.
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Ortiz says when children spend too much time in front of a screen, it limits their outdoor activity time, which leads to higher rates of childhood obesity and diabetes. She adds playtime is essential for children’s development. Studies show most eight year olds spend on average over two hours watching TV, playing video games or using a computer.
Ortiz says that’s why parents of children up to age 5 should limit their child’s screen time to one hour per day. She says parents of kids who are older than 6 should keep the media restrictions consistent.
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Ortiz recommends establishing media-free times together like dinner, as well as media-free locations like bedrooms. She says while it is essential to limit a child’s media time, technology isn’t entirely bad for children.
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Napoleonville Senator Troy Brown issued a statement saying he has no intention of leaving office, as some state lawmakers are calling for his resignation after he was convicted for a second time on a charge of domestic abuse battery. Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor hopes Brown won’t force the Senate to expel him from office.
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Brown says expulsion is the most severe punishment available, calling it the political equivalent to execution. This is the second time that Brown has pleaded no contest to domestic violence charges in four months. Claitor says it’s the kind of charge that matters more than anything.
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Brown says only 8 states have ever expelled a senator, and always over more serious matters. The Senate Resolution could be filed either in a potential special session next month or in the regular session in April. Claitor says it’s likely the Senate will take up the matter sooner rather than later.
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Brown says if the body decides to remove him from office, he will respect their wishes, but he will utilize all legal options available to protect constituents’ rights to be represented.
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State lawmakers are gearing up for the third special session in just one year, after the Revenue Estimating Conference recognized a budget shortfall of about $313 million for the current fiscal year. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says at this point, a special session is inevitable so the cuts can be spread around.
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Dardenne says they plan to use money from the rainy day fund to close some of the gap, but that still leaves about another 200 million dollars in possible cuts. He says after years of budget cuts, this next round will be especially painful.
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Dardenne says there doesn’t seem to be much of an appetite among legislators to raise additional revenue. He says lawmakers raised nearly $2 billion in taxes last year, but it just wasn’t enough to balance the budget.
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