Today is the first full day of the special session and the House Ways and Means Committee meets this morning. A bill to create a flat income tax of three-percent is at the top of the agenda. The income tax rate for most Louisiana residents is either three-point-five percent or 4.25 percent. Governor Landry hates the state income tax…

Cut 11 (11) “…our labor”

To offset the loss of income tax revenue, lawmakers are being asked to eliminate dozens of sales tax exemptions and taxing services that are currently not taxed.

Earlier this year, now President-elect Donald Trump called Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy one of the worst U-S Senators and a total flake. Cassidy voted to convict Trump of inciting a riot at the U-S Capitol. Cassidy says he’s excited Trump is back in the White House and plans to support the President’s agenda…

Cut 8 (10) “….point that out”

Louisiana’s oil and gas industry is hailing the re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Voter turnout for Tuesday’s election was slightly lower than in 2020, when two point one million people voted. For this Presidential election it was two-million votes and a turnout of 66-percent. 60-percent of the voters voted for President-elect Trump. In 2020, Trump received 58-percent of the vote in Louisiana.

Governor Jeff Landry opened the special session on tax reform by making the case the state’s current tax code is the reason why Louisiana ranks in the bottom on so many lists. Landry says change is desperately needed…

Cut 10 (13) “…state back.”

Landry cites North Carolina as an example of a state that modernized its tax code, and it’s resulted in thousands of new jobs and more income for the state’s citizens. But Invest in Louisiana director Jan Moeller says tax reform did not improve North Carolina’s economy, instead it was investment in higher education…

Cut 15 (11) “…to that state.”

Moeller is concerned the governor’s plan will leave a big hole in the budget, which means fewer dollars for higher education and other state funded services.

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy congratulates President-Elect Donald Trump on his victory and says the future looks bright for the country and Louisiana. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

The Department of Children and Family Services says if you have an EBT card for food stamp benefits, change your PIN immediately after multiple skimming devices were found at retail locations across the state. DCFS says select a unique PIN that is not easily guessable and avoid common patterns or personal information.

Louisiana’s special session is underway, with Governor Jeff Landry making the case for significant tax reform. Andrew Greenstein has more…

Cut 3 (38) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Hurricane Rafael has entered the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, but it’s no longer a threat to Louisiana. The Category two storm is expected to head west and eventually weaken to a tropical storm as it moves towards Mexico.

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy has congratulated President-elect Donald Trump. Cassidy says the future looks bright for the country and Louisiana…

Cut 7 (11) “…see becoming reality.”

Junior Senator John Kennedy says the election was a choice between hope and hurt. Americans chose hope.

Louisiana’s oil and gas industry is hailing the re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Mike Moncla, the president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, says it will be good to have a President who will ease up on regulations, since according to him the Biden administration was not friendly to the industry.

Cut 4 (14) “…off-shore leasing plan.”

Louisiana’s oil and gas industry is hailing the re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy congratulates President-Elect Donald Trump on his victory and says the future looks bright for the country and Louisiana. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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Louisiana’s special session is underway, with Governor Jeff Landry making the case for significant tax reform. Andrew Greenstein has more…

Cut 3 (38) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Louisiana’s oil and gas industry is hailing the re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Mike Moncla, the president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, says it will be good to have a President who will ease up on regulations, since according to him the Biden administration was not friendly to the industry.

Cut 4 (14) “…off-shore leasing plan.”

Moncla says the Biden administration finally came up with a plan guaranteeing anywhere from zero to 11 leases.

Cut 5 (08) “…a lease sale.”

Moncla says Biden’s other policies, including the pause on liquefied natural gas, stifled business in the state.

Cut 6 (17) “…our state’s GDP.”

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U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy has congratulated President-elect Donald Trump. It’s the first time in over 100 years a president has won after being out of office for four years, taking the Electoral College and the popular vote.  Cassidy says the future looks bright for the country and Louisiana…

Cut 7 (11) “…see becoming reality.”

Cassidy voted in February 2021 to convict Trump of inciting a riot on the U.S. Capitol building in January of that year.

The Louisiana Republican Party censured Cassidy for that vote. Earlier this year Trump called Cassidy one of the worst U.S. Senators and said he was total flake.

Cassidy says despite what many think, he and Trump have been closely aligned on many issues Including healthcare and energy…

Cut 8 (10) “…point that out.”

Cassidy says he’s looking forward to the Trump Administration unlocking domestic energy production, which will create jobs and provide economic security…

Cut 9 (11)  “…energy insecurity.”

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Governor Jeff Landry opened a special session on tax reform by making the case the state’s current tax code is the reason why Louisiana ranks last on so many lists. Landry says change is desperately needed…

Cut 10 (13) “…state back.”

Landry says his tax reform plan would produce the biggest tax cut in Louisiana’s history. A flat income tax rate of three percent is at the center of Landry’s proposal. He says it would result in the biggest tax cut in Louisiana’s history as the income taxes would be lowered for most working citizens…

Cut 11 (11) “…our labor.”

To offset the loss of tax revenue from lower income taxes, the governor is proposing to tax many services that are not taxed. He’s also proposing to eliminate several sales tax exemptions. He says this will create a tax structure that will put more money in people’s pockets and attract businesses to the state. He promises this tax plan will transform Louisiana

Cut 12 (12) “…your hard work.”

The special session must end at 6 PM on November 25^th.

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Invest in Louisiana has real concerns about Governor Jeff Landry’s tax plan. Director Jan (YAHN) Moeller says it will result in the poor paying a higher percentage of their income taxes…

Cut 13 (11)  “…in the budget.”

Moeller is concerned the governor’s tax plan will dramatically reduce what the state collects in taxes, resulting in fewer dollars for the state to spend on public services, like higher education. He says that means tuition will go up at Louisiana colleges and universities…

Cut 14 (08) “…what we pay.”

Landry cites North Carolina as an example of a state that modernize its tax code and it’s resulted in thousands of new jobs and more income for the state’s citizens. But Moeller says tax reform did not improve North Carolina’s economy, instead it was investment in higher education…

Cut 15 (11) “…to that state.”

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Louisiana Tech returns to playing football on the weekends as they’ll host Jacksonville State on Saturday. The Gamecocks are 4-and-0 and they are led by Tre Stewart, who has 914 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns. Bulldogs Coach Sonny Cumbie says Stewart will be tough to stop…

Cut 16 (14) “….on defense.” 

Tech enters the game with a 3-and-5 record, 2-and-3 in Conference USA. Cumbie and the Bulldogs are trying to win their final four games to finish with a winning record…

Cut 17 (11) “…our football team.”

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A big key for LSU this Saturday when they face Alabama is to keep Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe from beating the Tigers with his legs. In last year’s game against LSU, he rushed for 155 yards and four touchdowns. And  two weeks ago in a loss to Texas A&M, LSU couldn’t stop a running quarterback. Bama coach Kalen DeBoer expects LSU will be prepared…

Cut 18 (17)   “…their best.”

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The Darren Rizzi era for the Saints is underway. The Saints held their first practice today led by their new interim head coach after Dennis Allen was fired. Rizzi, who was the special teams coordinator, says the new role will take a little getting used to.

Cut 19 (15) “…the same page.”  

Rizzi was selected to be the interim head coach, in part because of the relationships he has built with the players, including Quarterback Derek Carr.

Cut 20 (17) “…to your face.”

Rizzi, Carr and the rest of the Saints will try to snap a seven-game losing streak Sunday against the Falcons. Kickoff at the Superdome is at noon.

Governor Landry opened a special session on tax reform by making the case that the state’s current tax code is the reason why Louisiana ranks last on so many lists. Landry says change is desperately needed…

Cut 10 (13) “…state back.”

It’s now possible that Hurricane Rafael could miss the U.S. altogether. The original forecast track had Rafael turning north and heading straight towards Louisiana. But LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says that has now changed.

Cut 7 (15) “…a northwesterly track.”

Rafael made landfall in Cuba this evening as a Category Three hurricane.

Stock markets rose sharply after Donald Trump won re-election last night to a second non-consecutive term. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

If you have an EBT card, the Department of Children and Family Services is urging you to change your PIN immediately. This, after several skimming devices were discovered at various retail locations across the state. DCFS says as a precaution, it’s sending text alerts to cardholders, urging them to change the PINs right away. Local and federal authorities are investigating the incidents.

The eagerly-awaited special session on tax reform is underway. Governor Landry wants to lower income taxes through a flat three-percent tax rate and make up for some of that lost revenue by broadening the state sales tax base. La-Politics-dot-com editor Jeremy Alford says it might be a tough sell to the Republican-dominated legislature.

Cut 4 (08) “…this entire process.” 

U-S financial markets surged today with Donald Trump’s win in the Presidential race. Dent Wealth Advisors Founder Fred Dent says the focus will shift to Trump inheriting an economy that is robust, with inflation back to around the 2-percent range; and what tariffs he will enforce…

Cut 11 (12) “…consumer pricing.”

The first college football playoff rankings of the season are out, and LSU is ranked 15th. With 12 teams set to make the playoffs this year, the Fighting Tigers have more work to do in order to be in the field. Coach Brian Kelly says there’s a month left in the regular season, and a lot can change…

Cut 12 (12) “…the gates.”

LSU can show it deserves to be in the College Football Playoff by beating Alabama on Saturday night and then winning its final three games on the schedule.

The path of Hurricane Rafael is moving farther and farther from Louisiana. Just yesterday, the National Hurricane Center had the path taking a turn to the north and heading straight for Louisiana. Now, it’s entirely possible that the storm could miss the U.S. altogether. The current track has the storm veering straight to the west, making landfall south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The special session is here. Governor Landry is asking legislators to make sweeping changes to the state’s tax code. La-Politics-dot-com editor Jeremy Alford says tax reform has been a buzz word at the capitol for decades, so it’s monumental to a session devoted to it.

Cut 3 (09) “…pretty big push.” 

The special session must end by five p-m November 25th.

Cleo Fields will head back to Capitol Hill, this time representing the Sixth District, and will do so as the Supreme Court gets ready to hear a legal challenge to the district’s lines, which were drawn in a way that created a second majority Black district in the state. Fields says he’s confident that the district will stand as is.

Cut 16 (12) “….based on politics.” 

Stock markets rose sharply after Donald Trump won re-election last night to a second non-consecutive term. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

It appears that Louisiana will be spared the brunt of Hurricane Rafael’s wrath. Earlier this week, the National Hurricane Center put the storm on a path to take a turn to the north and head straight for Louisiana. Now, it’s forecasting that the storm will not take a turn and will instead head to the area of the Texas/Mexico border. It is expected to strike Cuba later today as a major hurricane.

The long-anticipated tax reform special session is here. Governor Landry wants to lower the state income tax for most Louisiana residents and expand the sales tax base and eliminate dozens of sales tax exemptions. Landry is also looking to renew a temporary point-four-five-percent sales tax, extend the sales tax to 40 activities that are untaxed and eliminate the film tax credit program. LaPolitics-dot-com editor Jeremy Alford says it will be interesting to see if Landry gets what he wants…

Cut 5 (05) “…Jeff Landry.”

The special session must end by 5 PM on November 25th.

It looks like Louisiana may be spared the brunt of Hurricane Rafael’s wrath. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says Rafael will enter the gulf sometime tonight likely as a major hurricane.

Cut 6 (10) “…very slow decline.”

The first College Football Playoff rankings are out. LSU is number 15, and Alabama is number 11. The two teams face one another at Tiger Stadium Saturday night. College football analysts say for all intents and purposes, this is a playoff game with the loser eliminated from CFP contention. Tigers Coach Brian Kelly says the teams at the top of the SEC standings understand what’s at stake…

Cut 14 (10) “…matter.”

Kick-off Saturday is at 6:30.

This year’s presidential election was a record-breaker here in Louisiana. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says almost 850-thousand voters cast ballots in early voting, including more than 100-thousand on the final day of early voting, and more than one-million voters casting ballots on election day. All those results were posted onto the department’s website less than three hours after the polls closed last night.