Income projection boosted by $824 million for La.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The state's revenue forecasting panel boosted Louisiana's income projections by $824 million. That's $462 million in additional cash for the current year's budget year and $362 million more for next year. That puts new money on the table for lawmakers to haggle over -- and ... more » |
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Proposal would limit red-light cameras
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- State Senator Troy Hebert of Jeanerette says cameras that take pictures of cars that run red lights should not be aimed at the front of the vehicles and show the driver and passengers. Hebert's bill, which was approved by the Senate Local and Municipal Affairs Committee ... more » |
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Ethics panel opposes changes
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The administrative committee of the state Board of Ethics has voted to oppose nine bills lawmakers have offered in the Louisiana Legislature to change the newly enacted laws on how government officials can act. The Louisiana Legislature, which convened on March 31st, submitted 91 measures ... more » |
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Juvenile records could be public
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The criminal records of some juveniles could become public record under legislation passed by a Senate committee. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Norman said parents and school officials are often at a disadvantage, not knowing the history of juvenile delinquents in their neighborhoods and schools. Norman ... more » |
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Senator approves TV service legislation
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The Senate has approved a bill to give state government control over franchising television service around the state, and take that power away from local governments. AT&T, the biggest supporter of Senator Ann Duplessis' bill, has said the change would encourage more companies to begin ... more » |
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House committee approves limited construction budget
Rather than load up the proposal like in previous years, a Louisiana House of Representatives panel agreed Thursday to a bare-bones construction budget for next year with only a handful of new projects. The House Ways and Means Committee agreed to Gov. Bobby Jindal's recommendations: The bill should ... more » |
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Chair: La. tax cut vote on Monday
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- A House committee won't vote until Monday on a proposal to eliminate Louisiana's income tax. Representative Hunter Greene, chairman of the House's tax committee, said the vote will come on Monday, so that members will be able to assess the coming revenue from the energy industry. ... more » |
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Black lawmakers consider bids for Congress as independents
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Three black state lawmakers say they are weighing whether to run for three U. S. House seats this fall as independents, a move that could splinter Democratic support in the races. Senator Don Cravins Junior, Senator Lydia Jackson and Representative Michael Jackson say ... more » |
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House vote: no chance of parole at age 31 for teen killers
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Two New Orleans legislators have narrowly lost the latest effort to make 15- and 16-year-olds who commit the most serious of crimes eligible for parole at age 31. The bill fell just four votes short of the 53 needed to gain passage Thursday afternoon in ... more » |
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House committee to take up issue of just how much to cut taxes
When state Sen. B. L. Shaw of Shreveport filed a bill to roll back the so-called "Stelly plan" that had increased income taxes for many people in Louisiana, he never thought it would wind up in its present form: A bill that would phase out Louisiana's income tax over 10 ... more » |
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Ethics committee won't investigate Sen. Vitter
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate Ethics Committee declined Thursday to investigate Louisiana Senator David Vitter, who was linked to an escort service whose owner was convicted in federal court and subsequently committed suicide. The committee says it declined to pursue the case because Vitter's conduct preceded his Senate ... more » |
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Cazayoux sworn in
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Don Cazayoux became Louisiana's newest Democratic congressman on Tuesday as Democrats celebrated their capture of a longtime Republican seat in the South. I "want to thank the members and the constituents of my district for electing me and for challenging me to come here to work with ... more » |
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Frances Pitman to run for Caddo judgeship
Frances Pitman, an assistant state attorney general in Shreveport, announced today she is running for a seat on the Caddo District Court. Pitman is seeking the judgeship vacated by the resignation of Judge Woody Nesbitt. The election is Oct. 4. Pitman, 55, has been in the Louisiana attorney ... more » |
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Panel OKs car insurance boost
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- A House committee has approved a bill that would raise the minimum insurance coverage Louisiana motorists must carry on their vehicles. Then-Governor Kathleen Blanco vetoed a similar bill last year. She argued that raising the cost of minimum auto insurance would be too expensive for ... more » |
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House panel alters La. building codes
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- A House committee today approved changes to the statewide building code, including a provision aimed at easing the construction inspection process in north Louisiana. North Louisiana lawmakers have complained about the building codes, which were imposed after the 2005 hurricanes to reduce property ... more » |
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House OKs bill requiring polygraphs for sex offenders
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The House voted today that random lie detector tests should be allowable as part of the conditions of parole or probation for convicted sex offenders. Representative Jerry "Truck" Gisclair, of Larose, says he thinks the polygraph testing could be useful to ensure sex ... more » |
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Senate panel stalls lawmaker pay raise
BATON ROUGE (AP) -- A Senate panel has delayed action on a bill that would raise lawmakers' pay, amid questions about the state's budget for next year. Several members of the Senate Finance Committee were sympathetic Monday to the pay raise proposal offered by Sen. Ann Duplessis. But they said ... more » |
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La. House approves labor department restructuring
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Both the state House and Senate are on record supporting Governor Bobby Jindal's proposal to make the state labor department the coordinating agency for worker training programs. The House unanimously approved the measure on Wednesday. The full Senate agreed to it a day earlier. Lawmakers ... more » |
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2 promoted to Congress resign
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Two lawmakers are resigning their seats in the Louisiana Legislature, after winning congressional elections over the weekend. Steve Scalise's resignation from the Senate will be effective tomorrow (Tuesday) and he says he expects to be sworn in as a congressman the next day. Senator Eric ... more » |
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Senate votes to boost police, firefighter supplemental pay
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The Louisiana Senate has voted unanimously to boost the state's monthly pay for police officers and firefighters. The state supplment is now $425 a month. That would rise to $500 a month under the bill by state Senator John Alario. The increase would ... more » |
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Scalise sworn in as newest Louisiana congressman
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican Steve Scalise has joined the U. S. House, becoming the second congressman to be sworn in from Louisiana in as many days. Scalise was sworn in today by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Scalise won the 1st Congressional District seat around New Orleans that had ... more » |
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House panel debates voucher issue
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- A $10 million program designed to pay tuition for 1,500 New Orleans public school students who want to go to private schools is being debated by a state legislative panel. Governor Bobby Jindal strongly backs the bill, which created division among members of the New ... more » |
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Lawmakers delay part of the campaign finance law change
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The Louisiana Legislature has agreed to delay the start of a new law requiring outside, third-party groups that try to influence elections to detail their contributors and their expenses. Supporters of the delay said the state ethics board doesn't have the ability yet ... more » |
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Jindal pushes savings for new money
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The state's revenue forecasting panel hasn't revised its income projections yet, but Governor Bobby Jindal has an idea of what he wants lawmakers to do with any extra money. The Revenue Estimating Conference meets on Friday. The governor said on Wednesday that he wants lawmakers ... more » |
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Jindal pushes savings for new money
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The state's revenue forecasting panel hasn't revised its income projections yet, but Governor Bobby Jindal has an idea of what he wants lawmakers to do with any extra money. The Revenue Estimating Conference meets on Friday. The governor said on Wednesday that he wants lawmakers ... more » |
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Bill would give PSC members raises
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The five elected members of the state Public Service Commission would get $30,000 raises if a bill that passed the House Commerce Committee becomes law. The measure by New Orleans Representative Jeff Arnold would increase commissioner pay from $45,000 to $75,000 a year. The commissioners, ... more » |
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Panel OKs repeal of La. helmet law
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- A House committee has approved the repeal of Louisiana's requirement that adult motorcycle riders wear helmets. The Transportation Committee's approval moves the bill by Representative Mert Smiley, a Port Vincent Republican, to the House floor. Smiley's bill would require bikers under age 18 to wear ... more » |
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Bill to boost 'rainy day' fund hits road block
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Senator Nick Gautreaux ran into opposition today for his bid to set aside more dollars in Louisiana's savings account, known as the "rainy day fund. "
Gautreaux proposed a measure that would increase the amount of money that would flow into the fund in ... more » |
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Bills dealing with retirement benefits stall
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Proposed constitutional amendments aimed at limiting or eliminating state retirement benefits for public employees convicted of crimes went nowhere on the House floor Tuesday. Opponents say the measures could have the unintentional affect of hurting the convicted person's innocent family members. Representative Tony ... more » |
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