Posted
2011-06-02 05:38:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR THURSDAY 060211
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
A PROPOSAL TO TWEAK THE RULES OF LOUISIANA'S "RAINY DAY" FUND HAS RECEIVED THE UNANIMOUS BACKING OF THE STATE SENATE. SENATE PRESIDENT JOEL CHAISSON'S BILL WOULD CHANGE THE REPAYMENT TRIGGERS FOR THE FUND, WHICH IS USED TO PLUG BUDGET GAPS, SO MONEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE REIMBURSED IN THE YEAR IT IS USED. IT WOULD ALSO PHASE IN THE REPAYMENT OVER SEVERAL YEARS. THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE, APPROVED 39-0 WEDNESDAY, HEADS NEXT TO THE HOUSE, WHERE IT FACES A TOUGH ROAD TO PASSAGE. IT ALSO WOULD NEED APPROVAL FROM VOTERS IN A STATEWIDE ELECTION.
A PROPOSAL TO ALLOW COLLEGE STUDENTS TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS ON CAMPUS WAS REJECTED WEDNESDAY BY A HOUSE COMMITTEE, LIKELY ENDING ITS CHANCES TO BECOME LAW IN THE CURRENT SESSION. REP. ERNEST WOOTON, CHAIRMAN OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE, SAID HIS BILL WOULD HELP PRESERVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS.
LOUISIANA INSURANCE COMMISSIONER JIM DONELON MARKED FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF HURRICANE SEASON YESTERDAY BY ENCOURAGING CITIZENS TO BE PREPARED, GATHER ALL YOUR IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS TAKE PHOTOS OF YOUR HOME'S CONTENTS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FEDERAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM. HE SAYS ONLY 29 PERCENT OF HOMES IN THE STATE HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE. DONELON SAYS FAR TOO MANY HOMEOWNERS HAVE LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT THEIR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE POLICY ACTUALLY COVERS. HE RECOMMENDS SITTING DOWN WITH YOUR AGENT AND REVIEWING YOUR POLICY IN ADVANCE.
IF YOU EVER FORGET FOR A MINUTE THE SACRIFICE OUR MEN AND WOMEN OF THE MILITARY ARE MAKING, HERE’S A REMINDER.. A FORT POLK SOLDIER DIED TUESDAY IN LOGAR PROVINCE IN AFGHANISTAN OF WOUNDS SUFFERED WHEN ENEMY FORCES ATTACKED HIS UNIT WITH A ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE. 22 YEAR OLD SPECIALIST RICHARD C. EMMONS III OF NORTH GRANBY, CONN., WAS A SIGNAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS SPECIALIST WITH THE 2ND BATTALION, 30TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 4TH BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM, 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION. EMMONS JOINED THE ARMY IN SEPTEMBER 2009. HE ARRIVED AT FORT POLK IN MAY 2010. HE DEPLOYED WITH HIS UNIT IN OCTOBER 2010 TO AFGHANISTAN IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.
THE HOUSE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE APPROVES A BILL BY BATON ROUGE REP. PATRICIA SMITH THAT WOULD GIVE INMATE OVER THE AGE OF 60 AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR A PAROLE HEARING. ANGOLA WARDEN BURL SUPPORTS THE BILL AND SAYS THE PURPOSE IS TO GIVE ELDERLY NON-VIOLENT PRISONERS A CHANCE AT PAROLE IN ORDER TO MAKE ROOM FOR INMATES WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF MORE VIOLENT CRIMES. THE MEASURE HEADS TO THE HOUSE FLOOR FOR MORE DEBATE.
NEARLY SIX YEARS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA DROWNED NEW ORLEANS IN MISERY, THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY IS REMINDING STORM VICTIMS WHY THEY CURSED THE AGENCY FOR ITS SLUGGISH RESPONSE TO THE DISASTER. AS A NEW HURRICANE SEASON BEGINS WEDNESDAY, FEMA IS WORKING ON A LONG-DELAYED PUSH TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY IT OVERPAID OR MISTAKENLY AWARDED TO VICTIMS OF THE DESTRUCTIVE 2005 HURRICANE SEASON. THE AGENCY IS REVIEWING MORE THAN $600 MILLION GIVEN TO ROUGHLY 154,000 VICTIMS OF HURRICANES KATRINA, RITA AND WILMA AND IS POISED TO DEMAND THAT SOME RETURN MONEY. NO WORD YET AS TO HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE AFFECTED.
A BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT OF A VEHICLE TO VIEW A VIDEO THAT THE DRIVER CAN NOT SEE IS PASSED BY THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE BILL IS AUTHORED BY NEW ORLEANS REP HELENA MORENO SAYS THERE'S TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS FOR A VIDEO SCREEN IN THE FRONT SEAT OF A VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT DISTRACT THE DRIVER. THE MEASURE HEADS TO THE SENATE FOR MORE DEBATE.
THE BOARD IN CHARGE OF BUILDING A NEW LSU TEACHING HOSPITAL IN NEW ORLEANS MEETS TODAY, TO HEAR AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT'S REPORT ON HOW BIG THAT FACILITY SHOULD BE. CRITICS OF THE PROPOSED 424-BED, $1.2-BILLION HOSPITAL PLAN INCLUDE SEN. DAVID VITTER, WHO QUESTIONS FLOATING $400-MILLION IN BONDS TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. SOME SAY THEY WANT TO SEE THE CITY'S OLD CHARITY HOSPITAL REFURBISHED AND RE-OPENED. THE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER BOARD SEEKS TO SET A FINAL SIZE AND PROJECTED COST FOR THE HOSPITAL, SO THE BUILDING CAN PROCEED.
A BILL AIMED AT EXPANDING THE LOUISIANA SMOKE FREE AIR ACT MEETS DEFEAT ON THE SENATE FLOOR. BILL SPONSOR SEN. ROB MARIONNEAUX, OF LIVONIA, SAYS HIS BILL WILL BAN SMOKING INSIDE ALL BARS. HE SAYS IT'S A MATTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH. MARIONNEAUX CAN BRING HIS BILL BACK UP FOR RECONSIDERATION BEFORE THE SESSION ENDS, AND HOPE THAT SENATORS CHANGE THEIR VOTES.
A THREE YEAR OLD BOY IN NEW ORLEANS IS DEAD AFTER BEING LEFT IN A LOCKED VEHICLE FOR EIGHT HOURS. NEW ORLEANS POLICE SUPERINTENDENT MARLON DEFILLO SAYS THE CHILD WAS PICKED UP BY THE BOYS GODMOTHER EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. DEFILLO SAYS 23-YEAR-OLD GENEE BRUMFIELD WENT INSIDE ANOTHER HOME LEAVING THE CHILD IN THE CLOSED LOCKED VEHICLE FOR MORE THAN EIGHT HOURS. DEFILLO SAYS A RELATIVE FOUND THE BOY INSIDE THE VEHICLE UNRESPONSIVE LATER THAT AFTERNOON. BRUMFIELD HAS BEEN BOOKED WITH NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE.
A BILL THAT WOULD MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR A SOME CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER TO USE FACEBOOK OR OTHER INTERNET SOCIAL MEDIA SITES PASSES IN SENATE COMMITTEE. THE
NEW LAW WOULD TARGET OFFENDERS WHO HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH COMPUTERS AND MINORS IN THE PAST. THE BILL NOW GOES TO THE FULL SENATE FOR DEBATE.
THE HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE APPROVES TWO BILLS THAT WOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN HIGHER EDUCATION COSTS FOR STUDENTS. ONE MEASURE WOULD RESULT IN A $75 MILLION INCREASE IN TUITION. THE OTHER MEASURE WOULD GIVE UNIVERSITIES MORE FREEDOM TO RAISE FEES. THE BILLS NOW HEAD TO THE FULL HOUSE FOR DEBATE.
A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS DECLINED TO REDUCE THE $1 MILLION FINE AND $2 MILLION IN RESTITUTION HE ORDERED PAID BY A COLORADO COMPANY THAT ADMITTED PARTIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEATH OF A BATON ROUGE PLANT WORKER. THE JUDGE IN THE CASE RULED CHEMICAL & METAL INDUSTRIES INC. DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY THE $3 MILLION WHILE IT APPEALS FOR REVERSAL OF HIS DECISION. BUT THE JUDGE REQUIRED THE FIRM TO POST A $3 MILLION BOND PENDING A DECISION BY THE 5TH U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS IN NEW ORLEANS. 32 YEAR OLD DELVIN HENRY SUFFERED FATAL BURNS IN 2003, AFTER HE OPENED A CYLINDER THAT WAS IMPROPERLY LABELED FOR A LOW-PRESSURE REFRIGERANT. THE CYLINDER AT THE HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL PLANT NI BATON ROUGE ACTUALLY CONTAINED HIGH-PRESSURE CORROSIVES THAT SPRAYED HENRY. HE DIED THE NEXT DAY. HONEYWELL LATER PLEADED GUILTY TO NEGLIGENT ENDANGERMENT.
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