News for Monday 050613

By Dave Graichen

 

All tax items on the Saturday ballot here in Rapides Parish all easily passed with over 70% of the vote.  The 9.60 Mil 15 year Sherriff’s tax renewal. Pineville School Dist. No. 52 -- 7.41 Mills - SB - 10 Yrs. And Big Island Sch. Dist. Number 50 -- 6.36 Mills - SB - 10 Yrs.  Race for Justice of the Peace Ward 4, Patricia "Pat" Paul won with close to 53% of the vote.

 

Boise  Incorporated  will  invest 111-million dollars to upgrade its paper mill  in  Deridder.  The  governor's office says the expansion will  retain  440  existing jobs and  create  54  new  direct  jobs. Deridder Mayor Ron Roberts  says  Boise  plans  to  convert  an  old newsprint  machine, so that it will be able to produce cardboard for

packaging. Roberts says Boise's investment, which will also create an estimated

600 construction jobs, is the  biggest ever by a private employer in Beauregard Parish.

 

The man who escaped from the Natchitoches  Detention Center Thursday was  captured  by  US Marshals Friday evening.  29-year-old  Derrick Evans was a trustee  serving time for attempted manslaughter when he turned up missing while  working at the jail's farm. Authorities say Evans was discovered in Jackson,  Mississippi  so  he  now sits in a jail there until he can be extradited back to Louisiana.

 

Discussions on the proposed state budget continued over the weekend and  more details could be released today. Lake Charles Representative Brett  Geymann says the state House wants to vote on a spending plan that has  bipartisan support and prevents the midyear budget cuts that have  occurred during the Jindal administration.  Geymann says their budget proposal will call for spending cuts, while  also suspending certain tax exemptions.

 

The 2013 legislative session has reached the halfway point. Council for  a Better of Louisiana President Barry Erwin says the session started  with a discussion on phasing out the state income tax. But Erwin says  that idea was quickly shot down, so the focus in the Louisiana House has  been on the proposed budget for next fiscal year. As far as other legislation goes, not one bill has passed the entire legislative process during the first 4  weeks of the session.

 

Legislation that would protect parents from FALSE child abuse claims  will be debated on the Senate floor today. Jennings Senator Blade  Moorish says he decided to file this bill after an innocent Iota family  was investigated by the Department of Children and Family Services in  the death of their baby.  Moorish says Amanda and Jerry  Spaetgens' baby died of SIDS, but since  one doctor reported suspected abuse, DCFS protocol removed the other  children from the home while they conducted an investigation. Moorish  says his bill would establish a "level of risk" that DCFS would use when  determining abuse.

 

The House Way & Means Committee is scheduled today to debate a proposal  to help state road and bridge funding keep pace with inflation. Ken  Perret, with the  Louisiana Good Roads and Transportation Association,  says the bill would index the state's 20 cent gasoline tax – dedicated  to highways - to the Consumer Price Index.  The state has a multi-billion dollar backlog of road and bridge repair  and replacement projects, with too little cash to get them started.  Perret says - if passed - House Bill 675, sponsored by Plaquemine Rep.  Karen St. Germain, would likely raise the gas tax by just under a penny  in its first year. The governor has said he will veto any bill that would raise taxes.

 

 

 

Sports..

 

Third ranked LSU has another nice winning streak going as they head into  the final two weeks of the regular season. The Tigers rebounded from a  series loss to South Carolina by sweeping Florida this past weekend. The Fighting Tigers will get back on the diamond Thursday night when  they begin a three-game series at Texas A-and-M.