Author: manshipxgr

Bill would identify records’ custodian

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By Justin DiCharia

BATON ROUGE — State Rep. Chris Broadwater, R-Hammond, was a force behind a 2013 public records resolution that directed state and local agencies to provide contact information for the person(s) within their organizations who is the custodian of public records being sought.

Because it was a resolution, Broadwater now believes, a number of government lawyers thought providing the information such information was optional. This year, he is attempting to upgrade the directive into an act of law.

Read the story in The Daily Iberian

Corrections secretary: ‘Our backs are against the wall’

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By D.B. Narveson

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana’s local prisons are crowded, the state’s parole officers carry a 40 percent higher caseload than their counterparts and the state has the highest incarceration rate in the world. But the Department of Corrections says it survived $125 million in cuts this year and has the lowest cost per diem per offender in the South.

“I feel like our backs are a little bit against the wall,” Secretary of the Department of Corrections Jimmy LeBlanc told the Senate Judiciary C Committee meeting

Read the story in The Town Talk

Early education, teacher benefits at risk

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By D.B. Narveson

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Department of Education said it would be cutting funds for early education programs, particularly in private schools, and teacher benefits during summer training programs if they lose the $4 million in reductions in the governor’s budget.

Those areas were selected for reduction, said White, because they could be reduced by not losing seats in pre-school and the training programs.

Read the story in The Shreveport Times

Trained monkeys as service animals? Maybe

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By Justin DiCharia

BATON ROUGE — A Louisiana lawmaker says after getting advice from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries he is considering dropping his proposal to allow monkeys to be used as service animals for people with disabilities.

The bill by Rep. Jack Montoucet, D-Crowley, would amend current law that restricts private ownership of boa constrictors longer than 12 feet, venomous snakes and primates

Read the story in The Advertiser

State savings fund proposed to address budget problems

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By Jack Richards

BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Legislature has sticky fingers when it comes to spending excess tax revenue, and that’s why Rep. Walt Leger wants to create a constitutionally protected savings fund for future state budgetary problems.

The House Appropriations Committee Tuesday sent to the full House the New Orleans Democrat’s Restrict, Rebuild, Restore Act, which would lock away money during years of high tax collections.

Read the story in The Daily Comet