Louisiana News

More than 300 people representing nonprofit organizations in central Louisiana have gathered in downtown Alexandria to show support for area nonprofits. The seven-hour Celebration of Philanthropy features speakers on gift making and board leadership.

More than a dozen runners from the Ark-La-Tex finished the Boston Marathon, according to the race’s website. Six-time Boston Marathoner Laura Nanda of Shreveport was unharmed after two explosions at the finish line. Nanda described where was when the bombs went off.

April 21 marks the 177th anniversary of one of the great milestones in Texas history. Commentator Gary Joiner offers a profile of the Battle of San Jacinto.

In Boyce, La., St. Mary’s Residential Training School offers both residential care and educational services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

This concludes our two-part series on the state’s goal to wind down the number of individuals living in places like St. Mary’s.

The House Appropriations Committee has approved a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to try and maintain the level of funding to hospitals that take Medicaid patients.  

Jim talks with Danny Bourgeois, with the Louisiana Marathon, who was at the Boston Marathon yesterday.

Conservative activist Judge Darrell White and Libertarian Michael Wolf discuss another attempt this year to repeal Louisiana's Science Education act, which allows teaching divine creation theory in public school science classes.

Local ophthalmologist Dr. Pam Williams, discusses proposed legislation (HB 527)that would allow optometrists to perform certain ophthalmological procedures. She is opposed.

Joe Chrest and Jason Bale,  actors appearing in LSU's Swine Palace production of "All The King's Men". 

Last week Governor Bobby Jindal announced his main priority this session would be repealing the income tax. Lawmakers took that off of the table on Monday.

Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Representative Joel Robideaux, said he’d spoken with constituents, House leadership, and policy analysts. There’s little support for bills that repeal the income tax without making up the revenue. “As a result of my conversations and review of the analysis," Robideaux said, "I would prefer if we indefinitely shelve bills to repeal the income tax. It’s a difficult, but I believe necessary measure.”

A 26-year-old independent petroleum landman in Carthage, Texas, has held 17 jobs in his life. LSU alumnus James Carroll was recently featured in a CNNMoney article about job-hunting millennials. It profiled 20-somethings from across the country who’ve held numerous jobs over relatively short periods in search of the ideal job. Carroll thinks he’s found his calling as a landman.

Now that the governor’s plan to replace the income tax with a higher and broader sales tax is off the table, lawmakers, policy analysts and other officials are coming up with new ideas. 

Governor Jindal isn’t requiring a new plan to make up for lost revenue, but eliminating the income tax would cost the state 23.7 billion dollars if it’s phased out over the next ten years.