Author: Imported Author 1980807

A state audit finds the Louisiana Workforce Commission paid out six-point-two million dollars in unemployment benefits to nearly 12-hundred prisoners. Data Analytics Manager for the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office, Chris Magee, says it’s a conservative number since they only looked at unemployment applications for the first half of 2020.

“This really shows that there is an issue with this process but doesn’t fully capture the magnitude of the issue.”

Magee says L-W-C has told them the problem is with a vendor that multiple states use that tracks incarceration data…

“According to LWC and the vendor basically the data match was not working as intended during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Magee says LWC plans on trying to recoup the unemployment benefits that went to prisoners. He says in most of the cases they’ve identified, incarcerated individuals received multiple unemployment checks.

“Those who received it for two, three weeks and then all the way through the pandemic, they’re incarcerated the entire time and the process really should be catching those individuals.”

The LWC says they are trying to determine why there was an issue with the cross-matching process which helps identify if individuals are eligible for benefits. The state agency says the potential overpayments found by the Legislative Auditor represent well less than one percent of the 900-thousand individuals paid since the start of the pandemic.

Motorists who have State Farm could see a slight increase in their premiums. The Louisiana Insurance Department has approved a statewide rate increase of four percent. Last June, State Farm lowered rates by an average of 10-percent. So what changed? Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says more vehicles on the road…

“Miles Driven is increasing, accidents as a result of greater miles being driven are increasing, claims being filed are increasing as well.”

The adjusted auto rates in Louisiana went into effect on April 5th. Donelon says 9.6 percent decrease in auto insurance rates that State Farm put into place last year is no longer justified as the nation starts to move out of the pandemic.

“Business and for that matter vacation and personal travel moves back towards pre-Covid levels such as existed in 2019.”

The state legislature passed a tort reform law last year that supporters say will lead to lower auto insurance rates. So why are State Farm’s rates going up? Donelon says the legislation changes the rules on how car accident lawsuits are handled in the state’s court system, but we will not see the impact until suits are settled or judges rule on cases…

“There’s no data yet available to the companies or to us as regulators to know the effect of what was done by the legislature.”

The Louisiana Department of Transportation has completed debris removal in Louisiana after the state was heavily impacted by Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta last season. DOTD Spokesperson Rodney Mallet says they began removal at the end of August.

“Over the course of that time state wide we’ve had many storms so we had debris across the state and removed more than three million cubic yards of hurricane debris.”

Debris removal in Calcasieu Parish wrapped up last week, it was the last parish of the five in southwest Louisiana that required removal.

Mallett says with the assistance of contractors they moved from one parish to another until the cleanup of the more than 3- million cubic yards of debris was complete and unlike hurricane season last year, debris removal was a calculated process.

“It was unlike anything we’ve ever seen but I think because of our history in responding to these type of disasters we were able to handle it in a very smooth and professional fashion.”

The southwest parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis required the majority of debris removal with more than 2 million cubic yards of the just over 3 million cubic yards removed in the state.

“We’ve been very busy, it’s been a choir for our staff and our contractors but it’s come to an end so we’ll be ready for the next hurricane season.”

The 2021 hurricane season begins June 1^st and for tips on how to prepare you can visit GetAGamePlan.org

The House Criminal Justice Committee will hear a bill to decriminalize prostitution in Louisiana on Tuesday. New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry said the intent of her bill is not to turn the state into a red-light district but to protect sex workers and reduce human trafficking.

“They are often subjects of violence at the hands of the police or if they suffer violence from other people in the community they often can’t get the assistance they need,” said Landry.

Landry said if their profession is no longer a crime, they could seek assistance.

However National Center of Sexual Exploitation CEO Dawn Hawkins said decriminalizing prostitution will do more harm than good for sex workers.

“There has been an increase in sex trafficking. There’s an academic study of 150 countries that show huge amounts of harm when you decriminalize or legalize prostitution,” said Hawkins.

Hawkins said it was a London School of Economics study that found decriminalization increased the sex trade and violence associated with it.

Landry said trafficking is already a crime no matter what age someone is doing something against their will along with prostitution.

“And by removing the crime from the aspect it’s much more obvious who is there against their will. And in any case, anyone under the age of 18 right now would be considered a trafficking victim, “said Landry.

Landry said it’s often sex workers that are charged with a crime and not those seeking their services.

Hawkins said the answer to protecting sex workers and victims of trafficking is to providing off-ramps for those being exploited in the commercial sex trade.

“While doing that we hold pimps, traffickers, and sex buyers accountable. We can’t decriminalize their behavior, that will only make prostitution more violent and explode sex trafficking in the area, “said Hawkins.

The committee meets at 9 am on Tuesday.

House Education approves legislation outlawing the use of corporal punishment in Louisiana public schools.

Baton Rouge Representative Barbara Freiberg, a retired educator, said children mirror the behavior they see in adults, and utilizing corporal punishment teaches kids to solve problems using violence.

“This bill certainly would help us with not perpetuating hitting as a way to resolve conflict,” said Freiberg, who was supported by New Orleans Representative Aimee Freeman who argued utilizing corporal punishment creates a culture where domestic violence is more common.

Board of Elementary and Secondary Education spokesperson Ethan Melancon told the committee BESE is strongly in favor of the bill.

36-year veteran teacher Tammy Wood spoke in support of the bill. She said if a student is acting out schools should work to find out why instead of just beating them.

“Some students may be disruptive and display behavioral problems. Rather than punish the child these problems should be identified and addressed with the support of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists,” said Wood.

Louisiana Association of School Superintendents head Michael Faulk spoke against the bill. He said this decision should be left up to districts and notes the 29 that still allow it have to follow certain corporal punishment guidelines.

“You go back to the old days when the paddles used to be very, very thick and they had holes in them so the wind could go through them and they could strike, that you would consider violence,” said Faulk. “Nowadays there is a prescribed thickness.”

In the 29 districts that allow corporal punishment parents are allowed to opt-out of it and chose other punishments instead.

The Senate approves legislation doing away with the need to obtain a permit to conceal carry in Louisiana for those over 21 on a veto-proof 27 to 11 vote.

Bill author and West Monroe Senator Jay Morris said passage would make Louisiana the 21^st state to adopt a so-called “Constitutional Carry” law.

“It is about freedom, freedom to do what you want to in this world and to be able to protect your family and your property without having to ask the government for permission,” said Morris. Morris further mentioned that those with felony records would still not be eligible to carry.

Houma Senator “Big” Mike Fesi voted in favor. He cited a recent mass shooting in Houma that he said could have been mitigated by the widespread adoption of concealed carry.

“Friday night we had five people shot in one of the clubs in Houma, if somebody would have been carrying they could have probably took the guy out now they still trying to find who it was,” said Fesi.

The legislation was also amended to make it so that any persons visiting Louisiana would be allowed to concealed carry without obtaining a permit.

Lafayette Senator Gerald Boudreaux opposed the bill. He said America has a gun problem right now and this would just make matters worse.

“You see what happens is when we continue to say everybody get a gun, it’s like the wild wild west,” said Boudreaux who noted the legislation is opposed by the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police.

New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson’s proposed amendment to rename the bill the Thoughts and Prayers Act was rejected. She said this will further increase gun violence.

“You know it is inconsistent with our values, you know it is not smart, you know it is not good for our citizens to do this, you know that in your heart,” said Peterson.

That bill now heads to the House.

However, a House committee passed another bill that would allow people in Louisiana 21 and older without felony records to carry a concealed handgun without needing a state permit or training.

Louisiana Shooting Association President Dan Zelenka supports the bill. He said getting a concealed carry permit costs up to 325 dollars and requires attendance at a nine-hour course.

“The cost of a permit in money and time disproportionately impacts economically disadvantaged populations who unfortunately often live in areas with higher crime rates, which means they have a greater need for self-defense,” said Zelenka.

This version of Constitutional Carry by Thibodaux Representative Bryan Fontenot adds one stipulation that those concealed carrying must take a 60 minute free, state-created online training course covering gun safety and concealed carry.

Moms Demand Action member Nanette Olivier spoke out against the bill. She said polling available suggests there’s no popular support for removing the permitting and training requirements to carry a concealed handgun.

“Your constituents, 73 percent, oppose what is in this bill, so I don’t know who you are representing,” said Olivier.

The committee vote was 8-4 in favor.

Governor Edwards says he will reject any legislation that hits his desk removing the permitting requirement for concealed carry. The Senate passed a version of constitutional carry came with a with a veto-proof majority.