Louisiana Gov. Warns Tropical Storm Will ‘Affect the Entire State’
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards Melinda Deslatte / AP File Photo
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Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: Maine prepares for partial state shutdown; Florida citrus canker payouts; and West Virginia governor acquiesces on state budget.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT | Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards urged residents in his state to take the threat of Tropical Storm Cindy seriously as the storm approached the Gulf Coast on Wednesday. "This storm is going to affect the entire state," the governor said during a press conference, including inland flooding. Edwards declared a state of emergency for the entire state. [The Times Picayune / NOLA.com; Accuweather]
STATE BUDGETS | West Virginia’s budget impasse is coming to a conclusion: Gov. Jim Justice, a Democrat, announced Wednesday that he would neither sign or veto the Republican-controlled legislature’s budget, which he called a “travesty.” The governor continued: “The bottom line is just this. I’m just going to let [the budget] go into law.” [The Herald Dispatch]
Maine Gov. Paul LePage’s administration on Tuesday began to prepare for a partial state government shutdown that would begin July 1 if lawmakers can’t hammer out a budget deal. The state Legislature now has less than 10 days to finalize a roughly $7 billion budget. There’s been an impasse involving education funding and a voter-approved 3 percent tax surcharge on wealthy residents to pay for it. [Portland Press Herald]
LAW ENFORCEMENT | Two years ago, the retired professional tennis star James Blake was tackled and pinned to the ground by a New York City police officer, an incident that was caught on film by a surveillance camera. But, instead of going down a route that would result in a potentially large payout by the city, Blake has opted for a less conventional resolution—on Wednesday, city officials are expected to announce the creation of a legal fellowship in Blake’s name within the Civilian Complaint Review Board, the agency that investigates police misconduct. The fellow, a lawyer, would join the board in January and will serve for two years. That person will be responsible for outreach within neighborhoods with a high number of police complaints and will focus on educating residents about the complaint process. [The New York Times]
TRANSPORTATION | Some residents in Pierce County, Washington, where Tacoma is located, would like to see the county pull out of an arrangement to help fund billions of dollars in regional transportation upgrades. But that may not be a viable option. Most people in the county voted against a ballot measure known as Sound Transit 3 last year. But it passed in neighboring counties of Snohomish and King, which encompases Seattle. The transportation package would raise about $28 billion over 25 years from increased property and sales taxes and vehicle registration fees. The money would go toward bus and commuter rail upgrades. “Everybody is complaining about property taxes, your car tabs, the sales tax,” one resident noted. “There’s got to be some kind of loophole.” Not necessarily. “We had some people calling and writing saying, ‘Just get out of it entirely,’” Pierce County Councilman Derek Young said. “Basically, there’s just no legal mechanism for us to do so. Even if there was a discussion at the council, there’s just no way to approach it.” [The News Tribune]
LEGAL DISPUTES | Homeowners in Florida’s Broward and Lee counties are asking a court to reverse Gov. Rick Scott’s line item veto of $37.3 million to pay residents for citrus trees destroyed about a decade ago. The situation involves money state lawmakers set aside this year to compensate homeowners who lost “healthy, uninfected residential citrus trees” as part of Florida’s effort between 2000 and 2006 to eradicate a tree ailment known as citrus canker. The lawsuit the residents have filed alleges that Scott’s veto is unconstitutional because it prevents the state from making good on payments for illegal “taking” of private property. [Miami Herald]
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