CPSB supports Amendment #2
Bring Our Fair Share of Oil and Gas Tax
Revenues Home
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
The Claiborne Parish School Board passed a resolution Thursday night in support of Amendment #2, a proposed
constitutional amendment that would bring in another $2 million back to the oil
and gas producing parishes for road repair and other things. It is on the
November 2 ballot.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The passage of a revenue increase
from the state has already been impressively supported by Claiborne Parish,
however, Amendment #2 has gained support statewide.
The Claiborne Parish Police Jury
formed a committee earlier this year to educate others about the amendment and
several agencies and organizations have gone on record in support of the
amendment, including the Louisiana Municipal Association, the Louisiana Police
Jury Association and many others.
The severance tax proposed constitutional
amendment, already a Louisiana law where oil and natural gas producing parishes
pay a severance tax, was changed from the last time it went before the voters
last year.
The biggest complaint voiced was
people didn’t understand the language. So this time around, the language on the
proposal was changed. It’s also been reported that several municipalities
didn’t support it because they didn’t see any revenue from their parish
counterparts.
The severance tax, which was signed
into law in the early 1900s, is one levied on oil and natural gas companies.
They pay a tax on all natural resources they take out of the parish. In turn,
the law says the state is supposed to return 20 percent of those taxes to the
parishes from which they came to go towards road infrastructure and repairs to
roads damaged by the companies.
However, a cap is placed on how
much the parish gets back from the state. Until last year, the law stated the
parishes get back 20 percent of the taxes they paid in up to $750,000. Last year,
that cap went up to $850,000 the state returns to oil and natural gas producing
parishes.
On the November ballot in 2008,
Rep. Rick Gallot, D-Ruston, authored a proposed constitutional amendment to
increase the cap to $2.85 million, which is around 20 percent of what the state
gives back. If passed, the proposed amendment would raise the current cap to
$1.85 million, effective July 1, 2012 and would increase again in 2013 to $2.85
million with a consumer price index increase per year as well.
For example, in one year, Claiborne
Parish paid approximately $15 million in severance tax. They only received
$750,000 of the $15 million they paid in, which is a very small amount in
comparison. If the proposed constitutional amendment is passed by the voters,
parishes like Claiborne would get 20 percent back, in which using the example
above, would mean Claiborne would get back approximately $2.85 million (roughly
20 percent of $15 million).
Of that $2.85 million, if passed,
50 percent of that must go towards road infrastructure with the rest going to
the parish to do with as they see fit.
Last year, the amendment largely
failed in the following parishes along major interstates through Louisiana. Along the I-10 corridor, the amendment failed in Calcasieu, Acadia, Iberville,
West and East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Tammany parishes. It
passed in Jefferson Davis, Lafayette and St. Martin parishes.
Along the I-10 south corridor, it
failed in all parishes except LaFourche Parish. Along the I-20 corridor, it
failed in Caddo, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Rapides and St. Landry parishes. It
passed in Evangeline and Lafayette parishes.
Haynesville Mayor Sherman Brown has
always jokingly said that if this proposed amendment passes, that means his
town would get a “bigger piece of the pie.” Although the way he says it is
humorous, he is serious about supporting the proposed constitutional amendment.
The police jury went on record in
August’s meeting in support of Proposed Constitutional Amendment #2. In a press
release, the police jury voted to support the proposed amendment. They have
dubbed it the “Bring It Home,” proposal.
“If passed, it will NOT RAISE TAXES
but may BRING HOME local dollars to build and maintain roads and bridges in the
parish,” it states. “It will also provide funding for general parish services.
This “fair share” amendment is
being supported statewide by parish governments and its state board.
“I echo my fellow jurors in saying
that we are pleased to support this measure,” said Police Jury President Scott
Davidson. “It keeps local dollars local for local needs without raising one
penny in taxes.”
Other endorsements of the proposed
amendment include Gov. Bobby Jindal, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and the
Oil and Gas Commission. Also, Citizens for a Better Louisiana, Louisiana Ducks
Unlimited, the BASS Federation, Driving Louisiana Forward, and the Louisiana
Associated General Contractors have also publicly stated their support.
The proposed amendment is Act #541
which was passed by both the Louisiana House of Representatives and the
Louisiana Senate in 2009’s regular legislative session. It will be proposed
constitutional amendment #2 on November 2’s ballot.
Two airlifted after shooting
CPSO investigating shooting incident
outside of Lisbon
The Guardian-Journal
Details
remain sketchy after two people were airlifted to Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport after a man allegedly shot his wife and
then shot himself.
According
to sources at the scene, the dispute took place on a dirt road outside of Lisbon off Fowler Road Tuesday evening. Sources said it was domestic dispute where the
suspect apparently shot his wife and then shot himself.
“A man
shot his wife and then shot himself,” Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey said.
“They’ve been airlifted to LSU in Shreveport. At this point, that’s all we
really know.”
As of
press time, sheriff’s investigators were still on the scene conducting an
investigation. One victim was transported by Pafford Ambulance to Lisbon
Landing where she was airlifted by Life Air Rescue to the Shreveport hospital.
The man was airlifted straight from the scene by Pafford Air One.
Also as
of press time, both gunshot victims were still alive, but their conditions
remain unknown.
The
victims’ identities have also not yet been released.
No
other information was made available to The Guardian-Journal at this
time. Please see next week’s edition for more details.
CPSO makes arrests on outstanding
warrants
The Guardian-Journal
The
Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office rounded up a couple of men who had
outstanding warrants on them.
Raymond
Meadows, 41, of Summerfield, was arrested on two warrants after a traffic stop.
He had outstanding affidavit warrants for domestic abuse batter with a bond of
$10,000 and possession of marijuana with bond set at $1,000.
According
to a news release, these warrants were issued against Meadows in December 2006.
On October 9, Deputy Steve Harbour was on routine traffic patrol when he
observed a vehicle cross the center line of the roadway several times.
A
traffic stop was initiated and he discovered Meadows to be the driver. He was
placed under arrest and transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center
(CPDC) for booking.
Another
arrest on warrants, in a separate incident, was made on October 4. Cardaro Lane, 23, of Emerson, Ark., was arrested on outstanding warrants through CPSO.
According
to a news release, Deputy Aaron Christian observed a subject he recognized –
Lane. The deputy verified Lane’s identity and arrested him on the warrants
obtained by the sheriff’s office in March 2009.
Lane
was booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center and charged with improper
lane usage with bond set at $500, reckless operation of a vehicle with bond set
at $500, littering with bond set at $1,000, possession with intent to
distribute Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS), marijuana, with
bond set at $7,500, and flight from an officer with bond set at $500.
In
other crime news, Christian conducted a traffic stop on October 2 for defective
tail lamps and came into contact with a 16-year-old juvenile.
According
to a press release, Christian reportedly smelled the strong odor of marijuana.
Deputy
Roger Ellerbe arrived on scene to assist.
A
search of the vehicle revealed a hand rolled cigar containing a green leafy
substance under the passenger side front seat that field tested positive for
marijuana; seeds/shake on both front seats and center console; and a hulled out
cigar wrapper in the passenger side door pocket that was ready to be used.
Both
subjects were placed under arrest and advised of their rights.
The
juvenile was ticketed for no tail lamp, simple possession of marijuana and
possession of drug paraphernalia and released to his parents.
Demarlius
Gray, 17, of Homer, was transported to CPDC and charged with simple possession
of marijuana with bond set at $500.
Two residents of Lake Claiborne arrested
Webster
Parish narcotics officers picked up two Claiborne Parish residents Wednesday in
connection to a September warrant round-up in Doyline.
Tracy
R. Harp, 40, a resident on Lake Claiborne, was arrested October 6 and charged
with distribution of a CDS Schedule III (Lortab).
Kenneth
K. Harp, 48, of the same residence, was arrested October 6 and charged with
conspiracy to distribute a CDS Schedule III (Lortab).
Webster
Parish Det. Lt. Shawn Baker said warrants for the Harps’ arrests were served
Wednesday at the couple’s camper trailer on Lake Claiborne without incident.
“During
the Doyline round-up, we didn’t know where the Harps lived,” said Baker. “We
discovered they were living in a camper trailer on Lake Claiborne. On
Wednesday, with the assistance of Claiborne deputies, we served the warrants
and took them into custody at their residence.”
Both
were booked into Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.
This
story was reprinted with permission from the Minden Press-Herald.
Therapy dog for school? Maybe...
Photo courtesy of Miranda Dennis
Pictured above are Haynesville Elementary
Special Education Teacher Miranda Dennis with her dog, Carvey, a trained
therapy dog.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Haynesville
Elementary might be getting a therapy dog if it’s approved by the Claiborne
Parish School Board.
During
the board’s regular monthly meeting, Mrs. Miranda Dennis, a first and second
grade special education teacher at Haynesville Elementary, approached the
school board about the use of a therapy dog with her students.
However,
the issue was tabled until Schools Superintendent Dr. Janice Williams could do
some research regarding the legalities, insurance and liabilities of having a
therapy dog within the school system.
Coming
to Claiborne Parish from Jefferson City, Missouri, Dennis used her therapy dog,
Carvey, in the Jefferson City School District, where she was a teacher there.
Carvey is used for all sorts of therapy, which worked well in the school system
in Missouri. At Haynesville Elementary, Dennis wants to bring Carvey to school
to help with her students. Although Carvey would not be used for all the
students at the school, she said she wants to be able to use him to help her
students stay calm and use him during school instruction.
“I
won’t be using him for the entire school,” she said, “but I think he would be
useful with a small group of students.”
In Missouri, she said, children read to Carvey, which helped students raise their reading
scores. A behavioral interventionist with the Jefferson City School District said research shows that referrals and behavioral issues were also reduced
because Carvey was there.
Dennis
acquired Carvey in August 2007 from an organization that trains therapy dogs.
CARES (Canine Assistance, Rehabilitation, Education and Services, Inc., located
in Concord, Kansas, trained Carvey and Dennis had to go through 40 hours of
training with Carvey before she was allowed to take him.
CARES
trains all types of dogs including cadaver dogs, seeing eye dogs, medical and
professional therapy dogs.
Carvey
is a three and one half year old yellow lab, full of personality; however,
there have been some concerns raised in the past about the use of therapy dogs
in school.
Allergies
are a major concern due to pet dander and children who are allergic to dogs.
According to a letter from Carvey’s veterinarian, Carvey is healthy and is up
to the same health standards as a seeing eye dog or a police dog. Other
research, she said, also shows that allergies from pet dander would not be
triggered no more than if he was at home.
“If the
child is too allergic to be in the building with Carvey, then the child is too
allergic to be sitting next to ‘Johnny’ who has a pet at home,” Dennis told
school board members. “Even if the dog is not around, people still carry pet
dander on their clothing.”
However,
Dennis takes special precautions to reduce the amount of shedding from a dog
like Carvey. She brushes Carvey daily with a special brush that promotes
reduction in shedding. Carvey is also bathed once per week with special
products from the same company that makes this brush.
“We can
take measures to make sure the child does not come in contact with the dog at
school,” she said. “He’s not running around in the building all day. He’s with
me or he’s in my room.”
Another
issue raised was a child’s fear of a dog. During her research, a child psychologist
in Jefferson City, Dr. Jeff Tarrant, stated that a child who is terrified of a
dog would benefit from being around the dog to get past the fear.
If the
board approves the use of Carvey in the classroom next meeting, then Dennis
will be allowed to bring the dog to the November meeting so school board
members can meet him.
In
other school board news, an agreement with the Claiborne Parish School Board
with TAT (Temporary Authority to Teach) teachers was approved. This agreement
allows a teacher who is not certified to begin taking the required hours needed
each school year during the summer – before school starts. Each TAT teacher
must meet a certain number of required education hours to continue to receive
their TAT certificates, which are only good for one year.
“They
can start the summer and get a jump on it,” Board President William Maddox
said. “They can start working on it before they ever start teaching.
A
concern that has been raised in the past is TAT teachers working on their
certifications during school hours. Williams said it would come down to the
principals making sure these teachers are not working on their credits during
classroom hours.
“Most
of the principals are in and out of the classroom,” she said, “because I
require them to submit to me at least three informal observations per week.”
Another
action approved by the school board was one legislative policy which states a
bus operator must report any arrest for specified offenses to the school
superintendent.
According
to Mike Blackwelder, with the Claiborne Parish School Board, Act 533, which was
signed into law over the summer, said employees must report his or her arrest
for specified offenses while operating a vehicle within 24 hours of the arrest
or the first work assignment, whichever comes first.
“The
law required that this be written in the policy,” Blackwelder said. “It says
that no person can be hired to drive a bus or drive a school board owned
vehicle if they have a record of DWI, DUI, leaving the scene of an accident or other
serious motor vehicle violations.”
The
second part of the policy states that bus drivers or activity drivers who are
employed with the school board, such as driving to football games, must report
also.
“For
these employees, it’s only for when they are on the job,” Blackwelder said.
To be
clear, bus drivers and activity drivers must report the incident whether on the
job or not. For all other school board employees, it’s only when they are on
the job.
The
next school board meeting will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, November 11, at the
school board office. For questions or more information, please call their
office at 927-3502.
Homer woman wins $10,000 remodel from
Brookshire’s game
Ida Berger, of Homer, recently won a
$10,000 remodel from the Brookshire’s “Thanks A Million” online game.
Presenting her the check is Homer Store Director Brian Smith.
Brookshire’s
“Thanks a Million Online Game” has confirmed a big winner in Homer.
Ida
Berger has won a $10,000 home remodel, and Brookshire’s Store Director Brian
Smith presented the check at the store.
The
online version of the game began August 4, along with the board game, the
“Thanks a Million Collect & Win Game,” and offered more than $1,180,000 in
cash, vehicles, gift cards, cruises and iPads. When customers go to
brookshires.com, they click the online game logo and enter a unique nine-digit
alphanumeric code printed on the inside of most in-store game pieces. They are
notified instantly if they win a prize.
The
online game has had a $25,000 winner from Whitehouse, Texas, a cruise winner
from Robinson, Texas, and a $1,000 gift card winner from Kaufman, Texas, while
the board game has had a $25,000 winner from Bullard, Texas, a $10,000 home
remodel winner from Seagoville, Texas, a cruise winner from Shreveport, and
iPad winners from Gladewater and Minneola, Texas, as well as Farmerville. A
customer from Haughton has also won a $500 gift card.
It is
all part of a 15-week promotion in 119 Brookshire’s stores in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas that features a re-launch of the company’s frequent shopper card,
the Thank You Card.
“We are
excited to have these winners and encourage customers to keep playing,” said BGC CMO Rick Ellis. “There are nice prizes yet to be claimed, and customers still have two
chances to win the million-dollar grand prize.”
Other
board game prizes up for grabs currently include $50,000 cash, a Ford F-150
truck, a Ford Escape Hybrid and a Ford Mustang.
Homer Lodge #152 Fundraiser set for
Friday
The Homer Masonic Lodge #152 is having a
hamburger or hot dog plate lunch fundraiser in Homer on The Square, Friday,
October 15. A hamburger plate and chips or a 2 hotdog plate and chips for $5
may be purchased. Plates will be available from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Look for the cooking pit trailer and signs on or near The Square. Proceeds from this
fundraiser will go towards the Lodge’s charity fund for the upcoming
Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Your support is appreciated!
Early voting begins October 19
The Guardian-Journal
Early
voting will begin on Tuesday, October 19 and go through Tuesday, October 26.
Voting
hours will be from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. each day, with the office closed on
Sunday, October 24. Election Day is Tuesday, November 2.
This
ballot includes: lieutenant governor, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, 10
Constitutional Amendments, Town of Homer Selectman District 1, School Board
District 10, tax renewal of recreation district for Wards 2 and 3 and tax
renewal for the Town of Haynesville.
In the
runoff for Homer’s District 1, Linda Mozeke and Willie “Hoghead” Curry will
face off on November 2. In the Claiborne Parish School Board District 10, B.
Stewart Griffin will runoff against Billy Kirk. In Haynesville, the recreation
tax renewals are just that: renewals. Voters will be casting their ballots to
decide whether to renew existing taxes for recreation in those areas.
In the
runoff for lieutenant governor, Secretary of State Jay Dardenne (#47,
Republican) will face off with Caroline Fayard (#49, Democrat).
In the
office of U.S. Senator, several hopefuls are vying for votes including: Michael
Karlton Brown (#23, No Party), R.A. “Skip” Galan (#24, No Party), Milton Gordon
(#25, No Party), Randall Todd Hayes, (#5, Libertarian), Thomas G. “Tommy”
LaFargue (#26, Other), William Robert “Bob” Lange Jr. (#27, Other), William R.
McShan (#22, Reform), “Charlie” Melancon (#3, Democrat), Sam Houston Melton Jr.
(#28, No Party), Michael Lane “Mike” Spears (#29, No Party), David Vitter (#8
Republican), and Ernest D. Wooton (#30, Other).
In the
office of U.S. Representative, 4th Congressional District, Incumbent John
Fleming (#38, Republican) will face candidates Artis Cash (#39, Other) and
David Melville (#19, Democrat).
There
are also 10 proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot; however, the most
important one for Claiborne Parish is Proposed Amendment #2, which would make
the state return more money back to the oil and gas producing parishes from
which it came — $2 million, that is.
Each
oil and gas producing parish – including Claiborne – pays taxes to the state in
which each year the state is supposed to return 20 percent. However, that 20
percent is capped at $850,000. This means Claiborne Parish receives 20 percent
up to $850,000.
And as
severance tax advocate Gene Coleman has said for the last two years, “All we
want to do is add a little ‘2’, and make it $2.85 million we get back from the
state.”
Here’s
a look at the other nine proposals. According to the Public Affairs Research
Council of Louisiana, these proposed amendments include issues like property
taxes, property rights, severance taxes, elected officials pay, public pension
benefits, workers compensation claims and criminal trial procedure.
Here’s
what voters are looking at:
Proposed
Constitutional Amendment #1
A vote
for would require that an increase in the salary of statewide elected
officials, public service commissioners or legislators could not take effect
until the beginning of the next term after the increase was approved. A vote
against would continue to allow an increase in the salary of statewide elected
officials, public service commissioners or legislators to take effect at any
time, including during the term of the legislator who voted for the increase.
Proposed
Constitutional Amendment #3
A vote
for would give each parish governing authority the option to call an election
on whether to double the homestead exemption available to veterans with a
service connected disability rating of 100 percent and certain surviving
spouses.
A vote
against would maintain the current homestead exemption ($7,500 of assessed
value) for all homeowners and provide no additional exemption for veterans.
Proposed
Constitutional Amendment #4
A vote
for would limit the property tax millage increase (roll-up) that certain taxing
bodies, whose members are not all elected, could impose following a mandatory
millage decrease (rollback) due to reassessment. The millage adjustment could
not increase taxes more than 2.5 percent above the amount collected the
previous year.
A vote
against would continue to allow all local taxing bodies to roll a millage back
up to the previous maximum authorized rate, following a mandatory reassessment
roll-back.
Proposed
Constitutional Amendment #5
A vote
for would allow homeowners displaced by disaster to apply for a second
five-year extension on their special assessment levels and homestead exemptions
if they are unable to reoccupy their homes due to a pending appeal on damage
claims.
A vote
against would continue to allow a single five-year period in which homeowners
displaced by a disaster could reoccupy their homes before they lose their
special assessment levels and homestead exemptions.
Proposed
Constitutional Amendment #6
A vote
for would require simple majority legislative approval for changes to benefit
provisions of any public retirement system subject to legislative authority,
and would require two-thirds legislative approval when the proposed change has
an actuarial cost.
A vote
against would continue to allow certain retirement systems to change benefit
provisions for their members without legislative approval, and would continue
to allow the Legislature to increase the benefits for members of state and
statewide public retirement systems with a simple majority vote.
Proposed
Constitutional Amendment #7
A vote
for would change the bidding rules for tax sale auctions and would allow tax
collectors to charge additional penalties for the nonpayment of property taxes.
A vote
against would maintain the current bidding process and would continue to
exclude certain charges from the list of delinquent amounts that can be
recovered through a tax sale.
Proposed
Constitutional Amendment #8
A vote
for would remove the requirement that public authorities first offer
expropriated property for re-sale to its prior owner before the property can be
sold to a third party if the property was taken to remove a threat to public
health or safety and was held for 30 years or less. A vote against would
continue to grant the right of first refusal to former owners of property taken
to remove a threat to public health or safety when it has been held for 30
years or less.
Proposed
Constitutional Amendment #9
A vote
for would require that, under certain circumstances, workers’ compensation
cases be reargued before a panel of five or more appellate judges prior to the
reversal or modification of an administrative agency’s decision.
A vote
against would continue to allow administrative agency decisions in workers’
compensation claims to be reversed or modified with only a majority vote of a
panel of three appellate judges.
Proposed
Constitutional Amendment #10
A vote
for would allow criminal defendants to waive their right to a jury trial in
non-capital cases only if the waiver was made at least 45 days prior to the
beginning of trial and would provide that once the waiver was made, it could
not be revoked.
A vote
against would continue to allow criminal defendants to waive their right to a
jury trial in non-capital cases without any time restriction and would remain
silent as to whether such a waiver could later be revoked.
Claiborne DART plans vigil in memory of
abuse victims
October
is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month and Claiborne DART is making preparations for
its annual vigil.
Every
year, DART honors the memory of those who have lost their lives as a result of
domestic abuse. Also every year, at least one new silhouette is added to the
group. The silhouettes are placed on the Courthouse Square for a week. This
year, the silhouettes will be in Homer on the Square the week of October 17-23.
Claiborne
DART’s vigil will be held on Tuesday, October 19, at noon in front of the silhouettes on the Square, weather permitting. If necessary, the event will be
held in the Claiborne Parish courtroom.
This
short, but moving, ceremony celebrates the lives of the victims of domestic
abuse and remembers the sacrifices they made. Presently, there are four
children, 23 women and one man represented by silhouettes.
Mary
Ellen Gamble, rural advocate for Claiborne DART, says, “What we need to
remember is that each of these victims left behind family – mothers, fathers,
children, brothers and sisters – who will forever mourn their passing, and
whose lives have been forever changed by these shameless acts of violence. We,
as a community, need to embrace these families and let them know that we are
committed to ending domestic abuse in our community.”
Please
plan to attend the vigil on October 19. For more information or for help,
please call Mary Ellen Gamble at 927-2818. All calls are confidential and
services are free.
Claiborne students complete book for
publication
Fourth
graders from Haynesville Elementary School may be the youngest published
authors in the parish. In September they got the new school year off to a great
start by writing and illustrating a book about a caterpillar named Dumpy who
persevered and ended up amazing himself and all who knew him.
Thanks
to a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Louisiana State Arts
Council, the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, the Claiborne Jubilee made this
opportunity available for parish students.
“We
Want to be Authors” is a project implemented by artists Dee Scallan and Chris
Broussard. The process included visits from Haynesville native Dump Hatter to
the class when he told them about growing up in Haynesville during the Great
Depression. Ms. Scallan has worked with many schools through this project
whereby students create a main character and write a book about the character.
Because
Ms. Scallan has had great success with animals as characters, and since
Haynesville is the Butterfly Capital of Louisiana, the students decided their
book would be about a struggling caterpillar named “Dumpy.”
As part
of the grant each student will receive a copy of the book as will the public
library Additional copies will be available for sale through the school
office.
Cynthia
Steele, coordinator of the grant for the Claiborne Jubilee, credits the
principal and teachers from the school as well as the superintendent of schools
who all participated actively to make the experience a success for the
students.
