WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• State lawmakers kill law requiring equal pay for men, women

  May 15, 2013 8:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Lawmakers rejected a law that would prohibit some employers from paying women less than men doing the same job. Sen. Edwin Murray's "Equal Pay for Women Act" was killed by one vote. Nineteen senators voted for it and 18 against; 20 votes are needed to pass. ... more »

• Labor probe finds more than $73K due to employees

  March 27, 2013 7:46 AM

  HOUMA - An electrical company has paid more than $73,000 in back wages to 15 current and former employees following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor. The department found that Eagle Electric Inc. failed to pay employees prevailing wage rates, overtime and fringe benefits for work on a... more »

• Miles gets pay raise

  February 1, 2013 3:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The LSU Board of Supervisors signed-off on a pay raise for the school's head football coach, Les Miles. Sports 2 Director Michael Cauble Tweeted that there were "no questions, no opposition" to the increase. Miles received a $549,000 annual pay raise. The change bumps his salary... more »

• Board to decide on Les Miles contract extension

  January 24, 2013 10:51 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A pay increase and extension for LSU head football coach Les Miles' contract will go before the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 1, according to the university. LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said the amendment to the contract was agreed upon in December, increasing his annual... more »

• Donaldsonville employees get pay raise

  January 11, 2013 6:54 AM

  DONALDSONVILLE - Full-time Donaldsonville city employees are getting their first pay raise in five years. City officials said workers will receive a 3.5 percent across-the-board raise, with the remaining pay boosts awarded based on merit at Mayor Leroy Sullivan Sr.'s discretion. Funding for the $74,530 in raises will... more »

• Minimum wage gap grows wider between states

  December 31, 2012 2:20 PM

  OLYMPIA, Wash.- Hundreds of thousands of workers are set to get a pay raise to start 2013, as 10 states increase their minimum wage. Washington state will again lead the way Tuesday, raising its starting salary to $9.19 an hour. Washington was first to adopt automatic adjustments in 1998 to... more »

• NO likely to cap emergency OT pay

  December 18, 2012 10:46 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Civil Service Commission is considering new rules that would limit extra pay for city officials during hurricanes and other emergencies. It's a move that comes after a dozen of Mayor Mitch Landrieu's top lieutenants accrued more than $10,000 apiece in emergency bonuses during... more »

• Appeal court: teacher furlough day illegal

  November 15, 2012 3:51 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A state appeal court says that the Jefferson Parish Public School System illegally cut teachers' pay by imposing an unpaid day of leave for every teacher in the district. The Jefferson Federation of Teachers sued the school board after it ordered the furlough. District Judge Steve Windhorst... more »

• Kennedy opposes $50,000 pay raise for Citizens CEO

  November 9, 2012 11:44 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Treasurer John Kennedy is urging rejection of a proposed $50,000 pay raise for the top executive of Louisiana's state-run property insurance company. Kennedy said Friday that he's hoping Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon will refuse to sign off on the raise for Richard Robertson, CEO of the Louisiana... more »

• Locked-out players getting escrow checks

  October 31, 2012 10:47 AM

  TORONTO - Locked-out NHL players are expected to get back last season's escrow payment on Wednesday. That's what a union spokesman says. Players are set to be given 7.98 percent of what they earned last year, plus interest, on the day they were to have received their second paycheck of... more »

• Donaldsonville approves employee raises

  September 28, 2012 10:10 AM

  DONALDSONVILLE - The Donaldsonville City Council has approved a plan that would give municipal employees a pay raise for the first time in five years. However, councilmen altered a proposed plan by the city administration to do so, choosing a merit-based system rather than an across-the-board increase. Finance... more »

• Obama extends federal pay freeze

  August 22, 2012 7:48 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is extending a two-year pay freeze for federal employees until at least next spring. The freeze will stay in effect until a spending plan is passed, but the presidential campaign makes it unlikely that will happen before the start of fiscal 2013 on Oct.... more »

• Lawyer defending voucher program to get up to $50K

  July 18, 2012 4:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The attorney general's office will pay up to $50,000 to Gov. Bobby Jindal's former executive counsel to defend the governor's signature education revamp in court. Amanda Larkins, spokeswoman for Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, said Tuesday that the contract with lawyer Jimmy Faircloth hasn't been completed. But she... more »

• Local church helping area teens find jobs

  June 29, 2012 9:58 AM

  BATON ROUGE- With the help of a local church, area teens are finding summer jobs. Elm Grove Baptist Church is placing teens with businesses, and reimbursing them for their work. Coming up at 6 p.m., News 2's Adrian Pittman, shows you why the church is getting involved, and... more »

• Livi Parish pres. given deadline to pay contractor Play Video

  June 22, 2012 5:56 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS- The Livingston Parish Council told President Layton Ricks to pay contractor C-Del, despite objections from some. It is part of ongoing controversy concerning debris removal after Hurricane Gustav in 2008. C-Del owner Corey Delahoussaye was the environmental consultant for former President Mike Grimmer. The parish delayed paying... more »

• Last day to pay off fines before BR jail opens

  June 15, 2012 9:41 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Today is the last day people in Baton Rouge can pay off misdemeanor fines and outstanding tickets before the city jail re-opens, and people who haven't could be arrested. Starting Monday, people found with outstanding misdemeanor warrants could wind up behind bars as part of an... more »

• LSU Supervisors to discuss coaching contracts, pay raises

  June 5, 2012 12:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The LSU Board of Supervisors is set to discuss numerous pay increases for assistant football coaches along with the approval of new Men's Basketball Coach Johnny Jones' contract at their monthly meeting on Friday. Jones' contract runs from April 14, 2012 through June 30, 2017 earning... more »

• Some parents opting to homeschool their children Play Video

  May 9, 2012 5:50 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Due to frustrations with t Louisiana's public school system, dozens of parents in Baton Rouge have decided to home school their children. But the parents we spoke to aren't home schooling their children on their own, but instead paying someone else to do it. Terri... more »

• Deal for crime "interceptors" gets backing from BR Metro Council

  April 25, 2012 9:50 PM

  BATON ROUGE- City leaders decided to fund the development of a new crime fighting tactic called "Cease Fire." Metro Council signed-off on the plan Wednesday night. The project pays people to step into troubling situations hopefully to stop violence before anything bad happens. more »

• Ascension council proposes pay increase

  April 20, 2012 7:12 AM

  GONZALES - Ascension Parish Council members have taken the first step toward giving themselves a 33 percent pay increase, boosting their pre-tax salaries from $1,200 to $1,600 per month. The council introduced the increase on a 7-3 vote Thursday. The proposal will be set for a public hearing and possible... more »

• State employees could get pay raises next year

  March 9, 2012 6:26 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration has opened the door for pay raises for some state employees in the next fiscal year. Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater says agencies aren't getting money to pay for salary boosts, but they can give raises if they can find savings in their... more »

• White House helps pay for NYPD Muslim surveillance

  February 27, 2012 7:54 AM

  WASHINGTON - Millions of dollars in White House money is helping pay for New York Police Department programs that put entire American Muslim neighborhoods under surveillance. The money is part of a little-known grant intended to help law enforcement fight drug crimes. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush... more »

• Murdoch company to pay hacking damages in 36 cases

  January 19, 2012 6:38 AM

  LONDON (AP) - Rupert Murdoch's media company has agreed to pay damages to 36 high-profile victims of tabloid phone-hacking, including actor Jude Law, soccer player Ashley Cole and former British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. They are among dozens of people who were suing News Group Newspapers after their mobile... more »

• Panel recommends pay raises for Louisiana judges

  December 14, 2011 2:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La.- A panel studying pay for Louisiana judges says lawmakers should bump up judges' salaries for the next two years, to get them to the average paid to judges across the South. The Judicial Compensation Commission voted Wednesday for the proposal, which would need backing from the Legislature... more »

• Sandusky jailed after he is unable to pay bail

  December 7, 2011 2:58 PM

  STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Jerry Sandusky has been taken to a Pennsylvania county jail after being unable to post $250,000 bail in cash. The former Penn State assistant coach was jailed Wednesday after a brief court hearing. Sandusky faces new charges based on the testimony of two new accusers,... more »

• Sandusky ordered to pay $250K bond on new charges

  December 7, 2011 2:21 PM

  STATE COLLEGE, Pa.- A judge has ordered Jerry Sandusky jailed unless he can pay $250,000 bail on the latest child sex abuse charges against him. Senior Magisterial District Judge Robert E. Scott also said Wednesday that if Sandusky posts bail, he must submit to electronic monitoring. It was not immediately... more »

• Council votes "no" on disgraced mayor's vacation pay

  September 14, 2011 6:24 PM

  PORT ALLEN - City council members voted tonight not to pay former Port Allen mayor Derek Lewis for back vacation time he claims he never took. The vote at tonight's council meeting was 3 to 2 not to pay Lewis around $19,000 he said he was owed for the... more »

• Former Port Allen mayor defends request for back-vacation pay

  September 7, 2011 11:00 PM

  PORT ALLEN- The former mayor of a West Baton Rouge city was combative Wednesday night as he talked with council members about paying him unused vacation time. Derek Lewis resigned as mayor of Port Allen in June, then pleaded guilty to corruption charges in federal court. He says... more »

• Audit: Town must pay the state

  July 24, 2011 10:35 AM

  WASHINGTON, La.- An audit suggests the town of Washington owes state government $222,130 from speeding tickets issued by police officers on Interstate 49. State law requires fines collected by local law enforcement from motorists exceeding the speed limit by less than 10 miles per hour on an interstate highway... more »

• Proposal to cut legislative travel, pay scrapped

  June 2, 2011 5:06 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers in the state House bristled at a proposal that would cut their travel and expense allowances, to shrink the legislative budget as other state agencies have been cut. Republican Rep. Mack "Bodi" White offered the idea Thursday as the House considered the $89 million spending... more »

• Louisiana congressional delegates say no budget, no pay

  April 8, 2011 9:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A possible government shutdown means many federal workers won't get paid because they won't be able to work during a shutdown. But Congress, and the president, still get their pay checks. All three of our local Washington delegates say they're giving up their pay if the... more »

• Some state employees now on third year without raises

  April 6, 2011 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The Louisiana Civil Service Commission has approved a plan to block merit raises for about 60 thousand state employees. It will be the third year without a merit increase for about one-third of those workers, whose departments asked to have their raises suspended two years ago. ... more »

• Ex-Auburn players allege money received from boosters

  March 30, 2011 2:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Four former Auburn players have told HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" that they received thousands of dollars while being recruited by or playing for the Tigers, including at least one instance at LSU. Stanley McClover, Troy Reddick, Chaz Ramsey and Raven Gray made the allegations... more »

• Political candidates owe nearly $1 million in fines

  February 7, 2011 5:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Reports show political candidates owe nearly $1 million in fines for ethics violations, according to the Louisiana Ethics Board. Some current elected officials like Port Allen Mayor Derek Lewis are on the list. He did not respond to calls about the status of the $6,000 the report... more »

• Officials boycott high school games

  February 1, 2011 5:50 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Labor disputes have become a common problem in professional sports, but now many areas of Louisiana are dealing with one involving high school basketball. High school referees want to be paid more than the $30 to $40 a game they make now, and associations in Hammond,... more »

• Citing deficit, Obama freezing federal worker pay

  November 29, 2010 11:18 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has announced a two-year pay freeze for federal employees, saying the step is necessary to help bring the federal deficit under control. The freeze would apply to all civilian federal employees but would exclude military personnel. Obama says the sacrifices of limiting government spending must... more »

• Failure to pay tickets in Zachary could lead to jail time

  November 1, 2010 6:28 PM

  ZACHARY - Failing to pay a ticket in Zachary could put you behind bars. Authorities there have initiated a crime crackdown, and those with outstanding warrants will pay the price. The initiative is a joint effort by Police Chief John Herty and City Court Judge Lonny Myles to... more »

• Louisiana getting $85 million in teacher incentives

  September 23, 2010 4:36 PM

  Several education groups in Louisiana will share more than $85 million in the first round of teacher incentives awarded by the federal government. The U. S. Department of Education announced today that $442 million would be going to schools across the country to create merit pay programs for teachers and... more »

• Millions in merit pay awarded to schools

  September 23, 2010 2:08 PM

  The Education Department is giving school districts and nonprofit organizations from across the country $442 million to create merit pay programs for teachers and principals. The Teacher Incentive Fund is aimed at attracting and rewarding quality educators and encouraging them to work in the country's highest need schools. The programs... more »

• Community is happy about jobs, pay Nucor will provide

  September 15, 2010 9:35 PM

  Nucor is coming to Louisiana, and it could be the biggest job-generating announcement in years for the state. It means hundreds of jobs in St. James Parish next year, when Nucor will begin construction on a steel mill. It will be built in phases near Convent, and Nucor could spend... more »

• Zachary hires firm for pay study

  August 30, 2010 5:42 PM

  Zachary Mayor Henry Martinez said an Atlanta-based consulting firm is analyzing the pay scale for all city employees. The report follows a city police request for a pay raise and should take about four or five months to complete. The department's plan would have increased pay by 15 percent... more »

• No Moonlight Acropolis Opening in Greece

  August 20, 2010 7:57 PM

  The Acroplois, the most popular anciet site in Greece, will not open to the light of the August full moon next week because of a pay dispute with guards. Its the one night in the year the public can enter 92 sites and monuments after sundown. The culture and tourism... more »

• Search for new ULM president could be costly

  July 27, 2010 8:39 AM

  The University of Louisiana at Monroe and the University of Louisiana System can expect to pay between $90,000 and $140,000 to find outgoing ULM President James Cofer's successor. The system and the school don't have a specific budget in place for the presidential search, but the components of each presidential... more »

• BP CEO visits Azerbaijan amid talk of asset sales

  July 6, 2010 8:42 AM

  BP's Chief Executive Tony Hayward is visiting oil-rich Azerbaijan amid speculation the company may sell assets to help pay for the oil spill clean-up. The one-day visit comes a week after Hayward traveled to Moscow to reassure Russia that the British energy company is committed to investments there. more »

• Spirit Airlines make a deal to end pilots' strike

  June 17, 2010 6:18 AM

  The union for striking pilots at Spirit Airlines says it has reached a tentative agreement with the airline. The vice chairman of the pilots' union says they're still working out the details of when pilots will return to flying, but they're aiming to do it as soon as possible. Spirit... more »

• State worker pay change approved

  December 9, 2009 1:13 PM

  The Louisiana Civil Service Commission has officially signed off on a new pay plan for most state employees. The plan involves a three to six percent pay raise based on employees' job performance. Most workers have been receiving an almost automatic, four percent merit raise in recent years. ... more »

• Civil Service panel meets on pay plan

  December 7, 2009 6:43 AM

  The state Civil Service Commission meets Tuesday to discuss a proposal that affects the future pay of about 61,000 rank-and-file Louisiana government employees. The seven-member commission could vote as early as Wednesday on its staff's recommendation to end the 4 percent annual pay raise received by nearly all classified state... more »

• Pay increases for Louisiana legislators

  October 20, 2009 5:48 AM

  Louisiana lawmakers received an automatic $1,190 increase in their annual pay starting this month. The amount lawmakers receive each day they are in a legislative session, attend interim committee meetings, or participate in other legislative meetings grew from $145 to $159 per day. The change will push average pay for... more »