No dice: Republican state lawmakers Thursday rejected a proposal that would require many Louisiana businesses to provide paid sick leave to their workers, in a debate heightened by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The proposal by Rep. Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, was killed by the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee in a 10-5 party-line vote. Republicans voted in a bloc against the measure, saying they opposed placing a financial mandate on businesses. Read the full story.
Fewer boils: Mother’s Day weekend is usually one of the most profitable times for Louisiana crawfish producers, WAFB-TV reports. This year, however, the stay-at-home orders, which have caused many restaurants to shut down and have prevented large groups from gathering, have choked the life out of the market. Across the state, it’s estimated crawfish farmers have already lost $125 million due to the low prices and market collapse, according to LSU. Read the full story.
Ride share app: Uber lost $2.9 billion in the first quarter as its overseas investments were hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, but the company is looking to its growing food-delivery business and aggressive cost-cutting to ease the pain. The ride-hailing giant said Thursday it is offloading Jump, its bike and scooter business, to Lime, a company in which it is investing $85 million. Jump had been losing about $60 million a quarter. Read the full story.
