Latest news with #Cathey
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State house bill restricting speed camera use passes with a vote of 7-5
On Monday, the Louisiana House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee approved a bill designed to limit the use of speed cameras throughout the state. Republican Senator Stewart Cathey's SB 99 was passed by the House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee on a 7-5 vote. The bill would the limit of use automated traffic enforcement devices across the state. Specifically, SB 99 would ban red light cameras statewide and limit speed enforcement cameras to designated school zones during specified hours. KNOE 8 News reported that Cathey has been working to ban automated speed cameras in Louisiana, believing that the devices are unfair to Louisiana, seeing them as a "money grab." He stated that speeding tickets issued by speed enforcement devices are also not enforceable. 'There are zero consequences to not paying a speed camera ticket," Cathey stated in the interview. "It cannot go on your credit. They cannot arrest you. They can't put a lien on anything. Cannot suspend your driver's license. There are no repercussions if you choose not to pay." Shreveport Democratic Representatives Steven Jackson, Tammy Phelps, and Joy Walters are members of the House Transportation Committee. Jackson voted to advance the bill, while Democratic Shreveport Representatives Joy Walters and Tammy Phelps voted against it. The bill has been referred to the Legislative Bureau. Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinsonand on Facebook at More: Should Louisiana ban automated speed enforcement cameras? Lawmakers to vote soon on bill This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: House bill to limit speed cameras statewide passes with 7-5 vote
CNBC
05-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Walmart plans to expand drone deliveries to three more states
Walmart is bringing drone deliveries to three more states. On Thursday, the big-box retailer said it plans to launch the speedier delivery option at 100 stores in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando and Tampa within the coming year. With the expansion, Walmart's drone deliveries will be available in a total of five states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas. Customers will request a delivery through the app of Wing, the operator who flies the drones through a deal with Walmart. The drone operator will have an up to a six-mile range from stores. Drone deliveries are one of the buzziest examples of Walmart's efforts to compete with rivals like Amazon on convenience along with low price. With more than 4,600 Walmart stores across the U.S., the retailer has used its large footprint to get online orders to customers faster. It has an Express Delivery service that drops purchases at customers' doors in as fast as 30 minutes, along with InHome, a subscription-based service, that puts items directly into people's fridges. The company began same-day prescription deliveries last fall and has expanded the service across the country. "The number one piece of feedback that we get from our customers are, 'When are you expanding?'" said Greg Cathey, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. transformation and innovation, referring to drone delivery. Cathey said shoppers using the drone service typically order urgent items, such as hamburger buns for a cookout, eggs to make brownies or Tylenol or cold medicine needed when sick. Drone deliveries take 30 minutes or less, the company said. So far, some of the most frequently delivered items include eggs, ice cream, pet food and fresh fruit, including bananas, lemons and eggs, Walmart added. Walmart stores have an assortment of over 150,000 items in a location. Over 50% of those can be delivered by drone, Cathey said. Yet the rollout of speedy deliveries across the U.S. has come with stops and starts. Three years ago, Walmart announced a plan to expand drone deliveries so it would be able to reach 4 million households across six states fulfilled from 37 stores in parts of Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah and Virginia. At the time, the company's leaders said the retailer would be able to deliver over 1 million packages by drone in a year by using those sites. The rollout never stuck. Walmart's drone delivery count so far is modest. The company did not share the specific count, but said it has racked up a total of more than 150,000 drone deliveries since 2021. Chief competitor Amazon's expansion of drone deliveries has been slow-going, too. The e-commerce giant set a goal to deliver 500 million packages by drone per year by the end of the decade through its service, Prime Air. So far, it has tested the deliveries in College Station, Texas, and Tolleson, Arizona, but it temporarily suspended service earlier this year after an abnormality with the drone's altitude sensor that required a software fix. Walmart has tested drone deliveries in Northwest Arkansas, near its hometown of Bentonville, and scaled them to reach most of the population in the Dallas-Forth Worth area. Several drone operators, including Zipline, Flytrex, DroneUp and Wing, have powered Walmart's deliveries, but the retailer has not provided the financial terms of the deals or the amount of money it has made from sales delivered by drones. Walmart said it currently has 21 live sites in Arkansas and Texas, which are operated by Wing and Zipline. Its contract with DroneUp ended last year. Kieran Shanahan, chief operating officer of Walmart U.S., said the company wants to offer "flexibility and convenience" with drones, along with speedier deliveries by van. "We see it as part of a broader ecosystem of things," he said. "And who knows what five years, 10 years time will bring as new technologies and capabilities unlock?" If customers order in the Wing app, deliveries are free. Cathey said Walmart is testing the addition of a drone delivery option within its app in the Dallas area. As part of the test, deliveries cost $19.99 or are free for members of Walmart+, the company's subscription service.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Efforts to unplug Louisiana's speed trap cameras create small-town discontent
Getty Images It looked for a moment that automated speed enforcement cameras in Louisiana might go the way of the Oldsmobile. But what was once an all-out ban on the devices now has an exception that threatens to force the proposal down a dead end. For the past two years, state lawmakers have tried to drastically scale back the use of technology that captures lead-footed drivers and red-light runners in the act and sends them tickets in the mail. While their boosters consider traffic enforcement cameras a force multiplier for manpower-strapped police departments, detractors see them as a money grab for local governments. Critics also pan the heavy burden placed on motorists who want to challenge their citations. The companies that provide speeding cameras to local police often handle fine collections and contested tickets, leaving no local avenue for appeals. 'It's taxation by citation,' Rep. Chuck Owen, R-Rosepine, said May 28 during a Louisiana House floor debate over a bill that would do away with speeding cameras everywhere but school zones. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The debate has created bipartisan fractures at the State Capitol. One side believes local jurisdictions should be able to govern themselves – and that includes the use of traffic enforcement cameras as they see fit. The other viewpoint says speeding 'scameras' make it next to impossible for drivers to challenge their tickets. 'I've got preachers' mommas calling me, telling me they're getting tickets. They didn't even know they were speeding,' Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Pineville said last week before the House approved Senate Bill 99, by Sen. Stewart Cathey, R-Monroe. Cathey brought his new proposal after authoring a law last year that established requirements for using speeding enforcement cameras in Louisiana. They include signage to let motorists know they are being monitored. Plus, cities and towns must provide a local administrative process for motorists to appeal their tickets. But because a handful of municipalities still won't follow the rules, Cathey came back this year with what he's called 'a bill with teeth.' If approved, police chiefs and municipal leaders who continue to ignore the requirements can be charged with malfeasance in office. The penalty for that crime can be up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. When Cathey's bill went before the Senate in April, Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, amended it to ban the use of the cameras everywhere but school zones. Louisiana set to spend at least $7 million to bring Saudi-owned LIV Golf to New Orleans In its current form, the legislation would not apply to red light cameras. But every other speeding enforcement camera in Louisiana would be shut down – with one notable exception. An amendment placed on the bill in the House would exclude the city of Opelousas, where sponsor Rep. Dustin Miller, a Democrat, said speed enforcement cameras allow his hometown police department to commit more officers to combatting violent crime. That exception doesn't sit well with Cathey, who's been highly critical of small-town leaders who he says refuse to follow the existing law. He's declined to name them publicly, but he hasn't held back his opinion on Opelousas' leadership. 'You know, I may just buy a billboard outside of Opelousas to let everybody know that it's the speed trap capital of Louisiana,' Cathey said in an interview Friday. Miller's amendment passed by the slimmest margin in a 47-46 vote, with the updated bill gaining approval in a 72-23 vote. In an interview after the House adjourned, Miller said his city shouldn't be penalized for the wrongful actions of other municipalities. 'They're claiming that there's, like, seven towns that's doing illegal stuff,' he said. 'Well, as far as my knowledge, Opelousas is doing it correctly. So I'm just like, allow them to still do it where they're doing it.' In an interview last week, Cathey said he lacks confidence in Opelousas Police Chief Graig LeBlanc to manage the city's speeding enforcement cameras. The senator noted LeBlanc is currently under criminal indictment for a shooting that allegedly stemmed from a love triangle. The state attorney general is prosecuting the case, in which the chief has been charged with obstruction of justice and malfeasance in office. LeBlanc and his wife, St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Deputy Crystal LeBlanc, were injured in the shooting. Calls to the police chief seeking comment were directed to the department's public information officer, who has not responded to questions about the city's camera program. Opelousas Mayor Julius Alsandor also has not responded to calls and emails. Louisiana senators trim private education vouchers, expand Medicaid budget LeBlanc and other local police leaders have appeared at the Capitol to oppose Cathey's bill, as have small town mayors who argued the legislature should respect their autonomy. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux also testified against the Cathey bill. Reggie Skains has been the volunteer, unpaid mayor of Downsville for 39 years. The town at the border of Lincoln and Union parishes has a population of less than 150 residents, yet it sees far more traffic because it's at the nexus of two state highways in north Louisiana. In the first six days Downsville deployed speeding enforcement cameras, it issued 419 tickets, the mayor said. 'This is not driving safely,' Skains told a legislative committee, stressing the cameras meet a need in his community. Roosevelt Porter is the police chief of Epps, a village of less than 400 just minutes away from the Poverty Point World Heritage Site. He said although Epps is within Cathey's Senate district, he had not heard from the senator about his bill. Speeding enforcement cameras in his village issued 3,500 tickets in their first month, but the number fell to 1,500 in the second month, Porter said. 'I could care less if this thing makes money,' the police chief told a House committee in April. 'If it slows people down, that is what's important to me.' Porter grew more emotional as he continued his testimony, shouting and coming close to tears at his conclusion. 'My town is at your mercy, but I know how this stuff works,' he said. 'Let that be your family member that comes through there and gets killed. What are you going to do then?' When Cathey's bill went before a Senate committee, Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, said the measure would have prevented the scandal that unfolded within his district last year when a West Baton Rouge Parish constable issued more than 4,000 school zone speeding tickets over a two-week period. The infractions each came with a $150 fine, but Attorney General Liz Murrill determined the constable had no authority to enforce traffic laws and had to refund what was collected. Cathey said last week he was unsure about the outlook for his bill now that an exception has been added to it. He predicted other towns and cities would seek similar exemptions. 'Currently, Opelousas is the speed camera capital of Louisiana,' the senator said. 'And if the people of Opelousas don't like it, they need to reach out to their local legislators and let them know.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Shreveport mayor speaks on La. speed camera bill
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Louisiana Senate Bill 99 was discussed Monday during the transportation committee meeting. It is authored by Senator Stewart Cathey, a Republican from the Monroe area. The bill would restrict the use of automated speed enforcement devices in the state. Cathey calls them 'speed-scam-eras' and says he feels they are unconstitutional. Cathey pointed out that when he posted on social media that he wanted them banned, his post was shared over two thousand times, which he said goes to show how much Louisianians dislike them. Louisiana projects receive Brownfields revitalization funds The bill would allow the devices in school zones only, areas where Shreveport already has them. Mayor Tom Arceneaux addressed the committee, saying, 'This has become a very effective means of changing people's behavior, and we would like the option to proceed and deal with our constituents on a local level.' Shreveport CAO Tom Dark pointed out that the city is short on police officers, and these devices can be an extension of the department's enforcement arm. If the bill passes, the city could not place more cameras outside of school zones. The bill passed out of committee and now heads to the full House for debate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
09-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Two dolls instead of 30? Toys become the latest symbol of Trump's trade war.
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The president's comments also touched a nerve with parents, both ones who took offense at the casual way he hypothesized that perhaps 'two dolls will cost a couple bucks more' and those who acknowledged their own kids have more toys than they need. Advertisement Either way, the U.S. toy industry has a lot riding on a possible deescalation of the tariff standoff between the Trump administration and the government in Beijing. Nearly 80% of the toys sold in the U.S. come from China. The Toy Association, a trade group, has lobbied for an immediate reprieve from the 145% tariff rate the president put on Chinese-made products. Some toy companies warn the likelihood of holiday shortages increases each week the tariff remains in effect. Advertisement Here's a snapshot of the doll debate and how tariffs are impacting toys: How much is the US doll market worth? From Barbie, Bratz and Cabbage Patch Kids to Adora baby dolls, American Girl and Our Generation, dolls are a big business in the U.S. as well as beloved playthings. The doll category, which includes accessories like clothes, generated U.S. sales of $2.7 billion last year compared to $2.9 billion in 2023 and $3.4 billion in 2019, according to market research firm Circana. Consumers splurged on toys during the height of the COVID pandemic to keep children and themselves occupied, but sales flattened as inflation seized the economy. Younger girls becoming more interested in buying makeup and skincare also has cooled the demand for dolls, Marshal Cohen, Circana's chief retail advisor, said. What are toy companies doing to navigate tariffs? The nation's largest toy maker, Mattel, said this week it would have to raise prices for some products sold in the U.S. to offset higher costs related to tariffs. The company, whose brands include Barbie and American Girl, said the increases were necessary even though it's speeding up the expansion of its manufacturing base outside of China. Smaller toy companies are expected to have a harder time than Mattel and Hasbro, which makes the eating, drinking and diaper-wetting Baby Alive. Cathey said he paused The Loyal Subjects' shipments from China in April because he couldn't pay the stratospheric tariff they would have incurred. 'Nobody insulates themselves with that much cash,' he said. With about four months' worth of inventory on hand, Cathey said his ability to secure holiday stock depends on a break in the U.S.-China trade standoff happening in the next two weeks since it would take time for cargo operations to resume. Advertisement Cepia, a Missouri company that was behind the 2009 holiday season hit Zhu Zhu Pets, launched a line of 11-inch fashion dolls called Decora Girlz last year. CEO James Russell Hornsby said he was working to relocate some production but the move won't happen in time to replace the orders he planned to get from China. Hornsby described himself as a Trump supporter and said he understands the administration's desire to reduce trade imbalances. 'Let's just get the deals done and stop all this because (Trump's) disrupting Christmas,' he said. What goes into making a doll? Although American Girl launched in 1986 with a line based on fictional historical characters, the dolls never were domestic products. They were made in Germany before production eventually moved to China. Toy experts say that in addition to lower costs, Chinese factories have developed techniques and expertise that are not easily replicated. 'We don't have any capacity in the U.S. to make rooted doll hair. And then you've got things like the faces. Some of them are hand-painted, others are done with a Tampo (printing) machine,' James Zahn, editor-in-chief of industry publication The Toy Book, said of doll-making. Hornsby said rooting the synthetic hair onto the heads of Decora Girlz dolls is carried out by skilled workers at factories in Guangzhou and Dongguan, China. 'It's not just sticking into a machine and it automatically does it,' he said. 'You have to know what you're doing in order to make that doll look like it's got a full set of hair when literally maybe only 60% of the head is filled with hair." Are toys from China safe? White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said last week that he assumes consumers would prefer to pay more for American-made products. Dolls made in China might have lead paint in them, he said. Advertisement Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said the picture is more complicated. Products for children ages 12 and under require third-party testing and certification from labs approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the agency tasked with enforcing lead levels in toys, Murray said. The rules apply to all products sold in the U.S. Toys by major brands such as Fisher-Price, Mattel, Hasbro and Lego, which have long outsourced manufacturing to China, are usually in compliance, she said. But the rise of online shopping, including e-commerce platforms that ship directly to U.S. consumers from overseas, has posed a challenge, according to Murray. When valued at less than $800, such parcels entered the U.S. duty-free and were not subject to the same scrutiny as bulk imports, she said. The White House eliminated the customs exemption starting May 2 for low-value parcels that originated in mainland China and Hong Kong. U.S Customs and Border Protection expects additional oversight will make it easier to flag problems. Toy companies and industry experts argue the high tariffs on Chinese imports will tempt price-sensitive shoppers to search for cheap counterfeit toys that carry higher safety risks. Can children have too many dolls? Plenty of people agree American consumer culture has gotten out of hand, in large part due to prices kept low through the labor of foreign factory workers who earn much less than they would in the U.S. Katie Walley-Wiegert, 38, a senior marketer in Richmond, Virginia, and the parent of a 2-year-old son, agrees there's too much materialism but thinks parents should have choices when deciding what is best for their children. She found the wealthy Trump's comments off-putting. Advertisement 'I think it is a small view of what purchase habits and realities are for people who buy toys for kids,' Walley-Wiegert said. San Francisco resident Elenor Mak, who founded the Jilly Bing doll company after she couldn't find an Asian American doll for her daughter, Jillian, now 5, said the president's remarks upset her because some families struggle to buy even one doll. The trade war with China 'just makes it even more impossible for those families,' Mak said.
