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BRYAN, Ohio — Spangler Candy Company, the family- owned and operated confectionery manufacturer, announced that Sweet-hearts Candies are returning for Valentine’s Day with new sayings inspired by the celebrated love songs from each generation alongside the familiar sayings like “BE MINE,” “HUG ME” and “CUTIE PIE.”
With an aim to start the Valentine’s Day season on a high note, 21 songs spanning the decades served as inspiration for the surprise mix of sayings featured on this year’s iconic, heart-shaped candies, the Spangler news release states. The new sayings include “AT LAST,” “SUGAR SUGAR,” “I’M YOURS” and “LUVME TENDR,” and bring to mind some of the best-loved songs and artists over the last seven decades from 1950’s classics to instantly recognizable, present day hits.
“There have been hundreds of sayings featured on Sweethearts Candies over the years, but after a year unlike any other, we knew we wanted to add a high note to the season,” said Diana Eschhofen, Spangler Candy’s director, corporate communications. “Opening or exchanging a box of Sweethearts uniquely encourages connection in a way that sparks feelings of cheer, happiness and nostalgia. With this in mind, we came up with the idea to create sayings inspired by our favorite heart-themed songs over the decades, because what better way to bring a smile to someone’s face than being reminded of a melody.”
With a history of being traded amongst friends, family and loved ones since 1902, the new sayings also serve as a tribute to each generation that has enjoyed Sweethearts Candies.
“It’s been a beloved tradition in Sweethearts Candies history to bring new and exciting sayings to consumers each year. As the new owner of this classic brand, we’re committed — and excited — to continue this moving forward,” said Eschhofen.
Available for purchase in single boxes or in five-count packs, the candies will feature the original Sweethearts Candies colors and flavors including wintergreen, orange, lemon, blue raspberry, banana, grape and cherry.
In 2018, Sweethearts Candies was acquired by Spangler Candy, which has been a part of America’s candy culture and heritage for well over 100 years. In 2020, Spangler was able to return Sweethearts to store shelves after a major effort to relocate equipment, find the original recipe and bring back the classic colors, texture and taste of Sweethearts Candies to generations of fans.

The Sheriff's Office posted this Facebook photo at 10 a.m., when traffic on both La. 182 and U.S. 90 was backed up while state workers inspected the old bridge. An 18-wheeler struck the cross beam on the Berwick approach to the La. 182 bridge late Tuesday afternoon, leading officials to close the bridge for inspection and possible repair.

Sheriff's Office Photo

Legislative leaders aren’t suffering the same kind of anxiety as they did last year while waiting on Congress to approve COVID-19 relief dollars, but they’re counting on the federal money all the same.  
“We’re definitely in better shape,” said Senate President Page Cortez, “but we could surely use it to shore up the budget. The 2022-2023 fiscal year is when we will need to have the economy moving again without the helping hand of the federal government.”
The Revenue Estimating Conference has approved a revenue increase of $292 million for the current fiscal year and a decrease of $229 million for the next. So there’s no doubting lawmakers will be up against it when the regular session convenes April 12 and work begins in earnest on the 2021-2022 budget. 
Cortez said he’s hopeful that Congress will craft a relief package that allows for more pliable spending by the states and local governments in terms of lost revenue. The Senate president, though, is concerned about the timing of a potential relief package.
The administration of President Joe Biden is developing legislation that could reportedly be passed as early as next month, but that sounds overly optimistic as Republicans dig in to oppose the $1.9 trillion price tag and Democrats continue to push for an impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump.   
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has planned a impeachment trial to begin the week of Feb. 8, which is a cause for concern for many officials around the country who are more interested in relief legislation. 
“They may not even hammer out a package if they’re still moving forward with an impeachment trial,” Cortez said, looking ahead to February in Washington. “They could get a lot of their attention diverted. I hope that isn’t the case, and that they focus on COVID-related issues and helping the states.”
Cortez added that the Louisiana Legislature is ready for a potential delay in coronavirus relief dollars. “My hope is that we could get it in the regular session, but we’re fully prepared and I have spoken with the speaker about a special session to deal with any federal dollars that come down later. If we don’t get the COVID-related federal dollars in time enough to plug them into the budget, then we’re probably looking at coming back, whether it be late June or July, to deal with those dollars.” 
No matter what happens, another special session will have to be called later this year to address the decennial redistricting task. Cortez said he’s still awaiting further guidance from the federal government, but assumes data sets will be sent to the Legislature as early as April, which is later than usual. “Speaking off the cuff, that could mean a redistricting session in September or October,” the Senate president said.
As for the regular session, lawmakers will be taking a long, difficult look at taxes while they’re either waiting on coronavirus relief money or deciding how to spend it all. The Senate’s chief revenue committee intends to present a tax reform package for consideration and, as reported in this space previously, members of the House Ways and Means Committee have been developing a package of bills as well.
Not yet known are specific details of what exactly will be in the packages and what kind of synergy might exist between them. For his part, Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Chairman Bret Allain is working a “compete tax reform package,” according to Cortez.
“I will be supportive of that,” Cortez added. “We want to have a complete package, and not have a cafeteria plan. I think [Sen. Allain] is going to attempt to present to his committee at the beginning of the session a package of bills to change the way we tax, and keep it as much as possible revenue neutral.”
Cortez will also once again introduce proposals to address the state’s unemployment trust fund, which has struggled under the weight of the recent economic downturn. The best bet for lawmakers, he said, may be to “buy another year” by once again enacting temporarily laws to in part halt the triggering of the related business tax as the fund is replenished through normal means.
So far $140 million has been borrowed from the federal government to help pay Louisiana’s unemployment claims. Cortez said that will have to be part of the larger conversation, although he and many other are hopeful Congress will find a way to address that as well. For now, state officials wait.
For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on Twitter@ LaPolitsNow.follow Alford on Twitter@LaPoliticsNow.

A proposal to simplify how Louisiana taxes oil and gas has drawn opposition from industry groups who say the changes could hurt natural gas producers.
Louisiana’s severance tax on oil – the amount the state charges on oil extracted in the state – is 12.5 percent. That rate is higher than any other state except Alaska and triple the rate charged for natural gas, though when all taxes on oil are taken into account Louisiana is in the “middle of the pack,” said Greg Upton with the LSU Center for Energy Studies.
Several lawmakers have said they would like to lower the severance tax rate but don’t want to harm state finances by doing so. Upton on Tuesday told a legislative committee that state government could slash oil severance taxes while bringing in about the same amount of money by eliminating tax breaks and equalizing taxation on oil and natural gas.
Under the proposal Upton presented, state tax breaks for drilling certain types of wells would be phased out, including one for horizontal drilling widely used in Louisiana’s highly productive Haynesville Shale natural gas play. Severance taxes for oil would be lowered to 6 percent, while the severance tax rate on natural gas would go up from 4 percent to 6 percent.
Upton also suggests taxing oil by volume rather than value, as is already the case with natural gas, which he said would be simpler for producers and state regulators. He said industry and state government stakeholders told him his proposal, crafted at lawmakers’ request, would make a lot of sense if the state was starting from scratch. But when asking anyone to pay more, which happens in any revenue-neutral tax overhaul, politics can make change difficult.
Upton said he did not believe the horizontal well tax exemption was necessary to spur production in Haynesville.
“Taxes are not the large driver of why people drill in one area relative to another” compared to geology and access to markets, he said. “It’s my opinion that having a more simple, broad-based low-rate system is going to be just fine for having activity into the future.”
Mike Moncla, interim president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, said he didn’t want to hurt the natural gas sector to help oil producers. He said Haynesville is the most productive natural gas play in the nation and is the only shale play in the country to add rigs over the past year, representing a rare bright spot for the state’s energy sector.
Tyler Gray, president and general counsel with the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, said Louisiana currently ranks a distant third behind Texas and Pennsylvania for natural gas production.
More than 70% of Louisiana’s natural gas goes to industrial facilities that benefit from low prices, he said.
Gray said natural gas also has environmental benefits, producing half the carbon emissions of coal when used to generate electricity, which is important to the new federal administration.
“Let’s leave gas where it is,” Gray said. “There’s a true opportunity around natural gas.”
But state Sen. Bret Allain, the Franklin Republican who chairs the Senate’s Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee, suggested change is coming one way or another.
“If you don’t like this proposal, come up with one of your own,” he said.