The state department of corrections says the savings from the 2017 criminal justice reform laws has doubled previous projections. The state has already said Louisiana no longer leads the nation for its incarceration rate. Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc credits new programs to help nonviolent offenders get out of the system faster if they achieve certain benchmarks….
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The state says the savings from last year fiscal year total 12-million dollars.

Louisiana now leads the nation when it comes to student applications for federal aid to attend college. Louisiana had one of the lowest FAFSA completion rates in the nation in 2015, and Stephanie Markham with the Louisiana Department of Education says there’s now a policy requiring all graduating high schoolers to fill out financial aid forms.
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The Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge has an exhibit on editorial cartoons that’s up for public viewing through September 29th. Kevin Barnhart has the story…
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