The debate over whether Louisiana should keep the controversial Common Core education standards in place ramps up at the state capitol today. Jeff Palermo has more…

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In a narrow vote, the state Senate advances an equal pay bill to the House. New Orleans Senator Ed Murray’s legislation would ensure that all employees receive the same pay for the same kind and quality of work. It also lays out a course of legal action if a worker is underpaid. The measure is expected to run into problems in the House Labor Committee, which killed two similar equal pay proposals this legislative session.

A new statewide Southern Media and Opinion Research poll shows Republican Senator David Vitter’s lead in the governor’s race is growing. Vitter received 38-percent in the poll followed by Democrat John Bel Edwards with 25-percent. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says Vitter would have to suffer a catastrophic melt down with his white support not to make the runoff…

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Republican Jay Dardenne finished third with 17-percent of those surveyed, while Republican Scott Angelle got five-percent.

The Attorney General’s Criminal Division Director Kurt Wall says two former St. John the Baptist Parish Water Works employees were convicted for covering up their failure to properly collect water samples from testing sites where a brain eating amoeba was found. Wall says 55-year-old Kevin Branch of LaPlace and 43-year-old Danielle Roussel of Paulina, were covering the areas where the amoeba was discovered…

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Wall says both were sentenced to one year in parish prison, with that sentence suspended, and 6 months probation.