Metairie Senator Conrad Appel has written a letter to Higher Education Commissioner Joseph Rallo calling on the Board of Regents to construct a plan for organization reform. Appel says additional money isn’t going to fall from the sky and He says it’s the job of the Board of Regents to plan the big picture strategy and figure out what actions need to be taken.
Cut 11 (08) “not realistic”

The first independent poll on the 2016 US Senate race has Republican State Treasurer John Kennedy as the favorite. In the Southern Media and Opinion Research Survey of 500 likely Louisiana voters, John Kennedy received 22% of the vote in a race that already has five announced candidates. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says a loaded ballot will hurt candidates with low-name recognition…
CUT 5 (07) “to many choices”

The House Ways and Means Committee started hearing multiple tax bills today that would raise revenue to close the budget deficit. One of the measures would increase the state sales tax on a pack of cigarettes by 22-cents to $1.08 per pack. Bill Shepherd, owner of Churchpoint Wholesale, is against raising the tax on a pack of cigarettes. He says if this bill passes Louisiana smokers could save 73-cents per pack by purchasing cigarettes in Mississippi. Louisiana would then collect less revenue.
cut 13 (10) “the internet”

Louisiana Tech University has announced plans to demolish Wyly Tower and Prescott Memorial Library, but LA Tech spokesperson Dave Guerin says this demolition will not happen any time soon….
CUT 7 (09) “university center”

Guerin says for the time being, Wyly Tower will likely remain in use for at least a couple more years.