Senate President John Alario says the upper chamber is committed to fully funding the TOPS program in the budget, but they do not support a House bill that raises the GPA requirement to 2.75. Alario says too many students rely on TOPS.
Cut 11 (10) “for us”
The Senate Finance committee is currently examing the budget and is expected to make changes to it, shuffling money around that will differ from what the House passed.

State Police say three young adults from St. Amant were killed when their vehicle veered off the road, went airborne, striking a tree and splitting in half. All three victims were found outside the vehicle. State Police Trooper Bryan Lee says there’s still a lot of questions…
cut 8 (09) “….a factor”
A family member of one of the victims found the dead bodies last night.

The full House has approved a measure that would require higher training standards for police officers. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James bill would require officers to receive at least 400 hours of basic POST training before entering the field.
Cut 12 (10) “the 400 hours”
James says he’s worked with law enforcement to come up with the best practices to prepare officers for work in the field.

Boating season is ramping up, which is why Safe Boating Week starts tomorrow. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson Adam Einck encourages boaters to make sure they have the proper safety equipment, including life jackets and a fire extinguisher. He says it’s important to stay safe on the water or it could cost you your life.
Cut 4 (07) “boating fatalities” 2x