A 20% pay raise for State Troopers has been approved Friday by the Joint Legislative Committee. Col. Mike Edmonson says it will be be the first pay raise for State Troopers since 2002. He requested 30%. Monroe Representative Katrina Jackson agreed 20% was the right thing to do…
CUT 4 (11) Q: “a pay grid”
Some lawmakers say the process was too rushed. The vote from the House side was 24-5 and the Senate side 13-3.

US Senator David Vitter says former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason will be his guest during the State of the Union address next Tuesday in Washington. Gleason, who has ALS and has been an advocate for others living with it, announced on his Twitter page that he was meeting with the US Heath and Human Services Secretary before going to Congress to hear President Obama’s speech.

During a forum Friday with the four announced candidates for governor discussing ways Louisiana can have a better highway system, Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne says in too many cases transportation projects are funded as a political favor and that needs to stop:
CUT 15 (12) “capital outlay process”
US Senator David Vitter also spoke along with Amite Representative John Bel Edwards and Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle.

State Police say a hostage situation in Evangeline Parish turned deadly with the suspect being shot and killed by police. They say the unidentified man took his girlfriend hostage in a trailer park in Pine Prairie. Master Trooper Brooks David says victim broke out a window and screamed to the officers that she was going to be killed. David says, at that time, the hostage taker presented himself in the window…:
CUT 12 (04) “hostage taker”
The woman was rescued and received only minor injuries in the incident.