The TOPS Scholarship is no longer guaranteed to cover a student’s full tuition starting in the fall of 2017, as Governor Edwards has signed a bill into law that decouples the award amount from tuition increases. Jeff Palermo has more…
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Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana released two billboards to encourage people to call their legislators to vote in favor of expanding access to medical marijuana. Michelle Southern has more…
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”
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Authorities say a Prairieville woman has been arrested after her child ate methamphetamine. Gonzales police Sgt. Steven Nethken says 21-year-old Tyler Dauzat took her 2-year-old to the hospital when the child began exhibiting “erratic behavior.” Nethken says Dauzat was staying in a local hotel, when she left her child alone with her purse.
Nethken says the mother was at first evasive in answering questions at the hospital, but a blood screen of the toddler showed meth in her system.
CUT 4 (10) “the methamphetamine”
Nethken says the child was stabilized and taken to a Baton Rouge Pediatric Center. He says Dauzat was subsequently arrested.
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Governor Edwards signs into law a bill that means the TOPS scholarship is no longer guaranteed to cover the full cost of a student’s tuition, starting in the fall of 2017. The bill locks in the amount of a TOPS scholarship at next year’s amount, and the award will not automatically increase, even if tuition costs go up. Executive Director of the Taylor Foundation, Dr. James Callier, says tuition increases have hurt the scholarship program.
If tuition costs continue to rise, students will have to pay more of their tuition, unless the legislature agrees to increase TOPS payments. Mandeville Senator Jack Donahue says this bill won’t solve all of the TOPS funding issues, but it’s a start.
Donahue says TOPS has been beneficial to Louisiana students, and the program needs to be preserved for future students as well.
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Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana has launched billboards in Baton Rouge and Shreveport in hopes to encourage people to contact their legislators to vote in favor of legislation that would expand access to medical marijuana. SMPL spokesperson Jacob Irving says if you don’t make an effort, lawmakers will assume you don’t care.
The Louisiana Sheriff’s Association opposes broadening the access to medical marijuana because they believe it will lead to the legalization on recreational pot. Katie Corkern is featured on the billboard and is mom to Connor, who has a seizure disorder. She says Connor is on six FDA approved medications that do not control his seizures and cause horrific side effects that are withering his body away.
President of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of South Louisiana and father to John, a child suffering from Crohn’s disease, Alan Pesch says the medicine John is currently taking can cause a rare form of cancer. He hopes this legislation will pass and allow people from other states to come to Louisiana to receive medical marijuana.
The bill that would add more medical conditions that could utilize medical marijuana is expected to be debated on the House floor tomorrow.
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The yearbook from West Monroe’s Good Hope Middle School is full of smiling children, and one very special furry friend. Presley, a service dog, got her own headshot in the yearbook next to her owner, 14-year-old Joseph “Seph” Ware, who has muscular dystrophy. Sonya Hogg is the yearbook advisor at Good Hope, and she says the 5-year-old golden doodle got her picture because to everyone at the school, Presley is just another student.
Hogg says Presley follows the schedule and sits in class just like all the other students. She says Presley even signed the kids’ yearbooks, with a little help from Seph.
Presley’s yearbook debut is making headlines across the country, but Hogg says it was a natural decision to include her. She says the purpose of the yearbook is for kids to look back years later and remember their time at the school.
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An attack on a member of law enforcement, firefighters or EMS would be considered a hate crime under a measure headed to the Senate floor. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris says the hate crime law currently covers violence against people because of their race, gender, religion, age, disability or nationality — and this bill expands that…:
There was little discussion on the bill in Senate committee and there was no objection. Some have expressed concern about opening up the hate crime law to occupations, and say the measure is not necessary. But Harris says we need to add additional protections for those assigned to protect and serve…:
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