Governor John Bel Edwards continues to push legislators to end the regular session early, so a special session can be called in May to address a looming one-billion dollar revenue shortfall. Edwards says without new revenues to replace expiring sales taxes, a budget can’t be passed in the regular session that adequately funds TOPS, public colleges and health care…
cut 4 (13) “…job done”

Gasoline prices held steady for the week and Triple-A fuel analyst Don Redman says the jump in prices we typically see every spring appears to be over. Redman says despite a strong demand, the statewide average for regular gasoline has been holding at $2.44
Cut 13 (06) “prices”
Redman anticipates a slight increase once the summer driving season begins.

A bill that requires instruction and display of the national motto, “In God We Trust’ in public schools passed out of the Senate Finance committee today. Don Molino has the story…
Cut 2 (28) “I’m Don Molino”

Baton Rouge Police investigators are looking for a person who shot an 18-year-old man who was allegedly breaking into cars at an apartment complex. According to the property manager, who said she saw the video, the person who shot Brice Lewis drove away. Sergeant Don Coppola says they would like to talk with the shooter…
cut 9 (09) “…they may have”

Governor Edwards tells the Senate Finance committee he wants an early end to the regular session, so a special session can be held to address a one-billion dollar revenue shortfall. But House Republican legislative leader Lance Harris says they are determining if they can pass a budget by making cuts and using savings to fill the deficit.
Cut 5 (09) “we’re in”
Legislators will get a better handle on how much money the state has to spend when the Revenue Estimating Conference meets later this week.

Former University High golfer Patrick Reed is this year’s Masters champion. Reed finished one stroke better than Rickie Fowler to win his first Green Jacket. Reed, who spent several years growing up in Baton Rouge, says it’s a dream come true…
cut 11 (10) “…Augusta national”
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An LSU survey finds that 72-percent of residents believe an elected official should resign if they are accused by multiple people of sexual harassment…
voicer 2 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The World War Two Museum in New Orleans says 100-thousand people visited the museum in March, which is a one-month record.

Governor John Bel Edwards continues to urge legislators to end the regular session early, so a special session can begin to address the loss of a billion dollars in tax revenue. Jim Shannon has more…

voicer 1 (28) “I’m Jim Shannon”

The search continues in Claiborne Parish for a missing four-year-old boy. Junior Phillips was last seen around 11:30 in the morning last Thursday. Sheriff Ken Bailey says dive teams are searching a couple of ponds in the area today. A search of a wooded area around the home has come up empty. Investigators believe the little boy wandered away from the home while outside with the mother’s boyriend.

Baton Rouge Police detectives are investigating a fatal shooting in which the person who died is suspected of breaking into vehicles at the time. Corporal Don Coppola says 18-year-old Brice Lewis died at the scene early Sunday morning
Cut 7 (07) “struck him”
According to the property manager of the apartment complex who said she saw the video, the person who shot Lewis drove away.

Former University High in Baton Rouge golfer Patrick Reed is the owner of a Green Jacket as he outlasted Rickie Fowler by one stroke to win his first Masters. In four previous trips to Augusta, Reed never had a Top 20 finish. The San Antonio native learned he needed to stick to a game plan
Cut 10 (13) “Green Jacket”
Reed takes home one-point-nine million in winnings.

Governor John Bel Edwards is continuing his pledge to end the regular legislative session early to take up fiscal matters that are pressing. Testifying in a rare Sunday meeting of the senate finance committee Edwards again urged early dismissal.

Cut 3 (:12) “that’s responsible”

Edwards says the passing of a budget that is responsible will put the state in a good posture for a while.

Republican leader Lance Harris say they have put in over-time to hear all the bills presented this session just in case of early dismissal.

Cut 5  (08) “can do that”

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An LSU survey finds 70-percent of state residents believe women face a lot or some discrimination in society and that’s a seven-percent increase from a year ago. LSU Public Policy Research Lab director, Doctor Michael Henderson, says the survey also showed that nearly three-fourths of the respondents say elected officials accused of sexual harassment or assault by multiple people should resign

Cut 9 (11)  “even higher”

The full Senate could hear arguments today on a bill that would strip local jurisdictions of the ability to mandate real estate developers set aside a certain portion of their housing as lower rentBut Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center Policy Director Maxwell Ciardullo says it’s a gross overreach of state governmental power.

Cut 13 (07)  “think of”

LSU Engineering students have built a special wheelchair, designed for cruising beaches, in response to an inspiring essay from a girl with muscular dystrophy. Cheslyn Simpson of Plaquemine loves beaches, but is wheelchair bound. Blaize Vansickel from Livingston Parish says it’s technology for a better quality of life.

If the wheelchair works, Vansickel says they hope they can have it mass produced for others, who love a trip to the beach, but are wheelchair bound. He says working on the project has been a joy.

Cut 6 (09) “their own.”

They’ve setup a GoFundMe for donations, and also accept support through the LSU Foundation under team 43.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says they have yet to find any positive results for chronic wasting disease in Louisiana. L-D-W-F was put on alert when a case was confirmed in the Mississippi Delta just five miles away from the Louisiana border. LDWF Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon says they’ve sampled 188 deer from East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parishes

Bordelon says they will continue to work with private landowners to obtain consent for sampling efforts and they are asking for the public to watch out for signs of the disease

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The full Senate could hear arguments today on a bill that would strip local jurisdictions of the ability to mandate real estate developers set aside a certain portion of their housing as lower rent. Metairie Senator Dan Martiny, the bill’s sponsor, says affordable housing initiatives should be voluntary, not mandatory.

Martiny says rent prices and housing availability should not be subject to local control.

Cut 11 (05) “them self”

He says the bill is an attempt to preempt rent reform movements that are picking up steam in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

But Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center Policy Director Maxwell Ciardullo says requiring developers to build lower cost units gives thousands of working class people the chance at finding a reasonable rent.

Cut 12 (08) “average worker”

The Senate could hear a bill that would block localities from requiring real estate developers to build lower cost housing units. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

LSU Engineering students have built a special wheelchair, designed for cruising beaches, in response to an inspiring essay from a girl with muscular dystrophy. Cheslyn Simpson of Plaquemine loves beaches, but is wheelchair bound. Blaize Vansickel from Livingston Parish says it’s technology for a better quality of life.

The project got off the ground with a contribution from an LSU donor, but since then has been mostly self-funded. Vansickel says they’re getting close to a finished product.

Cut 5  (06)  “gunna work.”

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An LSU survey finds 70-percent of state residents believe women face a lot or some discrimination in society and that’s a seven-percent increase from a year ago. LSU Public Policy Research Lab director, Doctor Michael Henderson, says most Louisiana residents agree gender inequality is a real problem in this state

Henderson believes the increase can be attributed to reports that Louisiana leads the country in gender pay inequality and the numerous accusations of sexual harassment. He says most of the victims claim they were harassed by someone they worked with

Cut 8 (06)  “work place”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says they have yet to find any positive results for chronic wasting disease in Louisiana. L-D-W-F was put on alert when a case was confirmed in the Mississippi Delta just five miles away from the Louisiana border. LDWF Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon says they’ve sampled 188 deer from East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parishes

An LSU survey finds that 72-percent of residents believe an elected official should resign if they are accused by multiple people of sexual harassment. Jeff Palermo has the story

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

LSU Engineering students have built a special wheelchair, designed for cruising beaches, in response to an inspiring essay from a girl with muscular dystrophy. Cheslyn Simpson of Plaquemine loves beaches, but is wheelchair bound. Blaize Vansickel from Livingston Parish says it’s technology for a better quality of life.

Cut 4  (12) “the beach” 

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The full Senate could hear arguments today on a bill that would strip local jurisdictions of the ability to mandate real estate developers set aside a certain portion of their housing as lower rent. Metairie Senator Dan Martiny, the bill’s sponsor, says affordable housing initiatives should be voluntary, not mandatory.

Martiny says rent prices and housing availability should not be subject to local control.

Cut 11 (05) “them self”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says they have yet to find any positive results for chronic wasting disease in Deer in Louisiana. L-D-W-F was put on alert when a case was confirmed in the Mississippi Delta just five miles away from the Louisiana border. LDWF Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon says they’ve sampled 188 deer from East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parishes

Bordelon says they hope to sample over 100 more deer in northeast Louisiana. He says C-W-D is a neurodegenerative disease and it causes irreversible brain damage and infected deer can spread the disease even before symptoms develop