The Louisiana Department of Health announces 30-thousand individuals have been removed from the Medicaid program, because they make too much money. LDH spokesperson Bob Johannessen says 40-thousand Medicaid enrollees were informed in February they could lose their insurance coverage, unless they could show that they still met the program’s income requirements Cut 10 (09)“…for Medicaid” Johanessen says the state has a new computer system that can conduct eligibility checks every quarter, instead of every year and it also uses more wage data… Cut 11 (06) “are eligible” Johanessen says those who lost their taxpayer funded health insurance are working adults, who have experienced a rise in income who may have recently joined the workforce, or got a small pay bump that put them just outside the qualifying level. ____________________________ The Louisiana Good Roads Association says the state should steer clear of toll roads as a way to raise more funds to build highway projects. President Kenneth Perret says toll roads have generated a lot of money in places like Houston, but only because that city has a large population. Cut 6 (10) “…in it” He says unlike in Florida and Texas, Louisiana generally only has rush hour periods of intense traffic volume, which leads to underwhelming toll collections that would likely scare away potential investors, or the state which would hope to recoup the cost. The arraignment hearing of the five arrested in connection with the murder of Chandler Erskine and attempted murder of another in Oak Grove in January took place today. Of those, Wesley Freeman and James Turner were each charged with one count of First Degree Murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of armed robbery with a dangerous weapon. Both pleaded not guilty. The trial is set for October.