A recent Southern Media and Opinion Research poll shows that voters approve of a series of revenue generating bills the House passed to cover state’s $1.6 billion budget deficit. Scott Carwile reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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A bill that would ban someone from getting an abortion based on sex selection is scheduled for debate on the House Floor today. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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The state house approves a bill that would let some motorists get an inspection sticker every five years. Jeff Palermo reports…:

Cut 3 (29) “reporting”

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A recent Southern Media and Opinion Research poll shows that voters approve of a series of revenue generating bills the House passed to cover state’s $1.6 billion budget deficit. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says 67-percent of respondents want to see the state raise revenue from several different sources to deal with the budget crisis…

cut 4  (06)  “to this poll”

The poll indicates that only 17-percent of voters would be okay with the budget balanced through deep cuts in funding or laying off state employees. Pinsonat says this survey shows the House is on the right track in dealing with the budget…

Cut 5  (11)  “Louisiana voters”

He says it’s clear voters want to see lawmakers generate additional funds rather than slash funding to higher ed, health care, and other state programs to balance the budget. Pinsonat says the budget situation comes down to one thing…

Cut 6 (10)  “are predicting”

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A bill that would ban someone from getting an abortion based on sex selection is scheduled for debate on the House Floor today. The measure by Houma Rep. Lenar Whitney made it out of committee without objection. Shivana Jorawar is a pro-choice and gender equality activist. She says this bill is not about gender selection it’s about banning abortions..:

CUT 7 (11)  “anti-choice”

Louisiana Right to Life says the use of abortion as a means of sex selection is a major social problem in a number of Asian countries where male children are widely preferred over females. Jorawar  calls this measure a rouse to confuse people into passing something that is bad for women…:

Cut 8  (12)  “next” 

Jorawar says sex selection abortion and a preference for sons is a problem in India and China, but it’s not happening in any widespread fashion in the United States…:

Cut 9 (08)  “abortion restriction”

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The state house approves a bill that would let some motorists get an inspection sticker every five years. Currently the brake tags are $10 a year and drivers can get either a one or two year sticker. Stonewall Rep. Richard Burford says his bill would only apply to vehicles 7 years old or less. Lafayette Representative Nancy Landry voted in favor…:

Cut 10 (06) “car inspected”

The vote was 58-33 and the measure now heads to the Senate for further consideration. Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton opposed the measure saying there are many businesses who rely on the revenue the inspection stickers generate…:

cut 11 (08) “they may suffer”

Burford says there are areas of the state where this would not be allowed including New Orleans and Baton Rouge where ozone levels are high. The five year sticker would be $50 so Landry says inspectors aren’t going to lose any money they are just going to get it at different time intervals…:

cut 12 (06)   “the next year”

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Retired Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore, who gained fame in his no-nonsense approach to relief efforts in post-Katrina New Orleans, says he’s considering running for Governor. On the Jim Engster Show, Honore says the only reason he wouldn’t run is if another one of the candidates ended up mounting a serious challenge to US Senator David Vitter…:

Cut 13 (06)  “quite understand that”

Honore says Vitter is running away in the polls right now with the most money, but he would not be the right man to lead Louisiana. He says the state is in bad shape and something has to be done by the right person..:

Cut 14 (10) “we’re broke”

Honore says if he does decide to run, he would do so under “No Party” and make an announcement before July 4th. He says he’d be in it to win it and even though it’s late in the game, raising money for a campaign would be no problem…:

Cut 15  (07)  “if we needed to”

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Senior Jared Foster is expected to start at second base tonight when the number one ranked LSU baseball team visits South Carolina. Foster, who was ruled academically ineligible last week, was reinstated after an “obscure” NCAA rule was uncovered that restored his eligibility. Foster on his reaction to re-joining the team

Cut 16  (15)  “this way”

LSU has a chance with a win tonight and a Vanderbilt loss to clinch the Southeastern Conference regular season championship. Shortstop Alex Bregman says it’s a great opportunity for the team…

Cut 17 (15)  “tough test”

This is also a big series for South Carolina. The Gamecocks are 12-15 in the SEC and fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Paul Mainieri says they are expecting big crowds at Carolina Stadium, a place they’ve had some success at

Cut 18 (19) “than this’

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n a 21-16 vote, the state Senate advances New Orleans Senator Ed Murray’s equal pay bill to the House. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The House Education Committee approves legislation that could put an end to the controversy over the Common Core education standards. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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In a narrow vote, the state Senate advances an equal pay bill to the House. New Orleans Senator Ed Murray’s legislation would ensure that all employees receive the same pay for the same kind and quality of work. It also lays out a course of legal action if a worker is underpaid. Mandeville Senator Jack Donahue says this bill puts another nail in the coffin of business…

CUT 3 (07)  “pay fair wages”

The bill passed the Senate on a 21-16 vote. According to recent Census data, Louisiana has the largest gender pay gap in the nation. New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson says this bill is about shrinking the gender pay gap, not promoting lawsuits…

CUT 4 (07)  “all it does”

Data shows, on average, women in Louisiana are paid about two-thirds of what men are paid. Metarie Senator Conrad Appel questions the validity of those statistics…

CUT 5 (08)  “a real problem”

The measure is expected to run into problems in the House Labor Committee, which killed two similar equal pay bills this legislative session. Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor says it’s time for Louisiana to close this pay gap…

CUT 6 (06)  “pay for everyone”

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A Louisiana based oil company is set to drill near the site of the BP well blowout that killed 11 workers and caused the nation’s largest offshore oil spill. LLOG (log) Exploration Offshore has been approved to drill into the Macondo reservoir. Associate Director of the Tulane Energy Institute, Professor Eric Smith, says this shouldn’t cause people to be concerned…

CUT 7 (08)  “up with LLOG”

Smith says LLOG has drilled the well closest to the Macondo blowout without any incident. He says the BP blowout was the cause of human error and the reservoir is safe to drill. Smith says people shouldn’t worry about another blowout…

CUT 8 (10)  “company like LLOG”

LLOG’s permit to drill was approved by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Smith says many companies have drilled in the region over the years without any problems. He believes LLOG will do a good job and it’s time to get production going in the area…

CUT 9 (09)  “except for BP”

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Supporters and opponents of Common Core have come together on legislation that puts a process in place that could lead to new public school education standards.  Lake Charles Representative Brett Geymann, an outspoken critic of Common Core, says the compromise legislation, which was approved by the House Education committee today, allows for more public input in developing academic standards…

cut 10 (08) “embrace”

Geymann says under the proposed compromise, BESE will begin a comprehensive review of English and Math standards this summer and the process will also involve public meetings across the state

cut 11 (10)  “ended up”

The plan calls for BESE to approve new education standards in March 2016, but the next governor will have the authority to reject them.  A member of Governor Jindal’s staff expressed some concerns with the plan and so did members of the public who were there to testify…

cut 12 (08)  “playoff series ended”

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Governor Bobby Jindal’s approval rating in Louisiana is at an all time low according to a new survey. Bernie Pinsonat conducts the Southern Media and Opinion Resarch Poll. He says they found Jindal got a 31.8% positive job performance rating from likely Louisiana voters…:

cut 13 (08)  “more Republican”

Pinsonat says President Barack Obama remains unpopular in Louisiana, but not as unpopular as Governor Jindal. He says in the poll 42.1% rate the president’s job performance as positive and 57.3% negative…:

cut 14 (05) “square that”

Pinsonat says if Jindal does decide to run for president, low approval numbers like this won’t be very helpful to him…:

cut 15 (07) “popular you are”

A new statewide poll shows Republican Senator David Vitter’s lead in the governor’s race is growing. Scott Carwile has the story…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The debate over whether Louisiana should keep the controversial Common Core education standards in place ramps up at the state capitol today. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (29) “reporting”

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Researchers at the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport are working on a new drug that could possibly help cure addiction. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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A new statewide poll shows Republican Senator David Vitter is separating himself even more as the front-runner in the governor’s race. In a survey conducted by Southern Media and Opinion Research, 38-percent of respondents said they would vote for Vitter, his closest challenger is Democrat John Bel Edwards at 25-percent. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat…

cut 4  (08)  “the conservatives”

Republican Jay Dardenne finished third in the poll as he received support from 17-percent of those surveyed, while Republican Scott Angelle got five-percent. Pinsonat says the poll also shows there’s very few white voters who are undecided, which is bad news for Vitter’s opponents

Cut 5  (07)  “to Vitter”

Pinsonat says Vitter would have to suffer a catastrophic melt down with his white support not to get into the runoff against Democrat John Bel Edwards…

Cut 6 (08)  “early in a race”

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The House Education Committee is scheduled to debate legislation today that would remove the controversial Common Core education standards from public schools and replace it with one developed by Louisiana residents. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris authors the bill and he says Common Core was implemented with little public input and now parents see it’s not good for our students…1

CUT 7 (09)  “democratic process”

Harris says Common Core has created chaos in the state’s public schools and it’s time to come up with a better assessment test and curriculum…

Cut 8  (09)  “last time” 

But Barry Erwin, president of the Council for a Better Louisiana, says ditching Common Core for another education curriculum is a wrong move for the state…

Cut 9 (09)  “several years now”

Erwin says schools are wrapping up the second full year of implementation of Common Core. He says there were some bumps in the road at first, but things are proceeding along just fine now….

Cut 10 (08) “quite a bit”

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Researchers at the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport are working on a new drug that could possibly help cure addiction. Dr. Nick Goeders (geh-derz) says they’re looking at whether or not the pill “EMB-001” would work for people who have certain dependencies…:

cut 11 (10) “leads to relapse”

Goeders says many people enter treatment centers and do fine while they are there, but then they come back to their old lives and encounter triggers that lead to cravings then they begin using again. He says EMB-001 blocks the body’s stress responders which interferes with triggers that lead to cravings…:

cut 12 (05)   “going to relapse”

Goeders says the drug is being developed in partnership with Embera Neuro and they estimate it may be three to five years before it can go to market. He says the difference between their drug and other drugs that aim to block people from getting high or feeling the effects of drugs, EMB-001 goes directly after the cravings…:

Cut 13 (07)  “in the first place”

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New Orleans Pelicans General Manager Dell Demps says the decision to release Monty Williams as head coach was one agreed to by everyone within the organization. Williams led the Pels to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, but Demps says the firing decision was not based on what did or did not happen…:

Cut 14 (08) “moving forward”

Demps says he is going to lead the coaching search which is underway immediately. It’s been reported that the GM and Williams did not see eye to eye on many personnel moves, but Demps says he didn’t see it that way…:

Cut 15  (11)  “talked a lot”

Demps says he personally talked to certain players, including star Anthony Davis, about the decision to let Williams go after the fact but he’s keeping those conversations private. He believes the program will be attractive to potential coaches during the search…:

Cut 16  (09)  “right direction”

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The Attorney General’s office says two former St. John the Baptist Parish Water Works employees were convicted Tuesday for covering up their failure to properly collect water samples from testing sites. The Department of Health and Hospitals later found a brain eating amoeba at those sites. Kurt Wall directs the criminal division at the AG’s office.

Cut 17 (10)  “what happened here”

Wall says 55-year-old Kevin Branch of LaPlace and 43-year-old Danielle Roussel of Paulina, both pleaded guilty to false swearing. Branch was convicted on two counts and Roussel on one count. Wall says the two were lying about taking samples and also lying about chlorine levels. He says they were covering the areas where the brain eating amoeba was discovered

Cut 18 (09) “troubling fact’

Wall says both were sentenced to one year in parish prison, with that sentence suspended, and 6 months probation. He says they are appreciative to all who helped in this investigation…:

Cut 19 (12)  “very helpful”

State Treasurer John Kennedy says the state needs more oversight over state government contracts in light of a report by the Legislative Auditor. Eric Gill reports..

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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An image in Champions Square that has Darren Sharper on it will be coming down soon. Jeff Palermo reports…:

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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State Police announce the arrest of the driver of a vehicle wanted in a hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist last week in Terrebone Parish. 53-year-old Toni Friloux (FREE-lou) of Houma faces charges in the death of 46-year-old Robert Clowder, Jr. Trooper Evan Harrell says they received a tip from a concerned citizen about the vehicle they were looking for in this incident…

CUT 3 (09)  “that night”

Harrell says Friloux admitted to officers that she was driving the vehicle in question the night Clowder was killed. He says when they found the vehicle, it still had damage to the front fender and windshield as a result of the crash. Harrell says Friloux faces a number of charges…

CUT 4 (08)  “jail process”

Friloux faces charges including hit-and-run and negligent homicide. Harrell says this is a prime example how public assistance can help law enforcement bring criminals to justice…

CUT 5 (08)  “benefit, this time”

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A bill by Gonzales Representative Johnny Berthelot that would double littering fines is full Senate approval away from going to the governor’s desk. The measure passed the House last week and advanced in the Senate Environmental Committee today. Berthelot says the additional revenue would go toward the arresting officers retirement…

CUT 6 (09)  “retirement systems”

Under the measure, first offense fines for simple littering would increase to $150, while subsequent offenses would result in a $1000 fine. Fines for intentional littering would climb to anywhere from $500 to $2500. Livingston Senator Dale Erdey questioned Berthelot about how much money the increased fines would raise…

CUT 7 (12)  “dollars a year”

In this bill, fines for the improper disposal of large litter, like furniture and appliances, could reach up to $10,000. Jennings Senator Dan Morrish wanted assurances this additional money would only be used for law enforcement retirement benefits…

CUT 8 (11)  “the general fund”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy says the state needs far more oversight and transparency in state government contracts in light of a recent report by the state Legislative Auditor. The report found that Louisiana has nearly 15,000 contracts worth about $21 billion with no real way to keep track of many of them. Kennedy says this is a sign of incompetence or subterfuge…

CUT 9 (10)  “nobody can find”

The audit found that nearly 4,600 consulting contracts totaling over $250 million were not included in the tracking system. Kennedy says it’s time to completely reform the way contracts are handled by the state. He says having this many state contracts out there is unacceptable…

cut 10 (12) “billion dollars”

Kennedy says many of these contracts are wasteful spending and millions could be saved with better oversight. He says House Bill 30 by Thibodaux Representative Dee Richard would create more legislative input into these contracts. Kennedy is hopeful the bill will fare better this year than last year when it was vetoed by Governor Jindal…

cut 11 (11)  “his signature”

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The New Orleans Pelicans have fired head coach Monty Williams after five seasons. In a statement, Pels Vice President Mickey Loomis says this wasn’t an easy decision to make, but now was the time and they wish nothing but the best for Williams in the future. Jake Madison, writer with Bourbon Street Shots, says this is a shocking development…:

cut 12 (08)  “playoff series ended”

The Pelicans finished the 2014-2015 season with a record of 45-37 and the 8th position in the Western Conference, earning New Orleans its first postseason berth in four seasons. Madison says we know there was, at times, a power struggle between GM Dell Demps and Williams…:

cut 13 (14)  “now out of a job”

Madison says the team could be eyeing a change in philosophy as Williams has been known to be bull headed and wants things to go his way. He believes Williams never adapted to his players the way some other coaches do…:

cut 14 (14) “never gonna do that”

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The Iberville Parish Sheriff’s office says the son of the police chief in St. Gabriel fatally shot two brothers Sunday night but authorities are waiting for more evidence before filing homicide charges.

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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A 24-billion dollar budget for next fiscal year that funds higher education at the same level as this year heads to the House floor. Scott Carwile has more…

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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New Orleans Representative Austin Badon believes his anti-discrimination legislation has a decent chance of passing this year. Michelle Southern reports..:

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi says the son of the police chief in St. Gabriel fatally shot two brothers Sunday night but authorities are waiting for more evidence before filing homicide charges. Stassi says the two deceased men had been fighting and then went to the home of Kevin Ambeau Jr. with a gun…:

cut 4  (09)  “with this”

Stassi says things became heated at Ambeau Jr.’s residence and witnesses say the two brothers went inside and that’s when the shots were fired. He says autopsies will be conducted today and the investigation will continue before any rush to judgement is made that this was murder…:

Cut 5  (10)  “invasion type”

Stassi says they are waiting on evidence and still interviewing witnesses, but it appears at this time that Ambeau Jr. was defending his home. He says there is a lot involved in this case and they are investigating it just as they would any other…:

Cut 6 (10)  “on the corner’s son”

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A 24-billion dollar budget that funds higher education at the same level as this year heads to the full House for a vote next week. The House Appropriations Committee has approved next fiscal year’s spending plan and Chairman Jim Fannin says revenue generating bills approved by the House last week will prevent any cuts to public colleges and universities…

CUT 7 (07)  “the process”

The House approved 615-million dollars in additional revenue last week, by raising the state’s cigarette tax and suspending or reducing tax benefits many businesses currently enjoy. Fannin says they were hoping to generate 900-million dollars or so in new revenue, but there’s still time to do that…

Cut 8  (07)  “30-percent” 

Governor Jindal has said he’ll veto a budget that raises taxes, which the proposed budget that’s heading to the House floor will do. Fannin was asked about a possible veto, if there are no tax cuts to offset the tax increases…

Cut 9 (08)  “I can’t answer that”

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Legislative leaders in the state House of Representatives say they are committed to an override veto session if Governor Jindal vetoes the revenue generating bills they have passed. The House has approved legislation that raises $615 million to protect higher education and reduce cuts to health care. If Jindal vetoes the tax bills, Ways and Means Chairman Joel Robidaux says the House will act accordingly…

Cut 10 (08) “veto override”

Monroe Representative Katrina Jackson, Chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus, says there is one big factor in determining if lawmakers will be successful in this budget fight…

cut 11 (09) “enough is enough”

Jindal has said consistently that he will not approve any tax hike unless there is a tax reduction elsewhere. But, Jackson says she is pleased with what the House has done already…

cut 12 (08)   “throughout the process”

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New Orleans Representative Austin Badon believes his anti-discrimination legislation has a decent chance of passing this year. House Bill 612 would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. He says it needs to be realized that, across the board, all men and women are created equal…:

Cut 13 (05)  “anybody else”

Badon says this legislation corrects the injustice of it being legal to fire someone from a job because they are gay, bisexual or transgender. He says if we pass this law, it would send a clear message that Louisiana is a friendly place to live and work…:(Badon says the bill will likely come up in the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure next week.)

Cut 14 (08) “discrimination”

The proposal seeks to protect people from job and housing discrimination among other things. The Louisiana Family Forum has stepped up to oppose similar bills in the past but Badon says they shouldn’t stand in judgement of anyone…:

Cut 15  (11)  “are praising”

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The number one ranked LSU baseball team plays its final non-conference game of the season tonight as they visit the UNO Privateers. On paper this looks like a big mismatch as the Tigers 43-and-8 overall, while the Privateers are 14-and-36. But LSU Coach Paul Mainieri knows UNO will be fired up to play this game…

Cut 16  (11)  “for their season”

LSU has four more regular season games left than the SEC Tournament, before the NCAA Tournament field is released. It’s likely the Tigers will be a national seed, but Coach Paul Mainieri is not taking anything for granted…

Cut 17 (12)  “the end”

LSU heads into the final week of the regular season with some questions marks. Closer Jesse Stallings blew another save last weekend and the Tigers haven’t settled on a third weekend starter. But Mainieri says every team in college baseball has its issues, but championship teams overcome their weaknesses…

Cut 18 (17) ” get it done’

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Lt. Clay Higgins of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s office is receiving national attention for his intimidating Crimestopper videos. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (32) “reporting”

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Two LSU students develop a smart phone app that allows people to record and upload videos of police encounters and share it with media outlets. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Vivian teenager accused of stabbing his parents. Authorities say 17-year-old Shane Alexander is charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder. Spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says Shane went into his parents’ bedroom at about 3AM this morning…

CUT 3 (07)  “injuries to them”

Shane’s step-mother, 61-year-old LaDonna Alexander, was stabbed once in the chest and his father, 64-year-old Jerry Alexander, was stabbed in the back and arm. Chadwick says LaDonna was able to drive herself to the hospital…

CUT 4 (05)  “call 9-1-1”

Jerry was later transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities have yet to release a motive for the crime. Chadwick says, when authorities responded to the call, Shane was still at the house…

CUT 5 (05)  “first degree murder”

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The spokesman for the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s office is getting national attention for his intimidating Crimestopper videos created for a Lafayette news station. Lt. Clay Higgins is called the “Cajun John Wayne” for his stern demeanor when talking to perpetrators responsible for these unsolved crimes. He says he never expected all this…:

CUT 6 (07)  “contacting me”

Higgins says the Crimestopper videos were originally scripted but he decided he wanted to use his own words and feelings when talking about these criminal acts. He says he uses a certain way to communicate that if there’s a warrant out for your arrest, you should turn yourself in…:

CUT 7 (08)  “hang their hat on”

Known for the phrase, “Have your affairs in order,” Higgins says it was directed at whomever stole a generator from the home of a man who is confined to a wheelchair. He says he wanted to send a strong, stern message to the person who violated the man’s privacy…:

CUT 8 (09)  “in order”

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Two LSU students have developed a smart phone app that allows people to record and upload videos of police encounters and share it with media outlets. The Police Officer Watchdog Events Reporter, or POWER, app was developed by Wilborn Nobles and Elbis Bolton. Bolton says this app can be used to spread both negative and positive interactions with police…

CUT 9 (08)  “with newsrooms”

With cellphone cameras becoming more widespread, more and more incidents of police, both good and bad, are being caught on camera. This app would become a hub to share those videos with newsrooms nationwide. Bolton says the inspiration for this app came from watching events unfold in Ferguson, Missouri last year…

cut 10 (09) “current events”

The POWER App is currently available for download for Android devices. Bolton says they are working on an iPhone version. Nobles says this app can be a way to more efficiently get cellphone videos in the hands of journalists…

cut 11 (07)  “for that matter”

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State Police say two people are dead after a high speed crash this weekend in St. Tammany Parish that happened after a traffic stop. Trooper Dustin Dwight says an officer pulled over a vehicle speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour in Covington. Dwight says while the trooper was conducting a field sobriety test on the 14-year-old driver of the vehicle, something else happened…

cut 12 (08)  “the traffic stop”

Dwight says 21-year-old Brandon Bigner of Franklinton jumped into the driver’s seat of the car and fled the traffic stop with 14-year-old Sloan McDow of Folsom in the back seat. He says after the trooper secured the juvenile driver in his squad car, the officer left the scene in the direction the car had fled…

cut 13 (10)  “from him, earlier”

Dwight says the officer, who was not in pursuit of the vehicle, came upon the crash scene as he rounded a curve. He says alcohol use is suspected by Bigner. Dwight says this crash was extremely unfortunate… (McDow was pronounced dead at the scene and Bigner died today from his injuries.)

cut 14 (10) “make it, either”

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Construction is underway on a “lazy river” on the LSU campus in the shape of the letters L-S-U and some wonder if this is appropriate considering the potentially huge budget cuts facing the school. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

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We’re about at the halfway point of the legislative session and lawmakers still have a lot of work to do on the budget. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (28) “reporting”

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A bill headed to the House floor would provide free HIV tests for inmates being released from prison. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (27) “reporting”

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Construction is underway to build a “lazy river” on the LSU campus in the shape of the letters L-S-U and some wonder if this is appropriate considering the potentially huge budget cuts facing the school. Student Body President, Andrew Mahtook, says the funding for this project is completely separate from any state appropriations…

cut 4  (10)  “assessment fee”

In 2011, students passed a resolution asking for a student recreation fee increase to expand the recreation center, which includes the building of the “lazy river.” Professor Kevin Cope, LSU Faculty Senate President, says this shows a flaw in how colleges prioritize funds…

Cut 5  (09)  “their work”

Mahtook says it’s not a fair argument to say that they’re spending money on the “lazy river” instead of paying for courses and teacher salaries…

Cut 6 (10)  “don’t stand up”

Cope admits the cost of the construction of the “lazy river” doesn’t impact the university directly, but feels the university should set a better example…

CUT 7 (07)  “and childish”

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Center of Acadiana at Lafayette General Medical Center is looking for adults diagnosed with multiple myeloma [mahy-uh–loh-muh] to participate in a clinical trial for patients not eligible for stem cell transplants. CCA Oncologist Sal Malad is the principle investigator and he says the trial seeks to compare the effectiveness of a combination of drugs with standard therapy…:

Cut 8  (07)  “daratumumab” 

CCA conducts these trials and studies to help improve patient care and disease prevention. Malad says clinical trials can offer several benefits such as access to investigational drugs that might not otherwise be available. He says there seems to be a disproportionate number of patients in south Louisiana who have multiple myeloma…:

Cut 9 (10)  “transplant”

For more information on this clinical trial, call Lafayette General Medical Center at 337-289-8658. Malad says patients who participate in help advance medical technology and provide valuable benefits to future generations. He says they encourage participants to ask questions and be involved…:

Cut 10 (09) “better treatments”

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State lawmakers have about a month left to pass a budget for next fiscal year. The House has approved a package of bills that raises 664-million dollars that will go towards mitigating budget cuts to higher education and health care. Governor Bobby Jindal says when the session concludes, he expects lawmakers to approve legislation to offset the measures that he considers to be tax increases

cut 11 (07) “and health care”

The House has approved legislation to raise the cigarette tax by 32-cents and reduced tax refunds or tax breaks that businesses currently enjoyed. These bills now head to the Senate and Jindal says there’s still time to come up with a budget that everyone can live with….

cut 12 (09)   “doesn’t raise taxes”

Jindal says he’s okay with legislation that puts a stop to “corporate welfare.” That’s cases where businesses receive more in tax benefits than they pay in taxes. But he says some of the tax bills passed in the House, like the cigarette tax, will need to be offset with a tax break somewhere else…

Cut 13 (10)  “raise taxes”

_______________________________

A bill headed to the House floor would provide free HIV tests for inmates being released from prison. Natchitoches Representative Kenny Cox says before a person leaves a state jail for parole, they should be tested and if needed, treated as a way to help prevent AIDS from spreading further…:

Cut 14 (09) “think it is”

The testing for parolees would not be required under the measure. Cox says Louisiana has the fourth highest number of men and women living with AIDS in the nation…:

Cut 15  (06)  “be treated”

Cox says that in 9 state prisons, about 3 percent of inmates are HIV positive. He says the Department of Corrections has already started testing people as they enter the prison system…:

Cut 16  (08)  “should be tested”

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The number one ranked LSU baseball beat team Missouri six to five in ten innings yesterday to complete a three game sweep of Mizzou. The Tigers won, despite falling behind 3-0 in the 1st inning. Coach Paul Mainieri on the LSU Sports Radio Network liked how his team battled back…

Cut 17 (11)  “of the season”

Conner Hale led the Tigers at the plate on Sunday. He had three hits, drove in two runs and scored twice, including the winning run in the 10th. Mainieri on the LSU Sports Radio Network says the senior from has had a special season…

Cut 18 (15) ” tough pitcher’

LSU is at UNO on Tuesday and then they visit South Carolina for a three-game series on Thursday. The Tigers have a two-game lead in the loss column over Vanderbilt for the overall lead in the SEC. Mainieri on the LSU Sports Radio Network says the Tigers are on the verge of winning another SEC title

Cut 19 (17)  “for championships”

The 2015 Hurricane season is off to an unusual early start. Subtropical storm Ana is said to make landfall on Sunday. Emelie Gunn has more.

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The EPA approves the Louisiana Military Department’s recommended incineration method to dispose 15 million pounds of M6 propellant at Camp Minden. Eric Gill reports…:

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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New Orleans Police say an alligator is to blame for a fatal accident on I-10 early this morning. Officer Frank Robertson says the gator was attempting to cross the interstate at around four this morning…

CUT 3 (04)  “in the road”

He says it appears the van came to a complete stop near the Michoud Exit after hitting the alligator. Robertson says then the van was struck from behind by a Mitsubishi Eclipse…

CUT 4 (03)  “on the scene”

The driver of the Eclipse was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the van and a passenger in the Eclipse were transported to a local hospital with undisclosed injuries. The dead alligator was found underneath the van. Robertson says this is another reminder to be cautious while behind the wheel…

CUT 5 (04)  “to use vigilance”

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This year’s Atlantic hurricane and tropical storm season has gotten off to an early start. 2015’s first named Sub-tropical storm Ana is now bringing an unusual threat to the east coast. State Climatologist Barry Keim says Ana lies southeast of South Carolina and is expected to make landfall on Sunday.

CUT 6 (09)  “the gulf coast.”

Keim says May storms are unusual because hurricane season begins June 1st. He says he doesn’t believe this will be a harbinger for the 2015 season.

CUT 7 (13)  “50 or 60 years.”

Keim says this is considered a sub-tropical storm because it is still ingesting the air from the middle latitudes. He says although these storms are unique, they will form during this time of the year.

CUT 8 (12)  “the right time”

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Louisiana Tech men’s basketball coach Michael White has accepted the head coaching job at the University of Florida. In White’s four years leading the Bulldogs, he accumulated a 101-40 record. “Bleed Tech Blue” Publisher Jonathan Ford says White left a positive legacy at Tech…

CUT 9 (11)  “that’s their goal”

White lead the Bulldogs to three conference regular season titles and two consecutive appearances in the NIT quarterfinals. The school says they will immediately begin a national search for White’s replacement. Ford believes there will be plenty of interest in the opening at Tech…

cut 10 (06) “in America”

In a statement, the university says White represented Louisiana Tech in a first class manner both on and off the court and wish him the best of luck at Florida. Although no time table has been announced for naming White’s replacement, Ford believes the school would like to have someone in place before summer break begins…

cut 11 (10)  “leaves a job”

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The EPA has approved the Louisiana Military Department’s recommended incineration method of disposal of the 15 million pounds of M6 propellant at Camp Minden. State Representative Gene Reynolds says this is a victory for the community who had strong objections to the original plan of the federal government to conduct an open burn to get rid of the explosives

cut 12 (10)  “conditions”

The method to be used will be a contained incineration burn method by the company Explosive Service International. Louisiana Progress Action released a statement saying they are glad there will be no open burn, they still don’t think incineration is the safest method. But Reynolds says you have to live within the parameters of what you have…:

cut 13 (08)  “best answer”

Reynolds says the chosen method is advanced proven technology where combustion will take place inside an enclosure that will trap, filter, scrub and after-burn for safe measure of all of the emissions from the disposal of the explosives. He says the container has to be built first then they’ll work to get rid of it as soon as possible…:

cut 14 (05) “started”

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Hank Aaron will receive an honorary degree this morning during Grambling State University’s Spring Commencement. Jeff Palermo reports…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

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The House approved a measure that would limit the amount of credits issued as part of the film tax program to $200 million dollars despite objections from lawmakers who thought the cap should be lower. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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Former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins goes from undrafted to a three-year guaranteed contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (29) “reporting”

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Baseball Hall-of-Famer Hank Aaron will receive an honorary degree this morning during Grambling State University’s Spring Commencement. Aaron will be bestowed with a Doctor of Humane Letters. John Rosenthal, a university Vice President, says Grambling not only has a great football tradition, but a great baseball tradition as well…

cut 4  (10)  “to our campus”

The Doctor of Humane Letters is the university’s highest honor. Rosenthal says this degree recognizes an individual’s contribution to the world. He says Aaron will be honored for his work both on and off the field…

Cut 5  (10)  “charitable contributions”

In Aaron’s 23-year Major League career, he hit 755 home runs, a Major League record that stood for over 30 years. Rosenthal says Aaron is a great humanitarian, businessman, and an excellent role model…

Cut 6 (09)  “Grambling State University”

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The House approved a measure that would limit the amount of credits issued as part of the film tax program to $200 million dollars despite objections from lawmakers who thought the cap should be lower. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris tried to amend it to $150 million dollars saying that other $50 million needs to be used elsewhere…:

CUT 7 (11)  “museums open”

There is currently no cap on the program and the state is issuing $226 million dollars in credits this year. Harris doesn’t think the lower cap is too much to ask of an industry that’s been thriving here since 2002 when there are so many other areas of the state that are struggling…:

Cut 8  (09)  “but two hours a day” 

The tax credit scale back measures approved by the House Thursday now head to the Senate. New Orleans Representative Jeff Arnold opposed the amendment saying that  it could lead to the state losing valuable business…:

Cut 9 (09)  “of a good list”

Metairie Representative Joe Lopinto says cutting the program this extra $50 million dollars is too much and would make Louisiana less competitive. He says they don’t want to risk the movie industry leaving the state and taking the jobs with it…:

Cut 10 (10) “of Louisiana”

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People go out to eat at least one night during Mother’s Day weekend, more than any other weekend of the year. Erika Burns with the Louisiana restaurant Association Mother’s Day itself is the most popular day of the year for going out in the United States. She says mom gets to pick the place for brunch, lunch or dinner…:

cut 11 (06) “more casual place”

Burns says it will probably be impossible to get a nice reservation this late in the game, but you can try your luck at any spot that doesn’t have a list…:

cut 12 (12)   “as usual”

Burns says while things tend to slow down for the restaurant industry after this weekend and over summer, people in Louisiana have a large appetite for going out to eat…:

Cut 13 (08)  “summer months”

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The state House advances a package of bills to the Senate that would raise 670-million dollars that can be used to cover a one-point-six billion dollar shortfall. The legislation heading to the senate raises the tax on cigarettes and scales back tax programs. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says more work needs to be done to solve this budget crisis….

Cut 14 (09) “and universities”

Pinsonat says what the House did on Thursday is a good start, but even with these revenue generating bills heading to the senate, there’s still a big shortfall out there…

Cut 15  (09)  “and universities”

The revenue generating bills passed in the House face an uncertain future in the Senate and may get vetoed by the governor if they make it through the legislative process. Pinsonat says lawmakers have until the last day of the session on June 11th to figure it out..

Cut 16  (07)  “Russian Roulette”

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Former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins is now a Dallas Cowboy. The Baton Rouge product signed a three-year, 1.65 million dollar guaranteed contract, after not getting drafted. NFL teams were scared to select Collins, because he was wanted for questioning about the murder of a pregnant woman. During a press conference in Dallas, Collins thanked his support system that was around him during a difficult time

Cut 17 (20)  “I’m extremely excited”

Collins was expected to be a first round pick in last week’s NFL draft, until news got out that police wanted to question the football star about a murder that happened on April 24th. Authorities have never called Collins a suspect in Brittney Mills and her one week-old son’s death. Dallas Coach Jason Garrett is impressed with how Collins weathered the storm

Cut 18 (19) ”  pretty remarkable’

Before signing with Dallas, Collins had dinner at owner Jerry Jones’ house and that’s when La’el knew he truly wanted to be a Cowboy….

Cut 19 (19)  “want to be “

It appears that Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne has fired the first shot in Louisiana’s governor’s race. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The state House approves several bills that will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to stave off large cuts to higher education and health care. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

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State Police announce the arrest of 34 individuals over the last two months following numerous criminal investigations by their Insurance Fraud/Auto Theft Unit. These people were involved in committing insurance fraud, including staged or “jump-in” crashes and falsifying documents to make injury claims. Sgt. Nick Manale says some think these crimes are harmless, but that is far from the truth…

CUT 3 (07)  “across the state”

Manale says these insurance fraud cases affect insurance rates and policies across the state. He says in one case a subject paid a friend to rent a truck and then staged a crash…

CUT 4 (11)  “payment on that”

It is reported that intentional or staged crashes costs the insurance industry billions of dollars each year in fraudulent claims. Manale says police aren’t the only ones watching out for these cases, insurance companies also have their own investigators…

CUT 5 (11)  “acts did occur”

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It appears that the first shot has been fired in Louisiana’s governor’s race. Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne issued a statement calling US Senator David Vitter an absentee Senator after he missed a budget vote in the Senate. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says this is a sign of things to come…

CUT 6 (09)  “at one another”

Dardenne says instead of casting a Senate vote, Vitter was in Louisiana having a beer with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in an effort to boost his gubernatorial bid. Dubos says this campaign has been in the silent phase and hasn’t really gotten rolling yet…

CUT 7 (11)  “at each other”

Dubos says any political campaign has the potential to get personal. He says the more important the job, the more likely it is that rules are thrown out the window…

CUT 8 (09)  “at one another”

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Now that we know that former LSU Tiger La’el Collins was not the father of Brittney Mills’ deceased baby, where does the investigation into the murder go from here? Baton Rouge Police Department spokesman Don Coppola says this is still very much an ongoing active case they are working on…:

CUT 9 (09)  “her child”

Mills was gunned down and killed at her apartment on April 24th when she was 8 months pregnant and though EMS was able to deliver the baby, he died a week later. Coppola says investigators sought Collins out for questioning in the case and requested he take a paternity test because the relationship he had with Mills was a romantic one…:

cut 10 (05) “not the father”

Collins has reportedly signed a 3 year $1.65 million dollar contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Coppola says Collins fully cooperated in the investigation and was never a suspect. He says they are still working to identify one…:

cut 11 (06)  “violent crimes unit”

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The state House approves a series of bills that raises hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues to stave off large cuts to higher education and health care. Before the discussion began, House Speaker Chuck Kleckley explained to legislators how important it is to vote “Yes” on these bills…

cut 12 (10)  “what we are doing”

Among the bills passed today, a 32-cent tax increase on a pack of cigarettes. The author of the measure is Bogalusa Representative Harold Ritchie and he says it will generate 68-million dollars that can go towards health care costs….

cut 13 (10)  “where I want it”

A scale back of  tax credit programs also passed today. And legislators approved bills that will result in higher taxes on businesses. House Ways and Means Chairman Joel Robideaux explained the need to do this, even though there’s opposition from business and industry

cut 14 (12) “movie theaters”