With only four more weeks left in the regular session, Emelie Gunn looks at what legislators will be discussing before they adjourn on June 6^th…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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 With Mother’s Day on Sunday, many people will treat Mom to a nice meal. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Senator Fred Mills’ bill, which expands the list of medical conditions that medical marijuana can be used to treat, has the support of Governor John Bel Edwards. Halen Doughty has more…

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There is a month left in the legislative session and lawmakers still have a lot to. Jeremy Alford with LaPolitics.com says the budget is the biggest concern for legislators. He says lawmakers are working to pass a balanced budget with a 600 million dollar shortfall before the session ends on June 6^th and funding TOPS is a major priority.

cut 4  (10)  “that amount”

The House Appropriations committee is expected to make changes to the proposed budget for next fiscal year on Monday and send the spending plan to the House floor. Alford also says one of the governor’s main bills for the session, a measure that raises the minimum wage, faces an uphill climb.

Cut 5  (10)  “budget crunch”

Governor John Bel Edwards is expected to call a second special session in June. It make take a second special session to figure out funding for TOPS. Alford says one bill that will likely be signed by the governor soon, is a measure that could one day lead to TOPS recipients no longer having their full tuition paid for…

Cut 6 (07)  “rate increases”

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Mother’s Day is this Sunday and restaurants will be packed with families getting together to celebrate Mom. Louisiana Restaurant Association spokesperson Erica Burns says this is the most popular day of the year to dine out. She advises husbands and kids, if you haven’t made a reservation yet, do so now before it’s too late.

CUT 7 (10)  “a restaurant” 

Burns says many restaurants have specials or even give gifts to honor Mom. He says both fine dining and every day restaurants book up quickly around lunch for Mother’s Day.

Cut 8  (09)  “at night” 

Burns says Valentine’s Day is the next biggest holiday where people go out to eat. She expects to see a lot of families outdoor dining with the nice weather that’s expected.

Cut 9 (05)  “Mother’s Day”

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Governor John Bel Edwards says he supports Parks Senator Fred Mills’ bill to expand the list of diseases medical marijuana can be used to treat. But Edwards says this is not a step towards legalization of pot.

Cut 10 (09) “that direction”

Edwards says he knows of many people, especially children who need medical cannabis to cope with a disorder. He says the state shouldn’t stand between doctors and the parents when it comes to what’s best for those children.

cut 11 (07) “to move”

Mills’ medical marijuana legislation is facing opposition from district attorneys and sheriffs, because they are concerned that too many people might have access to the drug. Edwards believes medical marijuana should be available for those with seizure disorders, but he’s also interested in limiting the number of disorders the drug could be used for.

cut 12 (07) “medical conditions”

Mills’ bill has already passed out of the Senate and is awaiting approval by the full House.

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Strippers in Louisiana could soon be required to be at least 21 years old, as a bill to raise the minimum age for strippers is heading to the House for final legislative approval. Lake Charles Senator Ronnie Johns told the House Judiciary Committee he authored the bill to combat sex trafficking.

Cut 13 (07)  “strip clubs”

Jim Kelly, executive director of the Covenant House in New Orleans, supports the bill. Kelly says he knows many young girls who are victims of sex trafficking that end up working in strip clubs at a very young age.

cut 14 (08)  “same establishment”

Amite Representative Robby Carter also supports the legislation. He says lawmakers need to do something to stop human trafficking in Louisiana.

Cut 15 (08) “or something”

The bill was unanimously approved by the House Judiciary Committee.

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LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri will start Alex Lange on the mound tonight against Arkansas, instead of Jared Poche, who has been the Tigers Friday night starter for most of the season. Mainieri likes how Lange has been throwing the ball lately…

Cut 16  (17)  “dominating stuff”

LSU enters tonight’s game with an 11-10 record in SEC Play, while Arkansas is just 7-and-14. But Mainieri is expecting three tough games with the Razorbacks….

Cut 17 (15)   always been” 

Lange says he’s excited about the Friday night start, his first in regular season play….

Cut 18 (08) “the opportunity”

The five uncommitted Marco Rubio delegates in Louisiana have announced they will support Donald Trump, as he is now the presumptive Republican nominee. Don Molino has more…

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A Senate approved bill to legalize the sale of raw milk was shot down in a House committee. Emelie Gunn has more…

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Louisiana’s five uncommitted Marco Rubio delegates have announced that they will back the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump. Kirk Williamson, a Louisiana delegate, says the delegates are following the voters’ lead.

CUT 3 (06)  “the fall”

Williamson says the most important thing right now is party unity. He thinks one way to achieve that would be for Trump to choose Rubio as his running mate.

CUT 4 (10)  “vice president”

Williamson says the delegates will rally behind the candidate who has the best chance of defeating the Democratic opponent in the general election. He says although all Republicans may not like Trump, it’s better than the alternative.

CUT 5 (08)  “nominee”

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A measure is making its way through the legislature that would prohibit Louisiana cities from receiving state dollars for construction projects if they don’t enforce federal immigration law. The bill is heading to the Senate after a lengthy debate on the House floor. Denham Springs Representative Valerie Hodges says sanctuary cities are a threat to national security.

CUT 6 (03) “that’s anarchy”

The bill could hurt Lafayette and New Orleans because they are considered sanctuary cities. New Orleans police has a policy in which they do not assist with federal immigration enforcement, and the Lafayette Sheriff’s Office says it won’t hold offenders for Immigration and Customs Enforcement without a court order. Hodges says cities should not work against federal agencies.

CUT 7 (09) “federal authorities”

But New Orleans Representative Walt Leger opposes the bill. He says it’s not the local governments place to have to do the federal government’s job.

CUT 8 (10) “immigration laws”

Under this proposal, the Attorney General would decide if a sanctuary city would be able to borrow state dollars for construction projects. Leger says this would hurt New Orleans if the city wanted to update the infrastructure at the port of New Orleans.

CUT 9 (11) “in infrastructure”

Governor John Bel Edwards says he has some concerns with the legislation as well.

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A bill to legalize the sale of raw milk died in a House committee today. State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry says pasteurizing milk kills the bacteria and removes the risk. He says federal government agencies agree that there are significant risks when it comes to drinking raw milk.

cut 10 (09)  “see deaths”

Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain says there will continue to be outbreaks of disease if raw milk is legalized. He says raw milk is 150 times riskier to drink than pasteurized milk.

Cut 11 (10) “post contamination”

Sponsor of the bill, Ville Platte Sen. Eric LeFleur, says right now, people who want to drink raw milk have to buy it in other states or on the black market. He says this bill is about the freedom of choice and raw milk would not be sold in grocery stores.

cut 12 (10) “your neighbor”

Wendy Adams with the Libertarian party says she supports the legislation because this bill is about freedom and choice. She says no one is in any danger of walking into a supermarket and accidentally buying raw milk rather than pasteurized milk.

Cut 13 (10)  “your family”

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The State Fire Marshal has put out a warning about electronic cigarettes, after two people were recently burned in Louisiana when their vaporizing device exploded. Deputy Chief Brant Thompson says in both cases the batteries in the vaping mods overheated…

cut 14 (11)  “caught fire”

A Baton Rouge man suffered second and third-degree burns to his leg and hand after the battery in his device overheated, and a Houma man also suffered serious burns when his mod exploded. Thompson advises people to be careful when carrying batteries to make sure they don’t come in contact with other metal objects. He says it’s also important to make sure the batteries are in good condition.

cut 15 (11) “for use”

Thompson warns people against using cheap knock off batteries, as they may be more likely to overheat. He says use the right battery for your mod.

cut 16 (08) “retailers”

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