Governor John Bel Edwards has spent the majority of his days in office focusing on the budget deficit but there are other areas he’d like to address. Emelie Gunn has more…
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A House committee killed a bill to allow the families of wrongfully convicted inmates receive compensation if the inmate dies before being compensated. Jeff Palermo has more…
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Louisiana’s teen pregnancy rate has dropped from a rate of 69 to 37.5 over the past decade, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 3 (28) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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During the governor’s short time in office, his main priority has been the state’s massive budget deficit. But John Bel Edwards wants to address tackle other issues during his term. Edwards told the Baton Rouge Rotary Club he is committed to the creation of a high speed commuter train between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Edwards says advancing online educational technology is another area where he’d like to see expansion. He says young adults should have the opportunity to get their G-E-D through classes on the internet…
Edwards says in next year’s regular legislative session, sentencing and criminal justice reform will be one of his top priorities…
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A proposal to alter the conditions under which a person who was wrongfully convicted could be compensated is dead for the session. Phillip Rozeman’s uncle was murdered 35 years ago, and Glenn Ford spent 30 years in jail for the crime, which he did not commit. Ford was not compensated for his time behind bars, because he was implicated in crimes related to the murder. Rozeman spoke in opposition, saying if Ford was not involved, there wouldn’t have been a murder.
Pete Adams, Executive Director of the District Attorney’s Association, also opposes the bill. He says the compensation is meant for people who are wrongfully convicted, not for those who get their convictions overturned.
But Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle supports the bill. She says these people have been failed by the system, and they deserve compensation.
Marcelle says people who are wrongfully convicted spend most of their lives being punished for something they didn’t do.
The author of the bill, Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover, plans to bring the bill back again next year.
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Former-Monroe TV personality “Mr. Wonder” has given up on fighting extradition from California back to Rapides Parish to face child sex charges that date back to 1978. Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office spokesperson, Lt. Tommy Carnline, says they are pleased the case against Frank Selas is moving forward.
Selas was living in San Diego when the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office announced charges against him for allegedly sexually abusing boys during a camping trip. Carnline says it’s unclear when Selas will return to Rapides Parish.
Carnline says Selas will go to court in Rapides Parish on two counts of aggravated rape, three counts of sexual battery, and eight counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
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Louisiana’s teen birth rate has declined substantially over the last decade. A report from the Centers for Disease Control shows Louisiana’s teen birth rate is 37.5 for 2013-14, which is a decrease from the 2006-07 rate of 69. Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Rebekah Gee says this is great news for Louisiana. Gee says she thinks teens are practicing safer sex, or better yet abstinence.
Louisiana now ranks 7th in the country for teen births. Gee says there’s been a trend to use more effective birth control in teens who have decided to have sex to keep these teen pregnancy rates down.
Gee says parents can also help prevent teen pregnancy by having these difficult conversations with their children.