The Senate Finance committee rejected a proposal today to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8.50 by 2019. New Orleans Senator Troy Carter says raising the minimum wage will benefit the entire state….
cut 9 (10) “….the community”
The measure was killed on a party line vote of 7 to 3. Republican Senator Sharon Hewitt of Slidell voted against it, because she believes government should not mandate what an employee makes….
cut 12 (09) “….and wages”
Governor Edwards says it’s unacceptable legislators on this committee did not see fit to give hardworking Louisianans a modest pay increase.

Vice President Mike Pence visited the Baton Rouge area today, first meeting with flood victims in Denham Springs and then holding a listening session with business leaders. Pence spoke to a crowd in Port Allen and said President Trump is fighting every day to make America an energy independent country….
cut 15 (10) “….offshore drilling”
Pence also talked about the need to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

A deadly virus is threatening Louisiana crawfish. Aquaculture specialist Mark Shirley with the LSU AgCenter says the white spot syndrome originated in shrimp ponds in Thailand and Southeast Asia in the early 1990s…:
Cut 7 (09) “that white spot”
Shirley says this virus can greatly affect a crawfish farmer’s income by killing off the harvest. But he says it’s not a threat to humans.

Vice President Mike Pence echoed many of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises when he told a crowd in Port Allen the administration will make America prosperous again. He says the president’s leadership is already making a remarkable difference in the economy. He says businesses are responding to the president’s call to buy American and hire American.
Cut 13 (11) “this year alone”
Pence also says it remains the President’s priority to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The state senate finance committee rejected a proposal this afternoon to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 in 2019. Republicans on the panel raised concerns about how this legislation could lead to layoffs, while Democrats say $7.25 is not a living wage. The author of the bill says he’ll bring the bill back next year.

The governor calls on Louisiana’s congressional delegation to oppose President Donald Trump’s spending plan for next fiscal year…
Voicer 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Crawfish farmers are concerned about a deadly virus called the white spot syndrome. LSU AgCenter aquaculture specialist Mark Shirley says the virus can greatly reduce the size of a fisherman’s catch, but dead crawfish shouldn’t make it to the boiling pot….
cut 8 (09) “….sack of crawfish”
And the virus only affects the crustaceans.

Vice-President Mike Pence just finished speaking at a rally in Port Allen at Cajun Industries. Pence mentioned several times the best way to grow the economy is to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Governor John Bel Edwards met the V-P when he got off the plane in Baton Rouge. The governor’s communications director Richard Carbo says Edwards has concerns about the President’s proposed budget….
cut 5 (10) “….our concerns”

The Senate Finance committee killed a bill that sought to increase the minimum wage in Louisiana. Shreveport Senator Greg Tarver tried to agrue that an increase from $7.25 an hour to $8.50 in 2019 would not hurt businesses….
cut 10 (07) “….nobody”
But the bill died on a 7-3 vote.

The TOPS award requirement would be a 2.75 GPA up from 2.5 under a bill narrowly approved by the full House Tuesday. New Orleans Representative Joe Bouie says this proposal would have unintended consequences…:
Cut 15 (10) “TOPS program”
But it heads to the Senate on a 53-32 vote.

Louisiana’s crawfish harvest is being threatened by a deadly virus. Michelle Southern has more…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Vice President Mike Pence is currently speaking at Cajun Industries in Port Allen as part of his listening tour. Governor John Bel Edwards presented the vice president with a letter upon his arrival this morning which outlines areas of concern for the state in the White House budget proposal — one of which deals with Medicaid….:
Cut 4 (09) “amount of money”
That’s Edwards’ spokesman Richard Carbo.

Mr. Pence made two surprise stops upon his arrival today to the homes of the flood victims he and President Donald Trump visited last year.

The 7-year-old who was accidentally shot at an elementary school in Moss Bluff is doing well after undergoing surgery for a second time. The family of the first-grader says the child will remain in the PICU for a few more days. According to Calcasieu Parish authorities, the shooting occurred on May 15th when another student brought a gun to school and it accidentally went off and struck the 7-year-old.

A deadly virus is threatening Louisiana crawfish. Aquaculture specialist Mark Shirley with the LSU AgCenter says the white spot syndrome originated in shrimp ponds in Thailand and Southeast Asia in the early 1990s. That’s why it’s called the white spot syndrome…:
Cut 7 (09) “that white spot”
Shirley says this virus can greatly affect a crawfish farmer’s income by killing off the harvest. But he says it’s not a threat to humans.

The full House just barely approved a measure to raise the minimum GPA for the TOPS scholarship to 2.75, up from 2.5. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James is one of a handful of Democrats who supported the legislation…:
CUT 25 (08) “reward students”
Opponents argue this bill would cut out low income kids who need help with tuition the most. The bill heads to the Senate on a 53-32 vote.

The governor calls on Louisiana’s congressional delegation to oppose President Donald Trump’s spending plan for next fiscal year. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Vice President Mike Pence landed in Louisiana this morning and his first stop was in Denham Springs to visit with flood victims. He’s with Congressman Garret Graves who plans to discuss matters our state faces from devastating flooding, to new energy policies. Mr. Pence is scheduled to give remarks from Cajun Industries in Port Allen at roughly 1:15 p.m.

A deadly virus is threatening Louisiana crawfish. Aquaculture specialist Mark Shirley with the LSU AgCenter says the white spot syndrome virus showed up in Acadiana about a decade ago. He says the virus is showing up again in ponds across southwest Louisiana, and it’s hurting the crawfish harvest…:
Cut 6 (10) “they die”
But he says consumers shouldn’t notice much of a difference as the straight ones shouldn’t hit the boiling pot.

With no winners in more than three months, the Powerball jackpot now stands at a whopping $250 million dollars for tonight’s drawing. That’s a cash value of 154.8 million.

Vice President Mike Pence and Air Force 2 have landed in Louisiana. The Vice President is in town for a listening tour and Congressman Garret Graves flew down with him. Graves says Louisiana business leaders can offer Mr. Pence a unique perspective, as we’ve faced some unusual challenges, from a historic flood to new energy policies. He says a lot of these situations here affect the entire nation…:
Cut 10 (12) “or inefficiently”

Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on the Louisiana congressional delegation to oppose President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins October 1. The governor’s communications director Richard Carbo says they’re disappointed the plan repeals the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act..:
Cut 3 (09) “every year”
He says the governor will make his concerns known to Vice President Pence during the visit today.

A bill to raise the minimum GPA requirement for the TOPS award to 2.75 barely made it off the House floor Tuesday. Natchitoches Representative Kenny Cox says many people who support this bill don’t understand communities that struggle…:
Cut 16 (07) “in the face”

But supporters say this would help sustain the program. The bill heads to the Senate on a 53-32 vote.

The House is slated to take up a proposal today to raise the state’s gasoline tax 17 cents. Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere is skeptical the additional revenue raised by the tax would be used to alleviate highway problems….:
Cut 5 (10) “new roads”
But supporters assert there is more accountability and transparency with this proposal. It will need support from two-thirds of the House to advance, and they will vote next week according to the bill’s author, Baton Rouge Representative Steve Carter.

A bill that would require students starting high school this fall to have at least a 2.75 GPA when they graduate in order to receive the TOPS scholarship barely won approval in the House. Non-tax bills need 53 votes to pass and this legislation received 53 “yes” votes.The current GPA requirement is 2.5 and Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil says there is a reason his bill wouldn’t take effect for 4 years…:
Cut 14 (10) “this fall”
The measure heads to the Senate, but Senate President John Alario previously said the upper chamber opposes this legislation.

Air Force Two carrying Vice-President Mike Pence is set to land at Baton Rouge Metro Airport next hour. The Vice President will then head to Port Allen for a listensing session with local business leaders.

The House is scheduled to debate a bill this afternoon that would increase the state’s gasoline tax by an additional 17-cents per gallon at the pump. The Louisiana Republican Party opposes the legislation. GOP chairman Roger Villere says it will have a negative impact on our economy….
cut 7 (11) “….good business”
A vote could be delayed until early next week as the bill’s author is still trying to drum up the two-thirds vote needed to pass the legislation.

A Senate committee has approved a House bill that would increase the fees for parolees so that parole officers can receive a raise. New Orleans Senator Karen Peterson opposes the measure. She says state employee raises should be funded in the budget bill…
cut 13 (12) “….to us”
The parolee fee bill heads to the Senate finance for more discussion.

The full House approved a measure to raise the minimum GPA for the TOPS scholarship to 2.75, up from 2.5 by the narrowest of votes. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James is one of a handful of Democrats who supported the legislation…:
CUT 25 (08) “reward students”
Opponents argue this bill would cut out low income kids who need help with tuition the most. The bill heads to the Senate on a 53-32 vote.

Today the lower chamber is expected to take up the measure that would raise the state’s gasoline tax by 17 cents a gallon. The GOP opposes the the increase saying there is no guarantee the extra revenue would actually go to repair the state’s roads. But Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says there’s more accountability and transparency with this proposal…:
Cut 6 (09) “in legislation”
The proposal will need support from two-thirds of the House to advance.

A Senate Judiciary committee voted to raise the fees for individuals on probation and parole in Louisiana to increase salaries for parole officers…:
Cut 3 (28) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The 7-year-old who was accidentally shot at an elementary school in Moss Bluff is doing well after undergoing surgery for a second time. The family of the first-grader says the child will remain in the PICU for a few more days. According to Calcasieu Parish authorities, the shooting occurred on May 15th when another student brought a gun to school and it fell out of his backpack, discharged when it was picked up by another student and struck the 7-year-old. The father and brother of the student who brought the gun to school were charged in the incident.