Governor John Bel Edwards’s budget proposal is coming under heavy fire from GOP and business leaders across the state. Matt Doyle has the story…

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Louisiana has a new tourism slogan. Kelley Ray tells us what it is…

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A study from Pennington Biomedical Research finds walking just ten minutes a day brings great health benefits.  Jeff Palermo spoke with Dr. Tim Church about what they discovered…

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Governor John Bel Edward’s worst-case-scenario budget is making waves across the state, from both inside, and outside of government. The budget is the result of the expiration of a billion dollars in sales taxes this summer, and Edwards says the revenue will need to be replaced to avoid the deep cuts. State Treasurer John Schroder says he doesn’t think the public is willing to pay more taxes…

Cut 4  (10) “more money ” 

Schroder says if the state was more transparent about how it spends money, then it wouldn’t have to turn so often to tax increases…

Cut 5  (10)  “wouldn’t happen”

Schroder is pushing a plan to have state agencies post their expenditures online.

The governor’s proposal to fill the billion dollar gap leans heavily on eliminating tax breaks for businesses. President of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Stephen Waguespack, says Edwards refuses to consider spending cuts…

Cut 6 (06)  “only solution”

Waguespack says the governor is using scare tactics to push through his legislative agenda…

Cut 7 (07)  “about politics.”

The state has until July 1^st to address the fiscal cliff.

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“Feed Your Soul” is the new brand Louisiana will use to promote tourism to the state. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser hopes the slogan will target travelers who are in constant pursuit of enjoyment…

Cut 8 (10) “other options.”

Feed Your Soul replaces Pick Your Passion, which has been used for the past seven years. Nungesser says the new brand is the culmination of six months of rebranding research and analysis and the goal is to bring visitors who want to be in the moment…

Cut 9 (11)  “in Louisiana.”

Nungesser says the new brand will be rolled out on Mardi Gras Day with branded Louisiana: Feed Your Soul food trucks serving the taste of Louisiana in Atlanta, Houston, Dallas and Washington D-C to potential travelers…

Cut 10 (08) “four areas.”

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A study from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center finds that walking, even if only ten minutes per day, can be beneficial.  Dr. Tim Church says a group of 464 women who walked for 72 minutes a week for six months improved their heart health and fitness…

Louisiana Radio network news, I’m Matt Doyle

The governor presented a doomsday budget that includes an 80 percent cut in funding for TOPS. On top of TOPS, The higher education budget included an additional 26-million dollar cut. Higher Ed dodged budget cuts last year, and President of the University of Louisiana System Dr. Jim Hendersonsays it had a big impact…

Cut 13 (10) “five years”

Henderson says cutting TOPS would be a betrayal of hard working students.

Congressman Clay Higgins is aiming to pass a bill that would bolster existing immigration laws. The St. Landry Parish Republican says the Obama Administration created a bureaucratic situation that is keeping the Trump Administration from hiring more boarder guards.

Cut 9 (10) “new job.”

Higgins would like 10,000 more boarder agents.

LRN

The recent cold snap could cause the strawberry crop to be pushed back a couple of weeks.  There are nine to 12 commercial growers in Tangipahoa Parish.   Whitney Wallace from the LSU Ag Center says those farmers took extra precautions during the brutally cold weather and expects the crop should come through just fine…

Cut 3 (08) “great season.”

She says everything should be fine for the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.

A thirty-three-year-old Livingston Parish teacher was arrested Monday and charged with three counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Ashley Meyer is an Albany High School teacher, and has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.

Tulane Law School graduate Wendy Vitter was nominated by President Donald Trump today to fill a federal judgeship in New Orleans. Vitter was the campaign manager for her husband David Vitter’s three US House elections, and has served as general counsel for the Archdiocese of New Orleans since 2012.

Republican Congressman Clay Higgins is cosponsoring legislation that seeks to make immigration and border security reforms. Higgins says there’s also provisions in the bill that would punish sanctuary cities. New Orleans currently prohibits police officers from asking suspects about their immigration status. Higgins is tired of these cities disrespecting federal laws…
Cut 11 (07) “been discarded.”
Back in November, the Justice Department found no evidence that New Orleans is out of compliance when it comes to immigration laws.

University of Louisiana System President Doctor Jim Henderson is not happy to see the governor proposing a budget for next fiscal year that cuts TOPS by 80-percent. Henderson says cutting TOPS would be a betrayal of hard working students…
cut 14 (07) “….to them”
Henderson is hopeful TOPS will be fully funded when legislators approve a budget in June.

The recent cold snap could mean a delay in the strawberry harvest this year, and a possible increase in price at the grocery store. Whitney Wallace, LSU AgCenter agent in Tangipahoa Parish, says many of the blossoms on the plants that weren’t protected will have to regrow again, which is a 21 day process:
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Strawberry production in Louisiana is valued at an estimated 17-million-dollars.

The 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be headlined by Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Buffett and Lionel Richie. Producer Quint Davis says they will also celebrate the City of New Orleans’ 300th anniversary. He says there will be a massive Cultural Exchange Pavilion featuring all things New Orleans…:
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Jazzfest is April 27 to May 6 this year.

A record breaking year could be on tap for oil producers. Crude oil has topped $60.00 a barrel. Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association President Chris John says since the cost of oil could top $70.00 per barrel, Louisiana operators and oil producers in West Texas are willing to ramp up production…
Cut 28 (11) “production year.”

The governor’s proposed budget calls for an 80 percent cut in state funding for TOPS, because of a one-billion dollar reduction in state revenues. University of Louisiana System President Dr. Jim Henderson says a cut like that would cost students and their families thousands of dollars…
Cut 12 (12) “good ballpark”
Henderson is hopeful TOPS will be fully funded by the time legislators approve a budget in June.

U-S Reprsentative Clay Higgins is one of 70 cosponsors for a bill that would address the concerns agriculture and crawfish producers have when it comes to hiring workers from other countries. Higgins says the legislation would create an improved guest worker programs…
cut 10 (12) “…address that”
Higgins says at the same the time, the legislation would also improve the process to hire an additional 10-thousand Border Patrol agents.

Aerosmith, Sting, Jimmy Buffett, Lionel Richie and Aretha Franklin will be headliners for this year’s New Orleans Jazz and Hertigage Festival, which takes place every year on the last weekend of April and May. Festival producer Quint Davis says they will also have a “Locals Thursday” discount day on May 3rd….
cut 8 (10) “…Lionel Richie”
Bonnie Raitt and Smokey Robinson are also scheduled to perform during the two weekend festival.

The governor’s proposed budget calls for an 80 percent cut in state funding for TOPS, because of a one-billion dollar reduction in state revenues. the budget also included an additional 26-million dollar cut to higher education. Higher ed dodged budget cuts last year, President of the University of Louisiana System Dr. Jim Henderson says it had a big impact…

Cut 13 (10) “five years”

UL analysis showed Louisiana universities currently operating at the lowest per student funding in the country.

Now that the federal government shutdown is over, Congressman Clay Higgins is setting his sights on passing a bill to bolster the existing immigration law.  Higgins is co-sponsoring the “Securing America’s Future Act”.  The St. Landry Parish Republican says he wants to make it easier to hire Border Patrol Agents…

Cut 9 (10) “new job.”

The 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will feature Aerosmith and Aretha Franklin Michelle Southern spoke with Festival Producer Quint Davis…:

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The recent cold snap could cause the strawberry crop to be pushed back a couple of weeks, but Whitney Wallace from the LSU Ag Center says the weather should perk up just in time for the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival…

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Louisiana Radio Network

Congressman Clay Higgins is co sponsoring an immigration reform bill…:
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Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser has unveiled a new brand to promote Louisiana. Formerly Pick Your Passion, the new slogan is now, “Louisiana: Feed Your Soul.” Nungesser said the brand will offer travelers a new outlook – that you may come to Louisiana hungry, but you’ll leave with your soul full of all the rewarding experiences we offer.

The recent cold snap could mean a delay in the strawberry harvest this year, and a possible increase in price at the grocery store. Whitney Wallace, LSU AgCenter agent in Tangipahoa Parish, says many of the blossoms on the plants that weren’t protected will have to regrow again, which is a 21 day process:
Cut 4 (09) “cold weather”
It’s estimated strawberry production in Louisiana is valued at 17-million-dollars.

The 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be headlines by Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Buffett and Lionel Richie. Producer Quint Davis says they will also be joining in the celebration of the City of New Orleans’ 300th anniversary. He says there will be a massive Cultural Exchange Pavilion featuring all things New Orleans…:
Cut 7 (10) “festival”
Jazzfest is April 27 to May 6 this year.

The 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will feature Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin, Sting, Jimmy Buffet, Beck, Jack White, and Lionel Richie. Jazzfest will be April 27-29 and May 3-6 this year. Festival producer Quint Davis says Aerosmith will be making it’s Jazzfest debut, but they weren’t hard to bill…:
CUT 6 (08) “to do it”
The full lineup can be found online at nojazzfest.com.

The recent cold snap could mean a delay in the strawberry harvest this year, and a possible increase in price at the grocery store. Whitney Wallace, LSU AgCenter agent in Tangipahoa Parish, says farmers had to double-cover their berries to hold in warmer air, and keep the frigid temperatures out..:
Cut 3 (08) “great season”
She says that means additional labor costs, but it shouldn’t keep the prices too high on Louisiana strawberries very long.

It could be a record breaking year for offshore oil producers in Louisiana.
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The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says its investigating an incident in which a pedestrian was run over by a train. They say 43-year-old Damon Long of Houma was laying partially on the tracks, and as a train was backing up the engineer could not see the man who was then struck.