A group of businessmen called Blueprint Louisiana are urging the next governor to raise the gasoline tax, expand Medicaid and alter the TOPS program. Emelie Gunn has more…
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A recent Clarus Research Group poll on Louisiana’s governor’s race reveals that 44-percent of voters view Republican David Vitter unfavorably. Eric Gill has more…
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The American Civil Liberties Union is accusing the Bossier Parish School Board of violating the US Constitution by allowing the Fellowship of Student Athletes to set up prayer boxes at Airline High School in Bossier City. Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino says this does appear to go against the First Amendment’s Establishment of Religion Clause…
CUT 3 (09) “particular Christianity”
The Louisiana ACLU sent a letter to the School Board asking them to immediately remove the prayer boxes from the school. The School Board will discuss the situation at their next meeting Thursday. Ciolino says it won’t serve the public well for Bossier Parish School officials to take this issue to court…
In response to the letter, Governor Bobby Jindal says this is an example that the war on Christianity has gone too far. Ciolino says that although school prayer is something that the public seems to strongly favor, the nation’s highest court stands firm with the Constitution…
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A group of businessmen and executives that are part of Blueprint Louisiana is calling on the next governor to raise the gasoline tax, expand Medicaid and change TOPS, so it no longer covers the full cost of tuition. Blueprint Chairman Dr. Phillip Rozeman says our roads need about one billion dollars a year to improve our transportation and raising the taxes on gasoline could help defer this cost.
Rozeman says there is a need for Medicaid coverage expansion so working residents that normally make too much to qualify and not enough to buy their own insurance will be included. He says the group doesn’t necessarily agree with the Affordable Care Act but an expansion of Medicaid could save the state 165 million dollars over five years…
Rozeman says TOPS is a great program but needs to be altered so it doesn’t automatically include the full cost of tuition and becomes more like a scholarship. He says this way it could be used more in the community and technical college system.
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A recent Clarus Research Group poll on Louisiana’s governor’s race reveals that 44-percent of voters view Republican David Vitter unfavorably. The poll was paid for by The Advocate and WWL-TV. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says, during Vitter’s years in public office, it appears the Senator has managed to alienate some voters…
The survey also shows that over 40-percent of voters could not give a favoribility rating to any of the other three major candidates, Republicans Jay Dardenne and Scott Angelle and Democrat John Bel Edwards. Cross says this is a sign that voters are not quite fully engaged with the election…
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Cross doesn’t think this is a sign that Vitter should abandon his campaign. He says just because Vitter’s unfavorability rating is high, it doesn’t mean he can’t be elected governor…
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The Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office is searching for a convicted killer who was released from prison due to a computer glitch. 32-year-old Benjuiel Johnson was serving 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and other charges in the 2010 death of Cordies Gales. Major Ronnie Hebert says Johnson was sent to East Feliciana Parish to face some prior charges…
It’s reported that when Johnson’s name was checked through the Department of Corrections computer system, the manslaughter conviction did not show up, so Johnson was released on bond. Hebert says they’re doing all they can to track down Johnson…
The US Marshals Office is assisting with the search. If you see Johnson, you are asked to immediately call 9-1-1. Hebert says details are limited as to where Johnson may have fled…
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