06:30 Newscast December 29, 2015

Governor-elect John Bel Edwards’ wife Donna Edwards says she plans to stress the importance of teaching art and music in public schools as the state’s first lady. Emily Wright, a Music Teacher at Slidell Junior High, says she was really excited to hear this because many people see music as an extra course when in reality, children really need to take these classes.

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Wright says keeping art and music courses in public schools is important because there is a direct correlation with other subjects.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler plans on having voters cast their ballots on iPads for the next governor’s election. He says over the next three to four years, voting machines need to be replaced and iPads are a cheaper alternative than getting all new machines.

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He says they plan to gradually incorporate the new voting system over the next few elections.

2015 will go down as an extremely memorable year in the history of Louisiana politics. Governor Bobby Jindal’s tenure ended, US Senator David Vitter’s political career ended and Governor-elect John Bel Edwards shocked pundits throughout the state with his victory. U-L Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says no one predicted a democrat would become governor…

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Cross says Senator Vitter’s decision not to return to the US Senate was almost as surprising as Edwards’ victory over him in the governor’s election.