Governor John Bel Edwards has issued the call for a special legislative session to address a 750 million dollar budget shortfall. The session will start on February 14th and for three and a half weeks lawmakers will have a chance to debate various cuts to the budget and tax increases like the sales tax by a penny, higher cigarette and alcohol taxes and changes to person income tax brackets.

It’s a big Mardi Gras party weekend and cops are urging revelers to play it safe. State Police Trooper Melissa Matey says there is a no tolerance policy for drunk driving and please be mindful of where your kidsa are at all times. She says they are also asking the public to take advantage of the see something, send something app in case you spot something that doesn’t seem right…:
cut 14 (11) “immediately”

Chevron announces 385 possible layoffs are coming to five offices in Covington and Lafayette. Eric Smith, Associate Director at the Tulane Energy Institute, says the low oil prices initially impacted independent oil producers, but now major companies are feeling the affects…:
CUT 6 (10) “some cutbacks”
Chevron says the cuts will begin April 4th. Alcoa has also told the state it is laying off up to 37 employees at a plant in Lake Charles.

New Orleans attorney Caroline Fayard is the first Democrat to enter Louisiana’s US Senate race. Fayard has never held political office, but did run for Lt. Governor in 2010. Fayard says she’s running for the Senate because she doesn’t want the rest of the country to take Louisiana for granted and that starts in Washington, D.C….
cut 3 (10) “to the table”