The newscall has been updated after the House approved the cigarette tax.
Lawmakers are filing bills for the regular session that will make changes to the TOPS scholarship program. Halen Doughty has more…
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle announced today he’s joining the race for the 3rd Congressional District seat. Jeff Palermo reports…:
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A man accused of being a member of the Gremlins street gang turned himself in to police late Wednesday, Abbeville Chief Tony Hardy said. He says 22-year-old Cody Guidry of Abbeville is one of 17 people indicted in connection with a lengthy multi-agency investigation into gang activity near Abbeville and three other parishes in South Central Louisiana….:
The gang is accused of operating in Acadia, Lafayette, Vermilion and St. Martin parishes. Five of the suspected members are still at large. Hardy says these men face many charges related to criminal street gang violations…:
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Lawmakers have started filing bills for the regular session to change the TOPS scholarship program. Jennings Senator Blade Morrish says he has filed about a dozen TOPS-related bills, one of which would raise the requirements to qualify for the scholarship.
Morrish says one of his bills seeks to raise the GPA requirement for TOPS award from a 2.5 to a 2.75 and the ACT score from a 20 to a 21. The Senate Education Chairman has also filed legislation so that TOPS would no longer cover at 100-pecent a student’s tuition….
Morrish says lawmakers attempted to cap the amount of the dollars going to TOPS last year, but the bill was vetoed by former-Governor Bobby Jindal. Morrish says legislators also would like to address the situation of TOPS students dropping out without graduating…
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It appears the budget stalemate could be over. It started with the Senate Finance committee laying out its plans for addressing the state’s 900-million dollar budget shortfall this fiscal year. Chairman Eric LaFleur says through a combination of tax increases and budget cuts, they can close the deficit, if the House agrees to pass more tax bills that will generate an additional 83-million dollars
Shortly after the Senate Finance panel met, the House began approving bills to increase revenue, including a measure that would raise the state’s cigarette tax by another 22-cents, to a $1.08 a pack. The bill’s author, New Orleans Representative, Walt Leger…
The special session must end March 9th. It’s likely a conference committee will be needed to iron out differences between the House and Senate when it comes to cuts and taxes. But Senate President John Alario likes the direction that budget talks are heading…
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Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle announced today he’s joining the race for the 3rd Congressional District seat. He joins five other Republicans looking for the spot being vacated by Congressman Charles Boustany who’s running for US Senate. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says, now that it’s official, Angelle becomes the clear favorite…:
Cut 11 (09) “front of the line”
Other announced candidates include former state lawmaker Brett Geymann of Lake Charles, Lafayette School board member Erick Knezek (Nee-Zick), oil company executive Lt. Col Gregory Ellison, Lafayette businessman Gus Rantz IV and retired US ambassador Grover Joseph Rees. Cross says with such a crowded field, candidates will need to identify strongly with the region…:
Cross says even though Angelle becomes the clear front runner, it’s still anyone’s race. He says it’ll depend on how attractive the candidates are..:
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UL-Lafayette will have to vacate 22 football games between 2011 and 2014, as a result of a two-year NCAA Committee investigation. The committee determined that a former assistant coach falsified ACT scores for five students, meaning those students were ineligible to play. Games involving ineligible players led to vacating those victories. Jay Walker, the voice of the Ragin Cajuns, says he understands the committee’s ruling.
cut 14 (11) “there are penalties”
Eight victories from the 2011 season, four from 2012, eight from 2013 and two from 2014 will be vacated, including two New Orleans Bowl championships in 2011 and 2013 and the 2013 Sun Belt Conference championship. Walker says the school accepts the penalties and moves on.
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