Lawmakers advance a bill that would raise the minimum wage in Louisiana to $8 an hour, then $8.50 in 2018. Governor John Bel Edwards spoke in support of the measure in the Senate Labor Committee…:
CUT 28 (05) “our families”
The vote was a close 4-3 and the bill now heads to the Senate Floor. Business groups spoke in opposition saying it would create job losses especially in the service sector.

23-year-old MacKenzie Bourg of Lafayette will find out tonight if he advances to the Top 3 on the final season of American Idol. Acadiana will be on tonight’s show from footage taken at MacKenzie’s homecoming parade last Saturday in Lafayette. Thousands of fans gathered for the celebration his dad Rudy Bourg says it was absolutely surreal…:
CUT 7 (07) “overwhelming”
Tonight’s elimination show begins at 7pm. If MaKenzie advances, you can vote for him again online at american-idol-dot-com-slash-vote.

Even though Republican US Senator David Vitter is leaving office at the end of this year, he’s still holding town hall meetings across the state getting feedback from voters. In Ascension parish this morning, Vitter said he’s hearing primarily about jobs and highway improvements…:
Cut 13 (09) “is important”
He’ll hold another town hall today in Rapides Parish. He still maintains that he intends to leave politics once his term ends.

Attorney General Jeff Landry says IRS phone scams are once again becoming a big problem in the state. He’s reminding residents that the IRS does not initiate contact requesting information electronically, nor demand payment without first sending a notification by mail.