The House Education Committee is taking up several bills that propose changes to the TOPS scholarship program. Baton Rouge Representative Barry Ivey has a proposal that would raise the GPA requirement to retain the scholarship once a recipient is in college. Ivey says changes like this will keep the program intact for more students in the future…
cut 10 (05) “….pretty quickly”
There’s also a bill that would make the scholarship a loan that students would have to pay back if they drop out or fail classes.

A state senate committee has given approval to banning the sale of aborted fetal tissue. Bossier City Senator Ryan Gatti says his main emphasis is to make sure people can’t profit from the selling of parts of an aborted fetus…
cut 15 (10) “….that process”
Before heading to the Senate floor, the bill was amended so mothers would not be criminalized for donating stem cells or unbilical cord blood.

A rally in support of legislation to have 17-year-olds charged as juveniles rather than adults takes place on the State Capitol steps today. Meg Garvey with the Youth Justice Coalition says this bill allows 17-year-olds the opportunity to be in a system that’s rehabilities and addresses their needs…
cut 13 (11) “….public safety”
Governor John Bel Edwards is also expected to speak at this rally.

US Representative Ralph Abraham is in Cuba today. Abraham is there to talk about how Lousiaina can be a trade partner with the island country once the trade embargo is lifted…
cut 6 (08) “….the latest”
Abraham says Cuba currently gets its rice from Asia, but Louisiana rice would make for sense for both sides.