Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is traveling the state to highlight different areas in Louisiana. Emelie Gunn has more…
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Today ULM students, alumni, and faculty are gathering on campus to email their state legislators about their concerns for the future of higher ed. Jeff Palermo has more…
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Governor Edwards is calling on a special task force for a list of ideas on how the state should handle a 600-million dollar revenue shortfall. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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Lt. Governor Bill Nungesser is touring the state to promote tourism as part of National Tourism Week. Nungesser says he’ll be in in West Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and St. Francisville today and then head to the northern part of the state later in the week. He says he just returned from a week-long trip to Canada.
Nungesser will be traveling around the state in a van that’s wrapped with the state’s tourism marketing campaign. He says in 2015 nearly 29-million people visited the state, which was a record, but…
Nungesser says with the oil industry down and recent budget cuts, Louisiana needs as much tax revenue from tourists as possible. He says that’s why it’s important for him to visit historic sites, visitor centers and local tourism officials this week.
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ULM students are gathering on campus today to collectively voice their concerns for the future of higher education. Katherine Dawson, Online Program Coordinator for ULM, says students, faculty, alumni, and others will all email their state legislators between 11:45 am and 12:15 pm at an event called Mission: Maroon.
The governor’s proposed budget calls for a 183-million dollar cut to TOPS and higher education would receive a six-percent cut in state funding. Dawson says the purpose is not to gripe at lawmakers but to speak up and be heard. She says unfortunately, one email from one person may not make much of a difference, but she hopes that hundreds of emails will.
Dawson says they are encouraging people who cannot be on campus for this event to participate from home by emailing their legislators and posting photos wearing maroon to social media using their hashtags.
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The LSU AgCenter has developed an eye-drop to prevent and treat cataracts. AgCenter Department of Biological and Agriculture Engineering Professor Cristina Sabliov says they became interested in developing a solution because cataracts are the leading cause of visual impairment in the United States. She says they found a way to use lutein to prevent the eye lens from becoming cloudy.
Sabliov says lutein is currently prescribed as an oral treatment for cataracts and eye diseases, but she says LSU AgCenter researchers have developed a solution to drop it directly into your eyes.
The AgCenter is working to patent the drop. Sabliov says they hope this new product will have the unique advantage for both being able to prevent cataracts before they start or to treat cataracts after they form.
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Governor John Bel Edwards wants a list of budget reform recommendations in two weeks from a special task force. Some of the proposals will likely be presented to lawmakers during a special session in June to address a 600-million dollar shortfall. Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin is on the task force and says lawmakers have already raised the state sales tax, so they are left with limited options to address the budget gap….
Erwin says it’s key that any revenue raising measure that could be passed in a second special session doesn’t further hurt the state economy.
Raising more revenue could help reduce cuts to vital state services. Erwin says they will be looking at corporate and personal income taxes to see if enough revenue can be raised by removing some exemptions and deductions.
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One of the Saints draft picks had a very interesting route to the NFL. Fourth round pick, defensive tackle David Onyemata, grew up in Nigeria and played college football at the University of Manitoba in Canada. New Orleans traded up to select the six-foot-four, 300-pounder and General Manager Mickey Loomis is glad they did…
Loomis says while most football fans never heard of Onyemata, there were several clubs interested in Onyemata’s potential…
The Saints last selection was California running back Daniel Lasco, who New Orleans drafted in the 7th round. Loomis believes Lasco’s primary role will be on special teams…
Cut 18 (18) “as a running back”
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