09:30 Newscast, April 27th, 2017

The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2017 Report Card for Louisiana Infrastructure gives the State a D+ for its roads, bridges and drinking water. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
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The state Senate approves a bill that would remove the life sentence without parole for people convicted of crimes they committed when they were juveniles. It was amended that juvenile convicts come up for parole after 25 years behind bars instead of 30, provided they have good behavior. The measure now heads to the House.

A House panel approved two bills yesterday that would expand who is covered under domestic violence laws. One measure by New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno would include couples who are dating. She says currently the laws only apply to couples who are living together or married. She says 41 other states cover dating partners in criminal laws:
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The other measure headed to the full House would include same sex couples.

The Festival International de Louisiane is underway in Lafayette. The celebration draws 300,000 visitors every year from all over the world. Kelly Strenge with the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Bureau says in addition to an incredible musical lineup, there’s no shortage of shopping
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Visit festivalinternational.org for additional information.