Baton Rouge Representative Barry Ivey is proposing legislation for the regular session that would require state agencies to publish all of their expenditures online for the public. The measure would create a “Louisiana Checkbook” that Ivey says is all about transparency.
Cut 13 (11) “transactional level.”
The proposal seeks to replicate Ohiocheckbook.com, where all Ohio state expenditures are logged, and available to view using a user-friendly interface.

Recruiting analysts anticipated that the nation’s number one cornerback would sign with LSU, but that didn’t happen. Florida’s Patrick Surtain chose the Crimson Tide over the Tigers. Surtain told ESPN-U that he chose Alabama, because they win championships. The loss of Surtain means LSU’s recruiting class will not finish in the top 10.

Pineville-based Cleco Corporate Holdings has acquired nine utility cooperatives and eight generating assets in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, totaling one-billion-dollars. Spokesperson Jennifer Cahill says this will help them increase the scale of their operations and give them the ability to provide over 35-hundred megawatts of power in all three states…
Cut 3 (08) “seventy percent.”
The sale is expected to close by the end of the year.

We are seeing rain over a good portion of the state today as a cold front moves through. We dry out tomorrow, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says showers and thunderstorms return on Friday just in time for the big Mardi Gras weekend….
cut 11 (11) “…both days”
At least temperatures are expected to be mild.