Governor John Bel Edwards has called for a special session to begin on February 19th. He’s giving legislators until March 7th to come up with a solution to a looming one billion dollar budget shortfall. It’s unclear if there’s enough support to raise taxes in some areas to cover up the deficit.

A majority of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation voted against the spending bill that reopened the federal government after a brief shutdown. Don Molino has reaction…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit against the Corps of Engineers alleging the Corps expanded the Intracoastal Waterway in Vermillion Parish beyond the borders set in a 1920s agreement. Landry says the Corps has increased the size of the waterway far past what the state imagined, which the AG says has contributed to the decline of Louisiana’s coastline.
Cut 13 (11) “particular servitude”
Governor Edwards says he’ll review the suit, but questions why Landry didn’t consult with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Mardi Gras parade goers on Saturday will have to deal with intermittent rain. State Climatologist Barry Keim says we can see one to two inches of rain over the weekend, some areas might get more…
cut 8 (07) “…of people”
But Keim says we are not expecting severe weather and the temperatures should be mild.