After five days of stalled negotiations, lawmakers are optimistic legislation will begin moving forward when legislatorsr convene Sunday afternoon. Lake Charles Republican Representative Steven Dwight’s bill to extend a portion of the expiring one penny sales tax will be heard, and he’s optimistic about its chances…
Cut 5 (10) “floor monday.”
But Vice-chair of the legislative Black Caucus Ted James of Baton Rouge says a plan to solve the fiscal cliff could still be a ways off, with Democrats balking at allowing the state to maintain special sales tax exemptions for certain industries.
Cut 8 (08) “for us”
Louisiana faces a budget deficit of nearly one billion dollars on July 1st when temporary sales taxes expire.

Officials are investigating a shooting that injured two people on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond early Friday morning. University spokesperson Tonya Lowentritt says the shooting stemmed from a fight involving students and others who do not attend the school…
cut 3 (13) “…life threatening”
No arrests have been made.

Roger Villere’s 14-year run as the state’s Republican Party Chairman ends Saturday when a new leader is elected. When Villere took over as GOP Chairman, the only Republican statewide official was the late Secretary of State Fox McKeithen. Now it has completely flipped the other way. Villere says there’s also been an increase in registered Republican voters…
Cut 10 (08) “than double.”