AM Newscall 01.30.19

A report shows Louisianans do not use a quarter of their vacation days that they earn every year, and the Lt. Governor says he has a fix for that…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

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Congressman Clay Higgins has been appointed as the Republican Ranking member of the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operation.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

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The Raising Canes River Center in Baton Rouge is playing host to 1400 educators today.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

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A report shows Louisianans are leaving 8.9 million vacation days a year on the table, 27th most in the nation. Of the 17 days a year Louisianans do take, only eight of them were for travel, so Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says now’s a great time to start planning your “Staycations” for the year. To start, he recommends the criminally overlooked beauty of a bayou southwest of New Orleans.

Cut 4 (08) “state park”

the report, which studied trends in 2017, notes nationwide, 705 million vacation days go unused.

Once you wrap up your trip to Bayou Segnette, The Lt. Governor recommends driving west to Lake Charles, staying at one of the new resorts, and then driving just north for one of the most haunted destinations in the state.

Cut 5 (12) “…of ghosts.”

After you get your scares, Nungesser recommends loading the family in the car and visiting central and north Louisiana, which is becoming a hotbed of WW2 era historical must-sees. With one weekend trip to Alexandria and then Monroe, you can cover both theaters of the war.

Cut 6 (13) “…to fly”

The report notes people who plan their vacations ahead of time were more likely to utilize all of their vacation days than those who don’t.

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Congressman Clay Higgins has been named the top Republican of the Subcommittee of Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations, which is responsible for all aspects of security ops along land, air, and maritime borders.   It’s an appointment that Higgins says he doesn’t take lightly.

Cut 7 (10) “…our southern border.”

Higgins says although he expects the subcommittee to be one of the more contentious in the 116th Congress, he expects his role to be one to unify the both sides of the border security debate.

Cut 8 (07) “…as a country.”

Higgins says he’s in favor of the border wall, and feels optimistic an agreement will be reached funding the structure prior to another shutdown that could take place next month.

Cut 9 (12) “…my home.″

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The Louisiana Department of Education is hosting the 2019 Behavioral Intervention Summit today at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge.  Chief of Staff of the Office of Student Opportunities at LDOE Lisa French says about 1400 educators and national experts will convene in a day full of focus on equipping educators with the tools and resources needed to work with the behavior issues of students.

Cut 10 (09) “emotional skills.”

French says the summit is a first in the state and comes as a response to behavioral issues faced in the classroom, in an effort to identify the best implementation of appropriate interventions.

Cut 11 (12) “…in this space.”

French says the goal is to see the behavioral needs being met with students remaining in the classroom instead of going to alternative schools or being suspended and sent home.

Cut 12 (10) “…their behavior.”

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A state commission is advancing a legislative plan to dramatically increase the amount of support for early childhood education. The preliminary funding plan, called LA B to 3, aims to clear the 22,000 children on the wait list for early childhood education financial support, and provide support to 114,000 children three and under. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell says it’s a crucial first step.

Cut 13 (11) “…from that.”

The commission was created during the last legislative session.

Much of Louisiana’s early childhood education funding comes from the feds, but Mizell says this time the large increase in funds necessary to get this program going will have to come locally.

Cut 14 (10) “an example”

The commission reports less than a third of three-year-olds can accesses quality childcare in Louisiana.

But it’s not the only expensive education priority this session, with a teacher pay raise also on deck for intense discussions. The report notes every one dollar invested in early education yields $7.30 in return, and the expansion can large pay for itself unlike other programs.

Cut 15 (11) “…investment.”

173,000 children three and under are in need of early childhood education.

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19th ranked LSU looks to extend its winning streak to 10 games tonight when they visit Texas A-and-M. The Tigers are coming off a remarkable victory, where they rallied from 14 points down late in the second half to beat Missouri on their home floor. LSU guard Tremont Waters says that win shows a lot about their team…

Cut 16 (13) “…the end″

It looked like LSU would suffer its first SEC loss on Saturday in Missouri, but Skylar Mays got hot, scoring nine consecutive points to start the rally. Mays says it was a great win, but they can’t forget why they were down by double digits…

 cut 17 (16)   “against A-and-M” 

The Aggies are 1-5 in the SEC, with their only win coming against Alabama with a buzzer beating three-pointer. But Mays says they can’t overlook A-and-M…

Cut 18 (17)  this league”