Teacher pay raises and K-12 funding increases headlined this year’s budget debate, but a few other areas are seeing funding increases, mostly thanks to the budget surplus. Matt Doyle has more…
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Next year, alligator snapping turtles could be declared as endangered or threatened, but biologists with the LDWF are working to reduce the need for that classification. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”
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Senator John Kennedy says he’s keeping a finger of the pulse of the upcoming Governor’s race. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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Yesterday marked the beginning of the new fiscal year, and while the budget battle was focused on K-12 funding increases and teacher pay raises, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne pointed out a few other areas that got some love.
The decade has been defined by higher ed funding decreases, but Dardenne says the state has turned a corner…
Higher Ed Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed noted that’s now two years in a row for higher ed funding increases.
Dardenne says this year’s budget surplus will allow the government to invest more in the state’s oldest, and youngest citizens…
Early childhood education received 18.8 million in new funding this year.
School shootings are at the front of many parent’s minds and Dardenne says they’ve allocated new funds to school safety.
Dardenne says it does not appear likely that the state will face any mid-year budget cuts.
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Fourteen alligator snapping turtles that have been raised with the care of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are now swimming in the wild as part of a program to replenish the species. LDWF biologist Charles Battaglia says while the numbers in Louisiana are doing okay, elsewhere the population is showing red flags.
Cut 7 (07) “…declining as well.”
The federal government is scheduled to decide next year whether to declare the turtles as endangered or threatened. Battaglia says since 2012, the program has raised and released several hundred turtles in an effort to protect the younger turtles from predators such as raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and some fish.
Cut 8 (08) “…problem with them.”
Battaglia says while it may not seem like the turtles serve a huge role in the ecosystem, fishermen may see the value in them.
Cut 9 (09) “…when you’re fishing.”
The turtles were released in the Boeuf Wildlife Management Area in Caldwell Parish.
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Senator John Kennedy spoke at the Baton Rouge Press Club and during the address, he gave his thoughts on the current state of the Governor’s race. Kennedy says he’s spoken with President Trump about the election but did not disclose many more details.
Cut 10 (08) “…things his way.”
Kennedy believes the race will be a close one but adds that Governor Edwards has the advantage of having plenty of money and mainstream media connections.
Cut 11 (10) “…know that’s true.”
Kennedy stopped short of endorsing one candidate and says although he likes all three candidates, either of the two Republican candidates, Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone or Congressman Ralph Abraham would do a better job than Governor Edwards.
Kennedy was at one time considered a favorite to run as a Republican against Edwards before deciding against entering the race late last year. The Senator says the current candidates have not made him reconsider that decision.
Cut 12 (07) “…get into the race.”
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222 US mayors, including the leaders of Shreveport, Monroe, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge are returning home from five days of the United States Conference of Mayors in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo says they got an opportunity to learn how to generate federal dollars for much needed economic development and infrastructure needs back home…
And with the 2020 Census right around the corner, Mayo says they studied best practices for obtaining the most accurate count of residents in their cities…
Cut 14 (11) “…federal dollars.”
The diverse cast of mayors from every corner of the US each shared their experiences with climate change, from wildfires in California, to tornadoes and floods in Louisiana…