LSU Interim President Thomas Galligan withdraws his name from being named permanently to the post. Brooke Thorington has more

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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Students will not be required to get a COVID vaccine to attend in-person classes this fall at either LSU or UL system schools. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (29) …I’m Matt Doyle”  

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LSU Interim President Thomas Galligan withdraws from consideration to be named permanent President. Galligan, who served as Dean of LSU’s Law School, was named to the post of interim President in January of 2020. Galligan says he came to the decision after spending time with his 14-month-old grandson recently.

Cut 3 (10)  “…do best.” 

Galligan was the dean of the LSU law school when he was named temporary leader of the LSU system in January of 2020. The 65-year-old says teaching is what he does best, and the role of president prevents him from instructing.

Cut 4 (05) “…classroom.” 

As for his predecessor, Galligan says they will have a big job considering the school’s Title IX issues. He says however improvements to reporting sexual misconduct at the university are significantly underway.

Cut 5  (07)  “…commitment.”

Galligan will remain interim until the board names his replacement.

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The Edwards administration announces it’s using 216 million dollars in federal coronavirus stimulus money on road and infrastructure projects. The money was approved by Congress in December and Governor John Bel Edwards says improving the state’s roads and bridges have been a priority of his administration

Cut 6 (10) “..for awhile”

The federal money replaces the lost gas tax revenue the state experienced last year because fewer people traveled as a result of the pandemic. State  Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says 50-million dollars will go towards extending I-49 from Lafayette to New Orleans…

Cut 7 (12) “..to construction”

Wilson says another 20-million dollars will go towards widening I-10 in Ouachita Parish. He says federal law is also requiring them to use 11-million dollars on installing electric vehicle charging stations statewide

Cut 8 (11) “..of that”

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A Senate Committee approves a constitutional amendment expanding the size of the State Supreme Court from seven justices to nine.

Bill author and Covington Senator Patrick McMath says the current makeup of State Supreme Court districts is not representative of the state’s population distribution.

Cut 9 (07) “..district.”

The bill also calls for a redistricting of the State Supreme Court to be conducted after every census.

Cut 10 (08) “.problem” 

If approved by voters the new redistricting would have to receive a 2/3rds vote in the Legislature and the Governor’s approval to be implemented. If approved by voters the amendment would become effective in 2025.

Democratic Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau had some concerns that Democratic New Orleans Senator Jimmy Harris, a co-author, tried to allay…

Cut 11 (12) “..either way”

The legislation heads to the Senate floor.

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The UL and LSU systems will not require students be vaccinated to attend in-person classes for the upcoming fall semester.

UL System President Jim Henderson says he has concerns about mandating students take a vaccine that is still under FDA emergency use authorization.

Cut 12 (07)   “..vaccine” 

Full biological licensing for vaccines may not be available until 2022.

That being said Henderson strongly encourages all students to get a vaccine as soon as they can

Cut 13 (08)“….campuses”

All Louisiana residents 16 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine at local pharmacies.

Despite not implementing a vaccine mandate Henderson is confident that our current vaccination rates will facilitate a safe fall campus experience, barring a new vaccine immune variant.

Cut 14 (07) “..science” 

Henderson says about 50 universities across the country have announced vaccine mandates, but a much larger number have either not weighed in, or said they will not require it.

Legislation that seeks to eliminate the federal income tax deduction, a tax break many Louisiana taxpayers enjoy in exchange for lower income tax rates receives approval from the House tax-writing committee. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Jeff Palermo.” 

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The Coast Guard is ending its search for eight missing crewmembers from the Seacor Power lift boat. Don Molino has the story…

Cut 2 (31) …I’m Don Molino”  

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The House Ways and Means Committee approves legislation that would eliminate the ability to Louisiana taxpayers to deduct taxes paid to the federal government on their state tax returns, but individual income tax rates would drop. House Ways and Means Chairman Stuart Bishop is the author…

Cut 3 (08)  “…right direction.” 

Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott says there have been studies and non-partisan groups who have suggested for years that Louisiana should eliminate the federal tax deduction and lower the income tax rate…

Cut 4 (09) “…more fair.” 

Supporters of the legislation say for those who make 50-thousand dollars or above, they would see their individual income tax rates drop six to 4.25 percent. Taxpayers who make less than 50-thousand would see a lower income tax rate break.

A similar measure has also passed the Senate Revenue Fiscal Affairs Committee. Chairman Brett Allain of Franklin says getting rid of the federal income tax break and lowering the individual income tax rate is good tax policy…

Cut 5  (06)  “…we have now.”

The proposed tax swap plan has a lot of support among legislative leaders and will need a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate and also voter approval.

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A suspected road rage incident in Jefferson Parish Saturday leads to a crash that killed three people, including an 11-year-old. Trooper Monroe Dillon says 49-year-old Paul Ferrara of New Orleans allegedly had a hostile exchange with a woman driving an F-150 and moments later rammed that woman’s truck…

Cut 6 (07) “..occured”

Ferrara’s Durango then hit a Hyundai Elantra, killing both Ferrara and the Elantra’s occupants, 31-year-old Raish-Nia Wright of Tennessee and 11-year-old Dezerra Wright of Tennesee.

Dillon says if you see another driver acting aggressively and threatening others like Mr. Ferrara allegedly did, dial star-L-S-P.

Cut 7 (09) “..investigations.”

The road rage incident allegedly began after Mr. Ferrara attempted to pass the woman in the F-150 in a no-pass zone during some bad weather. He was unable to, and a few minutes later pulled up alongside her truck and began to yell at her.

Dillon says if someone is threatening you with road rage, try not to engage them.

Cut 8 (11) “…location”

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Legislation that would task the Department of Health with creating a statewide grading system for all water systems is headed to the Senate floor.

Bill author, Parks Senator Fred Mills says independent studies rate the state’s water infrastructure at a D minus, and conclude it would cost five billion dollars to get us to an acceptable level…

Cut 9 (09) “..problem.”

The grading system would be A through F.

Mills says the grading system would give local communities a roadmap for potential future water system consolidations.

Cut 10 (12) “.merge” 

The first grades would be required by 2023.

Mills says the grading system will be based on past violations, the system’s financial sustainability, infrastructure violations, and customer satisfaction.

Cut 11 (10) “..public”

The legislation cleared Senate Health and Welfare without opposition.

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The Coast Guard is suspending the search for the eight crewmembers from the Seacor Power lift boat that capsized off the coast of Lafourche Parish. Captain Will Watson says suspending a search is one of the toughest decisions they have to make and he describes the meeting they had with the families of the victims…

Cut 12 (08)   “…still” 

Seacor Marine President John Gellert says 17 divers will continue to search the capsized lift boat as they remain committed to recovering all of the missing. He says the divers have been through half of the vessel.

The N-T-S-B will conduct an investigation, which will look at the weather conditions at the time. Gellert says it was the captain’s decision for the vessel to operate that day

Cut 13 (09)“….we know”

The Seacore Power capsized on Tuesday afternoon after it encountered hurricane-force winds unexpectedly.

The captain of the Seacor Power has been identified as 63-year-old David Ledet of Thibodaux. Gellert says the captain had decades of experience on lift boats…

Cut 14 (09) “..what so ever.”