Governor John Bel Edwards says President Trump’s tariffs on certain imports are hurting Louisiana’s economy. Edwards blames tariffs for the reason why Louisiana’s personal income growth dropped to two-point-three percent in the third quarter, one of the lowest rates in the nation. AG and the oil and gas industries were the hardest hit. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says it’s just not tariffs, wet weather has dragged commodity prices down and oil prices have also dropped…
cut 16 (09) “….70-cents”

Congress has passed legislation to award former Saints football player Steve Gleason the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest civilian award given out by Congress. Senator Bill Cassidy says it’s a deserving award for Gleason who has done a lot to improve the quality of life for those who suffer from A-L-S…
cut 5 (10) “….vocal chords”
Gleason was diagnosed with A-L-S in 2011.

A dispute over the use of inflatable dragons in a holiday display at a Mandeville home is garnering worldwide attention after going viral on social media. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

A Bossier City police officer has been arrested and charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse of an animal. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

A Monroe man is facing one count of solicitation for murder after he allegedly tried to pay a man to kill his estranged wife. Detectives say 47-year-old Michael Faubion asked his roommate, who has a criminal history, if he can contact people in jail that would be willing to execute a hit on his wife. But now Faubion is the one in jail on a one-million dollar bond.

Governor John Bel Edwards held an end of the year press conference today where he hit on some of state’s accomplishments during 2018. He says the state has finally shed its title as having the largest incarceration rate in the world. Edwards that’s the result of criminal justice reform legislation approved in 2017 and it saved the state 12-million dollars in its first full year in effect…
cut 13 (12) “…victims of crime”

The lack of money for a massive wall along the U-S and Mexico border could result in a federal government shutdown tomorrow night. President Donald Trump is demanding that the money be put in a funding bill that he can sign before the Christmas holiday. Senator John Kennedy says the stop gap funding bill also needs to include money for flood insurance…
cut 10 (09) “….February 8th”

Governor John Bel Edwards says 2018 was a successful year for Louisiana as the state continues to move in the right direction. Edwards says stabilizing the budget was his top accomplishment. He says the tax deal fully fund higher education, without raising taxes…
cut 12 (08) “….600-million dollars”
Edwards says his biggest legislative priority in 2019 is a pay raise for teachers.

Bossier City police have put one of their own officers on administrative leave after he was arrested on animal sexual abuse charges. State Police Trooper Glenn Younger says once enough evidence was collected, 38-year-old Terry Yetman voluntarily surrendered…
cut 4 (05) “…good too”
Yetman was honored in October for his work against domestic violence. The LSP investigation began in August.

In Washington D-C, we could be heading to a federal government shutdown at midnight Friday as President Donald Trump reportedly will not sign a stop-gap funding bill that was approved by the Senate. Senator John Kennedy says the President is digging in on his request for money to build a border wall…
cut 11 (10) “…the issue”
The stop-gap funding bill also funds the National Flood Insurance Program for another six weeks.

Researchers in Sweden have found that the risk of having a heart attack on Christmas Eve increases nearly 40-percent. The study observed the timing of 283,000 heart attacks over 15 years. Cardiologist Doctor Frank Smart at LSU Health New Orleans says the research indicates the peak timing of heart attacks on Christmas Eve is around 10pm, but he says it usually isn’t caused by overeating for a few days…
Cut 7 (05) “…or two days.”

AAA predicts you could see more traffic than normal today, as over one-third of Americans are expected to travel for the holidays. And more Americans will travel by car this holiday season than ever before. AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says gas prices along the Gulf Coast are relatively low…
cut 9 (10) “….higher than Louisiana”
If you’re renting a car, Redman says car rental costs have reached a 10-year high.

Louisiana Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson says they are seeing more and more out of state retailers cooperating with the state’s effort to collect sales taxes on internet purchases made by Louisiana consumers. Robinson says all internet vendors have received guidance on what to do…
cut 5 (06) “…to start collecting”
Robinson says internet purchases are subject to an 8.45 percent sales tax.

The US Senate has approved a bipartisan federal criminal justice reform bill and Louisiana’s John Kennedy was one of 12 to vote against it. In a conference call with Louisiana reporters, Kennedy explained his “no” vote…
cut 12 (11) “….and one”
But Pelican Institute CEO Daniel Erspamer applaud the legislation, and says like Louisiana’s 2017 criminal justice reform legislation, it will help bring down crime and save taxpayer dollars.
Cut 11 (11) “…worst offenders”
Senior Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy voted for the legislation and it awaits House approval before heading to President Trump’s desk. He’s expected to sign the legislation.

Senator John Kennedy was one of 12 to vote against President Trump’s criminal justice reform bill in the Senate. Matt Doyle has more…
voicer 3 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

A south Louisiana man on work release allegedly forced his way into a Lacombe home where his wife and child were staying and shoved his wife to the floor. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s office says 33-year-old Keith Bickham allegedly took his employer’s pickup truck in Livingston Parish and drove to Lacombe. Bickham faces additional charges.

State GOP chairman Louis Gurvuich has expressed a desire to move to closed primaries that only party members vote for party candidates. Currently, voters are free to vote for whoever is in the primary, and the top two candidates advance to the general election. Most states have closed primaries and Governor Edwards says in this case, its ok to stand out…
cut 14 (05) “….other states”

The Louisiana Department of Revenue is gearing up to begin collecting sales taxes on internet purchases made with out of state vendors. Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson says businesses that do not have a physical presence in Louisiana have been instructed to collect 8.45-percent sales tax and four-percent of that tax will go to local governments…
cut 6 (09) “…sales tax rate”

Senator John Kennedy was one of 12 Republican Senators to vote against President Trump’s criminal justice reform bill in Congress. The legislation aims to reduce sentences for non-violent offenders and reduce recidivism, but Kennedy says it lets potentially dangerous people back into society too soon.
Cut 10 (11) “…is justice”
But Pelican Institute CEO Daniel Erspamer says those criticisms are not accurate and based on the success of similar legislation on the state level, it will improve public safety.
Cut 13 (12) “…of dollars”
Louisiana’s Senior Senator Bill Cassidy voted for it. The House is also expected to approve the reform bill that’s also backed by President Trump.

AAA projects over 1/3 of the nation’s population will be on the move during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. Spokesperson Don Redman says they’ve never seen travel numbers like this….
Cut 7 (10) “…the record books.”
Redman says six-point-seven million will fly to their winter holiday destination, the highest number in 15 years.

There’s talk among party leaders to move Louisiana elections to a closed party primary. GOP state chairman Louis Gurvuich says the Jungle Primary system hurts Republicans when there are a large field of candidates and the state Democratic Party has indicated they could support a closed party primary for federal races. But Governor John Bel Edwards says he’ll oppose any efforts to change how we elect our politicians…
cut 16 (09) “…that system”