Will the House agree to the budget and sales tax plan that the Senate approved last night. Matt Doyle looks at the upper chamber’s proposal to fix the fiscal cliff…
voicer 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

The special session must end tonight at midnight. Governor John Bel Edwards supports the Senate’s spending plan proposal, but House Republicans are seeking a reduction in state spending and do not support a 4.5 percent sales tax rate as of July 1st. The House approved a 4.3 percent sales tax rate.

The LSU Baseball season has come to a close as the Tigers finished with a record of 39-27 after losing 12-0 to Oregon State last night. Tiger Rag Associate Editor, James Moran, says the Tigers didn’t have enough healthy, quality arms to get past the Corvallis Regional
Cut 6 (14) “lit up”
Moran says the Tigers should be better next season, if they can stay away from injuries and if a couple of their draft eligible players, like Antoine Duplantis and Zach Watson come back next season and not enter pro ball.

The Senate passed a budget, and a sales tax bill to pay for it last night, that fully funds TOPS, higher ed, and healthcare. The tax bill raises 508 million dollars by renewing half of the expiring penny sales tax, and eliminating some business tax deductions. Senate Finance Chairman Eric LaFleur says it’s a compromise he hopes everyone can be content with.
Cut 13 (07) “solid policy”
The House has yet to say whether they’ll accept or reject the Senate’s budget and tax plan. Behind the scenes negotiations are ongoing.

It won’t help next fiscal year, but executive director of the Louisiana Casino Association Wade Duty says the state will benefit from a bill signed into law that allows riverboat casinos to move gaming operations on to land…
cut 5 (09) “…..for the state”
Duty anticipates a handful of the state’s 15 licensed riverboat casinos will push to take advantage of the new law over the next year.

Three people are accused of a widespread livestock theft ring with quite the price tag. State Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says the husband and wife, Rickey and Wanda Thompson of Pitkin, along with their son Justin Thompson, are accused of the thefts that occurred from August to October of 2017.
Cut 9 (08) “…one million dollars”
Ricky and Wanda Thompson have turned themselves in to the Allen Parish Jail, however Justin Thompson has yet to surrender to authorities.

The American Cancer Society is now recommending that average-risk adults get a colorectal cancer screening at age 45, five years earlier than the previous recommendation. A co-author of that report is Elizabeth Fontham from LSU Health New Orleans, who says there are six different tests that screen for the disease…
cut 8 (09) “…missing anything visually”
Fontham says among adults younger than 55 years, there was a 51-percent increase in the incident of colorectal cancer.

The state senate approved a 29-billion dollar budget last night and the upper chamber also agreed to a sales tax bill that would generate 540-million dollars so that higher education, TOPS and major health programs would be spared from cuts. It remains to be seen if the House will agree to the Senate proposals and Republicans like Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt want to cut government spending….
cut 15 (12) “…point one”
The special session ends at midnight tonight.

Governor Edwards has signed one of the marquee bills of the regular session, which will allow riverboat casinos to move gaming operations on land. Executive director of the Louisiana Casino Association, Wade Duty, says the upcoming investments will help the state’ bottom line…
cut 6 (09) “….increases concurrently”

The American Cancer Society now recommends that average-risk adults get screened for colorectal cancer at 45, five years earlier than the previous recommendation. Elizabeth Fontham with LSU Health New Orleans says among adults younger than 55 years, there was a 51-percent increase in the incident of colorectal cancer, so getting screened earlier in life can save lives….
cut 9 (09) “….in to cancer”

Entergy Louisiana has an agreement to buy power from a yet to be constructed solar power plant in West Baton Rouge Parish. Entergy CEO Phillip May says the solar project will produce enough electricity to power about 95-hundred homes…
cut 11 (11) “….Louisiana”
Entergy Louisiana customers are expected to save an estimated 29-million over the life of the contract.

It’s the last day of the special session, so can legislators come to an agreement on a budget and a sales tax bill that would generate hundreds of millions of dollars. The Senate’s plan calls for fully funding higher education, TOPS and major health care programs, while the House supports a lower state sales tax rate and a reduction in state spending.

Now that Governor John Bel Edwards has signed into law a measure allowing riverboat casinos to come ashore, when will it happen? Matt Doyle has more…
Voicer 1 (30) I”m Matt Doyle“

Entergy Louisiana is planning on purchasing solar power generated by a solar farm that’s set to be the largest such facility in the state. The facility by Eagle Solar Group will be based in West Baton Rouge Parish, and should be up and running by 2020. Entergy Louisiana CEO Phillip May says it’s a huge project and a 20 year agreement.
Cut 10 (08) “homes”
The purchasing plan is estimated to save customers 29 million dollars over the life of the contract.

The American Cancer Society is now recommending that average-risk adults get a colorectal cancer screening at age 45, five years earlier than the previous recommendation. A co-author of that report is Elizabeth Fontham, who says there are six different tests that screen for the disease…
cut 8 (09) “…missing anything visually”

The special session must end at midnight tonight and the House will come in this morning to consider a 29-billion dollar budget approved by the Senate last night that fully funds TOPS, higher ed, hospitals and nursing homes. A half-a-cent renewal of an expiring penny state sales tax was also approved by the Senate to stave off deep cuts. Senate Finance Chairman Eric LaFleur…
cut 14 (08) “…state government”

It won’t help next fiscal year, but executive director of the Louisiana Casino Association Wade Duty says the state will benefit from a bill signed into law that allows riverboat casinos to move gaming operations on to land…
cut 5 (09) “…..for the state”
Duty anticipates a handful of the state’s 15 licensed riverboat casinos will push to take advantage of the new law over the next year.

If you’re 45 and think you can wait until your 50′s to get a colorectal scan, a new report says you’re wrong. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Voicer 2 (26) ” I’m Kevin Barnhart”

One of the three co-owners of Explo Systems has died just days before he and two others were set to go on trial for charges related to the abandonment of tons of potentially explosive artillery propellant at Camp Minden in Webster Parish. A decision has not been announced on whether the trial will proceed.

LSU’s baseball season ended last night with a 12-0 loss to Oregon State.

The Senate passed a budget, and a sales tax bill to pay for it last night, that fully funds TOPS, higher ed, and healthcare. The tax bill raises 508 million dollars by renewing half of the expiring penny sales tax, and eliminating some business tax deductions. Senate Finance Chairman Eric LaFleur of Ville Platte says it’s a compromise he hopes everyone can be content with.
Cut 13 (07) “solid policy”
But not everyone is content with the proposal, which also must get House approval today, the last day of the special session. Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt says the Senate spending bill is higher than the current fiscal year…
cut 15 (12) “….nine point one”
The House is set to meet at 9:00. It’s likely the budget and tax bill will need to go to a conference committee on this the final day of the special session.

Governor John Bel Edwards signed legislation allowing riverboat casinos to move up to 12-hundred feet onto land from their current berth space. Executive Director of the Louisiana Casino Association Wade Duty says riverboat casinos will not come ashore immediately, as there’s regulatory work to do and operators have to design and come up with financing…
Cut 4 (10) “next year”
Lake Charles Senator Ronnie Johns, says the Shreveport-Bossier City market will benefit the most, because they face tough competition from Oklahoma, where Indian tribes are building huge casinos.

LSU’s baseeball season ended last night with a 12-0 loss to Oregon State. Earlier in the day, LSU rallied for a nine-to-five win over Northwestern State to eliminate the Demons.

The legislature is scrambling to find a solution to the impending 648 million dollar fiscal cliff, with the Senate planning to take up tax and budget bills tomorrow, leaving the House just one day to concur with any Senate backed plans before a Monday midnight deadline when the session must end. A Senate revenue bill raises enough money to avoid cuts, but Political Analyst Pinsonat says several GOP Representatives have already said they will not vote for the Senate version…
Cut 13 (12) “can pass”
If the two chambers cannot agree on a budget and tax plan by 12PM Monday night, another special session will be called.

LSU takes on Oregon State tonight in a winner’s bracket game of the Corvallis Regional. The Tigers eliminated the Beavers from the College World Series last season, meanwhile Northwestern State will look to stave off elimination when they face San Diego State at 3 PM.

Governor Edwards signed River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot’s nursing home camera bill, as it breezed through the legislature. The law allows families to place remotely accessible cameras in their loved ones nursing home rooms for monitoring. Talbot says before you rush to grab that grandma cam, you need to talk to their roommate.
Cut 9 (07) “no issue”
The legislation was inspired by a nursing home incident where a family suspected that the staff was physically abusing their relative,.

Louisiana authorities are looking for 50-year-old Meshell Hale of Slaughter, who is accused of poisoning a man for a 10-thousand dollar life insurance payment. Originally, officials though 50-year-old Damian Skipper died from a heart attack in 2015. His body was exhumed and his death has now been reclassified as a homicide. Authorities also believe Hale poisoned her real husband Arthur Noflin. His body was found in the back of a burned out a truck in New Orleans in 2016.