Criminal justice reform will be a big topic in the legislative session, and a statewide poll finds broad support for some proposals. Jeff Palermo has more from the survey out of LSU…

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Legislation to stop the opioid epidemic has been filed for the upcoming session with the support of Governor Edwards’. Emelie Gunn has more…

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Most Louisianans support criminal justice reform, according to the 2017 Louisiana Survey. According to the poll from the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, 75 percent of voters support shorter sentences for non-violent crimes. But Dr. Michael Henderson says they asked respondents about particular offenses like fraud, burglary or selling illegal drugs and support for shorter sentences drops. He says this finding could shape the debate in the legislative session.

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Governor John Bel Edwards plans to push criminal justice reform in the legislative session that begins next week. Henderson says their survey found a big difference between blacks and whites over the fairness of the criminal justice system. Henderson says 71 percent of black respondents say the system is not fair, only 44 percent of white respondents agree.

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Henderson says another interesting point from the survey is that 65 percent of respondents say crime has increased over the past five years. That’s a 10-percent increase from the last time they asked this question. But he says the overall crime rates don’t line up with public opinion about crime rates.

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As part of Governor John Bel Edwards legislative agenda for the upcoming session, a bill has been filed to help address the growing opioid epidemic in Louisiana. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot co-authored the measure and says the legislation would limit first time opioid prescriptions for acute pain to a seven day supply.

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Talbot says this measure would only apply to acute pain, not chronic pain, cancer or individuals on palliative care. He says the Bayou State has more opioid prescriptions than people in the state and once doctors cut them off, addicts turn to harder drugs.

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Another measure filed by Talbot to tackle the opioid problem is modeled after a Texas law that the lawmaker  says has done a great job getting injured people back to work and off opioid medications. He says this is a bigger problem than many think.

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As cleanup and recovery continues in areas that were pelted with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes earlier this week, some communities are still keeping a close eye on rivers that have yet to crest. Stephen Carboni with the National Weather Service says parts of Central Louisiana experienced as much as 10 inches of rain during the event…:

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Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy called called Sunday’s storms “a Gustav-level event.” Carboni says there are homes and businesses in several historically flood-prone areas that should monitor river forecasts…:

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Carboni says there is some good news. He says unlike some of the weather events that caused devastating flooding in 2016, this was a quick downpour and the forecast over the next several days looks decent…:

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A man who gunned down and murdered his longtime-partner and prominent business woman in Northwest Louisiana will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Caddo Assistant DA Brittney Green says a jury found 59-year-old Mark Colby guilty of second degree murder in the death of 53-year-old Angela Godley…:

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Godley was found dead in the laundry room at the couple’s Shreve Island home on September 10, 2014. Green says the incident rocked the community as the victim was a well known restaurant owner and former cardiac care nurse…:

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Green says on the night of the murder, something went wrong between the two after a night out that resulted in Colby taking a .45 handgun and shooting the victim 5 times, including 4 in he back. She says Colby had a violent history…:

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Governor John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency after severe weather caused two deaths and left a wake of destruction. Halen Doughty has more…

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The bids to produce medical marijuana are in with the LSU Ag Center, but how much longer do patients have to wait? Michelle Southern reports…:

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Severe weather across the state resulted in two deaths and multiple injuries, as well as road closures and downed power lines in all corners of Louisiana. Maj. Ginny Higgins with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office says two people were killed when an EF1 tornado touched down in a rural area of the parish.

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The victims have been identified at 38-year-old Francine Gotch and 3-year-old Neveah Alexander. Higgins says the woman’s other child, a little boy, left the trailer home to go next door just moments before the tragedy.

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Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb says his parish sustained major damage, resulting in one injury. He says trees were uprooted or snapped in half, roofs were blown off buildings, and some structures even shifted in the heavy winds. He says limbs ripped from trees and flying debris downed power lines and injured one person.

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Vernon Parish wasn’t spared from the storm’s destruction. Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Kenneth Moore says more than 30 parish roads were closed, and several homes took on water. He says three people had to be rescued by sheriff’s deputies.

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LaSalle Sheriff Scott Franklin says there was extensive damage throughout the parish as the storm moved from Rapides to Catahoula Parish, leaving a wake of destruction. He says volunteers and parish officials are working to open roads and restore power.

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A suspected tornado caused of much of the wreckage. Franklin says the area of Fellowship, south of Jena, saw extensive damage from the storm.

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Rapides Parish was also hit by a suspected tornado along the Highway 165 corridor. Capt. Tommy Carnline with the Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported, but they worked 30 weather related calls between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.

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Carnline says deputies are working to clear roadways, and Cleco has people on the ground repairing power lines. He says everyone is thankful no one was hurt.

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There are two bills filed for the upcoming legislative regular session that seek to raise the minimum GPA for high school students to receieve the TOPS scholarship. A cumulative GPA of 2.5 is currently required and the proposed legislation raises the requirement to 3.0. Minden Representative Gene Reynolds is the author of the one of the bills

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There are currently 50-thousand students who receive the TOPS scholarship. But this year for the first time, the state was able to fully fund the program. So legislators are looking at ways to make TOPS more cost effective. Reynolds says raising the standards on receiving the scholarship is a good place to start…

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Reynolds bill also would give TOPS students the opportunity to leave college or postpone entering college for a year or two, possibly for a job, and then receive the scholarship once that person makes the decision to go back to college. He’s hopeful his legislation will pass…

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Now that the bids are in with the LSU Ag Center to produce medical marijuana in Louisiana that would one day be used for patients who suffer from specific diseases, many are wondering how much longer they’ll have to wait. New Iberia Senator Fred Mills, who was instrumental in creating the medical marijuana law, gives his best guess on a timeline…:

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LSU is expected to select a contractor by June, who will pay for the production costs. The facility will be located off campus and the first crop should be ready by the end of 2017. Mills says patients have to know that they are working to make a pharmaceutical grade product that’s consistently delivered. He says they can’t get this wrong…:

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The estimated cost to cultivate the drug it its raw form is 10-million dollars. Mills says he knows this process is going a little slower than some people had hoped, but it could be much worse…:

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