Governor John Bel Edwards laid out his plan today for a new tax structure in Louisiana. It calls for lower sales taxes, but more services would be subject to a sales tax and there would be adjustments to the income tax bracket, which he says would benefit a majority of residents….
cut 11 (13) “….federal income taxes’
While many citizens would see a tax cut under this plan, businesses would be hit with what would be called a Commerical Activity Tax, which would raise nearly a billion dollars a year. The governor’s tax plan will be debated in the upcoming session.

Sabine, Allen, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vernon, Calcasieu and Beuregard Parishes are under a tornado watch until 9 PM tonight. A strong cluster of storms is moving in from Texas.

A bill has been filed as part of Governor Edwards education legislative package that would prohibit the use of corporal punishment in public schools for students with disabilities. The author of the bill is Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil….
cut 10 (09) “….to do”
Foil says this just deals with students who have disabilities. The department of education found over 500 students with disabilities received some kind of corporal punishment during the last school year.

Mining and logging jobs in Louisiana, which includes the oil and gas sector, saw over the month gains for the first time since October 2014. That’s according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission who says employment in this sector rose by 200 from January to February. LSU economist Doctor Loren Scott…
cut 13 (09) “…in half”

A report from the national transportation research group TRIP finds Louisiana drivers are paying an additional $6.5 billion annually because of poor transportation infrastructure. Research and Policy Manger Rocky Moretti says deteriorating roads, congestion, and lack of safety features are leading to increased costs for motorists.
Cut 5 (11) “traffic crashes”
Moretti says Louisiana has the 7th highest rate of traffic fatalities in the country.

Louisiana State Police is investigating the death of a 3-year-old who was found dead in her mother’s car outside of a nursing home in Ville Platte. Trooper Brooks David says authorities are working to determine a timeline of how long the toddler was in the car.
Cut 3 (08) “coroner’s office”
David says the identity of the child has not been released.

Mining and logging jobs in Louisiana, which includes the oil and gas sector, saw over the month gains for the first time since October 2014. That’s according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission who says employment in this sector rose by 200 from January to February. LSU economist Dr. Loren Scott says the primary reason for this is the slowdown of job loss in the hardest hit regions…:
Cut 13 (09) “in half”
He also says the job loss rate in Houma has drastically slowed down.

Get ready for another round of severe weather. It’ll start in North Louisiana this afternoon, and move south ending in New Orleans tomorrow afternoon. State Climatologist Barry Keim.
Cut 8 (08) “damaging winds”
The radar currently shows a strong line of thunderstorms moving through Houston.

Here’s a sign Louisiana’s economy is improving. Mining and logging jobs, which includes the oil and gas sector, saw over the month gains for the first time since October 2014. That’s according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. LSU economist Loren Scott credits the Haynesville shale in northwest Louisiana, where the rig count has doubled…
cut 14 (10) “…up there”

Louisiana is seeing an uptick in skimming devices at gas pumps. That’s according to Ag Commissioner Mike Strain, who heads the Weights and Measures division. Strain says his inspectors are finding one or two skimmers a week, and more consumers are alerting his office to help track down the devices…:
Cut 4 (10) “Secret Service”
According to the Violence Policy Center, Louisiana has the 10th highest rate of black homicide victimization in the country. Halen Doughty has more…
Voicer 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

We’re anticipating another round of severe weather in Louisiana today. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the risk of tornadoes, hail and damaging winds will move from the northeastern part of Louisiana this afternoon, down into the southeast on Thursday….:
Cut 7 (06) “urban areas”

A quick weather disturbance is headed toward Louisiana today moving north to south beginning this afternoon into tomorrow. State Climatologist Barry Keim says it’s not unusually to see these bouts of hail, strong winds and possibility of tornadoes this time of year because the upper atmosphere is cold as the surface is heating up…:
CUT 9 (09) “certainly common”

Louisiana has the 10th highest black homicide victimization rate in the nation, according to the Violence Policy Center. VPC Executive Director Josh Sugarmann says their report also finds that 80 percent were killed by someone they knew. He hopes these results will dispel some of the rumors that blacks are always killed during criminal activity…:
Cut 12 (09) “the offender”
He says their latest state data goes back to 2014 and there were 332 black homicide victims, resulting in a rate of about 22 per 100,000.

Mining and logging jobs in Louisiana, which includes the oil and gas sector, saw over the month gains for the first time since October 2014. LSU economist Dr. Loren Scott says big industrial gains in Baton Rouge and Lake Charles are helping to drive up overall job gains…:
Cut 15 (07) “oil patch”
He also says job losses are slowing down in Houma and Lafayette which is helping contribute to the gain numbers.

Louisiana is seeing an uptick in skimming devices at gas pumps. That’s according to Ag Commissioner Mike Strain, who heads the Weights and Measures division. Strain says before you pay at a gas pump, look for signs of forced entry on credit card readers, like broken security tape, and if you find one of these devices, alert the store clerk immediately:
Cut 5 (10) “of time”
Strain advises people to check their bank statements online weekly, or even daily, and contact your bank if you notice any unauthorized purchases.

A state audit looking at water rates found many rural communities are not receiving enough revenue to maintain water systems. This leads to poor drinking water according to State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry. He says bigger cities seem to be fine, but the smaller towns have failing systems…:
Cut 9 (10) “be replaced”
He hopes this audit makes residents realize drinking water is a key part of our heath.

Louisiana is seeing an uptick in skimming devices at gas stations. That’s according to Ag Commissioner Mike Strain, who regulates gas pumps. Strain says his inspectors are finding one or two skimmers a week, and more consumers are alerting his office to help track down the devices.
Cut 4 (10) “Secret Service”
Legislation has been filed for the upcoming session that would up the cigarette tax by 22-cents to $1.30 a pack.
Voicer 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Southeastern Louisiana’s mascot Roomie is getting a makeover. Erin Cowser with SLU says Roomie’s current costume is a little over 7 years old, and the average lifespan of a mascot’s look is 6 to 10 years. She says they don’t want to totally change it up…:
Cut 15 (07) “a pushover”

Shreveport Representative Thomas Carmody has filed legislation that would prevent state and local governments from taking down military monuments and that would include the statues of Confederate generals. Carmody says he represents many military veterans and since Louisiana has always been known for its support of the armed forces, he wants to demonstrate that commitment through this bill…
cut 13 (11) “…our behalf”
It’s unclear how much support in the legislature Carmody has for this legislation.

Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne told the House budget writing committee that Governor Edwards is seeking an additional 400-million dollars in revenues so the state can spend more money on public education, TOPS and roads. But Republicans on the panel prefer to reduce spending.

A plan to make sure all Louisiana school districts would have the opportunity to obtain high speed internet was scraped over funding concerns. Executive Director of the Louisiana School Boards Association, Scott Richard, says the deal would have meant districts partner with the Board of Regents in exchange for getting internet for free, but the wording was confusing..:
Cut 4 (08) “already receive”
Richard hopes school systems will have an opportunity to pursue this going forward when they are more clear on the details of the deal.

Southeastern Louisiana is updating the look of its mascot Roomie and you can go to the school’s website to vote on what it should look like. There’s two different options and one design shows Roomie without any clothes…
cut 16 (07) “…go commando”
That’s Erin Crowser with S-L-U, who says voting will continue on Southeastern’s website through April 4th.

West Monroe Representative Frank Hoffman has filed a bill that would increase the state’s tax on a pack of cigarettes from $1.08 to a $1.30. Hoffman says the money generated from the 22-cent increase would go into the general fund of the state’s budget….
cut 7 (09) “….cigarette world”

Shreveport Representative Thomas Carmody is proposing legislation that would prohibit government from removing, relocating or destroying a memorial that commemorates wars in US History. This proposed law would protect controversial confederate statues. Carmody says we should honor those who fought for our country and protect the monuments that commemorate their service…
cut 14 (09) “…our military”

A state audit finds 41-percent of local water systems have expenses that exceed revenue. State health officer Doctor Jimmy Guidry says if you don’t keep up with an aging system, the repair costs continue to rise. He hopes this audit makes residents and elected officials realize drinking water is a key part of our health…
cut 11 (09) “…tap”
The EPA finds Louisiana water systems would need to spend 5.3 billion dollars on drinking water infrastructure over the next 20 years.

The Board of Regents was offering all school districts an opportunity to get connected with high speed internet, but the plan has been tabled because of low interest. Executive Director of the Louisiana School Boards Association, Scott Richard, says proposed cuts to federal funding for internet in rural areas raised some concerns…
cut 5 (07) “….been proposed”
Richard says is hopeful local districts will have another opportunity to take advantage of this kind of program again in the near future.