Three people were killed when their vehicle split in half in Ascension Parish. Halen Doughty has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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The Senate is committed to fully funding the TOPS scholarship program, despite budget troubles, according to President John Alario. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (28) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Safe Boating Week kicks off Saturday in Louisiana and runs through May 26. Adam Einck with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says their agents will be conducting more safety checks on waterways this week. He says it’s important to remember three things when out on the water.

Cut 3 (08) “working condition”

With the summer boating season getting underway, Einck encourages boaters to make sure they have the proper safety equipment on their vessels, including life jackets for everyone on board and a fire extinguisher. He says it’s important to stay safe on the water at all times, or it could cost you your life.

Cut 4  (07) “boating fatalities” 2x

Alcohol consumption is the leading cause of boat crashes and fatalities. Einck advises people to sign up for LDWF’s free boating safety course. For more information on the class, visit wlf.la.gov.

Cut 5  (09)  “as well”

Louisiana saw 24 boating fatalities in 2016, and this year 9 people have died in boating accidents.

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Three people were found dead in an Ascension Parish bayou by their own family member. State Trooper Bryan Lee says the family had not heard from 23-year-old Thomas Jones, 22-year-old Austin Kiernan, and 19-year-old Sydney Persac of St. Amant after they went out Wednesday night.

Cut 6 (09) “a canal”

It’s believed the crash occurred in the early morning hours on Thursday, and the crash site was not discovered until just before midnight Thursday. Lee says when troopers arrived they discovered a grisly scene of the vehicle split in half by a tree.

Cut 7 (09)  “in half”

Lee says this was a gruesome discovery for a family member to make, as the bodies of all three victims were found outside the vehicle. He says the investigation is ongoing, and troopers still have a lot of unanswered questions in this case.

Cut 8 (09) “a factor”

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Senate President John Alario says the upper chamber is committed to fully funding the TOPS scholarship program. Alario says the House budget plan takes money away from the Department of Health to fully fund TOPS and they are taking a close look at that proposal.

Cut 9 (07)  “TOPS funding” 

Alario says tapping into 200 million dollars that has yet to be allocated could reduce some cuts in multiple departments, as the House wants to only use 97.5-percent of what the Revenue Estimating Conference says is available. He is concerned the Department of Children and Family Services is not properly funded.

Cut 10 (08) “supervised”

A measure filed by Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil would raise the GPA requirement from 2.5 to 2.75 and would save the state 17 million dollars a year.  Alario expects any changes to TOPS will be unsuccessful in the Senate. He says too many students rely on the program.

Cut 11 (10) “for us”

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Higher training standards for police officers have been approved by the full House. A proposal by Baton Rouge Representative Ted James would require officers to receive at least 400 hours of basic POST training before entering the field.

Cut 12 (10) “the 400 hours”

James says he’s worked with law enforcement around the state to come up with the best practices to prepare officers for work in the field. The measure also mandates 20 hours of additional training annually. He says his bill also requires more training in some key areas.

Cut 13 (09) “peace officers”

James authored the measure after Alton Sterling, a black man, was killed in a confrontation with two white police officers outside a convenience store last July. He says that’s why his bill also includes training on bias policing recognition.

Cut 14 (10) “those situations”

The measure passed on an 82-5 vote and heads to the Senate.

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Legislation that establishes statewide regulations for Uber and Lyft heads to the Senate. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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A measure that would make it illegal for adult to allow a children 12 and under from handling fully automatic guns heads to the House floor. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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A bill to regulate Uber and Lyft statewide is heading to the Senate. Jackson Representative Kenny Havard says these ride sharing services keep people safe, offers an affordable ride, and provides thousands of employment opportunities. He says very rarely do lawmakers get a chance to do something that really affects people’s lives.

Cut 3 (09) “fatal accidents”

The measure would establish a blanket set of regulations and collect a fee of one percent, ending various deals some local municipalities have with the companies. New Orleans has one such agreement in which the city charges riders a 50 cent fee. New Orleans Senator Troy Carter was upset this bill would supersede that arrangement.

Cut 4  (08) “state level”

Carter says New Orleans would lose $2 million if this bill threw out the city’s deal with Uber. But Monroe Representative Jay Morris says the Big Easy is charging riders the highest fee in the country. He says the City of New Orleans used Uber’s desire to move into the city to get the most money possible out of the business.

Cut 5  (09)  “in the city”

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A measure that would penalize adults if they let a child who is 12 years old or younger handle a fully automatic weapon passed out of the House Criminal Justice Committee on a 7 to 6 vote. Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton says she brought forth this bill after a nine year old girl accidentally shot and killed her instructor with an Uzi submachine gun in Arizona.

Cut 6 (10) “United States”

Adults would face fines if they violate the proposed law. Norton says she’s pro-gun and supports children of a proper age learning the correct way to shoot guns. She says she filed this measure strictly for the safety of young children too small to operate these weapons.

Cut 7 (10)  “that gun”

But Prairieville Representative Tony Bacala says this measure subjects gun collectors to a fine.

Cut 8 (12) “fine”

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A measure that would prohibit public universities from having their name or images to market alcoholic beverages was voluntarily deferred in the House Education Committee. Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover filed this bill because he believes LSU and UL-Lafayette licensed “official” beers promote underage drinkings.

Cut 9 (12)  “get sick” 

UL-Lafayette has Ragin Cajuns Genuine Louisiana Ale, while the LSU beer is “Bayou Bengal Lager.” But Hammond Representative Chris Broadwater says given the massive cuts to higher education, schools need this opportunity to generate funds.

Cut 10 (10) “our kids”

Stephanie Knott with Bayou Teche Brewing spoke out in opposition of the measure, discussing the brewery’s partnership with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Cut 11 (11) “and equipment”

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Two arrests have been made after a 7-year-old at Moss Bluff Elementary School was accidentally shot when a child brought a gun to school. Authorities say the gun fell out of the child’s backpack, and another child picked it up causing it to fire, hitting another student. Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso says the brother and father of the child who had the gun have been arrested.

Cut 12 (08) “in the house”

The father, 50-year-old Michael Lane Dugas, is charged with negligent injury and improper supervision of a minor. The brother, 17-year-old Jake Adam Dugas, is charged with negligent injury. Mancuso says the gun was kept just four feet off the ground in a shoe organizer hanging on the wall of the bedroom the boys shared.

Cut 13 (09) “was committed”

Mancuso says the actions of the child’s father and brother were the cause of the accident, not the young boy. Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier says gun owners must store their weapons out of the reach of small children. He says we’re very lucky that the child injured in this case was not killed.

Cut 14 (11) “bu children”

The child who was shot underwent surgery Monday and continues to recover.

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