TOPS, criminal justice reform and raising the gas tax will be hot topics during the legislative session that begins today. Emelie Gunn has more…

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Homeowners affected by last year’s floods can now fill out a survey to see if they qualify for federal aid. Halen Doughty has more…

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A bill to raise the minimum age of strippers to 21 is back again for this legislative session. Jeff Palermo reports.

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TOPS, criminal justice reform and proposals to raise the gasoline tax are some of the big topics up for discussion as the legislative session begins today. There are bills filed that raise the minimum GPA to qualify for the TOPS scholarship. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this proposal will face fierce opposition from the legislative black caucus.

Cut 4  (08) “income schools”

There’s also a push to raise the state’s gasoline tax, which is currently 20-cents. Supporters say a higher gas tax is needed for better roads. But Pinsonat says passing a tax hike is difficult. He says many lawmakers are concerned that the additional revenues will not go towards their intended purpose.

Cut 5  (10)  “structure”

Governor John Bel Edwards is pushing for criminal justice reform as part of his legislative agenda. The governor is seeking to lower the state’s incarceration rate, which has been referred to as the highest in the world. Pinsonat says the concept is easier said than done.

Cut 6 (09) “group out”

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Even Democrats are unsure about the Governor John Bel Edwards ambitious tax plan that he’s asking lawmakers to pass during the legislative session. Edwards’ proposal calls for a new tax that would be placed on the state’s largest businesses. Minden Representative Gene Reynolds heads the state Democratic Caucus and says getting the necessary 70 votes in the House will be a challenge.

Cut 7 (10)  “to get”

Reynolds expects it will take a lot of compromise to reach a majority consensus. A contentious point in the plan involves levying a gross receipts tax on businesses, which is basically a sales tax paid by sellers instead of buyers. He says many lawmakers are hesitant about the proposal.

Cut 8 (08) “I would think”

Lawmakers won’t have another chance to revisit the state’s tax code until the next fiscal session in 2019. Reynolds says that means the time to act would be now. He says the only other option would be for lawmakers to come in for a constitutional convention.

Cut 9 (09)  “a while”

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Flood impacted homeowners can now fill out a survey to see if they qualify for federal assistance. The Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Julie Baxter Payer says this is a very important first step for homeowners who were affected by the March and August 2016 floods. She says they need to know what their recovery needs are now.

Cut 10 (06) “some reimbursement”

Payer says this 15 minute survey will give the state real time information to show Congress the ongoing need for flood recovery. She encourages all homeowners to fill out the survey, whether or not they think they will qualify for assistance.

Cut 11 (10) “becomes eligible”

Congress has approved 1.6 billion dollars in flood recovery dollars. Much of that money will be available to residents impacted by either of last year’s floods. Payer expects the federal government will make that money available in a couple of weeks. She says the federal aid will be doled out in phases, and families most in need of assistance will get help first.

Cut 12 (11) “severe damage”

The survey can be found online at restore.la.gov.

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A bill to raise the minimum age of strippers to 21 is back again for this legislative session. A similar measure passed last year but the law was recently temporarily blocked by a judge over broad wording. That’s why Lake Charles Representative Ronnie Johns says he’s trying again. He says the judge didn’t seem to have an issue with the age restriction aspect..

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Johns says many victims who are brought into Louisiana end up working in strip clubs. He says the new bill is a clarification of the original goal of putting some type of a dent into the human trafficking trade…:

Cut 14 (07) “my intent”

The law that was passed last year had wording that could have placed age restrictions on other occupations, according to the ruling, and violated the constitution. Johns says that’s why the new bill makes clear what he means by nudity and strip club…:

Cut 15 (09) “at 21 years old”

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Head coach Mark Hudspeth has named Jordan Davis his starting quarterback as the Ragin Cajuns have completed spring football. Davis was 11-of-14 for 174 yards and a touchdown in the Red-White Spring Game. Hudspeth says Davis looked sharp in the spring and has a great grasp of the offense…

Cut 16 (07) “in him”

The Cajuns will being the 2017 season by hosting Southeastern Louisiana. Hudspeth says he liked the development of his defensive backs during spring…

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Louisiana Tech also wrapped up spring practice over the weekend. Quarterback J’Mar Smith threw for over 300 yards and a touchdown. Bulldogs head coach Skip Holtz says Smith has the makings of a really dangerous quarterback for opponents…

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A feel good moment for Louisiana Tech was return of Jaqws Dancy. He’s back on the field after being diagnosed of Hodgkin lymphoma in October. He had a 24-yard reception. Holtz says it was great to see Jaqwis back in pads…

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The Bulldogs will open the season on Spetember 2nd at home against Northwestern State. Holtz says developing consistency will be the key when the team begins fall camp in August…

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It’s festival season in the Bayou State. Jeff Palermo has more on the festivals underway around the state…

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A proposed law would exempt items like tampons and diapers from the state sales tax. Emelie Gunn has more on the measure filed by New Orleans Senator JP Morrell….

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Festival season is in full swing in all corners of the Bayou State. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the Blues Festival gets underway in the Capitol City, while the Crawfish Festival kicks off in Lake Charles. He says there’s plenty to do in Louisiana this weekend.

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Nungesser says festival season brings a ton of tourists to the Pelican State. He says some even use motor homes to tour the state and travel the festival circuit. He says it’s a great chance to show off the Louisiana lifestyle and hospitality.

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Nungesser says with over 400 festivals, there’s something to do every weekend in every town and city around the state. He says he wants to visit them all, but with new festivals popping up every year, that seems impossible.

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Republican members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation fully support the United States missile attack on an air base in Syria. Retired Major General Ron Richard from Louisiana was a guest on WRKF’s Talk Louisiana and says the president made the right move following Syria’s chemical attack on civilians.

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While on the campaign trail, Trump said the U.S. would not get involved with conflicts in the Middle East. But Richard says this action was necessary given the heinous attack on innocent people. He says these missiles caused serious damage.

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Kentucky Senator Rand Paul says President Trump should have received Congressional approval before authorizing a military strike on an air base in Syria. But Richard said on W-R-K-F’s Talk Louisiana that he supports the President’s surprise attack..

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A Baton Rouge man faces over 200 counts of theft after allegedly cashing his dead mother’s retirement checks for 18 years. Attorney General Jeff Landry says 42-year-old Lester Joseph stole over $400 thousand from the state’s Teacher’s Retirement System. Landry says the suspect’s father was the beneficiary for his wife’s retirement checks after Ruby Joseph passed away in 1997.

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Landry says the son illegally forged his name on his father’s checks, collecting more than $460-thousand in undue benefits. He says Joseph has been charged with 201 counts of felony theft and two counts of identity theft.

Cut 10 (11) “particular benefits”

Landry says this arrest is a result of the hard work of people in his department who are ensuring the rule of law is followed. He says from here, the case will go to the local District Attorney, and if convicted, Joseph should serve time behind bars.

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A New Orleans lawmaker has filed legislation that would eliminate the state sales tax when purchasing feminine products. Senator J.P. Morrell’s measure would exempt items like tampons and diapers. Supporter of the bill, executive director of Lift Louisiana, Michelle Erenberg, says these products are not luxury items for women. She says even though the cost saving is only a few dollars, every little bit helps.

Cut 12 (10) “of money”

Erenberg anticipates push back from some lawmakers because previous bills dealing with women’s issues have not much success in the legislature. But she says a significant amount of women in the Bayou State live below the poverty line so any extra savings each month helps them feed their families.

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Erenberg says this is common sense legislation.

Cut 14 (10) “made sense”

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Governor John Bel Edwards has some big priorities for the legislative session that begins Monday. One of those is raising the minimum wage to $8.50 an hour, a hike he calls modest but meaningful. Edwards says in 2017, $7.25 an hour is inadequate to pay for the basic cost of living.

Cut 15 (11) “one job”

Edwards adds several other states have already increased their minimum wage well above the federal minimum.

Another key item on the Governor’s legislative agenda is criminal justice reform. Edwards said on his monthly call-in radio show the proposals will be consistent with the findings of the Criminal Justice Reinvestment task force he commissioned last year. He says we have to do something to lower Louisiana’s highest-in-the-world incarceration rate.

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Edwards says they will look at proven strategies from other southern conservative states.

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A report from United Way finds 42 percent of Louisiana households cannot afford basic necessities. Jeff Palermo has more…

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The hurricane forecast team at Colorado State is calling for a slightly below-average 2017 Hurricane Season. Michelle Southern reports…:

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Forty-two percent of Louisiana households cannot afford their basic needs, according to the United Way. The report finds 23 percent of those live above the poverty level but are considered Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed, or ALICE. President of the Louisiana Association of United Ways, Sarah Berthelot says that’s a 2 percent increase from their first report.

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Dr. Stephanie Hoopes of Rutgers University authored the report. She says we’re seeing an increase in ALICE families in Louisiana because the cost of living is going up, but inflation is not. She says this means affording basic needs is becoming more of a challenge.

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The report finds households living below the ALICE threshold make up at least 25 percent of the population in every parish. In New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport, more than 49 percent of households struggle to make ends meet. Berthelot hopes these findings can lead to change.

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The State Department of Natural Resources gives its approval to the controversial Bayou Bridge Pipeline project. DNR Spokesperson Patrick Courreges (Koo-rezge) says they determined the pipeline, which would dip into 17 miles of Louisiana’s coastal zone, would pose no risk of damage to wetlands. He says after a permit was submitted, the DNR took public comment and reviewed the plans.

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Permission is still needed from the state Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corp on Engineers before the pipeline can be built from Lake Charles into St. James Parish. Courreges says D-N-R’s role in the permitting process was to make sure the pipeline did not produce a net loss of wetlands.

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The Gulf Restoration Network has expressed concern with the pipeline due to the potential of oil leaks into the drinking water of nearly 300-thousand residents. But Courreges says the pipeline poses no threat. He says the department took a long look at the plans before approving the project.

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The Louisiana Survey finds 91 percent of Louisiana residents support the concept of equal pay for equal work. Director of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, Dr. Michael Henderson, says it always raises eyebrows when you see such a large majority falling on one side of an issue. But he says that could change as the issue is debated in the legislative session.

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Bills requiring men and women to be paid the same wage for the same job have been filed. Henderson says public support won’t be the only thing lawmakers keep in mind as the debates unfold. He says they’ll also be interested in what interest groups have to say about equal pay measures. He expects opponents to the proposals to make a strong case before the legislature.

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Henderson says there are gender and party differences in how respondents view gender discrimination. The report finds 61 percent of women say there is a lot or some discrimination, while only 55 percent of men agree. Likewise 56 percent of Democrats say there’s a lot of discrimination, and just 11 percent of Republicans think so. He says that opens the door to see some divide on equal pay legislation.

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The hurricane forecast team at Colorado State is calling for a slightly below-average 2017 Hurricane Season. They are predicting 11 named storms, four hurricanes, two of those major. Lead Researcher Dr. Phil Klotzbach says the primary reasons are the predicted development of an El Nino in the Pacific Ocean, which typically breaks up storms in the Atlantic..:

Cut 12 (08) “for the storms”

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1st to Noevmber 30th. There has been some concern that since Louisiana had such a warm winter that it was keeping temps Gulf of Mexico at a level that fuels storms. Klotzbach says the water in the Gulf of Mexico always has warm conditions, but other factors need to be present to carry a storm there..

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Klotzbach says when it comes to landfall probability, there’s a 1 in 4 chance a major hurricane would impact the Gulf Coast, and the long-term average is about one in three…:

Cut 14 (10) “every year”

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Walgreens is taking a stance against the growing opioid epidemic in Louisiana by placing safe drug disposals kiosks in 12 locations around the state. Governor John Bel Edwards held a press conference at a Walgreens pharmacy earlier today to discuss the importance of safely throwing away old prescription medications. He says the placement of the kiosks is a step in the right direction to stopping opioid addiction.

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Statistics show by mid-year 2016 in East Baton Rouge and Orleans Parishes, death due to narcotics overdoses surpassed homicide deaths. Edwards says properly disposing of old prescription drugs can prevent friends and family members from experimenting with opioids. He says once addiction begins it can spiral out of control.

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