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.

A survey from LSU finds 56-percent of respondents believe families who are on the upper end of the income bracket should not be eligible for the taxpayer funded scholarship program….
cut 12 (08) “….for that”
That’s Michael Henderson with the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, who says their poll also found 60-percent of the public supports higher academic requirements. High school students currently need at least a 2.5 GPA and a 20 on the ACT.

West Monroe Representative Frank Hoffman has filed a bill for the upcoming session to raise the state’s tax on a pack of cigarettes from a dollar-eight-cents to one-dollar-and-30 cents…

cut 8 (08) “…with that”

Louisiana ranks 36th in the country for highest cigarette tax in the country.

A plan to provide all Louisiana school districts with high speed internet has been scrapped. Executive Director of the Louisiana School Boards Association, Scott Richard says districts were given a short time period to commit to a plan with very little information from the Board of Regents. He says every school district wants to have high speed internet access, but funding uncertainties caused many to be hesitant.
Cut 3 (10) “this endeavor”
Richard hopes schools districts will have another attempt to receive this funding in the future.

Getting lawmakers to approve the revised coastal restoration master plan is part of Governor Edwards legislative package. Jennings Senator Blade Morrish the plan contains 120 projects that are fairly evenly divided between protection and restoration…
Cut 15 (09) “Louisiana coast”

A bill filed for the regular session seeks to fully fund TOPS by using riverboat gaming revenues. For the first time ever, the taxpayer funded scholarship didn’t cover all of a student’s tuition costs this year. Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil says he wants to make sure the program isn’t underfunded in the future…:
Cut 7 (08) “a year”
He says if this bill passes, TOPS would have to be fully funded before riverboat gaming revenues can be used on other items in budget.

And there’s an LSU survey that finds a majority of Louisiana residents want to see the state-funded scholarship fully funded. But Michael Henderson, with the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, says the public supports a higher GPA to qualify for TOPS…
cut 11 (08) “…for that”
There’s a bill that’s been filed in the legislative session to raise the GPA requirement for TOPS.

Louisiana’s revised coastal restoration masterplan will be taken up by lawmakers in the regular session, as part of the governor’s legislative package to protect and restore the state’s coast. The plan contains 120 projects to be completed over the next 50 years that will maintain over 800 square miles of coastal land. Jennings Senator Blade Morrish co-authored the legislation.
Cut 13 (07) “can afford”
A survey from the state department of education finds 88-percent of families are satisified with the quality of their child’s early education program. But despite that high number, four out of 10 families are not sure if their child is learning the necessary skils to prepare them for kindergarten.
cut 5 (10) “….quality benchmarks”
That’s Jenna Conway, who is the Assistant Superintendent of Early Childhood.

A statewide survey conducted by LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab finds support for higher taxes if the additional revenues will go towards public schools, colleges, health care and roads. But LSU pollster Michael Henderson says when it comes to raising taxes to pay for key services, it’s unclear what taxes the public would like to see raised….
cut 13 (05) “…sales tax”

In order to help the state with its budget problems, Amite Representative Robby Carter has proposed legislation that would put a tax on oil that’s processed at Louisiana refinieries. Carter has also filed a bill that would tax oil that passes through pipelines. Carter believes oil and gas companies have the money to pay for these additional taxes…
cut 8 (10) “….of profit”
Carter says he knows there will be heavy opposition to these proposals.

State Police investigated 10 fatal crashes resulting in the deaths of 15 people since Friday. Michelle Southern reports on the tragic weekend:

Voicer 2 (29) “I’m Michelle Southern”

The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts we could see 88-thousand fewer doctors by 2025. Dean of the School of Medicine at LSU Health New Orleans Doctor Steve Nelson says they are providing incentives to keep medical students in this state and there efforts are paying off…
cut 5 (06) “…their training”

A survey released by the LSU Public Policy Research Lab finds a majority of Louisiana residents are willing to pay higher taxes if the money went towards schools and health care. But the Louisiana Survey did not find a consensus on what taxes should be raised. Director of the research lab, Michael Henderson says there is support in raising the gasoline tax, but support from Republican voters falls when you ask about a 20-cent per gallon hike…
cut 14 (12) “….gasoline tax”

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says for the first time since August of 2015, the state saw over the year gains in nonfarm jobs and private employment. Construction, professional and business services showed the largest gains in the February jobs report, while mining and lodging which includes the oil and gas sector saw its first over the month gain since October 2014.

Over a decade ago, legislators discussed placing an oil processing tax on Louisiana refineries. Amite Representative Robby Carter has filed that bill for the upcoming legislative session and knows it will face fierce opposition from the oil and gas industry. But Carter says all options should be on the table when it comes to addressing the state’s budget problems….
Cut 6 (09) “going through”

It was a deadly weekend on our state highways. State Police say their troopers investigated 10 fatal crashes that resulted in 15 deaths of people. Sgt. Jared Sandifer says knowing that these crashes could have been avoided continues to frustrate law enforcement…:
CUT 11 (08) “change your life forever”
He says lack of seatbelt use, impairment and even excessive speed contributed to the crashes. Also several involved a vehicle crossing into the opposite lane of travel.