Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser wants to boost international travel throughout Louisiana. Don Molino has more…
CUT 1 (28) “I’m Don Molino”
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LSU President F. King Alexander expresses his concerns to legislators about future budget cuts to higher ed. Emelie Gunn has more…
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”
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The number of international visitors has grown in Louisiana, but Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, who oversees tourism in the state, doesn’t just want these travelers to visit New Orleans. Nungesser says there are direct flights into New Orleans from London, Germany, and Honduras, but he wants to see these tourists get out to the rest of the state.
Cut 3 (12) “of Louisiana”
Nungesser says there are 17 scenic byways across Louisiana through 53 parishes covering 2,400 miles. He hopes these highways encourage international travelers to get off the interstates and see more of the Bayou State. He says this would not only benefit the small towns in Louisiana, but the state as a whole.
cut 4 (09) “by tourists”
Louisiana saw a 36-percent increase in international tourism from 2014 to 2015, ranking second in the nation for overall growth. Nungesser says Louisiana could see one million more international visitors by 2018, representing an economic impact of $1.7 billion.
Cut 5 (09) “more money”
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Governor John Bel Edwards’ executive order preventing LGBT discrimination in state government and businesses who have contracts with the state has been overturned. Attorney General Jeff Landry says he applauds Judge Todd Hernandez’ ruling. He says at the end of the day, this case was about the governor trying to create his own law.
Cut 6 (11) “the process”
The governor had filed a lawsuit against the AG for blocking state contracts that contained anti-discrimination language. Landry says it wasn’t the anti-discrimination aspect of the order that was the problem, it was the legality. He says if a bill passed that established the LGBT community as a protected class, then that would be different.
CUT 7 (07) “create it”
Sean Sullivan with Forum for Equality Foundation says this ruling is another setback for the LGBT community in Louisiana. But he says they are confident the Governor’s Office will continue to fight to move these protections forward.
Cut 8 (09) “the state”
Sullivan says these are not new protections, as they have been in place under two previous Louisiana governors, Edwin Edwards and Kathleen Blanco. He says unfortunately, at this point in time these kinds of protections are necessary.
Cut 9 (08) “and socially”
Governor Edwards released a statement saying he plans to appeal the ruling.
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LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron has hired former Pittsburgh Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada to be the Tigers new O.C. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says once it was obvious Alabama’s Lane Kiffin was seeking a head coaching job, Canada was the best choice.
Cut 10 (10) “he’s been”
Moran says Matt Canada will fit well in the mix with defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. He says both started their coaching careers young and worked their way up quickly…
cut 11 (09) “and versatility”
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LSU President F. King Alexander went before the House Appropriations Committee and expressed his concerns over the 16th budget cut in nine years that the school is facing. Alexander says they can’t be much more efficient when LSU is already 46 out of 50 flagship universities in per student spending. He says at some point the state needs to invest in the next generation of students.
cut 12 (11) “they have”
Higher Education Commissioner Joseph Rallo is asking the legislature to increase funding by 189-million dollars in next year’s budget. But the state has as an estimated 600-million dollar budget deficit for this year. Alexander says the University of Alabama is in the process of hiring 300 new teachers, while LSU has lost over 500 in the past nine years.
Cut 13 (07) “this weekend”
The state’s budget problems have forced TOPS students in the upcoming semester to pay over 50-percent of their tuition. Alexander says enrollment is down 3.5 percent for the next semester compared to the previous spring…
cut 14 (11) “our institution”
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The tables turned on a robbery suspect in Shreveport when a 71-year-old shop owner took action into his own hands. Cpl. Marcus Hines with Shreveport Police says the owner let 36-year-old Michael Kelly into his business to use the bathroom. He says that’s when Kelly stole the man’s wallet and things turned violent.
Cut 15 (07) “multiple times”
Hines says Kelly was struck three times and tried to flee on foot, but collapsed in front of the business. He says when police arrived, the owner was visibly shaken.
Cut 16 (10) “minor injuries”
Hines says Kelly faces a laundry list of charges, including armed robbery, convicted felon in possession of a firearm, resisting an officer, and an outstanding warrant.
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