A group of businessmen called Blueprint Louisiana are urging the next governor to raise the gasoline tax, expand Medicaid and alter the TOPS program. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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A recent Clarus Research Group poll on Louisiana’s governor’s race reveals that 44-percent of voters view Republican David Vitter unfavorably. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (29)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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The American Civil Liberties Union is accusing the Bossier Parish School Board of violating the US Constitution by allowing the Fellowship of Student Athletes to set up prayer boxes at Airline High School in Bossier City. Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino says this does appear to go against the First Amendment’s Establishment of Religion Clause…

CUT 3 (09)  “particular Christianity”

The Louisiana ACLU sent a letter to the School Board asking them to immediately remove the prayer boxes from the school. The School Board will discuss the situation at their next meeting Thursday. Ciolino says it won’t serve the public well for Bossier Parish School officials to take this issue to court…

CUT 4 (11)  “Supreme Court”

In response to the letter, Governor Bobby Jindal says this is an example that the war on Christianity has gone too far. Ciolino says that although school prayer is something that the public seems to strongly favor, the nation’s highest court stands firm with the Constitution…

CUT 5 (09) “the Constitution”

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A group of businessmen and executives that are part of Blueprint Louisiana is calling on the next governor to raise the gasoline tax, expand Medicaid and change TOPS, so it no longer covers the full cost of tuition. Blueprint Chairman Dr. Phillip Rozeman says our roads need about one billion dollars a year to improve our transportation and raising the taxes on gasoline could help defer this cost.

CUT 6 (09) “our roads“

Rozeman says there is a need for Medicaid coverage expansion so working residents that normally make too much to qualify and not enough to buy their own insurance will be included. He says the group doesn’t necessarily agree with the Affordable Care Act but an expansion of Medicaid could save the state 165 million dollars over five years…

CUT 7 (10)  “this state”

Rozeman says TOPS is a great program but needs to be altered so it doesn’t automatically include the full cost of tuition and becomes more like a scholarship. He says this way it could be used more in the community and technical college system.

CUT 8 (08)  “our state” 

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A recent Clarus Research Group poll on Louisiana’s governor’s race reveals that 44-percent of voters view Republican David Vitter unfavorably. The poll was paid for by The Advocate and WWL-TV. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says, during Vitter’s years in public office, it appears the Senator has managed to alienate some voters…

CUT 9 (09)  “don’t like you”

The survey also shows that over 40-percent of voters could not give a favoribility rating to any of the other three major candidates, Republicans Jay Dardenne and Scott Angelle and Democrat John Bel Edwards. Cross says this is a sign that voters are not quite fully engaged with the election…

cut 10 (08)  “known candidates”

Cross doesn’t think this is a sign that Vitter should abandon his campaign. He says just because Vitter’s unfavorability rating is high, it doesn’t mean he can’t be elected governor…

Cut 11 (08)  “of two evils”

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The Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office is searching for a convicted killer who was released from prison due to a computer glitch. 32-year-old Benjuiel Johnson was serving 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and other charges in the 2010 death of Cordies Gales. Major Ronnie Hebert says Johnson was sent to East Feliciana Parish to face some prior charges…

cut 12 (09)  “he was released”

It’s reported that when Johnson’s name was checked through the Department of Corrections computer system, the manslaughter conviction did not show up, so Johnson was released on bond. Hebert says they’re doing all they can to track down Johnson…

cut 13 (05)  “this problem”

The US Marshals Office is assisting with the search. If you see Johnson, you are asked to immediately call 9-1-1. Hebert says details are limited as to where Johnson may have fled…

cut 14 (04)  “at this time”

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LSU President F. King Alexander hopes the next governor reverses the trend of fewer state dollars going towards higher ed.  Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Authorities are still trying to figure out why a mother in Eunice may have shot and killed her two daughters before setting their house on fire then turning the gun on herself. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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The US Department of Veterans’ Affairs announces it has awarded a least for a permanent Veterans Clinic for Lake Charles. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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LSU President F. King Alexander is concerned about the continuing decline in state funding for higher education. Alexander says if trends keep continuing, Louisiana will become the second state to not pay a penny on higher education by the year 2027. Alexander hopes the trend reverses with the next governor…

cut 4  (10)  “to ask”

During a speech at the Baton Rouge Press Club, Alexander also called on for more state dollars to conduct research. He says it would be a wise investment for the state….

Cut 5  (11)  “other areas”

Alexander says public colleges and universities have one billion dollars in deferred maintenance on the campuses. He says there is no consistent source of funding to address the problem.

Cut 6 (08)  “backlog”

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Authorities are still trying to figure out why a mother in Eunice may have shot and killed her two daughters before setting their house on fire then turning the gun on herself. The mother is identified as 39-year-old Carla Watford and her two deceased daughters are 16-year-old Julia Watford and 9-year-old Tayla Watford. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning…:

CUT 7 (08)  “her own death”

Browning says they recovered the weapon they believe was used in the murder suicide and also chemical accelerant that was used to set the fire. Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot said the family wants the public to know that Carla Watford was a good person, and what lead her to do this we may never know…:

Cut 8  (08)  “in this community” 

Browning says investigators have learned the fire started near the master bedroom, and they also found a note believed to have been written by Carla Watford…

Cut 9 (05) “murder-suicide” 

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A 16-year-old is behind bars after wielding a shotgun while committing a series of armed robberies in the Uptown area, according to New Orleans Police. Mayor Mitch Landrieu spoke out about violence in the city and says he is dedicated to stopping this trend.

Cut 10 (09) “higher priority”

Extra police patrolling the area arrested the teenage while riding a bike. Landrieu says we continue to aggressively recruit more police officers and are investing thousands of dollars to advance protection for the people of New Orleans.

cut 11 (09) “behind bars”

Authorities found five smart phones, similar clothes described by victims and a lever action rifle inside a chair bag while searching the suspect’s home. Landrieu says we must do everything we can to build a city of peace.

Cut 12 (08) “remain safe”

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After months of wrangling, the US Department of Veterans Affairs announces it has awarded a lease for a permanent Veterans Clinic in Lake Charles. Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany has been applying pressure on the V-A to get this done

Cut 13 (04)  “progress now”

The permanent Lake Charles veterans’ clinic will be on a 4.5 acre site on Gerstner Memorial Parkway. Boustany is glad to see progress, but more work is needed to ensure quality healthcare needs for veterans living in southwest Louisiana

Cut 14 (10) “our veterans”

Boustany says it’s been a long journey to get this point. He says the 24-thousand square foot building is expected to be ready for use by 2017….

Cut 15  (09)  “getting started”

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LSU’s Leonard Fournette is on his way to a record breaking season as he already has 631 rushing yards through games. He’s getting a chance to carry the football over 20 times a game and opposing defenses are keying on him. Coach Les Miles was asked about if he plans on changing Fournette’s running style to avoid some punishment from opposing tacklers

Cut 16  (15)  “would want”

Miles would like to see his team cut down on penalties. They’ve been flagged 28 times and they are averaging 86 penalty yards a game, which is the seventh highest in the country. The head coach says penalties will be a focus in practice this week…

Cut 17 (10) “to do” 

LSU is last in the SEC in pass offense, averaging just 100 yards through the air a game. But Quarterback Brandon Harris is completing 62-percent of his passes and has not turned the ball over. Miles expects the passing game will become more explosive…

Cut 18 (16) “getting it done”

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The Saints are one of four teams in the NFL that are winless. Coach Sean Payton says there is no way to sugarcoat it, they are in hole and they have to find a way to get their first win of the season

Cut 19 (15) “good week”

The Saints host Dallas this Sunday and Payton is looking forward to ending the losing streak….

Cut 20 (16)  “so its important”

A new Advocate/WWL-TV poll shows Democrat John Bel Edwards and Republicans Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne each defeating Republican David Vitter in a potential runoff in Louisiana’s governor’s race. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (26)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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The state Department of Revenue announce the 50th arrest under a statewide crack down on tax fraud. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (29)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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A new Advocate/WWL-TV poll shows Democrat John Bel Edwards and Republicans Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne each defeating Republican David Vitter in a potential runoff in Louisiana’s governor’s race. The survey, conducted by Clarus Research Group, shows Edwards and Vitter tied at 24-percent heading into the primary. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says this is bad news for the Senator who was polling at 38-percent this spring…

CUT 3 (10)  “a runoff”

The poll shows Angelle and Dardenne with 15-percent and 14-percent respectively. Dubos says the spring polls were largely based on name recognition, but now voters are taking notice of the gubernatorial candidates…

CUT 4 (10)  “large numbers”

The poll shows Vitter losing to Edwards in a potential runoff by four points, Angelle by five points, and Dardenne by seven points. Dubos says this survey doesn’t mean that Vitter won’t make the runoff, but he will be an underdog if he does. He says this poll does bring up an interesting question…

CUT 5 (08) “the runoff”

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The State Fire Marshal’s Office believes the fatal fire in Eunice where a mother and her two children died, was the result of a murder-suicide. Fire Marshal Butch Browning says they are still working to determine the cause of the early Sunday morning massive blaze…:

CUT 6 (08) “to this fire”

Browning says Eunice cops and fire investigators are working to determine how the blaze was started and what might have happened…:

CUT 7 (07)  “it is suspicious”

Authorities have identified the mother as 39-year-old Carla Watford. They believe she shot her two children, 16 year old Julia Watford and 9-year-old Layla Watford before starting the fire then turning the gun on herself. Browning says autopsies on the three are planned…:

CUT 8 (07)  “cause of death” 

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The Bayou State is ranked among the top states in the country where Hispanics have adapted to the American mainstream. The WalletHub study ranks Louisiana fourth for all states for Hispanic assimilation. Manny Blanco, President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, says Louisiana’s Hispanic population is a varied group…

CUT 9 (07)  “and Mexico”

The study ranked states on Cultural & Civic, Education, and Economic assimilation. Blanco says the state’s Hispanic unemployment and poverty rates are concerning…

cut 10 (09)  “accomplish that”

The state’s “Veteran Status for Hispanics” is 10th in the country, which Blanco says is a source of pride within the community. He has high hopes for the future of the Hispanic community in Louisiana…

Cut 11 (10)  “our communities”

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The state Department of Revenue announce the 50th arrest under a statewide crack down on tax fraud. Joyce Gaines of Harvey, owner of Tax Town, is accused of filing false income tax returns for hundreds of clients. Barry Kelly, Director of Criminal Investigations, says teaming up with the Attorney General’s Office is a key to the success of the crack down…

cut 12 (07)  “to do alone”

Gaines, along with two of her employees, are charged with filing or maintaining false public records and illegal transmission of monetary funds. Kelly says this type of tax fraud case is not unusual…

cut 13 (09)  “don’t even own”

Gaines’ scheme resulted in more than $250,000 in fraudulent state income tax refunds. LDR has saved tax payers more than $50 million through various anti-fraud programs since 2014. Kelly says this is a reminder for residents to do some research and be careful about who they select to prepare their taxes…

cut 14 (08)  “are bound to”

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The Baton Rouge Press Club has canceled their Attorney General forum after incumbent Buddy Caldwell dropped from the event. Emelie Gunn has more….

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The Center for Louisiana Studies is holding a Gun Violence Symposium in Lafayette today to discuss what they call one of the biggest problems in our state. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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John’s Boehner resignation as US House Speaker gives Metairie Congressman Steve Scalise a chance to improve his leadership role in the House. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The Baton Rouge Press Club was set to host a forum today involving the major candidates in the Attorney General’s race but Republican Incumbent Buddy Caldwell canceled on the event. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says it doesn’t serve Caldwell any good to debate Republican candidates Jeff Landry and Marty Maley.

cut 4  (06)  “the advantage”

Pinsonat says out of all the major candidates, Landry has the most money on hand with 1.4 million dollars in the bank. He says Caldwell follows Landry with 1.2 million dollars and Maley only has a few thousand dollars…

Cut 5  (08)  “great race”

In 2011, Caldwell switched parties. Pinsonat says in order for the Madison Parish resident to be reelected, he’ll need votes from democrats because Landry has the conservative vote locked up.

Cut 6 (10)  “black turnout”

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The Center for Louisiana Studies is holding a Gun Violence Symposium in Lafayette today to discuss what they call one of the biggest problems in our state. CLS Director Michael Martin says the day long program features scholars from universities and colleges across Louisiana who study gun violence in a variety of ways:

CUT 7 (11)  “human rights issue”

The event is open to the community and is being held at the UL-Lafayette Alumni Center. Martin says in the wake of the Lafayette movie theater shooting and other incidents around the country, they feel the topic of gun control needs to be discussed no matter which side of the debate you’re on…:

Cut 8  (09)  “might be addressed” 

Martin says the nice thing about having speakers in to bring varying perspectives, is that they all come to the table with certain ideas about what might work in this situation. He says they all may even have completely opposing view points, but the goal is to frame reasonable discussions…:

Cut 9 (07) “next steps” 

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House Speaker John Boehner’s decision to resign from the top post in the US House provides an opportunity for Metairie Congressman and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise to move up to a higher leadership position. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says Scalise has a chance to be majority leader…

Cut 10 (10) “republican party”

Scalise came under scrutiny about nine months ago when it was learned that he spoke to a group connected with former KKK leader David Duke back in 2002. Hogan says the Congressman took steps to quiet down the controversy, but that speech could still hurt his chances

cut 11 (07) “to see”

Hogan says if Scalise becomes House majority leader that would mean good things for Louisiana

Cut 12 (06) “doesn’t matter”

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LSU’s Leonard Fournette had another 200-yard plus performance on Saturday to help the Tigers beat Syracuse 34-24. The Heisman Trophy candidate rushed for 244 yards and two touchdowns against the Orange, becoming the first player in LSU school history to have consecutive 200-yard efforts. Fournette’s longest run came on a 62-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He gives credit to his fullback…

Cut 13 (07)  “what I did”

Syracuse was keyed up to slow down Fournette, but he still put up big numbers. After the game, he gave credit to the Orange defense for making it a hard fought day….

Cut 14 (11) “this game”

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Fournette was not the only college football running back from Louisiana. Bulldogs running back Kenneth Dixon had three touchdowns to help La Tech defeat FIU 27-17. Dixon says it was good to get a win after two straight losses…

Cut 15  (18)  “and defense”

Dixon now has 68 touchdowns, which is sixth most in college football history. He finished with 169 yards against FIU, his 20th career 100 yard rushing performance. But Dixon says he’s not focused on individual accomplishments…

Cut 16  (09)  “you know”

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The Saints are still winless after losing to Carolina 28-22. The Saints defense could not contain Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns. Newton also had a rushing touchdown. Saints quarterback Luke McCown says the players will not give up, despite an 0-and-3 start.

Cut 17 (11) “we face” 

McCown played well for the injured Drew Brees as he threw for 310 passes. He was intercepted once and that came in the fourth quarter on a great play by Carolina defensive back Josh Norman. McCown says Brees was a big help on the sidelines.

Cut 18 (15) “as teammates”