It looks as if Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany is considering a run for the US Senate if Senator David Vitter is elected governor this year. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28) “Eric Gill”

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According to a new report, abortions in Louisiana have jumped in number since 2010, while nearly everywhere else they’ve gone down. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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The state legislature will continue to have authority over tuition costs. Jeff Palermo explains…

Cut 3 (30) “Palermo”

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It appears that Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany is considering a run for the US Senate if Senator David Vitter is elected governor this year. Boustany says that could be an option after this year’s statewide election, but right now he’s focusing on the job at hand…

cut 4  (10)  “to our delegation”

Boustany currently sits on the US House Ways and Means Committee and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent months. Boustany says he’ll make a decision on his political future at a later time…

Cut 5  (08)  “presents itself”

UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross thinks it’s a really strong possibility that Boustany would vie for Vitter’s seat…

Cut 6 (07)  “frontrunner, initially”

Cross says other potential candidates could include Minden Congressman John Fleming and state Treasurer John Kennedy. If elected governor, Vitter will be able to appoint someone to replace him until the November 2016 election. Cross says whoever would receive that appointment would have a real advantage in that Senate election…

CUT 7 (07)  “as the incumbent”

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A higher education tax credit that provides an offset to revenue generating bills, receives a cold shoulder from House members. The legislation is called the SAVE ACT. But democrats, like Amite Representative John Bel Edwards, says the measure makes no sense for the legislature to pass it

Cut 8  (10)  “what are you assessing” 

Even Shreveport Representative Alan Seabaugh, who was pushing the House to pass the SAVE Act, admitted the legislation was peculiar…

(Seabaugh eventually withdrew his attempt to add the SAVE Act to another bill.)

Cut 9 (08)  “makes sense”

But without the SAVE Act, Jindal is expected to veto revenue generating bills that restore cuts to higher ed and health care.  New Orleans Representative Jeff Arnold says there are other bills that could provide the offset needed for Jindal to keep his no tax pledge…

Cut 10 (09) “using this”

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According to a new report, abortions in Louisiana have jumped in number since 2010, while nearly everywhere else they’ve gone down. But Louisiana Right to Life Executive Director Ben Clapper says numbers of out of state women coming here to have an abortion are dramatically increasing…:

cut 11 (09) “abortions”

Louisiana was recently honored by Americans United for Life as the top state taking steps to reduce access to abortion, but the study indicates the number of women ending pregnancies here is up 12 percent between 2010 and 2014. Clapper says Texas laws have closed one third of their abortion facilities and there is only one clinic in Mississippi.

cut 12 (10)   “income”

Clapper says abortions for non-residents jumped by more than 1200 between 2010 and 2012. He says even though lawmakers have tried to make it harder to end a pregnancy in Louisiana, the five clinics here only sell abortions and all they care about is collecting the $450…:

Cut 13 (09)  “off the procedure”

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A measure which would mean dramatic decreases in Louisiana’s tough pot possession penalties is headed to Governor Bobby Jindal’s desk. Metairie Representative Joe Lopinto says right now the sentence for one gram of marijuana and 60 pounds is the same which makes no sense…:

Cut 14 (08) “already”

The House voted 74-19 to approve amendments added to the bill on the Senate side. The proposed law would essentially end the possibility someone could be jailed 20 years for repeatedly getting arrested with only a small amount of marijuana. But Lopinto says the measure also increases penalties if you’re busted with a large amount of pot..:

Cut 15  (09)  “of marijuana”

Jindal has told reporters that he would sign this bill. HB 149 is a compromise between legislators who have tried to reform marijuana sentencing and law enforcement lobby groups. Lopinto says we have some of the harshest marijuana penalties in the country and this is a smart bill that cleans up the books…:

Cut 16  (08)  “make sense”

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The Houston Astros selected LSU shortstop Alex Bregman with the second overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft. Bregman says it’s a dream come true to hear the MLB Commissioner call his name…

Cut 17 (16) ” grew up lovin” 

Bregman was taken after Arizona picked Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson with the number one overall selection. Bregman has been a star shortstop for the Tigers the last three seasons, but some major league scouts believe he’ll make a better second baseman in the pros. Bregman says he’s not sure about that

Cut 18 (15) “play shortstop’

Bregman and the Tigers will play their first game in the College World Series on Sunday afternoon. He says it’s been quite a week so far, winning a super regional on Sunday and getting drafted on Monday night

Cut 19 (13)  “really excited”

The Red River continues to cause flooding problems in the Shreveport area. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Eric Gill”

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The state senate approves legislation that prohibits State Police from using its own funds to provide security when Governor Bobby Jindal travels for campaign purposes. Jeff Palermo has the story…

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Officials with the National Weather Service say the Red River in Shreveport reached its crest, within an inch, this morning. Hydrologist C.S. Ross says the river was at 36.82 feet as of 8AM this morning. Ross says there is major flooding happening in the Caddo/Bossier area…

CUT 3 (07)  “backwater flooding”

He says the rising waters in the Red River is causing backwater flooding along tributaries in the area. Ross says the flooding in the Shreveport area is just the beginning…

CUT 4 (11)  “through next weekend”

This crest of the Red River in Shreveport is the highest since 1945. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says there are about 300 homes in Caddo Parish have been affected by flood waters…

CUT 5 (08)  “reach a home”

One of the homes that is flooded is the home of Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prater. She says about 30 roads are closed in the area due to flood waters. Chadwick says officials will continue their efforts to keep flood damage to a minimum…

CUT 6 (11)  “things like that”

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The LSU Tiger Baseball team is headed to Omaha to play in the College World Series for the 17th time and the first since 2013. The Tigers defeated UL-Lafayette on Sunday 6-3. After the game, Coach Paul Mainieri told the media that he got an email from the best friend of Lance Bergeron, one of the National Guardsmen who lost his life in the Blackhawk helicopter crash…:

CUT 7 (13) “perspective for me”

Mainieri says he wasn’t nervous at all about the game and that he told the players to forget about what the stakes are, and just go out there and play and have fun. He says thinking about the crash which claimed the lives of 4 Guardsmen and 7 Marines made him view the game in a different light…:

CUT 8 (09)  “irrelevant”

Mainieri says he mentioned to Athletic Director Joe Alleva that they’ve won 52 games this season but if they hadn’t won that 53rd game, the season would have felt unfulfilled in so many ways…:

CUT 9 (11)  “that’s where we belong”

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A state Senator tried to amend the controversial higher ecucation tax credit by renaming it the DUMB fund. Ville Platte Senator Eric LaFleur wanted to change the name of the SAVE act, which Governor Jindal is pushing in order to have a revenue neutral budget. LaFleur says the amendment is strictly technical and only describes the bill for what it is…

cut 10 (11) “the word ‘DUMB'” 

LaFleur’s amendment would change SAVE, “Students Assessment for a Valuable Education”, with DUMB, “Don’t Understand the Meaning of Bill”. Many lawmakers are not supportive of the SAVE act which they say is a budget gimmick and LaFleur’s amendment is evidence of legislators frustrations. SAVE act author, Mandeville Senator Jack Donahue, was not amused…

cut 11 (10)  “against it”

LaFleur did withdraw the amendment saying he proposed it with a tongue-in-cheek attitude. However, LaFleur says he will not vote for this piece of legislation…

cut 12 (09)  “behind the truth”

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The state senate approves legislation that  prohibits State Police from paying trooper security costs when Governor Bobby Jindal travels for campaign purposes. The head of the state democratic party, New Orleans Senator Karen Peterson, says State Police has spent over two-million dollars this year for Jindal’s trips…

cut 13 (10)  “that money”

Peterson’s amendment passed on a 29-5 vote. Metairie Senator Danny Martiny voted against it, because he doesn’t think the legislation will change anything, because a governor can always say they were attending to state business, even when traveling out of Louisiana

cut 14 (05) “circumvent it”

Peterson, who is a vocal critic of the Jindal administration, says during these tough budget times, State Police should not be using it’s own resources to support a governor’s presidential campaign

cut 15 (08) “state funds”

The Louisiana Legislature is on its way to sending marijuana reform proposals to Governor Bobby Jindal who gives every indication he will sign them. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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The legislative session ends Thursday and state capitol observers say it’s difficult to say what will happen with the budget. Scott Carwile has more…

Cut 2 (31) “reporting”

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LSU defeated in-state rival UL Lafayette to punch their ticket to the College World Series. Jeff Palermo has more from Alex Box Stadium…

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The Louisiana Legislature is on its way to sending marijuana reform proposals to Governor Bobby Jindal who gives every indication he will sign them. One bill drastically reduces the penalties for pot possession under 14 grams and another allows for the dispensing of medical marijuana. Kevin Caldwell with Common Sense Nola is pleased..:

cut 4  (08)  “this year”

Caldwell says he is pleased that the Sheriff’s Association and the DA’s were willing to at least talk about meeting halfway this session unlike in years past. He says the sentence reduction bills are very progressive…:

Cut 5  (10)  “great step”

Caldwell says he’s glad there will finally be a way people who take chemo, have cerebral palsy or glaucoma will be able to get edible or oil forms of marijuana…:

Cut 6 (10)  “dealt with”

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The Louisiana House could vote on a resolution to hold a veto override session. Governor Jindal said he’ll veto revenue generating bills, if the legislature doesn’t pass a tax offset, so he can keep his “no tax” pledge. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris, chairs the House Republican Legislative Delegation, and he says there’s a desire in the House for an override session, if it gets to that point

CUT 7 (12)  “comes up”

Lawmakers have until 6 PM on Thursday to finish their legislative work and that includes approving a balanced budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1st. Harris it’s his hope lawmakers will not need to call for an override veto session

Cut 8  (10)  “next session” 

So far house members have yet to support a higher education tax credit that is needed to provide the offset Jindal needs to sign the hundreds of million of dollars in tax measures the legislature is poised to approve. Harris says legislators are hoping a budget solution  can be found…

Cut 9 (10)  “this session”

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With a few days left in the legislative session, it looks like Louisiana businesses are the big losers. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says business lobbyist groups are not happy the legislature is pushing to reduce hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits and rebates many companies enjoy

Cut 10 (11) “from them”

Legislators are tyring to close a one-point-six billion dollar shortfall in order to pass a budget that doesn’t dramatically cut funding for higher education and health care. Pinsonat says the scaling back of tax exemptions for businesses was how much of the money was raised, which upsets the business community

cut 11 (08) “raging battle”

Pinsonat says legislators who voted to take away some of the tax exemptions from businesses, will not get the endorsement of the Louisiana Association of Business Industry in the fall election

cut 12 (10)   “or experience”

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The state Senate voted to increase the cigarette tax by 72 cents which would bring it up to $1.08 and match the Southern regional average. Lawmakers are trying to raise revenue to plug the budget hole and prevent massive cuts to higher ed and health care. New Orleans Senator JP Morrell authored the amendment to raise the tax higher than the House approved 32 cent cigarette tax increase…:

Cut 13 (09)  “appropriate”

It’s not likely the lower chamber will go along with what the Senate approved. Gonzales Senator Jody Amedee voted against Morrell’s amendment…:

Cut 14 (10) “raise taxes”

The session ends Thursday. The bill is by Bogalusa Representative Harold Ritchie and was carried in the Upper Chamber by Bogolusa Senator Ben Nevers who says not only would this tax raise revenue, it would also go towards making Louisiana citizens healthier…:

Cut 15  (08)  “help them quit”

The LSU Tigers are headed back to the College World Series as they defeated UL Lafayette six to three to clinch a Super Regional series victory over the Ragin Cajuns. Alex Bregman’s two-run single in the 8th inning, in what was his final at-bat in Alex Box Stadium, was the key hit in the ballgame…

Cut 16  (16)  “any other way”

Jared Poche was the winning pitcher for LSU as he allowed one run in 7.2 innings pitched. Gunner Leger suffered the loss for the Cajuns, but Coach Tony Robichaux is proud of his freshman from Lake Charles

Cut 17 (13) ” opportunity tonight” 

The Ragin Cajuns season ends with a record of 42-23. Robichaux says it was a great ride to take a young team almost to Omaha

Cut 18 (10) “proud of em”‘

This is LSU’s 17th trip to the College World Series and first since 2013. Bregman says the Tigers can’t wait…

Cut 19 (07)  “on a mission”