Lawmakers are looking at their options to raise revenue to fill the budget holes, as the second special session of 2016 is currently underway. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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Natchitoches has unveiled plans for a Riverfront Improvement Project. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The second special session is underway, and Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on legislators to fix the state’s budget problems. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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The second special session of 2016 is underway and lawmakers are looking at their options to raise enough revenue to reduce cuts to state programs, like TOPS and hospitals that provide care for the poor and uninsured. Personal and corporate income taxes are an option for raising revenue, but Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry says he is not okay with raising anymore taxes.

cut 4  (09)  “do that”

Lawmakers have also proposed reducing or eliminating some corporate tax exemptions. But Henry says they can’t be sure that will generate enough revenue to be worthwhile.

Cut 5  (08)  “at this point”

Senate President John Alario believes the legislature needs to raise about $450 million to ensure that TOPS, higher ed and safety net hospitals are adequately funded.

Cut 6 (09) “the budget”

Alario says he is not opposed to altering state income tax rates or removing exemptions, if it means all of the state’s priorities will be funded.

CUT 7 (06)  “it accomplished” 

The special session must end by June 23^rd at midnight.

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Governor John Bel Edwards is set to address a joint session of the state legislature at 10 this morning, which marks the official kickoff to the special session that was called to address a $600 million revenue shortfall. Edwards says revenues need to be raised the budget that was passed in the regular session is in bad shape.

Cut 8  (11)  “172 million” 

Legislators also have to pass a $4 billion construction budget that would pay for road work and improvements to public buildings and state parks. Edwards is upset the House failed to negotiate the construction spending plan during the regular session.

Cut 9 (09)  “the bill”

The special session must end by June 23 at midnight. Edwards is optimistic they will approve the necessary revenue raising measure to avoid cuts to TOPS, safety net hospitals, and education.

Cut 10 (05) “the future”

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The University of New Orleans will soon have a new digital animation lab on campus. UNO fine arts instructor Jeff Rinehart led the effort to secure a $94-thousand grant for the school’s new Innovation Lab, which will be open to all students working on digital media projects. Rinehart says the department is working toward creating a new media and animation degree.

cut 11 (05) “digital animation”

Rinehart says the lab should be open to students by the 2017 spring semester. He says the lab will be equipped with computers, a 3D printer, motion capture equipment, and the software students need to complete all kinds of digital media projects.

cut 12 (10) “digital cameras”

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the number of jobs for multimedia artists and animators is growing substantially. The annual mean wage for people in this field in the New Orleans area is about $73-thousand. Rinehart says increased demand in this field is due to the growing need for animation in television, movies and other multimedia projects.

Cut 13 (03)  “like that”

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Plans have been unveiled for a Riverfront Improvement Project in Natchitoches. Mayor Lee Posey says the project will update some infrastructure along the river and improve handicap accessibility.

cut 14 (11)  “about this”

Posey says they will put new bathrooms on the riverbank, double the size of the stage on the river, add new landscaping, and even repave the asphalt along the riverbank. He says the project will cost just over $4 million. He says state and private agencies will split the costs of the project.

Cut 15 (10) “electrical department”

Posey says they hope to have everything ready by the beginning of next year so it can hopefully be done in time for the Festival of Lights in November of 2017. He says there are lots of events on the riverbank, so this is a worthwhile project.

Cut 16  (06)  “really excited”

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Its win or go home for the LSU Baseball team today after losing to Rice 10-6 last night to force a winner take all matchup at 4 PM in the Baton Rouge Regional. If LSU won last night, they would be heading to the Super Regionals. Coach Paul Mainieri doesn’t think there’s more pressure on his team to get it done today…

Cut 17 (14)  “some runs” 

LSU had 15 hits in the loss, but they were just 2-of-10 at the plate with runners in scoring position. Center fielder Jake Fraley says they can’t dwell on Monday night’s loss…..

Cut 18 (13) “this next game”

The Ragin Cajuns season came to a quick end last night as they lost two games to Arizona, which resulted in the Wildcats winning the Lafayette Regional and advancing to the Super Regionals. UL Lafayette had won 12 in a row heading into Monday, but lost the first game to Arizona 6-3 and then lost the regional championship game 3-1. Cajuns outfielder Kyle Clement says baseball can be a cruel sport at times…

Cut 19 (14) “wrong time”

The Cajuns finish with a 43-21 record. Coach Tony Robichaux says Arizona’s pitchers threw the ball well and his team had trouble putting runs on the board…

Cut 20 (16) “deficit down”

A second special session for 2016 begins tonight at 6:30 pm, and lawmakers will look at changes to income taxes as they try to close a $600 million shortfall for next fiscal year. Halen Doughty has more…

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The Louisiana Family Caregiver Act has been signed by the governor and goes into effect August 1. Michelle Southern has more…

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Lawmakers will begin a special session tonight at 6:30 pm to attempt to raise $600 million to close the budget deficit for next fiscal year. LSU economist Jim Richardson, also serves as the chairman of the task force for long term budget reform and says to raise that much money, lawmakers will likely have to alter personal income taxes.

CUT 3 (11)  “do constitutionally”

State Capitol observers say a key to bill to watch in the session is House Bill 11 which would limit federal itemized deductions on income taxes. Richardson says reducing or removing these deductions could affect a lot of Louisiana taxpayers, particularly those with higher personal incomes.

CUT 4 (11)  “income brackets”

The call for the special session also calls for changes to income tax brackets. Richardson says this approach would impact most taxpayers.

CUT 5 (08)  “notice it”

Richardson says legislators will probably not do anything with the sales tax, other than cleaning up some exemptions that should have been placed on the increase in the last special session.

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The Governor has signed the Louisiana Family Caregiver Act into law, which supporters say will provide critical help for families across the state. Advocacy Director for AARP Louisiana, Andrew Muhl says this will assist the more than 660-thousand family members who help out an aging relative.

CUT 6 (08) “more independently”

Twenty-two other states have passed similar legislation. Muhl says this measure requires hospitals to offer caregivers instruction and demonstrations of medical tasks. He says the bill also allows a family caregiver to be designated in the patient’s medical records.

CUT 7 (07) “post-hospital stay”

It’s estimated this type of unpaid care to family members in our state amount to about 6-point-4 billion dollars annually. Muhl says this legislation will save the state money by reducing costly hospital readmissions, as family caregivers will be able to perform the tasks the patients need.

CUT 8 (10) “be required”

The unanimously-approved law goes into effect August 1.

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A small Tensas parish town is one step closer to having clean water after being plagued by murky brown tap water. The town of St. Joseph has agreed to appoint a fiscal administrator so audits on the town can be cleared up and work can begin to repair the town’s water system. The governor’s Communications Director, Richard Carbo says getting a fiscal administrator is a step in the right direction.

CUT 9 (05) “St. Joe”

St. Jo has not been able to get approval to use state funds to fix the water system because Mayor Edward Brown missed the December deadline to file an audit. Carbo says the Governor’s Office has been working to get clean water for St. Jo since Governor John Bel Edwards took office in January.

cut 10 (07)  “finish line”

Carbo says they’re making progress, but at this point it’s still not clear when clean water will flow from the taps in St. Joseph.

Cut 11 (10) “projects underway”

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A trooper was injured in a fatal St. Charles Parish incident that involved two suspected drunk drivers and a man who stopped on the Bonne Carre spillway to urinate into Lake Ponchartrain. State Police trooper Melissa Matey says Louis Hernandez pulled his truck over to pee, and at that time a man suspected of being impaired, 42-year-old Joel Ybarra, crashed into the stopped vehicle

cut 12 (06) “not belted”

Matey says as a trooper was responding to the first crash scene on the spillway, his unit was hit from behind by another impaired driver. She says the trooper was wearing a seat belt and sustained minor injuries in the crash:

Cut 13 (06)  “operation”

Matey says Ybarra is charged with vehicular homicide and careless operation. She says charges are pending for Hernandez as you are not allowed to just relieve yourself off the side of a bridge…:

cut 14 (05)  “emergency purpose”

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