The Governor’s Office says a Republican lawmaker’s plan to close a $304 million dollar deficit would cripple public-private-hospitals, lead to the release of 45-hundred inmates and make a historic cut to public schools. Communications Director Richard Carbo says of Alexandria Representative Lance Harris’ proposal…:
Cut 10 (10) “would be impacted”
But Harris says the Department of Health’s spending is getting out of control and the governor can make cuts to that agency without the legislature getting involved…:
Cut 13 (07) “last year”
Governor Edwards will unveil his plan for closing the state’s budget hole to lawmakers tomorrow.

Walker Police are working to identify a female body that was found under an I-12 bridge. Captain John Sharp says at this point they have a lot of unanswered questions…:
Cut 16 (08) “her death”
He says they are treating the investigation as a homicide.

Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approves more than $1.5 million in funding for teaching residencies. Department of Education Assistant Superintendent of Talent, Hannah Dietsch (HAHN-ah), this will, in part, provide $2,000 stipends to 233 future teachers.
Cut 5 (07) “the classroom”
The money comes from existing state and federal funds.

With 22-percent of Louisiana adults currently smoking, the American Lung Association believes the state has a lot of work to do when it comes to tobacco prevention. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (25) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

President Donald Trump says he’s asking for a major investigation into voter fraud; specifically probes into whether people are registered in two states, illegal or dead. The Louisiana Office of the Secretary of State says there were no widespread irregularities here or fraud during the 2016 Presidential Election Cycle; as there are several layers of legal protection to prevent any such thing. The Trump Administration believes illegal ballots cost him the popular vote.

The Louisiana Department of Insurance announces they recovered $7.6 million for policy holders last year as a result of efforts by their consumer affairs division who work to resolve consumer complaints. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says that money is in addition to what companies offered to pay customers, and it’s a significant increase over the previous year…:
Cut 9 (10) “the past year”
Policyholders can file complaints online at ldi.la.gov/fileacomplaint.

The flu season in Louisiana has been slow thus far, but Department of Health Dr. Frank Welch says that will likely change when it gets colder again this weekend…:
CUT 7 (12) “flu season”
Welch advises everyone to get their flu shots to avoid getting the flu and to avoid spreading it to others.

The story about a 3-year-old Brazilian girl who had a large, rare tumor removed from her face by doctors in Shreveport is making national headlines. It all started when Dr. Celso Palmieri at LSU Health Shreveport was reading an online publication from his home country. He says he ran across a Brazlian article about little Melyssa Delgado Braga
CUT 12 (09) “could help Melyssa”
Dr. Palmieri says several organizations and doctors agreed to help the family get here. On December 20th, they removed the 5 pound tumor from Melyssa’s face and she has regained full use of her tongue.

Republican state Representative Franklin Foil says he will try to bring a bill in the upcoming session to raise the TOPS GPA requirement to rein in costs. He says this proposal would make the program more of a merit-based scholarship, like it was intended to be…:
cut 14 (06) “college education”

The American Lung Association’s annual State of Tobacco Control report finds Louisiana is failing in efforts to reduce tobacco use.Regional Policy Director Ashley Lyerly (Liar-lee) says the report assigned F letter grades in the areas like tobacco taxes and access to cessation programs…:
Cut 3 (10) “tobacco use”
An estimated 22-percent of Louisiana adults smoke.

At the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis was asked about the reports that they’ve been looking to trade coach Sean Payton…:
cut 30 (15) “…public domain”

Lawmakers are once again proposing more changes to the TOPS scholarship program as budget problems continue to plague the state. State Representative Franklin Foil says the GPA requirement is currently a 2.5, but he says it should be increased to a 3.0 over the next three years…:
Cut 13 (10) “in the state”
Foil says all options need to be considered, so lawmakers can keep TOPS intact for the future.

President Donald Trump tweeted this morning that he’s ordered a major investigation into voter fraud, but state officials insist there is no evidence that supports claims of scams. Mr. Trump says the probe will involve registered voters who are illegal or who have been dead. The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office says they participate in one of the most robust programs aimed at keeping registration records clean.

Louisiana isn’t seeing as many flu cases as we usually do this time of year, but it’s only a matter of time. That’s according to Frank Welch with the Department of Health.
Cut 6 (11) “slow season”
He says about 4 out of every 100 doctor visits are for the flu right now, but as the weather cools down, like this weekend, you’ll see that number rise.

President Donald Trump has signed two orders that move forward with construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines, so what does that mean for Louisiana? Acting President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says there is a renewed optimism…:
Cut 10 (06) “that commitment”
He says this also creates more hope of the construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline.

President Donald Trump has signed two orders that moves forward with construction on the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines, so what does that mean for Louisiana? Many people are concerned about the safety of using pipelines compared to other methods of transporting oil. But Acting President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs right now we’re struggling with aging infrastructure…:
cut 12 (09) “other systems”

Could changes again be coming to TOPS? State representative Franklin Foil proposes raising the GPA requirement to rein in costs and encourage high school students to perform better…:
Cut 15 (10) “good grades”
He plans to introduce the bill in the upcoming legislative sessions.

Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District has been appointed to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. He says continuing the fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups will be a key item on the committee’s agenda, especially as threats persist both at home and abroad…:
Cut 9 (10) “recognize that”
He’s also been appointed to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

The Louisiana Family Forum is looking for the top 10 longest married couples as they do every year with Valentine’s Day approaching. President Gene Mills says entries for couples married over 70 years must be submitted by February 5th…:
Cut 6 (06) “family member”
Contact the Louisiana Family Forum at (800) 606-6470.

President Trump has signed two orders moving forward with construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines. Jeff Palermo has more on what this means for Louisiana…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday approved more than $1.5 million in grant awards for state universities and school systems to advance the shift to full-year residencies for all aspiring teachers. BESE says this is key to ensuring that new teachers enter the classroom ready on day one.

Republican state Representative Franklin Foil says he will try to bring a bill in the upcoming session to raise the TOPS GPA requirement to rein in costs. He says this proposal would make the program more of a merit-based scholarship, like it was intended to be…:
cut 14 (06) “college education”
The GPA requirement is currently a 2.5, but Foil says it should be increased to a 3.0 over the next three years.

Freshman 4th District U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson of Benton was named to both the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security and Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. He says this puts him on the forefront of the lines when it comes to policy concerning building a wall on the southern US border, and what would work best…:
Cut 8 (11) “illegal crossing”
He says continuing the fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups will be another key item on the agenda.

With budget problems still looming, state lawmakers are once again looking at possible changes to TOPS. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (28) “I’m Halen Doughty”

What does it mean for Louisiana that President Donald Trump signed two executive orders giving the go-ahead to two major pipeline projects? Acting President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says it’s great that Mr. Trump mentions reducing 75% of regulations on the industry..:
CUT 11 (07) “lower cost”
He says this would mean jobs, economic security and growth.

US Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District has been appointed to two subcommittees of House Judiciary including one on Immigration and Border Security. The northwest Louisiana Congressman says this is an important position in a Trump Administration that reaffirms its commitment to building a wall along the southern border:
CUT 7 (07) “border security”
Johnson has also been appointed to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and the Louisiana Family Forum is once again searching for the state’s longest married couple to share their love story. President Gene Mills urges anyone who knows a couple married for longer than 70 years to contact their office..:
cut 4 (07) “unique way”
You can get more information on submitting an entry online at lafamilyforum.org.

President Donald Trump has signed two orders that move forward with construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines, so what does that mean for Louisiana? Acting President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says there is a renewed optimism…:
Cut 10 (06) “that commitment”
He says this also creates more hope of the construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline.

Lawmakers are once again proposing more changes to the TOPS scholarship program as budget problems continue to plague the state. State representative Franklin Foil says the GPA requirement is currently a 2.5, but he says it should be increased to a 3.0 over the next three years…:
Cut 13 (10) “in the state”
Foil says all options need to be considered, so lawmakers can keep TOPS intact for the future.

The Louisiana Family Forum is once again searching for the state’s longest married couple as Valentine’s Day is approaching. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Today Governor John Bel Edwards will deliver remarks at the Plaquemines Parish Association of Business and Industry meeting.