Voters in Louisiana will have the opportunity to vote on some Constitutional amendments on the October 24th ballot. Eric Gill has more:
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State Police is asking Louisianians to be on the lookout for a little girl who is believed to be with her mother’s ex boyfriend and could be headed here from Texas. Texas authorities have issued an AMBER Alert for 6-year-old Alexis “Lexi” Johnson of Houston. She is believed to be with 40-year-old Harvey York of the Sabine Parish town of Zwolle. Officials say the two could be in a blue 2000 Ford F-150.

The four candidates for Lt. Governor are scheduled to appear at a forum today in Baton Rouge. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says it’s a very close race between the Democrat Kip Holden and Republicans John Young and Billy Nungesser. He expects the GOP candidates to go after each other during the debate…:
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Dubos says the odds favor the only democratic candidate, Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden, entering the runoff.

The Daily Advertiser is reporting that the NCAA has accused the UL-Lafayette football program of major rules violations. The report shows the Association specifically accuses former Cajun assistant football coach David Saunders of manipulating ACT scores and paying cash to one recruit. Officials at UL-Lafayette say they are cooperating fully with the NCAA’s investigation.

State Police has issued a Level II Endangered/Missing Child Advisory on behalf of the Harris County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office for a 6-year-old girl believed to have been taken by a Zwolle man. They say Alexis “Lexi’ Johnson was last seen with 40-year-old Harvey York, Jr. Sunday in Houston in York’s blue Ford F-150 pickup truck. York, who is not the child’s father, allegedly took the girl following an argument with Lexi’s mother. It’s believed York is heading to Louisiana. If you have any information on their whereabouts, you are urged to contact authorities.

Voters in Louisiana will have the opportunity to vote on four new Constitutional amendments on the October 24th ballot. President of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, Robert Scott, says these amendments could be a bit confusing to voters. He encourages residents to do a little research before entering the voting booth…

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A guide to all four amendments can be found at parlouisiana-dot-org.

State Police say a two-vehicle crash in Acadia Parish has taken the life of a Branch woman. They say when 24-year-old Jean Mouille of Church Point attempted to pass 34-year-old Crystal Castille, he struck Castille’s car causing her to run off the roadway and crash into a utility pole. Castille was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. Impairment is suspected on the part of Mouille. He is charged with vehicular homicide and open container among other charges. The investigation is ongoing.

The LSU Student Senate is asking Facility Services on campus to mark single stall bathrooms as gender neutral…

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The four candidates for Lt. Governor are slated to speak at a forum in Baton Rouge today. Emelie Gunn has more on how the race is going…

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State Police are investigating an officer involved shooting in Lake Charles that left one man dead. When Lake Charles Police responded to a domestic disturbance, they encountered 44-year-old Kevin Lau in the doorway of the home with a pistol. When Lau exited the home, he pointed his gun at officers and refused to drop his weapon. Police were forced to open fire and shot Lau. Lau was transported to a local hospital where he later died. The investigation is ongoing.

According to State Treasurer John Kennedy, state revenues for the first quarter of this fiscal year are down 13-percent compared to last year. Kennedy believes the Jindal administration created much of the revenue problem and it has a moral obligation to deal with it. He says Jindal should at least try to come up with a plan to deal with the reality right now…

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He says declining oil revenues are also part of the problem.

A resolution was passed by the Student Senate at LSU asking Facility Services to change the signs on single stall restrooms on campus to read “gender neutral.” Matthew Patterson, with Equality Louisiana, says often times transgender people don’t feel safe or are denied access to the bathroom of the gender they identify as, because it makes others uncomfortable…

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Patterson says there are several bathrooms on campus that are obviously gender neutral, but they aren’t marked that way.

The Baton Rouge Press Club will host a Lt. Governor’s debate today. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says a big problem for Republicans Billy Nungesser and John Young is trying to differentiate themselves from each other because they come from similar backgrounds…

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Democrat Kip Holden and Republican Elbert Guillory will also participate in the forum.

Robert Scott, President of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, says the October 24th ballot will feature four new amendments to the Louisiana Constitution. He says Amendment number one would create a new transportation fund for the state in addition to the existing one…

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You can find a guide to all four amendments at parlouisiana-dot-org.

State revenues for the first quarter of this fiscal year are down 13-percent compared to last year according to State Treasurer John Kennedy. Kennedy says the fact that the legislature raised taxes 800 million dollars last spring is one factor in Louisiana’s declining revenue. He says you can’t raise taxes without having economic implications and the state is still spending more money than we take in…

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He says tax collections from individuals and businesses are down, while sales tax receipts are flat.

The Student Senate at LSU has passed a resolution asking Facility Services to change the signs on single stall restrooms on campus to read “gender neutral.” Matthew Patterson, with Equality Louisiana, says this is a cost effective way of ensuring that all students, faculty, and staff feel safe when using the restroom…

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State Treasurer John Kennedy says state revenues for the first quarter of this fiscal year are down 13-percent compared to the first quarter of last year. Kennedy says tax collections from individuals and businesses are down, while sales tax receipts are flat….

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Kennedy believes the Jindal administration created much of the revenue problem and it has a moral obligation to deal with it.

Voters in Louisiana will have the opportunity to vote on some Constitutional amendments on the October 24th ballot. Robert Scott, President of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, says the ballot will feature four new amendments to the Louisiana Constitution. Scott says if you know nothing about these amendments, it could be overwhelming…

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He says this is better than last year when 14 amendments were on the ballot.

The four candidates for Lt. Governor are slated to be at a forum hosted by the Baton Rouge Press Club today. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says it’s a very close race between the Democrat Kip Holden and Republicans John Young and Billy Nungesser, because they have the most money and name recognition….

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Guillory will also participate in the forum. Dubos says the odds favor the only democratic candidate, Holden, entering the runoff.

The Saints are now 1-and-4 on the season after a 39-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Red Cross is on the LSU campus today collecting donations for South Carolina flood relief efforts. The Tigers and the Gamecocks kickoff at 2:30pm. Eric Gill reports..:
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Louisiana residents can start voting today for the state ‘s Oct. 24 election. Candidates are urging supporters to cast their ballots in advance as the various statewide and local races are expected to compete for attention on Election Day with college football games and hunting plans. Early voting runs from Saturday through Oct. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m, but closed Sunday.

Funeral services will be held in New Orleans beginning Sunday evening for legendary Cajun and Creole Chef Paul Prudhomme who passed away at the age of 75 last week. Visitation will be from 6pm-9pm tomorrow at Jacob Schoen and Son Funeral Home on Canal in New Orleans. Visitation will continue Monday morning at 9 a.m. at historic St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter.

Ads are out targeting Democratic Gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards seeking to tie him to President Barack Obama. They are funded by the Republican Governors Association. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says tying Democratic candidates to the president has worked for Republicans and Edwards will likely fight the ads by focusing on his own agenda in Louisiana…:
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In a statement, Edwards says the ads are a distraction from the one candidate who will destroy Governor Jindal’s failed policies.

The Red Cross is making a strong presence on the LSU campus today collecting donations ahead of the South Carolina game in Tiger Stadium. The contest came to Baton Rouge as Columbia continues to deal with devastation due to historic flooding in the state. Nancy Malone with the Red Cross in Louisiana says LSU fans are all too familiar with flood waters and destruction that goes with it…:
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Tickets for the game will be sold up until the 2:30 kickoff online and on campus.

Early voting for the October 24th election began today and runs through October 17th excluding Sunday. You can early vote on those days from 8:30am to 6pm at registrar of voters offices across the state and other select locations. You go can visit geauxvote.com to get a sample ballot.

Louisianians that don’t have a passport won’t be turned away from federal buildings Monday or stopped from boarding a plane next year after the US Department of Homeland Security granted the state another extension from being in compliance with the REAL ID law. State Police Col Mike Edmonson says this gives the Legislature time to address the issue next year.

A television ad targeting Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards has been released by the Republican Governors Association. Jeff Palermo reports…:
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Early voting kicks off today. Eric Gill reports…:
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There are still plenty of tickets left for the LSU/South Carolina game today in Tiger Stadium. The displaced Gamecocks are getting a warm welcome in Baton Rouge and the contest today is actually a home game for them — so after LSU’s expenses, USC will get the ticket proceeds. The game kicks off at 2:30 and if you’d like the opportunity at a rare seat, you can log on to print out your tickets at lsusports.net. There will also be trailers set up around campus today selling tickets in addition to the box office.

State Police says Louisiana has been given an extension in being in compliance with the federal REAL ID Act which goes into effect this weekend. This means citizens here will be able to enter federal buildings using their state drivers license.

Less than half the cases of the West Nile virus have been reported this year compared to 2014 according to the Department of Health and Hospitals. They say there have been 55 confirmed cases and 4 deaths. DHH attributes the drop to Louisiana’s cool spring.

The Republican Governor’s Association has released an ad which targets Democratic Gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards by tying him with President Barack Obama. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this tactic has been working for Republicans and feels Edwards’ ratings will go down the more people see this commercial…:
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In a statement, Edwards calls this a distracting desperation tactic by the GOP and he’s staying focused on issues facing Louisiana.