The New Orleans Police Department report the bodies of a missing mother and her two children were found in a car in New Orleans East. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

State Police say a 15-year-old unrestrained driver from Leesville died in a Vernon Parish crash last night. They say Acadia Sanders lost control of the truck she was driving and slammed into a large tree. Investigators determined Sanders was not wearing a seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene. An 18-year-old passenger was restrained and received moderate injuries.

The Louisiana House approves legislation that would prohibit gender based abortions. The bill’s author, Houma Representative Lenar Whitney, says there have been no documented cases in Louisiana. But she cited an article from Forbes Magazine about pregnancies ending early in US Asian communities because the sex of the unborn child was a girl…:
CUT 9 (08) “bear sons”
Whitney’s legislation passed on an 84-2 vote.

If you haven’t gotten your state taxes done yet tomorrow is the deadline for filing 2014 Louisiana individual income tax returns. The state department of revenue recommends electronic filing.

NOPD says the bodies of a mother and her two young children were found in a vehicle this morning in New Orleans East in an apparent murder-suicide. Superintendent Michael Harrison says they were looking for 25-year-old Michelle McCullum and her kids ages 5 and 3 as when a concerned family member contacted police…:
CUT 6 (10) “her own life”
He says, in a tragic ending, officers found all three shot dead inside the vehicle.

The bill by Houma Representative Lenar Whitney which would ban abortions based on sex selection overwhelmingly passed on the House Floor today. There was debate over some of the semantics of the bill but in the end lawmakers considered this pro-life legislation which would further protect lives of unborn children. The vote was 84-2 and the bill heads to the Senate.

The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s office says a substitute teacher and youth umpire is under arrest for allegedly using his position to get girls to send him naked pictures and they are still looking for victims. Lt. Bill Davis says 26-year-old Christopher Kerr of Bossier City is charged with producing and possessing child porn….:
CUT 3 (06) “of young girls”
He says Kerr was using social media to commit the crimes with young teenage victims. They know there are more juveniles involved and they are encouraging parents to talk with their kids who could have come in contact with Kerr.

Retired Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore says he’s still considering a run for governor this year. Honore, who gained a lot of fans for his no nonsense approach following Hurricane Katrina, says even though it’s late in the game, raising money for a campaign would be no problem…
cut 15 (07) “….if we needed to”
Honore says if decides to run, he would do so under “No Party” and announce before the fourth of July.

A 25-year-old New Orleans woman and her two young children are reportedly dead in an apparent murder-suicide. State Police and NOPD issued an alert this morning asking for assistance in locating Michelle McCullum and her kids ages 5 and 3 as family members reported the mother left her Treme home and had indicated she was feeling suicidal. Reports indicate cops found the three inside a vehicle deceased shortly after the alert went out.

The latest Southern Media and Opinion Research Poll shows likely Louisiana voters approve of the bills the House has passed to fill the state’s 1.6 billion dollar budget deficit. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says the budget situation comes down to one thing for residents…:
CUT 6 (10) “are predicting”
He says 67 percent of respondents want to see the state raise revenue.

The state house approves a bill that would let some motorists get an inspection sticker every five years. Jeff Palermo reports…:
CUT 3 (29) “reporting”

Louisiana residents are reminded Friday is the deadline to file their state income tax returns. Through Louisiana File Online taxpayers can file a return, make a payment and upload scanned receipts and other supporting documentation. Visit www.revenue.louisiana.gov/fileonline.

A recent Southern Media and Opinion Research poll shows that voters approve of a series of revenue generating bills the House passed to cover state’s $1.6 billion budget deficit. Scott Carwile reports…

cut 1 (30) “reporting”

State Police say an unrestrained teen was killed and another teen injured in a single vehicle accident in Vernon Parish. They say 15-year-old Acadia Sanders of Leesville lost control of her pickup truck, exited the roadway, and struck a large tree. Sanders was pronounced dead at the scene. Her passenger, 18-year-old Jon Stuckey of Leesville, was restrained and received moderate injuries. He was transported to a local hospital. The investigation is ongoing.

Retired Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore, who gained fame with his no-nonsense approach to relief efforts in post-Katrina New Orleans, says he’s considering a run for Governor. On the Jim Engster Show, Honore says the only reason he wouldn’t run is if another one of the candidates ended up mounting a serious challenge to US Senator David Vitter…

cut 13 (06) “quite understand that”

Honore says if he does decide to run, he would do so under “No Party” and make an announcement before July 4th.

The state House approves Stonewall Rep. Richard Burford’s bill that would let some motorists get an inspection sticker every five years. Opponents of the measure say inspectors would lose revenue if this passes. But Lafayette Representative Nancy Landry says the five year sticker would be $50 so inspectors aren’t going to lose any money, they are just going to get it at different time intervals…

cut 12 (06) “the next year”

The vote was 58-33 and the measure now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

A bill that would ban someone from getting an abortion based on sex selection is scheduled for debate on the House Floor today. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 2 (30) “reporting”

In a unanimous vote, the state House passed New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno’s bill that would ban hospitals from billing rape victims for their medical exams. The measure would permit health care providers to submit a claim to the victim’s insurance company for payment, but the victim would not be required to pay any share of the costs. The legislation now goes to the Senate for consideration.

A recent Southern Media and Opinion Research poll shows that 67-percent of respondents want to see the state raise revenue from several different sources to deal with the budget crisis. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says says this survey shows the House is on the right track in dealing with the budget…

cut 5 (11) “Louisiana voters”

The legislature is currently dealing with a $1.6 billion budget shortfall.

The state house advances a bill that would let some motorists get an inspection sticker every five years. Stonewall Rep. Richard Burford says his bill would only apply to vehicles 7 years old or less. Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton opposed the measure saying there are many businesses who rely on the revenue the inspection stickers generate…

cut 11 (08) “they may suffer”

Currently the brake tags are $10 a year and the five year sticker would be $50.

Supporters and opponents of Common Core have come together on legislation that puts a process in place that could lead to new public school education standards. Lake Charles Representative Brett Geymann, an outspoken critic of Common Core, says the compromise legislation, which was approved by the House Education committee Wednesday, allows for more public input in developing academic standards…:
cut 10 (08) “embrace”
The plan calls for BESE to approve new education standards in March 2016, but the next governor could reject them. Some members of the public expressed issues with the plan…:
cut 12 (08) “initiative”
The Governor’s office says they don’t like the veto mechanism and also have concerns that BESE would set up a standard’s commission filled with Common Core Supporters.

In a narrow vote, the state Senate advances an equal pay bill to the House. According to recent Census data, Louisiana has the largest gender pay gap in the nation. The bill also lays out a course of legal action if a worker is not paid the some as another doing the same job. Opponents say this would set businesses up for hoards of litigation but New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson says this bill is about shrinking the gender pay gap, not promoting lawsuits…:
CUT 4 (07) “all it does”
The bill passed the Senate on a 21-16 vote.

The state house approves a bill that would let some motorists get an inspection sticker every five years. Currently the brake tags are $10 a year and drivers can get either a one or two year sticker. Stonewall Rep. Richard Burford says his bill would only apply to vehicles 7 years old or less. Lafayette Representative Nancy Landry voted in favor…:
CUT 1 (06) “car inspected”
Opponents say this would hurt brake tag business. The vote was 58-33 and the measure now heads to the Senate.

The House Education Committee approves legislation that could put an end to the controversy over the Common Core education standards. Jeff Palermo has more…:
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

The Grant Parish Sheriff’s office has arrested a man accused of leaving his truck in the middle of the road then breaking into someone’s home and dancing naked under a water hose at another house. They say 27-year-old Tristan Yenzer of Alexandria was booked with unauthorized entry, aggravated obstruction of a roadway, theft of utilities and 2 counts of criminal trespassing.

The Senate advances an equal pay bill to the House. New Orleans Senator Ed Murray’s legislation would ensure that all employees receive the same pay for the same work. It also lays out a course of legal action if a worker is underpaid. Mandeville Senator Jack Donahue says this bill puts another nail in the coffin of business…:
CUT 3 (07) “pay fair wages”
But supporters say this is about shrinking the gender pay gap, not lawsuits. The favorable vote was 21-16.

A Louisiana based oil company is set to drill near the site of the BP well blowout that killed 11 workers and caused the nation’s largest offshore oil spill. LLOG (log) Exploration Offshore has been approved to drill into the Macondo reservoir. Associate Director of the Tulane Energy Institute, Professor Eric Smith says this shouldn’t mean people should worry about another blowout…:
CUT 8 (10) “company like LLOG”

A process that could lead to new public school education standards has been approved by both supporters and opponents of Common Core. Lake Charles Representative Brett Geymann, an opponent of Common Core, says under the proposed compromise, BESE will begin a comprehensive review of English and Math standards this summer and the process will also involve public meetings across the state…:
CUT 11 (10) “ended up”
A spokesman for Governor Bobby Jindal, who opposes Common Core, says they support this process moving forward but do not endorse the bill.

The latest Southern Media and Opinion Research poll finds that more Louisiana voters disapprove of Jindal’s job performance than they do the president’s…:
CUT 14 (05) “square that”
Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says in the poll 42% rate the president’s job performance as positive while Jindal is at 32%.

In a 21-16 vote, the state Senate advances New Orleans Senator Ed Murray’s equal pay bill to the House. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

The Attorney General’s office says two former St. John the Baptist Parish Water Works employees were convicted Tuesday for covering up their failure to properly collect water samples from testing sites. The Department of Health and Hospitals later found a brain eating amoeba at those sites. 55-year-old Kevin Branch of LaPlace and 43-year-old Danielle Roussel of Paulina, both pleaded guilty to false swearing.

It was a narrow vote in the state Senate, but the equal pay bill is on its way to the House. New Orleans Senator Ed Murray’s legislation would help close the Louisiana gender pay gap, which according to recent Census data, is the largest in the nation. But not everyone is buying into that…
CUT 5 (08) Q: ‘a real problem’
That’s Metarie Senator Conrad Appel.

A compromise bill about Common Core has passed the House Education Committee. The plan authored by Lake Charles Representative Brett Geymann (guy-muhn) calls for BESE to approve new education standards in March, but the next governor will have the authority to reject them. Some members of the community were there to testify about their concerns about the plan…
CUT 12 (08) Q: ‘initiative”
—————————–
A new permit has been issued to drill near the site of the BP well blowout disaster. LLOG (Log) Exploration Offshore’ permit was approved by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and Tulane Energy Institute Professor Eric Smith says he believes the company will do a good job…
CUT 9 (09) Q: ‘except for BP”

Governor Bobby Jindal’s approval rating in Louisiana is at an all time low according to a new survey. Bernie Pinsonat conducts the Southern Media and Opinion Resarch Poll. He says they found Jindal got a 31.8% positive job performance rating from likely Louisiana voters…:
cut 13 (08) “more Republican”
Pinsonat says that rating is lower that President Barack Obama.