The Pelicans climbed one step closer to the playoffs with a 100-88 win over Minnesota last night. Anthony Davis lead the way for the Pels with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans each added 22. New Orleans and Oklahoma City still have the same record after the Thunder defeated Portland 101-90. The Pelicans do hold the tiebreaker as both teams head into Wednesday’s regular season finales. A loss by the Thunder to Minnesota or a win will send New Orleans to the playoffs, but it won’t be easy as the Pelicans face defending NBA Champion San Antonio.

In college baseball, LSU is ranked in the top three in all of the major polls and is in a tie for third in the Southeastern Conference. Head coach Paul Mainieri says, halfway through the conference season, his team is right where he wants it, in a position to win the SEC championship. The Tigers are 31-6 overall and 10-5 in league play. The Tigers host Lamar tomorrow night before traveling to open the second half of conference play against Georgia Friday.

Today on the college diamond, Tulane will host Southern Miss. UNO visits Jackson State. McNeese State hosts LSU-Alexandria. Northwestern State heads to Starkville to take on Mississippi State. South Alabama travels to Thibodaux to face Nicholls State. ULM hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff. And Southeastern Louisiana hits the road to take on UL-Lafayette in a game that can be seen on ESPN3.

The Sun Belt has released its men’s and women’s basketball conference schedules. For a second straight year, each team will play a 20-game conference schedule and men’s and women’s basketball games will be played as doubleheaders.

And the fourth-ranked LSU gymnastics team is busy preparing for this weekend’s NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, TX. In Friday’s semifinal session, the Tigers compete against top-ranked Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, and Oregon State. The top three teams will advance to the Super Six finals.

Today and tomorrow members of the public will have a chance to lobby before the House Appropriations Committee about what they would like to see funded in next fiscal year’s budget. Because of a $1.6 billion dollar shortfall, money is tight and several government services are facing massive cuts. Jan Moller, director of the Louisiana Budget Project, expects the public will make sure their voice is heard…:

cut 7 (10) “everyday”

Moller says public testimony on the budget is one of the most important parts of the legislative session.

The House Democratic Caucus says Medicaid expansion and state funding for higher ed are their top priorities in this legislative session. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James, says democrats will not approve a budget for next fiscal year, if the legislature doesn’t pass a bill that allows the state to receive federal dollars so more low-income residents can receive Medicaid…:

cut 10 (08) “presidential ambition”

As it stands now, higher education is looking at a massive reduction in state funding.

In his last state of the state address to the legislature, Governor Bobby Jindal took a break from politics to show a sentimental side during portions of his speech. The Governor began by joking that there may be some lawmakers happy that it would be his final time speaking in chambers to kick off the session..

cut 13 (12) “appreciate your restraint”

Jindal also said he wanted to acknowledge what he said everyone already knew and that is that he hasn’t done everything perfectly.

CUT 30 (06) “vote your machines”
The 2015 state legislative session is underway. Governor Bobby Jindal laid out his priorities for the next two months which included removing Common Core from Louisiana…:
CUT 13 (10) “and every state”

The House Democratic Caucus says Medicaid expansion and state funding for higher ed are their top priorities this session. Chairman State Representative John Bel Edwards says there are enough democrats in the legislature that can prevent the passing of bills that raise tuition costs for students…:
CUT 12 (12) “technical colleges”
Higher ed could is looking at a massive reduction in state funding because of the 1.6 billion dollar revenue shortfall.

Education is going to be a huge topic this legislative session. One of the bills seeks to add more quality substitute teachers because of the shortage. Ville Platte Representative Bernard LeBas says HB 43 would raise the salary cap to 50 percent of benefits for retired teachers to sub because it’s currently just 25%. He says the whole idea is to offer our students the best possible education…:
CUT 10 (08) “in the classrooms”
He says sometimes teachers have to double up a class or kids have to have a different substitute everyday which isn’t good for their education.

It was a tough first day of session for a Covington lawmaker. Representative Paul Hollis was driving his Audi A8 through a parking lot at the Capitol when a new security system on the grounds went off and two upright structures shot up and through the front of the car. Hollis said he hit his windshield and his airbag also deployed.

There were three priorities laid out today by Governor Bobby Jindal to both houses on this opening day of the legislature. At the top of the list was balancing the budget without a tax increase. He also said he would work to do away with Common Core, then he mentioned his full support of the Religious Freedom Bill from Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson…
cut 14 (09) Q: ‘items simultaneously”

Education is also a big topic, and Ville Platte Representative Bernard LeBas is introducing a bill that would enable retired teachers to spend more time in the classrooms without their pension being affected. He says under present law, retired teachers are only allowed to work up to 25% of their retirement checks…:
CUT 9 (09) “their retirement”
He says HB 43 would help the current sustitute teacher shortage.
————————–
A State Trooper and a Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s deputy have been arrested on racketeering charges in a case where they allegedly planted drugs on an individual. Here’s Eric Gill with more…
CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

Shreveport police are investigating a fatal stabbing just before noon today at West 69th Street and Clift Avenue. The unidentified woman died at the scene and police are said to be questions two people in connecting with the stabbing. The investigation is on-going.

On this opening day of the legislative session Governor Bobby Jindal addressed both houses to lay out his plans. First and foremost on the list was balancing of the budget without raising taxes. Next, he addressed education and his strong stand against Common Core…
CUT 13 (10) Q: ‘and every state’

And along with education, a bill from Ville Platte Representative Bernard LeBas (lah BAH) is introducing a bill to address the shortage of substitute teachers, by allowing retired teachers to teach without it affecting their pension…
CUT 11 (10) Q: “and the schools need em”
Under present law, retired teachers are only allowed to work up to 25% of their retirement checks.
———————————-
Two law enforcement officers have been arrested on racketeering charges in a case where they allegedly planted drugs on an individual. Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Art LeBreton (le-breh-ton) says State Trooper Corey Jackson and Lafayette Parish Deputy Jason Kinch were arrested…
CUT 5 (08) Q; ‘serious fashion’
He says the case involved over $100,000 in cash payments to a number of people including Jackson and Kinch. Warrants for co-conspirators have been issued.

Louisiana rain is settling in to make this a very wet week…
CUT 6 (12) Q: ‘of rain’
That’s State Climatologist Barry Keim, who says most of Southeast Louisiana is under a flash flood watch until tomorrow night.

Governor Bobby Jindal laid out three priorities for this year’s legislative session in a speech he delivered to both houses of the Louisiana legislature. Jindal says the first priority is to balance the state’s budget without increasing taxes…
cut 12 (10) “doesn’t raise taxes”
Jindal says priority number two is education reform and that means removing Common Core from Louisiana.

With the chances of rain for the state being about 80% for this week, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch is in effect until Tuesday night for portions of southeast Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, Houma and Hammond…
CUT 8 (08) Q: ‘about it’
That’s State Climatologist Barry Kiem.
=============================
As the legislative session begins, education is always a big topic, and one lawmaker wants to make sure there are enough quality substitute teachers. Michelle Southern reports…:
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

While the rest of nation has experienced a slight increase inthe price of gas, Louisiana average prices are staying about the same. According to GasBuddy.com, the average price for regular gasoline in $2.17 a gallon. The projections still predict summertime gas levels to approach the lows of 2009.

The two month long legislative session is now underway in Baton Rouge. Governor Bobby Jindal delivered his opening remarks. Many are saying this has the potential to be one of the most challenging sessions in decades as lawmakers deal with a $1.6 billion dollar budget deficit. Jindal says he wants to curb corporate welfare as a way to get the state in fiscal order:
CUT 1 (11) “on top of it”
Jindal defended the fact that he refuses to raise taxes by saying that when government takes people’s hard earned money our economy lags, job growth lags and families are put into a tight spot.

Political pundits say other than the budget, legislators will also get into Common Core again this year, religious freedom, medical marijuana and other hot button issues. The session ends June 11th.

It’s going to be an extremely wet week in Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says there is a 80 percent or higher chance for rain through Friday. He says you can expect waves of gulf moisture to produce downpours over a one or two hour period…:
CUT 7 (11) “get some breaks”
A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for most of southeast Louisiana.

A State Trooper and a Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s deputy have been arrested on racketeering charges in a case where they allegedly planted drugs on an individual. Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Art LeBreton says Corey Jackson and Jason Kinch are accused of putting drugs under Bryan Knight’s car then an anonymous tip lead to a traffic stop of …:
CUT 4 (08) “to happen”
Few details of the scheme are available, but LeBreton says it involved over $100,000 in cash payments.

The 2015 Legislative Session is officially underway…:
CUT 30 (06) “vote your machines”
There are over 1000 bills that have been pre-filed for what is being called what will likely be one of the most challenging sessions in years. Legislators have to figure out what they will do to fix the state’s $1.6 billion dollar budget deficit.

Education is always a big topic during the session and Ville Platte Representative Bernard LeBas has filed a bill that would let retired teachers work up to 50% of their retirement checks instead of 25%. He says this would address a major substitute shortage and the whole idea is to offer students the best possible education…:
CUT 10 (08) “in the classrooms”
The bill will be heard first in the House Education Committee.

Louisiana is facing the prospect of a lot of rain this week. State Climatologist Barry Keim says rain chances across the state are 80-percent or higher for every day of the work week…:
CUT 6 (12) “of rain”
Keim says the national weather service has issued a flash flood watch is in effect until Tuesday night for portions of southeast Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, Houma and Hammond.

Monroe Representative Marcus Hunter has filed legislation that would raise the base pay for severs from $2.13 per hour to at least minimum wage. The two month long session is underway.

As the legislative session begins, education is always a big topic, and one lawmaker wants to make sure there are enough quality substitute teachers. Ville Platte Representative Bernard LeBas this bill would enable retired teachers to spend more time in the classrooms without their pension being affected. He says under present law, retired teachers are only allowed to work up to 25% of their retirement checks…:
CUT 9 (09) “their retirement”
He says HB 43 would raise the salary cap to 50 percent of benefits.

A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for southeast Louisiana until Tuesday evening. The National Weather Service says several rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected to fall over the next couple of days in those areas were the ground is already wet from recent heavy rainfall. They say amounts of 3 to five inches will be possibly.

A State Trooper and a Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s deputy have been arrested on racketeering charges in a case where they allegedly planted drugs on an individual. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

The ESPN produced film “Shaq and Dale” debuts tonight on the SEC Network at eight PM. Country music superstar and Louisiana native Tim McGraw does the narration as the show dives in to the special relationship between Shaquille O’ Neal and Dale Brown.