Today House leaders as they will vote on what changes to make when it comes to tax hikes and scaling back incentives in order to balance the state’s budget. Among the issues up for debate are repealing of tax breaks for businesses and an increase in the state’s cigarette tax. Alford says today’s House session will be a long one and something we have not seen in recent history…

Cut 5  (10)  “the House floor”

He says the absolute linchpin this legislative session is the inventory tax.

Two bills that seek to control the wild hog population in Louisiana pass the House Natural Resources Committee. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham says something must be done…:

Cut 13 (11)  “static”

One measure would approve year-round hunting seasons on razorbacks and the other would create a lifetime hunting license for the animal.

Legislation that would legalize the sale of raw milk in Louisiana failed to make it out of a Senate Committee. Opponents argue there are dangers associated with consuming raw milk but Ville Platte Senator Eric LaFleur doesn’t think it’s bad enough to warrant government regulation…:

cut 11 (09) “against the law”

The same measure made it out of the house last year but died on the Senate floor.

New Orleans Representative Austin Badon’s legislation to reduce penalties for simple marijuana possession will move to House floor. Jill Trahan’s son is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for simple marijuana possession. Trahan wants lawmakers to really consider the penalties imposed on marijuana possession convictions…

CUT 7 (07)  “and strong”

The measure passed the House Criminal Justice Committee on a 10-4 vote.

Today House leaders will vote on various proposals that will go towards filling a massive budget shortfall. Jeff Palermo reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

______________________________________

New Orleans Representative Austin Badon’s bill to reduce penalties for simple marijuana possession will be heard on the House floor. Eric Gill has more…

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

Legislation that would legalize the sale of raw milk in Louisiana did not make it out of a Senate Committee. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (29) “reporting”

______________________________________

Today is decision making day for House leaders as they will vote on what changes to make when it comes to tax hikes and scaling back incentives in order to balance the state’s budget. LaPolitics-dot-com Publisher, Jeremy Alford, says this entire legislative session is about the budget and filling a $1.6 billion shortfall. He says today we’ll find out which way the budget will lean…

cut 4  (08)  “fill those holes”

Among the issues up for debate are repealing of tax breaks for businesses and an increase in the state’s cigarette tax. Alford says today’s House session will be a long one and something we have not seen in recent history…

Cut 5  (10)  “the House floor”

Alford says the House could meet well into the night. He says the absolute linchpin this legislative session is the inventory tax. Whether the tax credit is scaled back or the tax is repealed altogether, Alford says lawmakers must do something to the inventory tax system…

Cut 6 (11)  “the House side”

______________________________________

New Orleans Representative Austin Badon’s bill to reduce penalties for simple marijuana possession will be heard on the House floor. Jill Trahan’s son is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for simple marijuana possession. Trahan wants lawmakers to really consider the penalties imposed on marijuana possession convictions…

CUT 7 (07)  “and strong”

The measure passed the House Criminal Justice Committee on a 10-4 vote. Livingston Representative Sherman Mack questioned the need for Badon’s bill since judges and district attorneys already have the ability to shorten a sentence for simple marijuana possession…

Cut 8  (12)  “could possibly get” 

Louisiana ACLU Executive Director Marjorie Esman voiced her opposition to Badon’s measure saying this bill doesn’t do enough…

Cut 9 (10)  “not retroactive”

______________________________________

Legislation that would legalize the sale of raw milk in Louisiana did not make it out of a Senate Committee. The bill’s author, Ville Platte Senator Eric LaFleur, says there are many who believe purchasing raw milk is a basic human right and not something for government to be involved in…:

Cut 10 (09) “raw milk”

The same measure made it out of the house last year but died in the Senate. Opponents argue there are dangers associated with consuming raw milk but LaFleur doesn’t think it’s bad enough to warrant government regulation…:

cut 11 (09) “against the law”

The vote was 5-3 and the issue is essentially dead for the session. Many people believe the nutrition found in raw milk is far better than what’s in pasteurized milk. State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry says he struggles with this issue because he drank raw milk as a kid, but knows the risks are much greater now…:

cut 12 (09)   “pasteurized”

_________________________

Two bills that seek to control the wild hog population in Louisiana pass the House Natural Resources Committee. One measure would approve year-round hunting seasons on razorbacks and the other would create a lifetime hunting license for the animal. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham says something must be done…:

Cut 13 (11)  “static”

The bills now head to the Full House. Barham says the razorbacks destroy farm land and are tearing up levees. He says it’s a rural problem that’s about to become an urban one…:

Cut 14 (12) “one day”

Barham supports the lifetime license bill saying they want to be able to choose the price. Ouachita Parish DA Jerry Jones says it will be easier on farmers to have a one-time permit…:

Cut 15  (09)  “price”

______________________________________

There’s been reports the Pelicans will hire former McNeese State star and Detroit Piston Joe Dumars. Dumars is a former team president of the Pistons and built a roster that won an NBA championship in 2004. Jake Madison, a writer for Bourbon Street Shots dot com says Dumars could be an asset to the Pelicans front office…

Cut 16  (20)  “key contributor”

Madison says if Dumars joins the Pels, Dell Demps will likely remain as the general manager. He says Demps did a terrific job this past season, making a key trade to reshape the roster with enough talent to get into the playoffs…

Cut 17 (18)  “that wasn’t playing”

It’s been reported Dumars is friends with Saints Head Coach Sean Payton and General Mickey Loomis. Loomis also has a role in the Pels front office and Madison could see Dumars joining the Pels in some type of role

Cut 18 (20) ”   a lot of success”‘

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s office says a man is behind bars accused of beating his pregnant girlfriend so badly, she lost their baby. Michelle Southern reporting…:

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

==================

The House Health and Welfare Committee approves a bill that would prohibit abortions in Louisiana that are based on the gender of the unborn baby.  Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (28) “reporting”

===================

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s office says a man is behind bars accused of beating his pregnant girlfriend so badly, she lost the baby. Captain Dawn Foret says they received a complaint from a concerned citizen that there were multiple instances of abuse involving 36-year-old Tyson Cheavis of Gibson and his 27-year-old girlfriend…:

CUT 3 (08)  “pregnancy recently”

Foret says the victim admitted she went to a local hospital after being attacked by Cheavis and during an examination was informed her unborn child did not have a heartbeat…:

CUT 4 (08)  “with his girlfriend”

Foret says Cheavis admitted to beating his girlfriend when he was aware that she was pregnant with his child in her second trimester. She says he also confessed to causing multiple injuries to the victim that ultimately lead to the death of their unborn child…:

CUT 5 (07)  “feticide”

============================

Bossier Parish Sheriff’s deputies are searching for a Haughton man wanted for swindling nearly $3000 from a youth baseball league. Lt. Bill Davis says 25-year-old Robert Martin III applied to be a coach for a team in a local league and began accepting payments from sponsors and parents for uniforms and other items. Davis says it’s apparent that everything with Martin was not on the up and up…

CUT 6 (09)  “out the door”

When league officials discovered Martin had a criminal record which made him ineligible to coach the children, they asked him to return the money and any equipment but he never showed up. Davis says it’s obvious Martin had no intention of supporting the league or the players…

CUT 7 (05) “with our children”

Martin is wanted for felony theft. Detectives believe Martin may have fled the area or the state. Davis says they hope somebody comes forward who knows the whereabouts of Martin…

CUT 8 (10)  “pretty low down”

============================

The House Health and Wefare committee unanimously approves legislation that prohibits an abortion, if the decision to terminate the pregnancy is based on sex selection. Houma Representative Lenar Whitney is the author of the bill and she says the use of abortion as a means for sex selection is a social problem in a number of Asian countries where male children are widely preferred over females…

CUT 9 (09)  “baby girls”

According to the Louisiana Right to Life, sex selection is a significant problem in India and China. Natchitoches Representative Kenny Cox says  Louisiana should not follow what China does…

cut 10 (10) “their population”

The bill heads to the House floor for more debate. Committee Chairman Joe Lopinto read off the list of groups and individuals who oppose the bill, but none of them spoke out against the measure….

cut 11 (12)  “for choice”

============================

Baton Rouge Representative Dalton Honore has pulled his legislation that would have put recreational marijuana legalization on a ballot. Honore says times are changing and he’s glad the conversation about marijuana has been started this session, but his particular measure had too much opposition and he knew it wouldn’t pass…:

cut 12 (09)  “opposed to it”

The use of pot for recreational purposes is legal in Colorado and Honore says he recently visited with lawmakers there. He says marijuana generated 76 million dollars in taxes for Colorado in the first year and the incarceration rate went way down, but he doesn’t think the people of Louisiana are ready…:

cut 13 (06)  “little farther”

Honore says he talked to everyone on the House Criminal Justice Committee who agreed this might be something to do one day, but not at this time…:

cut 14 (08) “defer this bill”

=========================

The AARP of Louisiana wants to see more funding so that seniors can live at home instead of institutional care. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

A bill that would let voters decide whether or not they think pot should be legal for personal use gets a hearing at the Capitol today. Scott Carwile reports…:

Cut 2 (31) “reporting”

______________________________________

There will be a homecoming celebration tonight in Abbeville for a local Top 6 finalist on NBC’s “The Voice”, Koryn Hawthorne. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (29) “reporting”

______________________________________

The AARP of Louisiana wants to see more funding so that seniors can live at home instead of institutional care. Based on their survey, 90-percent of Louisiana voters say home and community based services are important to stay in their own home as they age. Interim State Director, Denise Bottcher, says these services are necessary for seniors to live outside of a nursing home…

cut 4  (10)  “and independently”

The telephone survey interviewed a thousand registered voters age 45 and older. She says their survey shows that 83-percent of respondents support funding to provide more services for seniors living at home…

Cut 5  (11)  “it is they want”

Bottcher says the state only spends 37-percent of its Medicaid budget on services to help seniors stay at home. She hopes this legislative session produces funding so more seniors can avoid institutional care and take some of the burden off of family caregivers…

Cut 6 (11)  “at home”

______________________________________

The legislation by Baton Rouge Representative Dalton Honore that would let voters decide whether or not recreational marijuana should be legal in Louisiana gets a hearing today. LSU Public Policy Polling Research Director Mike Henderson says they’ve surveyed residents and there seems to be a decline in opposition to pot for adult use over the past couple of years…:

CUT 7 (05)  “three points”

Recreational marijuana for adult use is legal in Oregon, Washington D.C., Colorado, Alaska and Washington. Henderson says when it comes to pot, there used to be a 14 point difference with opposition out-polling support and that’s fallen by half in the last two years. He doesn’t think Louisianians would make it legal now, but likely in the next 10 years…:

Cut 8  (07)  “less often” 

The survey found support for legalization of marijuana for personal use is at 45 percent, lagging opposition at 52 percent. He says the strongest support comes from younger Louisianians who don’t show up at the polls as often…:

Cut 9 (08)  “of support”

______________________________________

There will be a homecoming celebration tonight in Abbeville for a local Top 6 finalist on NBC’s “The Voice”, Koryn Hawthorne. The aspiring young singer will ride in a homecoming parade at 5pm then put on a special concert in Magdalen Square downtown. Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza says Koryn has been singing in their community since she was a child…:

Cut 10 (09) “great talent”

Piazza they couldn’t be more proud of Koryn and her success on the popular singing competition show and the exposure she is helping bring to their small town…:

cut 11 (06) “on her behalf”

Piazza says fans are encouraged to bring signs in support of Hawthorne to the parade which is open to all. He says they are expecting a huge crowd…:

cut 12 (09)   “great turnout”

_________________________

This is the last week Stephen Moret will be the Louisiana Economic Development Secretary before he begins his job as LSU Foundation President. He says one of the most rewarding things about the last 7 years for him is how much Louisiana’s business climate ranking has improved..:

Cut 13 (11)  “most of them”

Site Selection has rated Louisiana’s economic development efforts No. 2 in the nation in its ranking for Top Competitive States for 2014. Moret says the ranking is a tribute to the professional, diligent efforts of the outstanding staff at LSU. He says the best feeling over the years is meeting someone who’s gotten a job they helped bring here…:

Cut 14 (12) “single time”

On the Jim Engster Show, Moret says no LED Secretary successor has been named yet, but he believes it will be within in the next few days. Moret believes one of the biggest wins over the last several years has been the bringing in of Electronic Arts, or EA, to Baton Rouge…:

Cut 15  (08)  “industry sector”

______________________________________

It’s a busy week for the Ragin Cajuns baseball team. The players are taking finals and then on Friday, U-L Lafayette will welcome South Alabama to Tigue Moore Field for a three-game series. The Jaguars are in first place in the Sun Belt, while the Cajuns are 2.5 games back and in third place. Coach Tony Robichaux says his club needs to hit better after losing two of three to Appalachian State last weekend…

Cut 16  (11)  “gonna face”

Robichaux says South Alabama is the top hitting team in the Sun Belt, even though they’ve only hit nine home runs…

Cut 17 (12)  “in walks”

The Cajuns have been starting three freshmen in their weekend rotation and Robichaux says they’ll have to grow up a lot this week and pitch well

Cut 18 (18) ”   three things “‘

It has been announced that Governor Bobby Jindal has another book coming out in October. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

==================

The House Ways and Means Committee approved two proposed tax increases by Plaquemine Representative Karen St. Germain to help fund road and bridge projects in the state. Jeff Palermo reports…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

===================

It has been announced that Governor Bobby Jindal has another book coming out in October. The book is entitled “American Will: The Forgotten Choices That Changed Our Republic.” ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says that while this book’s subject matter is history, this is really a campaign book…

CUT 3 (09)  “presidential field”

Jindal calls the book a call to arms for the future. In the book, the governor reviews historical events ranging from the Louisiana Purchase to the Cold War. Stockley says this is an example of Jindal trying to stay in the conversation in a Republican presidential field that is getting more and more crowded…

CUT 4 (10)  “cabinet possibility”

Jindal previously released the book “Leadership and Crisis” in 2010. The governor says he will not announce his decision on running for president until after the conclusion of the current legislative session. Stockley says, with more candidates entering the presidential race, Jindal is currently in a position where he has to decide sooner rather than later…

CUT 5 (10)  “is closing”

============================

The Baton Rouge Police Department says the missing two year old girl, whose mother was located murdered Saturday, has been found safe. Corporal L’Jean McKneely says A’Kyleana Latham, or AK as her family calls her, was discovered alone…:

CUT 6 (06)  “was notified”

McKneely says the child’s father, who is from Texas, is now in town and the little girl will probably be released into his custody. He says they do not believe AK’s dad is a suspect…:

CUT 7 (07) “all avenues”

McKneely says the little girl’s mother, 24-year-old Taylor Latham, was discovered shot and killed inside a vehicle on Monday. He says they are thrilled AK was found but this investigation isn’t over…:

CUT 8 (09)  “a call”

============================

The House Ways and Means Committee approved two proposed tax increases by Plaquemine Representative Karen St. Germain to help fund road and bridge projects in the state. There is currently a $12 billion backlog of road improvements in the state. St. Germain says Louisianians expect their roads to be properly maintained…

CUT 9 (08)  “actually usable”

The current gas tax in Louisiana is 20-cents per gallon. HB 777 was amended to raise the tax by 10-cents per gallon. St. Germain says that could generate up to $300 million for road and bridge improvements. She says improved roadways will also benefit the state’s business and industry…

cut 10 (10) “arduous task”

The last gas tax increase in Louisiana was in 1984. HB 778 increases the state’s sales tax by one percent with those revenues going toward specific highway projects. Both bills will now go to the House floor for debate. St. Germain says the state has waited too long to address this issue…

cut 11 (05)  “the can out”

============================

Slidell Police arrest 22-year-old Antwonetta Jones on second-degree murder charges as investigators believe she discarded her baby inside a trash compactor. Chief Randy Smith says Jones gave birth to the child in a bathtub and within 12 hours the child died…

cut 12 (10)  “infant child”

Smith says Jones put the infant in a box, and brought the deceased baby to the dumpster of an apartment complex. He says the baby was alive for several hours, but some point the newborn began choking and quit breathing and that’s when Jones panicked…

cut 13 (10)  “to a hospital”

Smith says Jones lived with her mother, but no one knew that the 22-year-old was pregnant…

cut 14 (07) “what to do”

============================

Two different tax increases proposed by Plaquemine Representative Karen St. Germain to help fund road projects will be heard in the House Ways and Means Committee today. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

______________________________________

A bill that would use funds from unclaimed gambling winnings to pay for rape victims forensic medical exams clears House appropriations. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

The Baton Rouge Police Department says after their interview Monday with former LSU Tiger La’el Collins, he is still not a suspect in the April 24th murder of Brittany Mills. Jeff Palermo reports…:

Cut 3 (27) “reporting”

______________________________________

Two different tax increases proposed by Plaquemine Representative Karen St. Germain to help fund road projects will be heard in the House Ways and Means Committee today. President of Louisiana Good Roads and Transportation Association Ken Perret says any effort to increase funding for Louisiana’s roads and bridges is good…

cut 4  (11) “in Louisiana”

The state currently has a $12 billion backlog of road and bridge projects. HB 777 would raise the state’s gas tax dependent on the price at the pump and HB 778 would increase the state’s sales tax by one percent. Revenue from both bills would pay for road and bridge projects. Perret says a first class transportation system is key for the state’s economic growth…

Cut 5  (07)  “products distributed”

Governor Jindal has said he would veto any tax increase that is not accompanied by a tax reduction somewhere else. But Perret sees these measures as an investment that will have a positive return on Louisianians on a daily basis…

Cut 6 (09)  “be upgraded”

______________________________________

A bill that would use funds from unclaimed gambling winnings to pay for rape victims forensic medical exams clears House appropriations. New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno says under her measure, money from expired winning tickets from casinos and race tracks would go into the crime victim’s reparations fund. Alexandra Stillson is a rape victim.

CUT 7 (11)  “HIV”

Stillson says she was raped by two men who broke into her home while she was watching television. She feels like she relives the traumatic experience every time another bill comes in the mail…:

Cut 8  (08)  “now pay for it” 

Wade Duty, of the Louisiana Casino Association, says while they don’t oppose the bill on its merits, they don’t approve of the funding mechanism. He says winning money is the property of the gaming establishment until the player cashes the ticket…:

Cut 9 (07)  “property”

The bill passed without opposition and now heads to the House floor. Moreno says casinos keep about $1.2 million dollars in gambling money that was never claimed by the player. Duty says this money is not the same as unclaimed property…:

Cut 10 (04) “of the casino”

______________________________________

The Baton Rouge Police Department says after their interview Monday with former LSU Tiger La’el Collins, he is still not a suspect in the April 24th murder of Brittney Mills. Corporal Don Coppola says Collins is fully cooperating…:

cut 11 (09) “have spoke with”

Cops say Mills was 8 months pregnant when she was gunned down in her home and the baby, Brenton, died a week later. Apparently she and Collins used to have some sort of relationship. Coppola says they may need Collins to stay involved in the investigation…:

cut 12 (07)   “clarification”

Coppola says they are still trying to gather information from people who may know the victim. He says Collins was never considered a suspect…:

Cut 13 (09)  “Brenton Mills”

___________________________________

A bill that allows for the dispensing of medicinal marijuana to patients who suffer from certain medical conditions makes it off the Senate floor. New Iberia Senator Fred Mills says they’ve been working hard on this legislation to keep everyone happy…:

Cut 14 (06) “law enforcement”

Mills says under the proposed law, medical marijuana could only be prescribed by a doctor for someone clinically diagnosed with glaucoma, spastic quadriplegia (kwod-ruh-plee-jee-uh) or suffering symptoms from chemotherapy cancer treatment. He says it would be grown at only one site in the state and dispensed 10 places in non-smokeable form…:

Cut 15  (07)  “can’t be inhaled”

The vote count was 22-13 and the measure now heads to the House. Medical marijuana has technically been legal in Louisiana since 1991, but there were never rules put in place for ways to get it in the hands of patients. Mills says the bill 24 years ago was left wide open and no limitations were set…:

Cut 16  (12)  “the wild wild west”

___________________________________

The House appropriations committee approves a plan that would allow the state to draw down federal money that can be used to expand Medicaid coverage. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

==================

Former LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins met with Baton Rouge police detectives today. Jeff Palermo has more on what happened…

CUT 2 (28) “reporting”

===================

The House appropriations committee approves a plan that would allow the state to draw down federal money that can be used to expand Medicaid coverage. House speaker Chuck Kleckley says the plan involves hospitals putting their financial resources together so the state can draw down federal dollars that can be used to provide health care to low income individuals…

CUT 3 (07)  “federal dollars”

Governor Bobby Jindal opposes Medicaid expansion, calling it a bad deal for the state. But Kleckley says this plan could save up to $200 million for the state’s budget. He says this is real money that can be put in the general fund…

CUT 4 (07)  “in Louisiana”

Since this measure is a concurrent resolution, Governor Jindal cannot veto the legislation, but it does need a two-thirds vote of both houses for passage. Kleckley says this measure would set up a mechanism for our next governor to pull from Medicaid expansion money next year…

CUT 5 (09)  “and use it”

============================

Former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins met with Baton Rouge police detectives today as part of an investigation into the shooting death of a pregnant woman on April 24th. Collins wore a blue suit for his meeting with investigators and his attorney, Jim Boren, says the All-SEC player cooperated fully…

CUT 6 (07)  “they wanted”

Collins meeting with detectives lasted about an hour and a half. Boren says his client is still NOT a suspect in Brittany Mills’ homicide…

CUT 7 (09)  “lady’s murder”

It’s been reported Collins and Mills had a romantic relationship. Boren would not say whether Collins took a paternity test to confirm whether it was his child that died a week after the shooting. But Boren says the Baton Rouge native is cooperating with the investigation and ready to get his NFL career started…

CUT 8 (08)  “that shortcoming”

============================

Baker Police arrested a 32-year-old mother of three for allegedly leaving her three children inside a vehicle for up to 45 minutes. Chief Mike Knaps says a witness arrived at a store at the same time as Tesha Thomas and noticed that Thomas left her three children in the car. He says 30 to 45 minutes later, the witness saw the kids still in the car and called police…

CUT 9 (07)  “kids crying”

The children, ages 7-years, 20-months, and 4-months, were left in the vehicle with no air conditioning and the windows rolled up. Knaps says, after officers contacted Thomas inside the store and she told them she only went in to pick up a couple of things. He says Thomas was taken into custody after calling another family member to pick up the kids…

cut 10 (05) “child desertion”

He says when officers found the children, the 4-month-old was screaming and its diaper was soaked. Thomas faces three counts of child desertion. Knaps says it is never safe to leave children unattended in a vehicle…

cut 11 (08)  “of that vehicle”

============================

State Treasurer John Kennedy announces he’s endorsing US Senator David Vitter for Governor. Kennedy outlined key issues he felt would best be addressed by Vitter…:

cut 12 (11)  “21st century”

Kennedy has previously announced he’ll be seeking re-election in the fall and some speculate he’ll be going after the Senate seat should Vitter become Governor. But Vitter says they have not talked about any other election…:

cut 13 (09)  “being presumptuous”

Kenndy says Vitter respects tax payer dollars and has the ability to take on Louisiana’s fiscal challenges…:

cut 14 (09) “crisis to crisis”

============================

Shreveport Police are investigating a fatal shooting that claimed the life of a four-year-old boy. Cpl. Marcus Hines says officers were called to a hotel room and and found the boy, identified as Cameron Morris, suffering from a single gunshot wound to the head…

cut 15 (10) “that hotel room”

Hines says it appears Morris was shot accidentally by another juvenile in the hotel room. He says adults were present and detectives are working to determine who was responsible for the children at the time of the shooting. No charges have been filed at this time. Hines says the alleged shooter in this incident is very young…

cut 16 (05) “ten-years-old”

This is National Tourism Week and Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne will tour the state to commemorate the event. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

______________________________________

Three weeks are in the books for the current legislative session and many say lawmakers are still not close to finding a solution to the state’s $1.6 billion dollar budget shortfall. Scott Carwile reports…:

Cut 2 (27) “reporting”

______________________________________

Planned Parenthood supporters from across the state plan to gather at the Capitol Monday morning to support reproductive heath care access in Louisiana. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (29) “reporting”

______________________________________

This is National Tourism Week and Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne will tour the state to commemorate the event. The purpose of this trip is to celebrate the tourism industry state wide. Dardenne says every part of the state has seen increased tourism numbers…

cut 4  (11) “in Louisiana”

The tour runs through Saturday. Dardenne says almost 29 million people visited Louisiana last year, which is over a million more people than the previous record. He says those tourists spent over $11 billion in the state…

Cut 5  (10)  “visiting our state”

Stops include Lake Charles, Bossier City, Alexandria, and Lafayette. Dardenne says New Orleans remains the state’s biggest tourism draw, particularly for international visitors. But he says the other parts of the state are seeing big increases tourism, particularly in north Louisiana…
Cut 6 (09)  “of the state”

______________________________________

According to a recent InsuranceQuotes-dot-com study, Louisiana is the fifth most expensive state for car insurance. They say rates in Louisiana are 33-percent higher than the national average. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says high insurance premiums have been a problem in Louisiana for quite a while…

CUT 7 (10)  “No Pay, No Play”

The “No Pay, No Play” law, which was passed in the ’90s, prohibits an uninsured driver involved in an accident from filing an insurance claim, even if they are not at fault. Donelon says the biggest reason for the state’s high auto insurance rates is the state’s litigation rate…

Cut 8  (11)  “of the state” 

Many think the number of uninsured drivers in the state are to blame for the high insurance rates here, but Donelon says that’s not entirely the case. He says when you combine the 15-percent of uninsured motorists with the 40-percent of drivers who only have the minimum amount of insurance required, that’s not good for insurance rates…

Cut 9 (11)  “to be legal”

______________________________________

Three weeks are in the books for the current legislative session and many say lawmakers are still not close to finding a solution to the state’s $1.6 billion dollar budget shortfall. Jeremy Alford of Lapolitics.com says there is just as much uncertainty today as there was in January…:

Cut 10 (10) “insists upon”

Alford says it’s a misconception that Governor Bobby Jindal is not staying involved in what’s going on at the Capitol because he’s making it very clear to legislators that the budget will have to be balanced in a revenue neutral way…:

cut 11 (05) “following suit”

Alford predicts it’ll be 15 days out of the end of the session before any real plan starts to take shape. He says legislators could go with an inventory tax repeal which business is in favor of and local governments are opposed to or make certain tax credits non-refundable which the administration is pushing but business is against…:

cut 12 (10)   “neutral manner”

___________________________________

Planned Parenthood supporters from across the state plan to gather at the Capitol Monday morning to support reproductive heath care access in Louisiana. Spokeswoman Raegan Carter says the plan is to talk to our elected officials about the importance of women having access to high quality healthcare they provide in Louisiana…:

Cut 13 (09)  “citizens”

Carter says the Jindal administration has made it clear they plan to launch a full-blown attack on the true needs of the people of Louisiana. She says they believe families deserve access to healthcare no matter who they are or where they live….:

Cut 14 (08) “screenings”

Carter says basic health care rights are the foundation of freedom and opportunity for women and families. She says they want the message to be clear that politics should be left out of reproductive health care and of what Planned Parenthood provides…:

Cut 15  (09)  “those services”

________________________________________________________________

The Saints used two of their nine draft picks on cornerbacks. In the third round, they selected Florida State All-ACC player P.J. Williams and in the fifth round they picked Damian Swann, who was a three-year starter at Georgia. Coach Sean Payton likes the versatility of both players…

Cut 16  (12)  “with em”

The Saints first pick in the 5th round is a player most football fans never heard of. Linebacker Davis Tull from Tennessee-Chattanooga, who is a three-time Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Payton says they had a high grade on Tull and they were forunate to get him in the 5th round…

Cut 17 (16)  “the nickel”

The saints selected defensive players with six of their nine picks. Payton hopes all of them can contribute in some way..

Cut 18 (17) ”   the draft “‘

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office reports that three people have been arrested in connection with the overdose death of 26-year-old Lance Gordon. Michelle Southern has more…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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The full Senate has approved a measure that would require public school systems to promote the online homework assistance service which is offered through state and local libraries. Don Molino reports.

CUT 2 (25) “reporting”

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The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office reports that three people have been arrested in connection with the overdose death of 26-year-old Lance Gordon. Lt. Clay Higgins says Gordon became extremely ill after allegedly being injected with a drug cocktail prepared by 29-year-old Jessica Stelly. He says then, instead of calling 9-1-1, Stelly called a couple of associates…

CUT 3 (09)  “on his sofa”

Higgins says Stelly, 27-year-old Stephan Godeaux, and 34-year-old Gene Dunbar brought Gordon to his home and left him on the sofa where he later died. Higgins says the three face some serious charges…

CUT 4 (11)  “of justice” 2X

Stelly faces charges of second degree murder and obstruction of justice. Godeaux and Dunbar are each charged with negligent homicide and obstruction of justice. Higgins calls Gordon’s death a terrible loss of a young life and their hearts go out to his family…

CUT 5 (08)  “day in court”

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The full Senate has approved a measure that would require public school systems to promote the online homework assistance service which is offered through state and local libraries. The bill is by Napoleonville Senator Troy Brown who says parents have been having a hard time helping out with homework because the new standards have made it so challenging. He says many people don’t know there is help available…:

CUT 6 (10)  “dealing with”

The bill now moves to the House for consideration. He says under this proposal, schools would have to include information about the HomeworkLA.org program in their handbooks…:

CUT 7 (10) “everyday”

Brown says there is a disconnect between the state’s new curriculum standards and parents and this bill seeks to fill that void. He says Common Core has been a big change that some schools have had success with, but others continue to struggle…:

CUT 8 (10)  “that shortcoming”

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It’s going to be a gorgeous weekend in Louisiana getting lots of folks out on the water and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announces tomorrow is Boating Education Lagniappe Day. LDWF spokesman Gabe Giffin says they will be hosting these boating education certificate events at 9 locations throughout the state…:

CUT 9 (11)  “January 1, 1984”

Giffin says anybody born after January 1, 1984 must complete a a NASBLA approved boating education course and carry proof of completion to operate a motorboat in excess of 10 horsepower. He says boating classes could last 6-8 hours so they’ve created these events to make it fun for families…:

cut 10 (10) “on the water”

Giffin says you can get more information online at wlf.louisiana/lagniappeday to find locations near you. He says completion of the course will result in the student being issued a vessel operators certification card…:

cut 11 (12)  “navigation rules”

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The Saints picked up two players in last night’s first round of the NFL Draft. First, the Black & Gold selected offensive lineman Andrus Peat from Stanford. Peat was an A.P. second team All-American selection last season as well as an Outland Trophy finalist. Coach Sean Payton says Peat is a player he’s familiar with and felt fortunate he was available with the number 13 pick…

cut 12 (08)  “at that time”

With their second pick in the first round, the Saints drafted inside line backer Stephone Anthony from Clemson. Anthony was a first team All-ACC selection last year. Payton says they did a ton of research on Anthony leading up to the draft…

cut 13 (06)  “either position”

Payton is pleased with how the first round of the draft unfolded for the Black & Gold and is looking forward to adding more players to the roster… (The Saints have the 12th pick in the second round.)

cut 14 (06) “second round”

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