Criminal justice reform will be a big topic in the regular session. Director of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, Dr. Michael Henderson says the Louisiana survey found a big difference between blacks and whites over the fairness of the criminal justice system. He says 71-percent of black respondents say the system is not fair, and only 44-percent of white respondents agree.

Cut 4 (09) “the motivations”

A bill by River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot seeks to address the opioid epidemic in Louisiana by addressing workers compensation. Talbot’s bill is similar to a Texas law that he says has done a great job of getting people back to work and off opioid medications.

Cut 8 (09) “hurts families”

Shreveport restaurant owner Mark Colby will spend the rest of his life behind bars after killing his girlfriend and business partner Angela Godley. Caddo Assistant DA Brittney Green says the 2014 murder rocked the community, because Godley was well known business owner and a former cardiac care nurse.

Cut 13 (10) “wonderful nurse”
Godley was found dead in the laundry room of the couple’s home in September of 2014.

A Ruston hospital is closing, which is bad news for employees and patients. LifeCare Specialty hospital employs 167 people and has a total of 175 hospital beds between its Ruston and Shreveport campuses. Firing will reportedly begin next week, with final terminations taking place in June.

Governor Edwards announced today he supports legislation that seeks to reduce opioid abuse. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot says research indicates the Bayou State has more opioid prescriptions than people. Talbot is co-authoring a bill that would limit first-time prescriptions of opioids for acute pain to a seven-day supply for adults.

The 2017 Louisiana Survey indicates 75% of voters support criminal justice reform when it comes to shorter sentences for non-violent crimes. But Michael Henderson, Director of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, says support for shorter sentences declines when respondents were asked about crimes involving fraud, burglary or selling illegal drugs…:
Cut 3 (09) “on the table”
Criminal justice reform is a part of Governor Edwards’ legislative agenda.
Business leaders support a higher gas tax if they know how the dollars are being spent. Halen Doughty has more on the coalition that will be known as Build It…
Voicer 5 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”

A Shreveport restaurant owner who murdered his longtime-partner and prominent business women will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Caddo Assistant DA Brittney Green says Mark Colby fatally shot Angela Godley…:
CUT 12 (05) “Judge Mosely”
Godley was found dead in the laundry room at the couple’s Shreve Island home in 2014.

Legislation to stop the opioid epidemic has been filed for the upcoming session with the support of Governor Edwards’. Emelie Gunn has more…
Voicer 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The governor is also backing legislation that would increase the minimum wage in Louisiana, which is currently $7.25 an hour. Edwards says he supports a Senate bill that raises the minimum wage to $8.50 over a two year period. The legislative session begins Monday.

Criminal justice reform is part of Governor Edwards’ legislative package. A survey out of LSU says 65-percent of respondents say crime has increased over the past five years. That’s a 10-percent increase from the last time they asked this question. Doctor Michael Henderson is with the LSU Public Policy Research Lab…
cut 5 (12) “…some of this”
The survey also found support for criminal justice reform measures, including shorter sentences for non-violent crimes.

A WalletHub report finds Louisiana is the 2nd most stressed state in the nation. Michelle Many (Main-ee) with LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine says there is a high crime rate here which can take a toll on a person’s mental health…:
Cut 28 (07) “more stressed”

Criminal justice reform will be a big topic in the legislative session, and a statewide poll finds broad support for some proposals. Jeff Palermo has more from the survey out of LSU…
Cut 1 (32) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

New Orleans has opened up the bidding process to take down three Confederate monuments in the city and only one bidder, Cuzan Services Limited, submitted a proposal for 600-thousand dollars. That’s three times more than the Crescent City budgeted for.

Some communities that were pelted with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes earlier this week are still monitoring rivers that have yet to crest. Stephen Carboni with the National Weather Service says areas in Central Louisiana saw as much as 10 inches of rain during the event. But he says there is some good news as the forecast over the next several days looks decent.
Cut 11 (08) “and see”

A North Louisiana man who murdered his longtime girlfriend and a prominent business woman has been sentenced to life in prison. Caddo Assistant DA Brittney Green says 59-year-old Mark Colby was found guilty of second degree murder. She says Colby shot Angela Godly 5 times in their home in 2014 and had a history of violence.
Cut 14 (10) “Mrs. Godly”

Several days after the shooting, Colby was arrested in Mexico.

The Louisiana Survey finds there’s strong and broad support to reform the state’s criminal justice system in the upcoming legislative session. But the LSU survey found a big difference between blacks and whites over the fairness of the criminal justice system. LSU professor Doctor Michael Henderson says 71-percent of black respondents say the system is not fair, only 44-percent of white respondents agree…
cut 4 (09) “….the motivations”

Shreveport restaurant owner Mark Colby was sentenced to life in prison today for killing his girlfriend and business partner Angela Godley. Caddo Assistant D-A Brittney Green says the 2014 slaying rocked the community, because Godley was well known and a former cardiac care nurse….
cut 13 (10) “….wonderful nurse”
The two were parnters in the Noble Savage Tavern.

Governor Edwards is supporting legislation that seeks to tackle the state’s opioid addiction program. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot is co-authoring a bill that would limit first time opioid prescriptions for acute pain to a seven day supply. Talbot also has a bill that’s similar to a Texas law that he says has done a great job of getting people back to work and off opiod medications…..
cut 8 (09) “….hurts families”

Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy called called Sunday’s storms “a Gustav-level event.” But Stephen Carboni with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles says the event is not over as there are homes and businesses in historically flood-prone areas that should monitor river forecasts…
cut 10 (07) “….Allen Parish”
Carboni says the good news is that the forecast for the next several days looks dry.

Legislation to stop the opioid epidemic has been filed for the upcoming session with the support of Governor Edwards’. Emelie Gunn has more.:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Today Governor John Bel Edwards is in Washington D.C. where tomorrow he will testify before the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on FEMA’s response to Louisiana’s 2016 flood disaster. On Monday, April 10, Restore Louisiana is asking every flooded homeowner seeking assistance to fill out an initial survey at the program’s website: restore.la.gov.

A man who gunned down and murdered his longtime-partner and prominent business women in northwest Louisiana will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Caddo Assistant DA Brittney Green says a jury found 59-year-old Mark Colby guilty of second degree murder in the death of 53-year-old Angela Godley…:
CUT 12 (05) “Judge Mosely”
Godley was found dead in the laundry room at the couple’s Shreve Island home on September 10, 2014.

As cleanup and recovery continues in areas that were pelted with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes earlier this week, some communities are still keeping a close eye on rivers that have yet to crest. Stephen Carboni with the National Weather Service says parts of Central Louisiana experienced as much as 10 inches of rain during the event…:
Cut 9 (08) “for example”
He says the good news is that no significant rain is expected over the next several days.

Criminal justice reform will be a big topic in the legislative session, and a statewide poll finds broad support for some proposals. Jeff Palermo has more from the survey out of LSU…:
Cut 1 (32) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Also part of Governor Edwards legislative agenda is a bill aimed at addressing the growing opioid epidemic in Louisiana. River Ridge Representative and Co-author Kirk Talbot says you have to start with limiting prescriptions in some cases…:
Cut 6 (09) “workforce”

Victims of last year’s devastating floods will be asked to fill out a survey soon to see if they are eligible for the federally funded homeowner assistance program. The Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Julie Baxter Payer says federal law requires the state to dispense the initial $438 million that was approved first, which is going to families who need it most…:
Cut 15 (09) “or disabled”
Congress has appropriated 1.6 billion. The survey will be online Monday at restore.la.gov.

New Orleans Police say they are responding to a wellness check on Bourbon Street and have closed a portion of the roadway. Police sent a tactical team inside the building. Officers confirm one person dead inside, another in custody.

The 2017 Louisiana Survey indicates 75% of voters support criminal justice reform when it comes to shorter sentences for non-violent crimes. But Michael Henderson, Director of the LSU Public Policy Lab, says respondents weren’t in favor of going easy on criminals involved in things like fraud, burglary or selling illegal drugs which will likely be a significant part of the debate in the upcoming session…:
Cut 3 (09) “on the table”
Criminal justice reform is a big part of Governor Edwards’ agenda.

So is equal pay. Today is national Equal Pay Day and the governor has released his legislative proposal for how he’d like to fix Louisiana’s highest gender wage gap in the country. The measure up for debate would prohibit businesses from taking action against employees who ask or talk about how much they or others get paid, because he says when there is transparency there is fairness.

The state is one step closer to dispensing federal flood recovery dollars:
Cut 3 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

A UNO poll finds President Donald Trump’s approval rating in Louisiana is at 58-percent, the same amount of people who voted for him here in November. Pollster Ed Chervenak says that’s far higher than the president’s nationwide approval rating of 38-percent…:
Cut 4 (08) “Republican president”
He adds it’s a little too early for many voters here to pass judgement.

A University of New Orleans survey finds President Trump has a much higher approval rating in Louisiana than he does nationwide…
Voicer 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The latest installment from the Louisiana Survey ouf of LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab finds there’s strong, broad support for reforming the state’s criminal justice system. The poll found that a large majority of respondents support shorter sentences for people convicted of non-violent crimes and more alternatives to prison.

Recovery efforts continue from the severe weather that damaged property and killed two people in St. Martin Parish. Mike Steele, with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says preliminary damage assessment teams will survey the destruction…:
Cut 10 (09) “from FEMA”
The National Weather Service confirms there were 4 tornadoes Sunday in Rapides Parish.

The personal finance website Wallethub has determined Louisiana is the second most stressed out state. LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine professor of pyschiatry, Michele Many (Main-ee), says finances creates stress. And Many says the situation gets worse when a person doesn’t treat their stress level…
cut 9 (12) “…have to go”
Alabama was ranked as the most stressed out state.

Flood victims could soon be one step closer to receiving disaster assistance when Recovery Louisiana opens the application process on Monday. Julie Baxter Payer, the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff, says there are state-managed and homeowner-managed construction options. Or victims can choose to be paid back…:
CUT 14 (08) “of their homes”
Congress has appropriated 1.6 billion. The survey is online at restore.la.gov beginning Monday.

A recent WalletHub report finds Louisiana is the 2nd most stressed state in the nation. Michelle Many (Main-ee) with LSU Health New Orleans says there is a high crime rate here which can take a toll of a person’s mental health…:
Cut 8 (07) “more stressed”
Americans commonly identified money, work and the economy as their biggest sources of worry.

Recovery efforts are underway from the severe weather that damaged homes and killed two people. Spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Mike Steele says Governor Edwards took a trip to Alexandria and Breaux Bridge to see the damage first hand. He says a mother and her 3-year-old daughter died after their trailer flipped in Breaux Bridge early Sunday morning…:
Cut 12 (09) “that family”
The GoFundMe is in the name of Francine Gotch and her toddler, Neveah Alexander.

President Donald Trump remains popular in Louisiana with a recent UNO poll showing a 58% approval rating. But Pollster Ed Chervenak says there is a big racial divide with 71-percent of whites rating Mr. Trump positively, and 70-percent of blacks rate him negatively….:
Cut 5 (10) “divide”
Gallup finds Mr. Trump’s approval rating nationwide is just 38%.