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Louisiana’s Republicans US Senators are impressed with President Donald Trump’s nomination for the US Supreme Court. DC-based federal appeals court Judge Brett Kavanaugh is widely considered a consistently conservative jurist. Senator Bill Cassidy says the Senate will review his record, then vote on his confirmation….

 

Cut 3 (10) “as written”

According to Politico, Kavanaugh’s has ruled against labor unions and workers’ rights in employment disputes, against regulatory agencies policies, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Agency and the EPA, for immigration restrictions, and called the Net Neutrality “Unlawful”.

Cassidy says he’s been impressed with the Kavanaugh’s track record on past decisions, and compared his approach to the President’s first nominee, conservative US Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Cut 4  (10) “I like most.”

Senator John Kennedy says Kavanaugh has a good resume and a positive judicial history, but he’s holding his final judgement until he gets a chance to question the nominee in congress.

Cut 5  (11) “my job”

Kavanaugh has not specifically stated where he stands on abortion in Roe vs. Wade, but recently dissented in a case involving allowing an immigrant minor to obtain an abortion while she was being detained by the state.

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This year’s LEAP Test results are in, and average scores are up one percent over the 2016-2017 school year. The percentage of students in the 3^rd through 8^th grade who scored mastery level or above on the test sits at 34 percent. Only 21 percent of African American students scored mastery level or above, and Superintendent of Education John White says this needs to be a major focus going forward.

 

Cut 6 (07)  “not closing.”

26 percent of economically disadvantaged students scored mastery level or above, along with 11 percent of students with disabilities.

BESE plans on addressing the massive gap in performance between the general student population and at-risk populations by identifying those schools with, particularly troubling achievement gaps. White says this will target schools across the state.

43 percent of students showed mastery in English Language Arts and Literacy, 32 percent in Mathematics, and 27 percent in Social Studies. Both ELA and Social Studies saw increases this year, but Mathematics growth remained stagnant. White says that’s due to the state’s personelle problems.

 

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A 3 AM traffic stop today in Baton Rouge resulted in gunfire involving a Louisiana State Police trooper. Troop A spokesperson Bryan Lee says the Trooper pulled over the vehicle on Perkins Road when during the course of the traffic stop, a passenger in the vehicle became noncompliant.