The special session must end at midnight tonight and the House will come in this morning to consider a 29-billion dollar budget approved by the Senate last night that fully funds TOPS, higher ed, hospitals and nursing homes. A half-a-cent renewal of an expiring penny state sales tax was also approved by the Senate to stave off deep cuts. Senate Finance Chairman Eric LaFleur…
cut 14 (08) “…state government”

It won’t help next fiscal year, but executive director of the Louisiana Casino Association Wade Duty says the state will benefit from a bill signed into law that allows riverboat casinos to move gaming operations on to land…
cut 5 (09) “…..for the state”
Duty anticipates a handful of the state’s 15 licensed riverboat casinos will push to take advantage of the new law over the next year.

If you’re 45 and think you can wait until your 50′s to get a colorectal scan, a new report says you’re wrong. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Voicer 2 (26) ” I’m Kevin Barnhart”

One of the three co-owners of Explo Systems has died just days before he and two others were set to go on trial for charges related to the abandonment of tons of potentially explosive artillery propellant at Camp Minden in Webster Parish. A decision has not been announced on whether the trial will proceed.

LSU’s baseball season ended last night with a 12-0 loss to Oregon State.

The Senate passed a budget, and a sales tax bill to pay for it last night, that fully funds TOPS, higher ed, and healthcare. The tax bill raises 508 million dollars by renewing half of the expiring penny sales tax, and eliminating some business tax deductions. Senate Finance Chairman Eric LaFleur of Ville Platte says it’s a compromise he hopes everyone can be content with.
Cut 13 (07) “solid policy”
But not everyone is content with the proposal, which also must get House approval today, the last day of the special session. Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt says the Senate spending bill is higher than the current fiscal year…
cut 15 (12) “….nine point one”
The House is set to meet at 9:00. It’s likely the budget and tax bill will need to go to a conference committee on this the final day of the special session.

Governor John Bel Edwards signed legislation allowing riverboat casinos to move up to 12-hundred feet onto land from their current berth space. Executive Director of the Louisiana Casino Association Wade Duty says riverboat casinos will not come ashore immediately, as there’s regulatory work to do and operators have to design and come up with financing…
Cut 4 (10) “next year”
Lake Charles Senator Ronnie Johns, says the Shreveport-Bossier City market will benefit the most, because they face tough competition from Oklahoma, where Indian tribes are building huge casinos.

LSU’s baseeball season ended last night with a 12-0 loss to Oregon State. Earlier in the day, LSU rallied for a nine-to-five win over Northwestern State to eliminate the Demons.

Now that Governor John Bel Edwards has signed into law a measure allowing riverboat casinos to come ashore, when will it happen? Matt Doyle has more…

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If you’re 45 and think you can wait until your 50’s to get a colorectal scan, a new report from LSU Health says you’re wrong. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

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The Senate has agreed to a budget and tax plan that would fully fund healthcare and higher ed. Matt Doyle has the story.

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Governor John Bel Edwards signed legislation allowing riverboat casinos to move up to 12-hundred feet onto land from their current berth space. Executive Director of the Louisiana Casino Association Wade Duty says riverboat casinos will not come ashore  immediately, as there’s some regulatory work to do and operators have to design and come up with financing…

Cut 4  (10) “next year” 

Lake Charles Senator Ronnie Johns, says the Shreveport-Bossier City market will benefit the most, because they face tough competition from Oklahoma, where Indian tribes are building huge casinos. Duty says this is the first major change in Louisiana since casino gambling was legalized in 1991…

Cut 5  (09)  “for the state”

Duty says the upcoming investments made by the casino industry will help the state’s bottom line…

Cut 6 (09) “increases concurrently”

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The American Cancer Society has new guidelines recommending earlier screenings for colorectal cancer, bumping the previously recommended age from 50, down to 45.  LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health founding dean Dr. Elizabeth Fontham, says there’s been an alarming new trend…

Cut 7 (:12)  “…at least fifty years old.”

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer, and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths.  There are six different tests that screen for the disease, but one everyone knows.

Cut 8 (:09)  “…missing anything visually.”

The American Cancer Society recommends the average adult undergo regular screening with any of the six testing options, with the hope more screenings would save lives.

Cut 9 (:09)  “…in to cancer”

A colonoscopy is recommended once every ten years.

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Entergy Louisiana is planning on purchasing solar power generated by a solar farm that’s set to be the largest such facility in the state. The facility by Eagle Solar Group will be based in West Baton Rouge Parish, and should be up and running by 2020. Entergy Louisiana CEO Phillip May says it’s a huge project and a 20 year agreement.

Cut 10 (08)   “homes”

The purchasing plan is estimated to save customers 29 million dollars over the life of the contract. May says it’s a great opportunity for customers, and expands Entergy’s diverse renewable energy portfolio, the he says is one of the most impressive in the nation.

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May says solar is beginning to become remarkable cost effective, depending on the area.

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The project is pending regulatory approval by the Public Service Commission.

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The Senate passed a budget, and a tax bill to pay for it, that fully funds TOPS, higher ed, and healthcare. The tax bill raises 508 million dollars by renewing half of the expiring penny sales tax, and eliminating some business tax deductions. Ville Platte Senator Eric LaFleur says it’s a compromise that he hopes everyone can be content with.

Cut 13 (07)  “solid policy” 

Governor John Bel Edwards praised the legislation, saying “Louisiana has moved one step closer to avoiding catastrophic cuts.”

If adopted, the state sales tax would drop from the current five percent to 4.5 percent. LaFleur says late night talks with department heads led to tens of millions of dollars being freed up that could be passed back to taxpayers in tax breaks.

The legislature is scrambling to find a solution to the impending 648 million dollar fiscal cliff, with the Senate planning to take up tax and budget bills tomorrow, leaving the House just one day to concur with any Senate backed plans before a Monday midnight deadline when the session must end. A Senate revenue bill raises enough money to avoid cuts, but Political Analyst Pinsonat says several GOP Representatives have already said they will not vote for the Senate version…
Cut 13 (12) “can pass”
If the two chambers cannot agree on a budget and tax plan by 12PM Monday night, another special session will be called.

LSU takes on Oregon State tonight in a winner’s bracket game of the Corvallis Regional. The Tigers eliminated the Beavers from the College World Series last season, meanwhile Northwestern State will look to stave off elimination when they face San Diego State at 3 PM.

Governor Edwards signed River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot’s nursing home camera bill, as it breezed through the legislature. The law allows families to place remotely accessible cameras in their loved ones nursing home rooms for monitoring. Talbot says before you rush to grab that grandma cam, you need to talk to their roommate.
Cut 9 (07) “no issue”
The legislation was inspired by a nursing home incident where a family suspected that the staff was physically abusing their relative,.

Louisiana authorities are looking for 50-year-old Meshell Hale of Slaughter, who is accused of poisoning a man for a 10-thousand dollar life insurance payment. Originally, officials though 50-year-old Damian Skipper died from a heart attack in 2015. His body was exhumed and his death has now been reclassified as a homicide. Authorities also believe Hale poisoned her real husband Arthur Noflin. His body was found in the back of a burned out a truck in New Orleans in 2016.

Tomorrow will be a big day in the Senate as the upper chamber will vote on a sales tax bill that will decide the fate of the 648 million dollar fiscal cliff that threatens to wreck higher ed, TOPS, and healthcare. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says whatever the Senate agrees too, will need House approval before the special session ends Monday at midnight.
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If the two chambers cannot agree on a budget and tax plan by midnight Monday night, another special session will be called, costing tax payers tens of thousands of dollars a day.

Jefferson Parish deputies arrest a gymnastics coach for allegedly inappropriately touching at least four young boys over a span of two years. Twenty-six-year-old Jonathan West worked at Flipnastics in Luling and investigators say his victims were between the ages of 10 and 15.

The Governor signs legislation that allows families to put cameras in their relative’s nursing home rooms. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Voicer 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Hurricane season has officially begun. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Secrurity and Emergency Preparedness spokesperson Mike Steele encourages residents to visit getagameplan.org to get an idea of what kind of items you need in a supply kit…
cut 8 (09) “medical information”
And this will be the hottest weekend of the year as high temperatures will be in the mid to upper 90s, with the heath index reaching the triple digits.

There’s just three days left in the special session, so will legislators come to an agreement on a budget and a sales tax bill that depending on what the House and Senate do, can generate hundreds of million dollars to address the fiscal cliff. The Senate version is more lucrative, because it eliminates more sales tax exemptions that benefit businesses. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat is optimistic a deal can be reached…
cut 14 (10) “..solutions”
The full Senate is set to vote on the sales tax bill and a budget proposal tomorrow.

State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents captured a big Louisiana black bear in the back yard of a home in Winnfield. Sheriff Cranford Jordan says it’s the first bear that he can remember in Winnfield and it had residents a little nervous. The bear was tranquilized and tagged and will be released into a wildlife area.

The so-called “Granny cam” bill has been signed into law. The legislation allows families to install a camera in their loved ones’ nursing home rooms, if certain requirements are met, including getting permission from the roommate if there are two people living in that room. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot says the cameras are not too pricey, but you’ll need a cellular data plan…
cut 10 (08) “…do that”
By January 1st, nursing homes will have to provide information to nursing home residents and legal guardians on how the cameras can be installed.

A scathing audit has been released that alleges the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission allowed an excessive amount of overtime pay and travel expenses, misused state and federal dollars and failed to track employee leave. Katara Williams was the executive director at that time and new Commission Director Lisa Freeman says the audit will be used as a blueprint to overhaul the agency.

The Senate has a lot to tackle Sunday, with critical decisions needed on a series of sales tax and budget bills. Don Molino has the story.

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It was a warmer than normal May and June is picking up right where May left off. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the thermostat will be turned up a few degrees this weekend

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Hurricane season has officially begun. The Bayou State may be relieved it has avoided tropical threat Alberto but the Spokesperson of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Mike Steele says now is the time to get a plan in place in case Louisiana is threatened by major hurricane …

Cut 6 (12)  “travel expenses”

Steele says if you don’t have flood insurance now is the time to get it.

Governor Edwards signed River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot’s nursing home camera bill, as it breezed through the legislature. The law allows families to place remotely accessible cameras in their loved ones nursing home rooms for monitoring. Talbot says before you rush to grab that grandma cam, you need to talk to their roommate.

Cut 9 (07) “no issue”

The Senate has a lot to tackle Sunday, with critical decisions needed on a series of sales tax and budget bills. Don Molino has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m  Don Molino

It was a warmer than normal May and June is picking up right where May left off. State Climatologist Barry Keim says last month was one of the hottest May’s on record….

Cut 4 (12) “has been”

Keim says For this weekend, rain chances are higher on Sunday than Saturday.

Governor Edwards signed River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot’s nursing home camera bill, as it breezed through the legislature. The law allows families to place remotely accessible cameras in their loved ones nursing home rooms for monitoring. Talbot says before you rush to grab that grandma cam, you need to talk to their roommate.

Cut 9 (07) “no issue”

Talbot says the cameras these days aren’t too pricey, but he does warn you’ll have to buy a cellular data plan because you can’t hook it up to the nursing homes Wi-Fi. The legislation was inspired by a nursing home incident where a family suspected that the staff was physically abusing their relative.

And a Winnfield family came home to a heck of a surprise, finding a giant black bear wandering their back yard with no apparent way out. Authorities believe the bear wandered into a tree and while climbing around got stuck in the fenced in yard. The bear was finally tranquilized after a few hours and safety removed.