U.S House Majority Whip Steve Scalise reportedly had a third surgery today since he was shot in the hip on a ball field while preparing for a charity baseball game. The DC hospital treating Scalise say he was in shock following the shooting. LSU Health New Orleans trauma surgeon Doctor John Hunt says that means the congressman lost a lot of blood…
cut 12 (10) “…replete again”
The Baton Rouge Advocate reports Scalise’s injuries are not considered life threatening.

Governor John Bel Edwards signed into law 10 bills designed to reduce to the state’s inmate population by 10-percent over the next decade. Edwards says the millions of dollars saved will be reinvested to keep released inmates from returning to prison…
cut 15 (08) “…pay taxes”

A proposed budget for next fiscal year is one step away from final legislative passage, as the spending plan received approval by the Senate Finance committee, one day after House approval. Legislators are debating over whether to allocate 100-million dollars in case there is a revenue shortfall. Jackson Representative Kenny Havard says no one wants to spend more money than we have, but they had to come to an agreement…
cut 8 (09) “…special session”

The LSU Baseball team arrived in Omaha today ahead of College World Series play that begins against Florida State on Saturday night. If the Tigers win it all, it would be the school’s seventh national championship, but head Coach Paul Mainieri says they will take it one game at a time:
Cut 4 (09) “next one”
Mainieri told his players it’s been a great season regardless of what happens in the CWS.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise remains in critical condition and reportedly had a third surgery today.. Michelle Southern has more…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

There’s a chance the special session could end tomorrow as a budget deal is near. The Senate Finance Committee approved the nearly 29-billion dollar spending plan today, one day after the House approved it. So if the full senate passes the budget tomorrow without any changes, it will go the governor for him to sign it.

An extensive criminal justice reform package approved by the legislature is now law as the bills associated with the overhaul were signed by Governor John Bel Edwards today. Edwards says many of these measures were successful in other states when it came to reducing the prison population…
cut 16 (09) “…broken from”
The 10 bills signed into law will lead to shorter sentences for many non-violent offenders and expanded rehabilitation programs.

The LSU Tigers arrived at the College World Series today looking for their first national championship since 2009. Coach Paul Mainieri has told his players it’s been a great season regardless of what happens in Omaha…
cut 5 (12) “….that way”
LSU will face Flordia State on Saturday night

Multiple reports say Congressman Steve Scalise has undergone a third surgery. D-C doctors say the gunshot wound to the left hip fractured bones, injured internal organs and caused severe bleeding. LSU Health New Orleans trauma surgeon, Doctor John Hunt, says multiple surgeries are not uncommon, especially if the bullet impacts the stomach area…
cut 13 (11) “…the operation”
A 28-billion dollar spending plan is one step away from final legislative passage after it received approval from the Senate Finance committee today. The special session to pass a state budget ends Monday and Houma Representative Tanner Magee is glad they are close to an agreement….
cut 9 (10) absolutely necessary

Governor John Bel Edwards signed 10 criminal justice reform measures aimed at reducing the state’s prison population by 10-percent
Voicer 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The LSU Tigers have arrived in Omaha the site of the College World Series. Head Coach Paul Mainieri says even though this team doesn’t have a lot of experience in the C-W-S, his players seem cool, calm and confident…
Cut 3 (09) “be victorious”

President Donald Trump says wounded Congressman Steve Scalise of Louisiana is in trouble, but hopefully will be okay. The No. 3 GOP leader from Jefferson Parish is in critical condition after being shot in the hip. One of his procedures since was necessary to stop the bleeding, according to the hospital. LSU Health New Orleans trauma surgeon Dr. John Hunt says what that means is the patient lost a lot of blood…:
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The Advocate is reporting that doctors are still trying to locate the bullet.

State Police say a trooper is under arrest for allegedly using excessive force when taking someone into custody in New Orleans. They say Trooper John Neal is accused of kicking the suspect and bashing his head into a window while the suspect was handcuffed. Neal has been on forced leave since the February incident and is booked with on one count of simple battery.

The Senate Finance Committee approved the budget plan passed by the House on Wednesday, leaving the full Senate left to vote on it. The proposed $28 billion-plus operating budget will be reviewed by the Upper Chamber on Friday morning. Lawmakers have until Monday to pass a budget without forcing another special session.

Governor John Bel Edwards signed 10 bills into law today that will result in shorter sentences for many non-violent offenders and expanded rehabilitation programs. Edwards predicts the new sentencing laws will reduce the prison population by 10-percent and Louisiana will finally lose the title as the incarceration capital of the world…:
Cut 14 (08) “something better”
It’s estimated these new laws will save the state 262 million dollars over the next 10 years.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise remains in critical condition. MedStar Washington Hospital says the gunshot wound to his left hip fractured bones, injured internal organs, and caused severe bleeding. MedStar confirmed the hospital passed through the pelvis, and LSU Health New Orleans trauma surgeon Dr. John Hunt says that could pose some problems:
Cut 11 (08) “an infection”
MedStar tweeted that Scalise has undergone two procedures, and will need more operations.

An agreement on the budget appears to be close at the Capitol with five days left in the special session. The House approved a spending plan yesterday which uses all of the money available, and Houma Representative Tanner Magee says it’s not perfect, but it is a compromise…:
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The full Senate could pass the House approved budget on Friday.

The LSU Baseball team has landed in Omaha ahead of College World Series play that they begin with Florida State on Saturday night. If the Tigers win it all, it would be the school’s seventh national championship, but head Coach Paul Mainieri says they will take it one game at a time:
Cut 4 (09) “next one”
Mainieri has told his players it’s been a great season regardless of what happens in the CWS.

Florida State has never won a national championship despite making 15 previous appearances in the C-W-S under their long time head coach Mike Martin. The Seminoles have won 12 of their 13 games.

President Donald Trump says Congressman Steve Scalise’s condition is more difficult than people first realized. The House Majority Whip from Louisiana was shot in the hip by a gunman outside of Washington yesterday, and remains in critical condition. The president says Scalise is in some trouble, but he’s a great fighter…:
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Scalise is expected to need additional surgeries.

Governor John Bel Edwards is at this hour signing a package of criminal justice reform bills which were a huge part of his legislative agenda in the regular session. The measures are aimed at reducing the state’s largest in the nation incarceration rate, and the governor says will produce a savings of approximately $262 million over the next 10 years.

Lawmakers are close to reaching a budget agreement with just five days left in the special session. The House approved a spending plan that appropriates all of the available dollars, something they would not agree to do during the regular session. Jackson Representative Kenny Havard says no one got everything they wanted in this deal…:
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The full Senate could pass the House approved budget on Friday.

The LSU baseball team will arrive in Omaha soon — the site of the College World Series. Head Coach Paul Mainieri says even though this team doesn’t have a lot of experience in the C-W-S, his players seem cool, calm and confident…:
Cut 3 (09) “be victorious”
The Tigers play Saturday night against Florida State.

Congressman Steve Scalise of Louisiana remains in critical condition after being shot by a now-deceased man in the hip while preparing for a charity baseball game. It’s been learned James Hodgkinson was an outspoken critic of President Trump and the GOP. Republican Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says he has never seen it so divisive…:
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Scalise is expected to need additional surgeries.

Legislation has been signed into law that limits the amount of pain pills a doctor can prescribe for acute conditions. St. Tammany Coroner Charles Preston is not sure how helpful that will be when it comes to curbing the opioid epidemic. He says the best solution is addiction treatment…
cut 9 (10) “…disease process”

State legislators are moving closer to passing the budget as the House has approved a spending plan that has the support of Governor John Bel Edwards. But many House Republicans, like Prairieville Representative Tony Bacala argue it would be wise not to spend at least 100-million dollars, so midyear cuts are not needed if there is a revenue shortfall…
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The state senate could pass the House approved budget tomorrow.

Tulane researchers have found Louisiana is sinking at a rate of just over one third of an inch per year, which is 50-percent faster than what was estimated two years ago. Professor Tor Tornqvist, says they collected data from nearly 300 monitoring stations that measured wetland surface changes and sediment accumulation….
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