Under the governor’s budget proposal for next fiscal year unveiled Thursday, TOPS is funded at its current level: 70%. The Board of Regents is meeting today to discuss possible changes that could be made to the program to make it more sustainable. Higher Ed Commissioner Joe Rallo says one option would be requiring students to take 30 credit hours a semester rather than 24…:
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If approved by the legislature, the changes to the program would impact the incoming class of 2018.

The U.S. Justice Department and attorneys in New Orleans and Lafayette announced Thursday that an oil company will have to pay $9.5 million dollars in penalties over allegations of falsely reporting safety inspections and violating the Clean Water Act in the Gulf of Mexico. Wood Group will pay $7 million for the false reports, and $1.8 million for discharging oil into the gulf in a November 2012 explosion that killed three people.

It’s Carnival time, and cities and towns across the state will be celebrating Mardi Gras over the next four days. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says Fat Tuesday parties throughout Louisiana have really grown over the last few years…:
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More than a million people get down in The Big Easy for Mardi Gras with the biggest parades, Endymion and Bacchus, rolling on Saturday and Sunday nights.

Grambling State University is one step closer to reinstating their undergraduate nursing program. It closed in December of 2015, and the school has been working to get a new program instated. Grambling President Rick Gallot says they have the support of the UL-System Board, but the work is far from over…:
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He says once approved they can hire a program director and move forward.

Today the Board of Regents will look at proposed changes to TOPS, as the program is only funded at 70-percent under the governor’s spending plan for next fiscal year…:
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Southern University is one step closer to going ahead with a plan to launch a medical marijuana operation. Ag Center leaders announced Thursday that they are offering a five-year contract to a single vendor to get things rolling. Southern officials say first it’ll be important to educate the public to remove any negative stereotypes the community may have on how the drug will be used.

The big Mardi Gras weekend has arrived and cities and tows across the state will be celebrating carnival. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says Fat Tuesday is not just popular in New Orleans and Lafayette, central and north Louisiana party too. He was recently the Grand Marshall of the first parade ever in the Rapides Parish town of Ball…:
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CNN reports that more than a million people visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras every year.

While many Louisianans will be celebrating Carnival this weekend, Governor John Bel Edwards is heading to Washington. Communications Director Richard Carbo says another $2 billion is needed for Louisiana to have a full and robust recovery from the Great Flood of 2016…:
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He says the Governor has planned meetings with the Louisiana delegation, the FEMA Administrator and the president himself.

TOPS is not fully funded under the governor’s spending plan for next fiscal year and officials say it will take more than 80 million additional dollars to cover it. Higher Ed Commissioner Joe Rallo has concerns about how students will react to TOPS once again being funded at only 70-percent…:
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The Board of Regents meets today to discuss possible changes to TOPS.

Governor John Bel Edwards is heading to Washington to lobby for more federal disaster assistance for flood and tornado victims. Communications Director Richard Carbo says this will give the governor a chance to discuss his request for an additional $2 billion in federal flood recovery aid…:
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He says today they will meet with FEMA today to discuss what is needed to help people recover from the recent tornadoes.

The big Mardi Gras weekend is here and celebrations are in full swing in every corner of the state. Emelie Gunn has more..:
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The founder of Facebook, billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, made a stop in Baton Rouge on Thursday to feast at a local BBQ joint. Zuckerberg announced at the start of the year that he planned to visit every state to meet locals and yesterday’s stop was apparently one of many in Louisiana.

The governor’s spending plan for the next fiscal year has been presented to lawmakers, as they’re gearing up for the regular session in April. Michelle Southern has more…

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Grambling State University is one step closer to reinstating their undergraduate nursing program after it was closed in 2015. University President Rick Gallot says they have the support of the University of Louisiana System Board, and now they need approval from the Board of Regents and the state Board of Nursing. He says their target date to open the new program is fall of 2018.

After ordering an investigation into the travel scandal of four state troopers, Governor John Bel Edwards says he won’t speculate on what the findings might be until the investigation is over.

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State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson says he instructed all administrative personnel at LSP to cooperate with the investigation.

LSU Health Shreveport will launch a Pediatric Chronic Ventilator Clinic in April to care for children who require mechanical ventilation. Director of the Pediatric Ventilator Unit Dr. Keith Scott says currently, families have to travel 300 miles for a one-hour visit, but the new clinic will be more convenient for patients.

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US Senator Bill Cassidy held another town hall meeting this morning in Thibodaux and the crowd was not as raucous as what the senior senator faced yesterday in Metairie. Cassidy is one of several Republican Congressional members who has faced furious constituents upset over health care and public education. UL Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says you can expect to keep seeing this type of activism….
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The Edwards administration unveiled its proposed budget for next fiscal year and it does not fully fund TOPS. The spending plan funds the scholarship program at its current level, which is 70-percent. But Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says if additional revenue is approved in the regular session, it’s the governor’s top priority to fund TOPS at 100-percent.

Governor John Bel Edwards expressed a serious tone when asked about the travel scandal involving four members of the State Police who took side trips to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon while attending a law enforcement conference in San Diego. Edwards, who has already ordered a full investigation, says this incident shouldn’t be taken lightly.:
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State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson issued a statement saying he’s instructed all administrative personnel at LSP to cooperate with the investigation.

LSU Health Shreveport will soon begin to help children who have chronic respiratory diseases, like cystic fibrosis as they are opening a new pediatric chronic ventilator clinic….
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That’s Doctor Keith Scott who says there’s no other facility like this in north Louisiana.

US Senator Bill Cassidy is the latest Republican in Congress to be ambushed by protesters during a town hall meeting. It happened in Metairie on Wednesday. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the GOP likely won’t make changes the protesters want, but it could happen with enough uprising…:
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Governor John Bel Edwards said he’s satisfied with how legislators closed a 304-million dollar midyear budget deficit. During the special session, lawmakers approved $99 million in rainy day funds, and made cuts to agencies, mainly the Department of Health. Edwards says some critical services were spared:
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The governor’s spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1st was unveiled today. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says the Department of Transportation is facing a reduction in funding, which adds to state’s inability to repair roads…:
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Also under the plan, TOPS is not 100-percent funded, but the governor would like to fully fund it, if more revenue becomes available.

LSU Health Shreveport is offering a new Pediatric Chronic Ventilator Clinic, which is the first of its kind in north Louisiana. Doctor Keith Scott says now parents, who have kids with complex respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis, will no longer have to travel 300 miles to receive proper care…
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Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne unveiled the governor’s budget proposal for next fiscal year at the capitol today. It doesn’t include merit raises for state employees,….
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The proposal also doesn’t fully fund TOPS, but Dardenne says making that happen is a high priority, but it will likely take more state revenues for that to occur.

Governor John Bel Edwards says he’s not ready to comment about the job status of State Police Colonel Mike Edmonson until the investigation is complete into a taxpayer funded side trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon by four troopers….
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Edmonson says internal changes have been made to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Republican U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy faced a slew of protesters in a town hall meeting yesterday. Emelie Gunn has more…
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Governor John Bel Edwards will be in Washington D-C this weekend as he’ll have a chance to meet with President Donald Trump. Edwards and other governors will have a chance to talk with the President on Monday. Before that the governor will visit with FEMA officials and discuss flood and tornado relief. Currently, the state is requesting an additional two billion dollars in assistance.