The Transportation Task Force will vote on recommendations today that they plan to present to the governor;, including a $700 million dollar a year budget increase for roads and bridges. Halen Doughty reports…:

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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Congressman Garret Graves spoke before the Baton Rouge Press Club to discuss his feelings about flood relief in the state. Don Molino has more….

Cut 2 (24) “I’m Don Molino”

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The Louisiana Department of Health has seen an uptick in mumps cases around the country and is concerned the disease could find its way here. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The Transportation Task Force will vote today on a recommendation that the budget for roads and bridges be increased by $700 million a year. DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says the need in Louisiana is great, and in order to address that need, they need an annual infusion of dollars that’s indexed for the Transportation Trust Fund.

cut 4  (07) “million dollars”

Wilson says that money could come from toll roads, public-private partnerships, or an increase in the gas tax. He says the state’s 20-cent gas tax that was imposed 30 years ago is only worth half hat today. He says the state has $16 million in projects needed, including a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, and those projects require funding.

Cut 5  (10)  “state system”

Wilson says addressing all of the state’s needs at once would be impossible, as the state still has a $13 billion backlog of road and bridge needs. But he says that with a good annual investment, Louisiana can have an infrastructure system that we can be proud of.

Cut 6 (07) “onetime solution”

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Congressman Garret Graves spoke before the Baton Rouge Press Club to express his frustration with the flood recovery and what he hopes to accomplish with President- elect Trump. Graves says the fact that some families will not be placed in a FEMA trailer until after Christmas is ridiculous.

CUT 7 (10)  “status quo”

Graves says he’s been able to talk with President-elect Donald Trump along with vice president-elect Mike Pence about the timeline of FEMA assistance. He says both agreed that the efficiency of getting flood relief dollars to victims was absurd…

Cut 8 (10) “for itself”

Graves addressed the Restore Louisiana Taskforce and how relief dollars are being appropriated. He says the flood didn’t discriminate based on income level and neither should the disaster aid.

Cut 9 (12)  “per household”

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The Louisiana Department of Health says they’ve been seeing an uptick in mumps cases around college campuses nationwide but more recently a large concentration in Arkansas. Dr. Frank Welch with LDH says Mississippi and Alabama have seen outbreaks, as well as, a fairly large one in Texas so it’s very concerning…

Cut 10 (07) “this outbreak””

Welch says the mumps is easily spread as it’s airborne and can be passed along by saliva and mucus. He says Louisiana has a very good vaccination rate in children, which is in the mid-90s, and shelters us from this disease somewhat but the public can still take steps to prevent catching the mumps.

cut 11 (10) “your doctor”

But Welch says everyone should be vaccinated for mumps. He says most kids in our state have had two doses of the MMR vaccine but adults can receive it as well.

cut 12 (10) “against this”

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New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno has launched a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for women’s issues in Louisiana. Moreno says the Ignite Advocacy Network seeks to bring women together to raise awareness, advocate for positive policies, and ignite the network into action.

Cut 13 (12) “a change”

Moreno says Louisiana ranks 49^th for wage equality and 49^th for women’s overall health, with more women dying of breast and cervical cancer in Louisiana than in many other states. She says she wants to address those issues, as well as educational opportunities and domestic violence prevention.

cut 14 (09) “deserve it”

Moreno says Ignite is the next phase of the #ItsNoJoke campaign, which she started after a male lawmaker made degrading jokes about exotic dancers. She invites women around the state to join her effort by visiting IgniteForChange.org.

Cut 15 (11) “things done”

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The Saints haven’t been able to put it together for the last couple of games, but there are still three weeks left starting with the contest against the Cardinals on the road this Sunday. New Orleans offensive tackle Zach Strief says they can’t focus on the past, but instead on winning the remaining games of the season…:

Cut 16 (14) “nobody is quitting”

Several current Saints players commented Monday on their thoughts about the high profile Will Smith trial after discovering the killer, Cardell Hayes, was convicted of manslaughter. Strief said it’s a tragedy for Smith’s wife Raquell, the family/friends and everyone involved…:

Cut 17 (13)    “they realize that”

Hayes is slated to be sentenced on February 17th, and Orleans Parish DA Leon Cannizzaro says he will go for the maximum 60 years. Smith was a friend and former mentor of New Orleans defensive end Cam Jordan. In the locker room Monday, Jordan says the loss of Smith is a pain he can’t describe…:

Cut 18 (14) “you can’t make sense of”

The Transportation Task Force is recommending that lawmakers increase the budget for roads and bridges by $700 million a year. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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Congressman Garret Graves spoke before the Baton Rouge Press Club to discuss his feelings about flood relief in the state. Don Molino has more….

Cut 2 (24) “I’m Don Molino”

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The Louisiana Department of Health has seen an uptick in mumps cases around the country and is concerned the disease could find its way here. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

_____________________________________________

The Transportation Task Force will vote today on a recommendation that the budget for roads and bridges be increased by $700 million a year. DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says the need in Louisiana is great, and in order to address that need, they need an annual infusion of dollars that’s indexed for the Transportation Trust Fund.

cut 4  (07) “million dollars”

Wilson says that money could come from toll roads, public-private partnerships, or an increase in the gas tax. He says the state’s 20-cent gas tax that was imposed 30 years ago is only worth half hat today. He says the state has $16 million in projects needed, including a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, and those projects require funding.

Cut 5  (10)  “state system”

Wilson says addressing all of the state’s needs at once would be impossible, as the state still has a $13 billion backlog of road and bridge needs. But he says that with a good annual investment, Louisiana can have an infrastructure system that we can be proud of.

Cut 6 (07) “onetime solution”

________________________________________

Congressman Garret Graves spoke before the Baton Rouge Press Club to express his frustration with the flood recovery and what he hopes to accomplish with President- elect Trump. Graves says the fact that some families will not be placed in a FEMA trailer until after Christmas is ridiculous.

CUT 7 (10)  “status quo”

Graves says he’s been able to talk with President-elect Donald Trump along with vice president-elect Mike Pence about the timeline of FEMA assistance. He says both agreed that the efficiency of getting flood relief dollars to victims was absurd…

Cut 8 (10) “for itself”

Graves addressed the Restore Louisiana Taskforce and how relief dollars are being appropriated. He says the flood didn’t discriminate based on income level and neither should the disaster aid.

Cut 9 (12)  “per household”

________________________________________

The Louisiana Department of Health says they’ve been seeing an uptick in mumps cases around college campuses nationwide but more recently a large concentration in Arkansas. Dr. Frank Welch with LDH says Mississippi and Alabama have seen outbreaks, as well as, a fairly large one in Texas so it’s very concerning…

Cut 10 (07) “this outbreak””

Welch says the mumps is easily spread as it’s airborne and can be passed along by saliva and mucus. He says Louisiana has a very good vaccination rate in children, which is in the mid-90s, and shelters us from this disease somewhat but the public can still take steps to prevent catching the mumps.

cut 11 (10) “your doctor”

But Welch says everyone should be vaccinated for mumps. He says most kids in our state have had two doses of the MMR vaccine but adults can receive it as well.

cut 12 (10) “against this”

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New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno has launched a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for women’s issues in Louisiana. Moreno says the Ignite Advocacy Network seeks to bring women together to raise awareness, advocate for positive policies, and ignite the network into action.

Cut 13 (12) “a change”

Moreno says Louisiana ranks 49^th for wage equality and 49^th for women’s overall health, with more women dying of breast and cervical cancer in Louisiana than in many other states. She says she wants to address those issues, as well as educational opportunities and domestic violence prevention.

cut 14 (09) “deserve it”

Moreno says Ignite is the next phase of the #ItsNoJoke campaign, which she started after a male lawmaker made degrading jokes about exotic dancers. She invites women around the state to join her effort by visiting IgniteForChange.org.

Cut 15 (11) “things done”

Two new Republican leaders are heading to Washington after GOP victories in both the 3^rd and 4^th Congressional District races. Don Molino has more…

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Don Molino”

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Cardell Hayes will likely serve at least 20 years in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of former-Saints player Will Smith. Michelle Southern gets an analysis on the verdict…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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As expected, Republican state lawmaker Mike Johnson is the runaway winner in the 4th Congressional District race. The staunch conservative who replaces US Representative John Fleming says he looks forward to being a part of the real reform the Trump Administration is going to lead…:

Cut 3 (10) “in the country”

Johnson says our economy has been in shambles and every bit of change Mr. Trump says he’s going to bring needs to happen. Johnson says he believes the Republican wave moving across the nation means that God has given the nation another chance…:

cut 4  (10) “in generations”

Johnson says government is too large, and it’s doing too many things wrong…:

Cut 5  (09)  “as the state”

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What does a dog do when it catches a car? Those are the words Capt. Clay Higgins used to open his acceptance speech after winning the 3^rd Congressional District race. The former deputy with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s office beat Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle 56 to 44-percent in Saturday’s election.

Cut 6 (07) “overwhelmed”

Higgins perhaps rode a wave of Donald Trump enthusiasm, as the man who has never held an elected office is heading to Washington to represent more than 760-thousand Louisianans.

CUT 7 (08)  “my district”

Higgins says his victory is proof that voters are tired of millionaire career politicians. He says this is a new day for the country, when a working class man driven by the support of his neighbors can succeed against the odds.

Cut 8 (09) “our nation”

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Cardell Hayes has been found guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of former-Saints player Will Smith. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says it isn’t surprising the jury went for the manslaughter charge. He says the verdict is consistent with the evidence.

Cut 9 (11)  “the shooting”

Ciolino says while Hayes had to testify in his defense, it certainly didn’t help his case. He says much of what the defendant claimed was not supported by the evidence or witness testimony. He says Hayes’ testimony that was inconsistent with the facts made his self-defense claims less credible.

Cut 10 (11) “any weapons”

Ciolino says the defense spent a lot of time trying to point fingers at police for not handling the evidence properly and the prosecution for misconduct. But he says those attempts at distracting the jury clearly didn’t work.

cut 11 (07) “himself”

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Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro says he plans to seek the maximum 60-year sentence for Cardell Hayes following his manslaughter conviction in the death of Will Smith, and attempted manslaughter for injuring Smith’s wife. Cannizzaro says he understands why the jury downgraded the charge from second degree murder…:

cut 12 (12) “aggressive fashion”

Cannizzaro says this was the murder of a hero who was just trying to have fun in New Orleans…:

Cut 13 (10) “road rage incident”

Manslaughter carries a sentence of 20-40 years, and attempted manslaughter a maximum of 20 years. Cannizzaro says when Hayes is sentenced on February 17th, the judge will have the discretion to impose a sentence of up to 60 years. He says that day they will present victim impact because they believe Hayes should get the maximum…:

cut 14 (12) “come out”

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Following the Republican sweep of federal runoff elections on Saturday, the GOP of Louisiana says this is proof that Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards’ election was a fluke. Executive Director of the Republican Party of Louisiana Jason Dore says Foster Campbell didn’t lose the US Senate race because he’s a Democrat, he lost because of ties to the governor.

Cut 15 (04) “he endorsed”

Dore says the governor loaned Campbell his entire campaign team for the failed effort. He adds that last year’s gubernatorial race had more to do with scandal than platforms.

Cut 16  (07)  “the race”

Dore says voters made it clear Saturday that they reject Democratic policies, as evidenced by Edwards going 0 for 4 on his endorsements in the runoffs. He says Edwards’ days in the Governor’s Mansion are numbered, and he fully expects the Governor to be voted out of office in the next race.

Cut 17 (08) “in 2019”

Louisiana Democrats did get a win in Baton Rouge with the election of Sharon Weston Broome as Mayor/President.

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