A bill to allow riverboat casinos to expand gaming operations on to land has been waiting for a vote on the Senate floor, but could get a vote today. Kelley Ray has more…
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The number of eligible graduates in Louisiana achieving TOPS reaches an all time high. Kelley Ray has more.
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18 year olds will still be able to purchase assault rifles in Louisiana. Michael Farrar has more.
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Michael Farrar.”
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A bill to allow the state’s 15 licensed riverboats casinos to expand their gaming operations on to land and change the rules regarding gaming space has been sitting on the Senate floor for over two weeks, but a vote in the upper chamber could happen today. Senator Troy Carter says many senators are concerned about the numerous pieces of legislation that seek to expand gambling…
But the author of the bill, Lake Charles Senator, Ronnie Johns says requiring riverboats to only conduct gambling on water prohibits these facilities from making a substantial investment in their properties….
Black lawmakers in the Senate are also not happy that earlier in the session the upper chamber voted against a proposal to raise the minimum wage. Carter says instead of providing a living wage, many low income workers are forced to rely on casinos to provide for their families.
Black legislators have also raised concerns that casinos fail to contract with enough minority-owned firms and they also believe there’s a lack of minorities in management at the gambling halls. Johns says he’s had good dialogue with concerned legislators
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Governor John Bel Edwards and state Health Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee unveiled a report on the economic impact of Medicaid expansion. Edwards says according to the LSU report, Louisiana is saving 317-million dollars in state money and providing medical care to those who can’t afford it…
Governor Edwards says many who have recently diagnosed with cancer, are able to receive medical care with expansion…
The report says Medicaid expansion through the infusion of one-point-eight billion dollars in federal dollars has created over 19-thousand jobs in the health care sector, resulting in nearly three-point-six-billion-dollars in economic activity. Dr. Gee says healthy people are important to the state’s economy. She says if you’re sick, you’re not a productive person…
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The number of eligible graduates in Louisiana achieving TOPS reaches an all time high. More than 19,200 senior high school students qualified for at least one scholarship, up from 18,373 in 2016. Superintendent for the Office of Student Opportunities Ken Bradford says there’s a new college high school option for students to give them a head start…
Cut 11 (11) “focused diploma.”
But there is a problem for TOPS candidates. Bradford says if TOPS funding is cut due to a one-billion-dollar budget shortfall, a lot of high school students hoping for a scholarship may be disappointed…
Bradford says many graduating seniors are ready to attend a college or unviersity, the hope is that they can afford it…
Cut 13 (09) “workstudy grants.”
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A bill by New Orleans Senator Troy Carter to ban the sale of assault rifles to people under 21 was killed on the Senate floor. The 9 to 26 vote ends that anti-gun legislation for the rest of the session. Baton Rouge area Senator Bodie White says the bill is not strong enough to stop the bad guys.
Cut 14 (12) “killing children”
White compared the domestic killers to terrorists.
But Carter says his bill would have helped, even just a little, put people’s mind at ease when they went out in public.
Cut 16 (08) “across the theatre.”
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LSU Quarterback Myles Brennan spoke with reporters for the first time since he arrived on campus. Brennan believes he’s improving on a daily basis….
Brennan says he’s learned the speed of college football is much faster than what he faced as a prep star in Mississippi. He’s competing with Lowell Narcisse and Justin McMillan for the starting role. Brennan says the competition has been good
Brennan says the biggest thing he’s trying to learn is not to force throws. He’s also trying to add weight, right now he weighs 195 and wants to get up to 210-215 pounds…