BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers have approved funding to keep 100 National Guard troops in New Orleans through February.But there seemed to be some reluctance about again extending the guard’s presence, which has been constant since June 2006.The guard had been slated to be phased out by year’s end. But police Superintendent Warren Riley sought more time to bring on additional recruits.Soldiers have helped patrol less populated areas to allow police to focus on curbing violent crime. Police have recorded at least 176 murders this year, compared with 202 a year ago.With Friday’s approval of $1.8 million by the Legislature’s joint budget committee, the state’s tab for the guard stay in New Orleans is nearly $51 million so far.