A bill limiting the amount of time the state can keep someone behind bars before filing criminal charges narrowly escapes from House Criminal Justice. Bill sponsor, Representative Ted James says currently a person can remain in jail for up to 120 days for capital offenses, 60 days for felonies, and 45 days for misdemeanors.

Cut 13 (10) “…without charge.”

The bill would shorten the period to five days for most offenses and 30 for more serious charges.

Representative Tony Bacala opposed it saying this could result in District Attorneys filing charges on everyone before the fifth day before cases can be thoroughly investigated.

Cut 14 (11) “…come back.”

The vote was 5-4 in favor.

The prospects of expanding the state’s medical-marijuana program to include the raw smokable form are looking pretty bright with a bill clearing House Health and Welfare 12-1. Chairman Larry Bagley says his deeply conservative district supports this…

Cut 12 (07) “…now.”

Governor Edwards says he is inclined to support that expansion of the medical marijuana program. One thing he’s not inclined to support: an effort to remove the requirement that Louisianans get a state permit to carry a concealed handgun…

23

Winnsboro Police Lieutenant Terrance Pleasant is accused of soliciting sexual favors and money to a woman who was involved in a two-vehicle crash. State Police Trooper Michael Reichardt says the woman who received the offer told the Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office

Cut 3 (10)  “…her insurance” 

Reichardt says they investigated the case for several weeks and then last night 47-year-old Pleasant was booked into the Franklin Parish Jail…

Bossier City Police arrested a 30-year-old Demetrius McCoy for first-degree murder in connection with the shooting and vehicle crash that claimed the life of 29-year old Hannah Sheffield earlier this month.  Bossier City Police spokesperson Traci Ponder says officers work diligently to make an arrest in the case and they hope it will bring about a sense of resolution.

Cut 8 (09) “…community.”

Bond is set at $1.2 million for the murder charge.

The father of one of the missing SeaCor lift boat crewmembers says the vessel has been fully swept and the six remaining missing crew members were not found. Scott Daspit, father of the missing Dylan Daspit,  says local mariners have determined currents have shifted outside of the original Coast Guard search zone, and they’re flying planes over the new area.

Cut 10 (10) “…miracle.” 

LSU’s list of eight finalists who are being considered for the job of system President is not packed with nationally recognized stars of higher education according to some. Advocate Capitol Bureau Editor Mark Ballard says this isn’t what you would call an A-list.

Cut 12 (10)   “…candidates” 

The two most prominent local candidates to make the final eight are Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne and UL System President Jim Henderson. Ballard made the comments on Talk Louisiana.

LSU’s list of eight finalists for the job of system President leaves some unimpressed. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) …I’m Matt Doyle”  

A bill to expand the state’s medical-marijuana program allowing patients to smoke pot made it through the House Health and Welfare Committee. Houma Representative Tanner Magee says his bill has bipartisan support and is quot3e wildly popular in every corner of the state. The proposal now heads to the house for debate.

The father of one of the missing SeaCor lift boat crewmembers says the vessel has been fully swept and the six remaining missing crew members were not found. Scott Daspit, father of the missing Dylan Daspit, gave an impassioned plea for help as Good Samaritans continue search efforts after the Coast Guard ceased searching Monday.

Cut 9 (10) “..at sea.”

Daspit made the comments on a Facebook Live stream

Bossier City Police arrest a 30-year-old Demetrius McCoy for first-degree murder in the shooting and vehicle crash that claimed the life of 29-year old Hannah Sheffield on April 10^th.  Bossier City Police spokesperson Traci Ponder says McCoy is charged with first-degree murder because Sheffield was not his intended target.

Cut 7 (07) “…the year.”

Bond is set at $1.2 million.

Lieutenant Terrance Pleasant of the Winnsboro police was booked into jail last night on allegations that he solicited sexual favors and money from a woman who was involved in a two-vehicle crash in exchange for a favorable insurance report. State Police Trooper Michael Reichardt says a grand jury has indicted Pleasant on one count of public bribery and one count of abuse of office. He says police officers are not above the law…

Cut 5  (07)  “…we have”

Pleasant was a 15-year veteran of the department.

The Cajun Navy is asking for donations to help pay for fuel in the ongoing civilian search efforts for missing members of a capsized SeaCor lift boat. Ronnie Adams of Swamp People fame made the plea…

Cut 11 (11) “…kids”

Despite the ongoing sexual misconduct scandal at LSU the school’s list of eight finalists for the job of LSU System President only includes one woman. LSU Professor and famed political consultant James Carville says that’s highly unusual in 2021…

Cut 13 (07)“….list”

The one woman on the list is University of Maryland professor and former Provost Mary Ann Rankin.

Bossier City Police arrested a 30-year-old man for first-degree murder in connection with the shooting and vehicle crash that claimed the life of 29-year old Hannah Sheffield earlier this month.  Bossier City Police spokesperson Traci Ponder says Demetrius McCoy was already in jail on other charges when investigators served him a warrant.

Cut 6 (10) “..shooting”

The father of one of the missing SeaCor lift boat crewmembers says the vessel has been fully swept and the six remaining missing crew members were not found. Scott Daspit, father of the missing Dylan Daspit,  says local mariners have determined currents have shifted outside of the original Coast Guard search zone, and they’re flying planes over the new area.

Cut 10 (10) “…miracle.” 

Winnsboro Police Lieutenant Terrance Pleasant is accused of soliciting sexual favors and money to a woman who was involved in a two-vehicle crash. State Police Trooper Michael Reichardt says they investigated the case for several weeks and then last night 47-year-old Pleasant was booked into the Franklin Parish Jail…

Cut 4 (08) “…of office” 

Bossier City Police arrested a 30-year-old Demetrius McCoy for first-degree murder in connection with the shooting and vehicle crash that claimed the life of 29-year old Hannah Sheffield earlier this month.  Bossier City Police spokesperson Traci Ponder says officers work diligently to make an arrest in the case and they hope it will bring about a sense of resolution.

Cut 8 (09) “…community.”

Bond is set at $1.2 million for the murder charge.

LSU’s list of eight finalists who are being considered for the job of system President is not packed with nationally recognized stars of higher education according to some. Advocate Capitol Bureau Editor Mark Ballard says this isn’t what you would call an A-list.

Cut 12 (10)   “…candidates” 

The father of one of the missing SeaCor lift boat crewmembers says the vessel has been fully swept and the six remaining missing crew members were not found. Scott Daspit, father of the missing Dylan Daspit, gave an impassioned plea for help as Good Samaritans continue search efforts after the Coast Guard ceased searching Monday.

Cut 9 (10) “..at sea.”

Daspit made the comments on a Facebook Live stream

Bossier City Police arrest a 30-year-old Demetrius McCoy for first-degree murder in the shooting and vehicle crash that claimed the life of 29-year old Hannah Sheffield on April 10^th.  Bossier City Police spokesperson Traci Ponder says McCoy is charged with first-degree murder because Sheffield was not his intended target.

Cut 7 (07) “…the year.”

Bond is set at $1.2 million.

A north Louisiana police officer allegedly offers a woman sexual favors in exchange for a positive police report to show her insurance company. Jeff Palermo has more

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Jeff Palermo.” 

Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne and U-L System President Doctor Jim Henderson are among the finalists to be LSU’s next president. Governor John Bel Edwards discussed the search on his monthly call-in show…
cut 1 (27) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

Governor Edwards will provide an update today at 2:30 PM on the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state health department will soon provide new numbers on how many people are vaccinated. As of Monday, the number was nearly one-point-one million Louisiana residents who completed the vaccine series.

Bossier City Police arrested a 30-year-old man for first-degree murder in connection with the shooting and vehicle crash that claimed the life of 29-year old Hannah Sheffield earlier this month. Bossier City Police spokesperson Traci Ponder says Demetrius McCoy was already in jail on other charges when investigators served him a warrant.
Cut 6 (10) “..shooting”
Sheffield was the only one in the vehicle when she was shot on April 10th and later died.

The Senate Labor Committee voted three to two for a bill to set the state’s minimum wage at $15 an hour beginning in 2022. New Orleans Senator Troy Carter says we owe this to frontline workers, many of them make close to the minimum wage which is $7.25 an hour.
Cut 7 (10) “…couldn’t.”
It’s unclear if the legislation has enough support to pass the Louisiana Senate.

Winnsboro Police Lieutenant Terrance Pleasant is accused of soliciting sexual favors and money to a woman who was involved in a two-vehicle crash. State Police Trooper Michael Reichardt says the woman who received the offer told the Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office

Cut 3 (10)  “…her insurance” 

Reichardt says they investigated the case for several weeks and then last night 47-year-old Pleasant was booked into the Franklin Parish Jail…

The list of candidates to become the next president at LSU is narrowed down to eight from twenty-three applicants. Governor John Bel Edwards says the ideal candidate needs to have the qualities to oversee not just the Baton Rouge campus but also serve as Chancellor of the A & M system.

Cut 5 (10)“… funding issues.”

The Senate Labor Committee has approved a measure on a three to two vote that would raise the minimum wage in Louisiana to 15-dollars an hour. It faces opposition from business groups. Jim Patterson with LABI says studies show that raising the minimum wage is actually not good for low-wage earners…

cut 8 (11) “…. employment”
The bill is not expected to make it through the legislative process.

US Drug Test Centers CEO Dr. Jonathan Baktari says the fiscal impact of the legalization of marijuana is moderately impactful. Most moderately sized states generated an extra 100 to 400 million dollars a year in revenue.

Cut 12 (10) “…programs.”

The list of candidates to become the next president at LSU is narrowed down to eight. There are two familiar names among the final eight, University of Louisiana System President Doctor Jim Henderson and Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne. Governor Edwards says it’s imperative the right candidate is chosen.
Cut 4 (09)“…is having.”
LSU Presidential Search Committee will begin interviewing the finalists on Monday.

The Senate Labor Committee approves a proposal that would double what minimum wage workers currently earn in Louisiana. The measure would set the state’s minimum wage at 15-dollars an hour starting next year. The executive director of the Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families, Susan East Nelson, supports the legislation because she says one in four children in the state face food insecurity…
cut 9 (09) “…livable wage’
Previous minimum wage proposals have failed to gain traction in the Louisiana Legislature.

Research by the US Drug Test Centers gives legislators food for thought as they consider whether to allow voters to decide if recreational marijuana use should be legal in Louisiana. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

Winnsboro Police Lieutenant Terrance Pleasant has been accused of offering sexual favors and money in exchange for a favorable police report to a female driver who was involved in a two-vehicle crash. A grand jury has indicted Pleasant on one count of bribery and one count of abuse of office.

A bill raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour next year advances out of Senate Labor. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The USA Today Network reports that tomorrow Governor John Bel Edwards will announce a one-billion-dollar biodiesel plant will be built at the Port of Columbia on the Ouachita River in Caldwell Parish. State Representative Neil Riser says Edwards helped make the project happen by using millions in federal dollars to secure the deal.

The legislation that would centralize the state’s sales tax collection system receives overwhelming support in the Louisiana House as the proposal passes on a 96-4 vote. The measure would create an eight-member board to oversee tax collections, instead of having the duties split between state and local government. There are concerns the legislation will result in lost revenue for local governments. Hornbeck Representative Rodney Shamerhorn says the legislation is also too vauge…
cut 15 (10) “…we go”
The Senate is also expected to approve the bill.

There’s also legislation waiting to be heard that would legalize recreational marijuana use. But would that increase pot usage among younger people. Jonathan Baktari, CEO of US Drug Test Centers, says based on the 16 states that have legalized weed, there’s no strong correlation…
cut 11 (08) “….below”
The US Drug Test Centers say they’ve seen a 30-percent increase in marijuana usage among Louisiana adults since 2015.