The Louisiana Senate has made its changes to the proposed budget for next fiscal year. They include 30-million dollars in funding to keep a high-dosage tutoring program going and there is money in the budget to preserve the two-thousand dollar teacher stipend. Senate Finance Chairman Greg Womack went over the amendments during a committee hearing yesterday and they include money to transfer UNO from the U-L System to the LSU System and an increase in dollars for sheriffs to house state inmates…

Cut 11 (11) “…offered up”

The full Senate will vote on the budget proposal later this week.

A year ago, the legislature passed a series of laws regarding property insurance. Ben Albright, the president of Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Louisiana, says while premiums have not yet started coming down, the increases are slowing down.

Cut 18 (13) “…very marginal increase.”

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has officially started and will last through November 30th. Forecasters, including NOAA, predict an above-average season with more storms and hurricanes than usual. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says warmer sea surface temperature is one factor indicating an above average season.

Cut 7 (12) “…form a hurricane.”

Louisiana turkey hunters had another successful season in 2025, harvesting 3,576 birds, the second-highest total since harvest reporting began in 2009, just behind 2024’s 3,695. LDWF Small Game and Wild Turkey Program Manager Cody Cedotal says the past four years have seen the highest reported harvests.

Cut 3 (12) “…jumped up pretty good.”

Cedotal says the 2018 decision to delay the season’s start appears to be supporting turkey population growth. Adult male harvest in 2025 exceeded 2024 by 204.