You may be surprised to hear a major pro-life group in Louisiana comes down AGAINST a bill that would make abortion a crime; punishable with prison time for the mother, doctor and others as assisting. Louisiana Family Forum president Gene Mills says the measure is potentially harmful and won’t be needed if the U.S. Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade. Mills says if that happens the state and private sector need to be ready to step up for expectant mothers..:

CUT 14(14)      “…or chemical abortions.”

That bill is scheduled for full House debate this week.

Deputies in Webster Parish says three men were seriously burned in a propane explosion this morning at Aeropres in Cotton Valley. The men were airlifted to the burn center in Shreveport. If it’s known, the cause of the blast has not yet been made public. OSHA is investigating.

After taking a dip for a few weeks, the statewide average price for regular gas has gone up to $4-a-gallon…again. You remember, it hit $4.15 in March. Louisiana AAA fuel expert Don Redman says get used to what you’re paying now…:

CUT 10(09)      “…near term.”

He says another hurricane could cause another huge price spike.

A Lafayette area man is behind bars after a traffic stop yielded a huge number of illegal weapons and drugs. Sheriff’s deputies say they got permission to search 41-year-old Dustin McCullough’s vehicle and found 14 firearms (some fully automatic), over 2000 rounds of ammo, plus meth, ecstasy, marijuana and various opioid pills. He faces a long list of charges.

State Police seek the public’s help finding a hit & run driver that killed a man Friday in Shreveport. They have images of a silver early-2000’s GMC Sierra with black trim – pulling a trailer – and hope someone can identify the truck and its owner.

A state Wildlife & Fisheries agent is credited with saving 9 people off the coast of Grand Isle this past weekend. Sgt. Stephen Rhodes was patrolling the beach in that area when he noticed a boat taking on water before capsizing. After helping 8 people onto his boat, he went into the water to save a little girl trapped under the boat, then performed CPR until she was breathing on her own. LDWF spokesman Adam Einck says Rhodes did everything right..:

CUT 08(08)      “…as well.”

Einck says the little girl is expected to fully recover.

The Louisiana Family Forum, a strong pro-life lobby, says it won’t support a House bill making abortion a crime punishable with prison time. Caddo Parish Representative Danny McCormick’s bill is set for House debate this week. LFF’s Gene Mills says the bill has some “language problems” and needlessly punishes the mother…:

CUT 13(11)      “…trying to accomplish.”

State Police Troop E reports two people died in separate weekend crashes in Sabine and Grant parishes. In Sabine, an overturned ATV killed an 11-year-old boy. In Grant, a two-car crash on U.S. 165 took the life of a 14-year-old passenger, who was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle.

Louisiana lawmakers will have more money to spend as the state continues to report better than expected revenues. Jeff Palermo has the story…:

CUT 01(34)      “…Jeff Palermo.”

The Revenue Estimating Conference – the state panel that figures out how much money the state has, will have and will need – has upped the fiscal outlook for the current year by $350-million. Chief Legislative Economist Deborah Vivien says it’s due to better-than-expected tax collections. But, she says, she expects a drop next year…:

CUT 04(09)      “economic influences.”

Revenue estimates for the fiscal year that starts in July are also up; by $100-million.

Here’s another story on gasoline prices: the statewide average for regular gas has hit $4 again. There was a 14-cent jump in just 7 days. Louisiana AAA fuel expert Don Redman says that reflects a recent 10-percent jump in crude oil…:

CUT 09  (09)        “…production of crude…”

He says if you can budget for gasoline, budget for $4-a-gallon though the summer.

Pineville cops arrest a man today for yesterday’s shooting inside a Walgreen’s drug store. Two victims sustained minor injuries. 19-year-old Bryson Brosette is charged with attempted murder.

A Caddo Parish teen is under arrest for threatening to shoot up Donnie Bickham Middle School in Shreveport. The teen boy made the threats on social media Sunday. It didn’t take long to identify the culprit and round him up.

A state Wildlife & Fisheries agent is hailed as a hero, after rescuing 9 people from a sinking pleasure boat off the coast of Grand Isle Saturday. LDWF spokesman Adam Einck says one of them – a little girl – was trapped under the capsized boat, so Sgt Stephen Rhodes dove in..:

CUT 07  (11)        “…breathing again.”

The girl is going to be OK.

A Wildlife and Fisheries agent rescues nine from a capsized boat this weekend and saves the life of a young girl…David Grubb has the story…:

CUT 02(36)      “…David Grubb.”

Three people were seriously injured this morning in a chemical plant explosion in Cotton Valley. Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker says it happened at Aeropres Corporation. The men hurt were airlifted to the burn center in Shreveport.

One of Louisiana’s strongest pro-life lobbies comes out AGAINST a bill that would make having or performing an abortion punishable with prison time. Caddo Parish Representative Danny McCormick’s bill would define a procedure to terminate a pregnancy as murder. Louisiana Family Forum president Gene Mills says it’s un-needed, because the state already has a trigger bill that will render abortions illegal, should the Supreme Court overturn Roe versus Wade…:

CUT 12(10)      “…Dobbs opinion.”

Last week’s leaked Justice Alito opinion draft references the case of Dobbs versus Jackson Women’s Health, of Jackson Mississippi, and indicates a majority of justices support upholding it and returning control of abortion law to the states. McCormick’s bill goes to the House floor this week.

The state panel that figures out how much money the state has, will have and will need has upped the fiscal outlook for the current year by $350-million. Chief legislative Economist Deborah Vivien says it’s due to better-than-expected tax collections.

Louisiana lawmakers will have more money to spend as the state continues to report better than expected revenues. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The statewide average for a regular gallon of gasoline has reached four dollars again. Triple-A fuel analyst Don Redman expects oil prices to remain above 105-dollars a barrel as the supply remains tight.

Cut 11 (10) “…prices.”

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Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sgt. Stephen Rhodes was patrolling the beach at Grand Isle Saturday evening when he noticed a boat taking on water before capsizing. After getting help from some nearby beachgoers, Rhodes sprang into action said spokesperson Adam Einck…

Cut 6 (12) “…still in the water.”

Rhodes was able to find and resuscitate the seven-year-old girl, and she was transported to Children’s Hospital in New Orleans where she is expected to make a full recovery.

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The Revenue Estimating Conference increased income projections for this fiscal year by 350-million dollars today, giving state lawmakers addtional money to spend. Economists are reporting better-than-expected tax collections from sales and personal income taxes. Chief legislative economist Deborah Vivien…
cut 3 (10) “…approaching it”
Governor John Bel Edwards believes the additional revenues should go towards giving teachers a two-thousand dollar raise.

An anti-abortion group says it opposes a controversial bill that would charge a woman with murder if they have an abortion. Louisiana Right to Life Executive Director Ben Clapper says abortion-vulnerable women should not be treated as criminals
Cut 12 (10) “…the abortion”
The bill’s author, Oil City Representative Danny McCormick told the USA Today Network that if you believe abortion is murder then you must call it that. The Louisiana House is scheduled to vote on the bill on Thursday.

New data from the state Department of Health indicates fewer pregnant women are needing cesarean sections for the delivery of their babies. Kevin Gallagher has more…:
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

After hitting a record high of $4.15 a gallon for regular gasoline on March 11th, gas prices went down to about $3.85, but Triple-A’s Don Redman says the statewide average is back at four dollars a gallon…
cut 10 (10) “…certiainly”

The state’s top anti-abortion group has announced its opposition to a House bill that would charge a pregnant woman with murder if she has an abortion. Louisiana Right to Life executive director Benjamin Clapper says the legislation is inconsistent with one of their long-standing policies
Cut 10 (06) “…as a criminal”
Oil City Representative Danny McCormick’s measure would make abortions illegal in Louisiana and also charge anyone involved in the abortion with a homicide. A house vote is scheduled for Thursday.

The state Department of Health reports fewer pregnant women in Louisiana are having a cesarean section. C-sections fell to 29-percent last year for all deliveries; down from 33-percent the year before. Medical Director Dr. Veronica Gillespie-Bell says this data bucks a national trend…:
Cut 7 (13) “…without maternal benefit.”
LDH says cesarean births are often life-saving procedures, however they should be the exception and not the rule.

Breakthrough pacemaker technology is being used at an Ochsner facility in Baton Rouge. Electrophysiologist Doctor Freddy Abi-Samra says they can use a leadless device to enable biventricular pacing without the need to attach wires to the heart muscle…
cut 4 (10) “….through the veins”
Doctor Abi-Samra calls the new device a game-changer for patients.

The statewide average for a regular gallon of gasoline has reached four dollars again. Triple-A fuel analyst Don Redman says prices at the pump have jumped 13-cents since last Monday to reflect last week’s ten-percent increase in crude oil prices….
cut 9 (11) “…crude”
Redman encourages motorists to budget for four-dollar a gallon gas for the near future.

The state’s leading anti-abortion group has come out in opposition to a bill that will make abortion illegal in Louisiana and charge women with murder if they terminate a pregnancy…
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Two children were killed over the weekend in separate vehicle crashes. 11-year-old Saylor Gatti of Zwolle was killed when the U-T-V she was driving flipped over in Sabine Parish. And a 14-year-old was killed in Grant Parish in a two-vehicle wreck on U-S Highway 165 on Saturday night.

Ochsner Baton Rouge electrophysiologist Doctor Freddy Abi-Samra has successfully completed the region’s first heart pacemaker procedure in a clinical trial that inserts a leadless device into the patient without the need to attach wires to the heart muscles. Abi-Samra says the Wise CRT system is a complement to standard pacemakers…
cut 6 (11) “…transplants”
For appointments visit ochsner.org/info.

It was a hot and dry weekend and Louisiana Radio Network meteorologist John Wetherbee says temperatures in the low to mid-90s will take place over the next few days…
cut 13 (08) “….lot of records”
Wetherbee says rain chances will begin to increase on Thursday in southeast Louisiana and rain chances will increase for central and north Louisiana on Friday.