Louisiana’s Steve Scalise has received the House GOP nomination to be the next Speaker of the U-S House of Representatives. The 58-year-old from Jefferson Parish has represented Louisiana’s First Congressional District since 2008 . UNO Political Science Professor Ed Chervenak says Scalise has been eyeing this position for several years…

Cut 12 (06) “.come true”  

A vote from the full House is still needed, which could take place mid-afternoon. If Scalise is elected, he’ll be the first House Speaker ever from Louisiana.

The Powerball drawing is tonight with the second largest jackpot ever! Your odds of winning, 1 in 292 million. Louisiana Lottery Spokesperson Dustin Annison says don’t toss your ticket in the trash too quickly if you don’t hit all six numbers. He said there are multiple ways to win.

Cut 8 (12) “…drawing occurs..”

The 2023 Louisiana Litter Study reveals Louisiana taxpayers are paying more than $91 million annually on litter abatement. According to Keep Louisiana Beautiful Director Susan Russell 74 percent of all littering across the Bayou State takes place at outdoor events.

Cut 4 (12) “…are overflowing.”

Prices and inflation seem to be up everywhere but prices at the pump have come down. Louisiana’s average price per gallon is 10 cents cheaper than just a week ago and 20 cents cheaper than last year. Don Redman of Triple A says it’s all about supply and demand…

Cut 10 (10) “…of gasoline.”

According to Redman, under normal circumstances prices could drop to a statewide average of $3.10 per gallon or even $3.00 per gallon but be prepared to budget more because of the events happening in the Middle East.

Breaking news… House Republicans have nominated Steve Scalise of Jefferson Parish to be the next speaker of the U-S House. Scalise won the House GOP speakership nomination, beating out Jim Jordan of Ohio. To make it official, the entire U-S House will need to vote, which will take place this afternoon on the House floor.

Constitutional amendment three on Saturday’s ballot asks voters if they want to require state lawmakers to use 25 percent of any state surplus to pay retirement debt for the four state retirement systems. Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson authored the amendment and says the state spends over a billion dollars every year just in interest on this debt…
Cut 13 (09) “… other things.”
Currently, lawmakers must use at least 10 percent of any state budget surplus to pay down a portion of the retirement debt.

The 2023 Louisiana Litter Study reveals taxpayers are paying more than $91 million annually on litter abatement, a 65 percent increase since 2010. Keep Louisiana Beautiful Director Susan Russell says unfortunately most of that money is going towards cleaning up the state instead of getting residents to stop trashing it
Cut 3 (13) “…long term.”
Prevention and education account for only 10 percent of the overall cost.

The second-largest lottery jackpot ever has its drawing tonight as the Powerball jackpot is an estimated 1.73 billion dollars. The odds of winning are one in 292-million and Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Dustin Annison says there have been 17 Powerball grand prize winners in Louisiana’s history….
cut 7 (12) “…this magnitude”

Members of Congress are scheduled to choose a new Speaker of the House today and former president Trump has endorsed Ohio Representative Jim Jordon. Louisiana’s Steve Scalise is the other contender but Of the Louisiana house members, only Julia Letlow has voiced support for Scalise. With little backing from Scalise’s own state, LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Robert Hogan says it’s indicative of a deep division within the Republican party.

Cut 9 (09)  “…on top.”

And Hogan says, many Republican congressional members are fearful Trump’s endorsement of Jordan, could be used against them among voters if they support Scalise instead.

Gas prices are still over $3 a gallon but perhaps they’re headed in the right direction. Regular grade is down almost 2 cents a gallon compared to a month ago. The Current average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.19.

Finally a little rain for South Louisiana that’s Thanks to a disturbance in the Gulf. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 3 (31) …I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Small business and optimism nationwide dropped in September and National Federation of Independent Business State Director Dawn McVea says sales growth has slowed, and owners have limited options for relief.

Cut 4 (11) “…to operate.”

Louisiana State Police is holding a press conference today at One PM to announce what they call are agency-wide transformational reform initiatives. L-S-P hired consultants last year after they were accused of hiding information about the fatal arrest of Ronald Greene in 2019. Greene was beaten by troopers. LSP originally told his family he died as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash.

Inflation remains the top problem for small business owners nationwide. Teiko Foxx has more…
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

Saturday is election day and there are four constitutional amendments on the ballot. The Council for a Better Louisiana supports Amendment three which would require state lawmakers to use 25-percent of state surplus funds to pay down retirement debt. The author of the amendment is Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson, who says the goal is to pay down debt, to have more money in the future…
cut 15 (07) “….moving forward”

Thousands will buy Powerball tickets today in the hopes of winning tonight’s 1.73 billion dollar jackpot. Louisiana Lottery Spokesperson Dustin Annison says tonight’s drawing is the second-largest jackpot in the game’s history and it follows another billion-dollar jackpot in July….
cut 6 (07) “…very exciting”
Tickets can be purchases up until 9 PM tonight.

Who’s going to be crowned the next Speaker of the House? Among the possible candidates are Louisiana’s Steve Scalise and Ohio Representative Jim Jordan.  Dr. Robert Hogan, LSU Political Science Professor says it’s indicative of the deep division within the Republican party.

Cut 9 (09)  “…on top.”

Congressional members are scheduled to vote for the next Speaker of the House today.

Election Day is Saturday and voters will cast a ballot for Constitutional Amendment Three which requires state lawmakers to use 25 percent of any state surplus to pay retirement debt for the four state retirement systems. The amendment’s author, Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson says it’s time the state takes a serious approach towards paying off retirement debt…

Cut 14 (08) “…pet project.”

The Council for a Better Louisiana is in support of Amendment Three. Nelson says the goal is to pay down debt to have more money in the future…

Small business optimism nationwide declined slightly in September due to concern over inflation. National Federation of Independent Business State Director Dawn McVea says sales growth has slowed, leaving owners with limited options for financial relief.

Cut 4 (11) “…to operate.”

Optimism fell by half a point in September to 90.8 marking the 21st consecutive month below the 49-year average of 98.

Rain is in the forecast today for southwest Louisiana due to a disturbance in the gulf. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the rain will cause a drop in temperatures.

Cut 11 (12) “…the weekend.”

For the Saturday, Keim says weatherwise it will be, believe it or not, an improvement to what Louisiana experienced last weekend…

Congressional members are scheduled to vote their next Speaker of the House today. Among the contenders are Louisiana’s Steve Scalise and Ohio Representative Jim Jordan. LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Robert Hogan believes the election process will take a while..:
Cut 8 (10) “…anytime soon.”
When former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was elected in January it took fifteen rounds of voting and several concessions to far-right party members.

Small business optimism nationwide dips in September as inflation remains the single greatest problem in operating a business. National Federation of Independent Business State Director Dawn McVea says the report also found that 43 percent of owners reported job openings that were hard to fill…:
Cut 5 (12) “just frustrating”

Thanks to a disturbance in the Gulf south Louisiana will have rain today. Brooke Thorington has more…:
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville ranks in the top 10 as one of the most haunted destinations in the world, according to a recent report from Planet Cruise. Analyzing data from Trip Advisor, the Myrtles had 179 haunted mentions, and 62 spooky mentions.

Gas prices continue to fall in Louisiana. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular dropped another penny overnight to $3.19 which is over 10 cents lower than the same time last week.

After hearing from potential candidates last night, the US House begins the lengthy process of choosing the next Speaker…:
Cut 2 (33) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

The state is getting some badly needed rain today into tomorrow, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says this disturbance will leave behind a delightful weekend…:
Cut 12 (11) “absolutely glorious”

The NFIB Small Business Optimism index decreased again in September as inflation remains the owners’ most important problem. NFIB State Director Dawn McVea…:
Cut 6 (10) “the year”
She says the latest report also found 43 percent of owners reported job openings that were hard to fill.

Constitutional amendment three on Saturday’s ballot asks voters if they want to require lawmakers to use 25 percent of any state surplus to pay retirement debt for the four state retirement systems. Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson, who authored the amendment, says the state spends over a billion dollars every year just in interest on this debt…:
Cut 13 (09) “other things”
Opponents of the amendment say state surplus dollars help fund road and bridge work, coastal restoration, and other infrastructure needs.

Congressional members are scheduled to vote on their next Speaker of the House today. Among the contenders are Louisiana’s Steve Scalise and Ohio Representative Jim Jordan. LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Robert Hogan expects it will be a close race between the two…:
Cut 7 (09) “the Democrats”
Former President Trump has endorsed Jordan and the only member of Louisiana’s congressional delegation to voice their support for Scalise is Congresswoman Julia Letlow.

South Louisiana, grab your umbrella when you leave the house today. When is the last time you’ve heard that? Lots of rain is in the forecast thanks to a disturbance in the gulf…:
CUT 10 (09) “the state”
That’s State Climatologist Barry Keim who says rain will last most of today into Thursday.

Inflation remains the top problem for small business owners nationwide resulting in less optimism for the future. Teiko Foxx has more…:
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”