The author of Amendment 2 is speaking out following its defeat on Saturday. Carencro Representative Julie Emerson says it was just a few details that voters were concerned about, and that’s why it was ultimately defeated.

Cut 29 (10) “…lot of opposition.”

A fiscal legislative session starts in less than two weeks and Emerson, who chairs the tax-writing committee in the House, said she expects legislation to be filed that made up parts of Amendment Two, including a proposal to double the standard deduction for seniors.

Amendment 2 would have also made a two-thousand dollar stipend that teachers currently receive permanent. With the amendment failing, teacher salaries could decline. Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Larry Carter is concerned about the uncertain funding…

Cut 5 (11) “….here in Louisiana”

Work is underway on replacing the asphalt on I-20 in Lincoln Parish. DOTD spokesperson Erin Buchanan says work stretches between the Bienville Parish line to the Highway 149 overpass near Grambling. Buchanan says there will be intermittent lane closures, so they will be implementing a queue-detection system to give motorists real-time traffic conditions…

Cut 7 (14) “…another route.”

Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026.

LSU men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon wants to be in the NCAA Tournament next season and he’s signed two players out of the transfer portal, including one of the top guards in the portal, Dedan Thomas from UNLV.  McMahon says Thomas averaged 15 points a game this past season…

Cut 10 (10) “…locked in on”

LSU has also signed six-foot-ten Michael Nwoko, who started at Mississippi State.

The rejection of Constitutional Amendment 2 by voters leaves the future of educator salaries uncertain. Governor Landry warned before the vote that no alternative plan existed, and his administration has not confirmed whether it will support additional stipends. The amendment would have dissolved education trust funds to pay down teacher retirement debt, freeing up about $200 million annually for raises. Carter says the complexity of the amendment led to its defeat.

Cut 4 (09) “…that was needed.” 

Construction is underway in Lincoln Parish on a nine-mile stretch of I-20. Erin Buchanan with DOTD says crews will be replacing the asphalt.

Cut 6 (11) “…of course with new.”

The asphalt on the ramps at highways 507 and 563 will also need to be replaced as part of the nearly 18-million-dollar project.

The author of Amendment 2 is speaking out after it was soundly defeated over the weekend. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 29 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Last night at 9:00 p.m., a pedestrian, 69-year-old Rhonda Harvey, was struck and killed by a 2009 GMC Sierra on Louisiana Highway 143. Harvey, wearing dark clothing, was walking in the northbound lane. The driver was uninjured, and the crash remains under investigation.

The author of Amendment 2 is speaking out following its defeat over the weekend. Carencro Representative Julie Emerson says it was just a few details that voters were concerned about, and that’s why it was ultimately defeated.

Cut 11 (10) “…lot of opposition.”

Emerson says she and her colleagues learned a lot of lessons from the last several months, and she’s looking forward to the legislative session to continue these conversations.

LaPolitics-dot-com Editor Jeremy Alford Governor says Landry now joins a long list of governors who have tried and failed to significantly alter the state constitution.

Cut 6 (09) “…it’s followed suit.”

In fact, Alford says the only modern governor to succeed was Edwin Edwards, who replaced the entire constitution. That happened back in 1974.

The rejection of Amendment 2 leaves huge question marks for the future of educator salaries. Larry Carter, the president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees, says funding remains uncertain.

Cut 3 (12) “…local school districts.” 

Amendment 2 aimed to convert last year’s temporary stipends of two-thousand dollars for teachers and one-thousand dollars for support staff into permanent pay raises. But now, these stipends will expire after this school year, potentially lowering pay unless new funding is secured.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office takes down a street gang, arresting seven people, including two juveniles. Sheriff Jason Ard says the Motion Gang is known as a “hybrid gang.”

Cut 13 (12)  “…rules or regulations.”

It’s back to the drawing board for the legislature after the overwhelming defeat of Amendment 2, which would have substantially rewritten Article 7 of the state constitution. Amendment 2 was authored by Carencro Representative Julie Emerson. She concedes that because there were so many components to the amendment, fellow lawmakers had trouble answering all the questions surrounding it.

Cut 12 (12) “…comfortable with it.”

Emerson says she took the broad rewrite approach because there had been so many changes to Article 7 over the years, so she wanted to basically wipe the slate clean and start fresh.

Jeremy Alford, the editor at LaPolitics-dot-com, says the outcome will likely have no impact on Governor Landry’s support.

Cut 5 (11) “…some other things.”

A 55-year-old cold case has finally been solved with the mother being arrested for the murder of her 16-month-old son in Sulphur.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Two more execution dates are set. 53-year-old Darrell Draughn is scheduled to die on May 28th for stabbing a Shreveport woman to death inside her own home, and 47-year-old Marcus Reed is slated to be executed June 4th for killing three young men who he had erroneously believed had stolen an X-Box from his ex-girlfriend’s home. Both will be executed by nitrogen hypoxia.

The failure of Amendment 2 will have a profound effect on the upcoming legislative session. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Governor Landry has received harsh rebukes on social media for his statement in response to Amendment Two failing to pass. In that statement, Landry said positive change can be hard to implement in a state conditioned to fail. Daryl Ellison replied to the post by asking, “did he just call Louisianans failures?”

Sulphur Police have charged a 76-year-old woman for the death of her 16-month-old son in 1970. Police Chief John Wall says the family asked investigators to take another look at the case and thanks to new crime fighting technology, they were able to develop enough evidence and charge Alice Bunch Idlett with second-degree murder…

Cut 9 (04) “…that we have”

At the time of Earl Bunch’s death, Idlett said her son sustained injuries from falling out of the crib.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office says they’ve arrested members of the Motion Gang. Sheriff Jason Ard says this group of individuals was involved in drug dealing and street violence. Seven people were arrested as part of this investigation, five young adults and two juveniles.  Ard says more arrests are possible…

Cut 15 (10) “…down the road”

The overwhelming failure of Amendment 2 on Saturday will be a game-changer for the upcoming fiscal session. Jeremy Alford, the editor at LaPolitics-dot-com, says had it passed, it would have been a relatively quiet session. Now, not so much.

Cut 4 (09) “…definitely, 100-percent.”

The legislative session begins on April 14^th.

A criticism of amendment 2 is that it lacked transparency. A bill that was more than 100 pages was jammed into a 91-word ballot question. The legislation would have made significant changes to Article 7 in the state constitution. Carencro Representative Julie Emerson authored the amendment and says they wanted to basically wipe the slate clean and start fresh with Article 7…

Cut 10 (11) “…rewrite on that”

A 76-year-old woman in southwest Louisiana who is allegedly responsible for the 1970 death of her 16-month-old child is finally behind bars. Sulphur Police Chief John Wall says they reopened the case in 2022 and thanks to new crime fighting technology, they developed enough evidence to charge Alice Bunch Idlett with second-degree murder in the 1970 death of Earl Bunch the Third…

Cut 8 (08) “….death as a homicide”

At the time of the toddler’s deal, Idlett said her child suffered fatal injuries from falling out of the crib.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s office has arrested seven members from a group known as the “Motion Gang.”  Sheriff Jason Ard says they were mainly involved in drug dealing…

Cut 14 (14) “…sooner than later”

Two of the people arrested are allegedly involved in a shooting in Bogalusa.

The author of Amendment 2 is speaking out after it was soundly defeated on Saturday. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

In a statement, Marrero Senator Patrick Connick said the Legislature has to regroup, because it’s too important not to change the state’s out-of-date tax system. We’ll see what lawmakers do when they gather for the regular session that begins on April 14^th.

It took more than a half century, but an arrest has finally been made in the 1970 death of a 16-month-old boy. 76-year-old Alice Bunch Idlett of Norwood has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of her toddle. Sulphur Police Chief John Wall says his investigators reopened the case in 2022 at the request of the child’s family.

Cut 7 (10) “…assisted in the case.” 

AT the time of Earl Bunch’s death. Idlett claimed her child suffered injuries from falling out of the crib.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office takes down a street gang. Deputies arrested seven members of the Motion Gang on various charges, including attempted first-degree murder, drug possession and weapons charges. Sheriff Jason Ard says this gang is known as a “hybrid gang,” which is a bit more disorganized than a typical street gang.

Cut 13 (12)  “…rules or regulations.”