The Louisiana House approves legislation that would allow public universities to keep private how they spend revenue share dollars with their athletes. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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The 2026 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival opens today. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Michelle Southern.”

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Several former LSU football standouts are set to hear their names called as the NFL Draft begins tonight. Andre Champagne takes a look at who could come off the board early….

Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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On the State House floor, Shreveport Representative Tammy Phelps took time to address the horrific events from this past Sunday, when a man shot seven of his kids and a nephew to death. Phelps expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support, not only from people in Louisiana but from people coast to coast.

Cut 4 (05) “…take a while.”

Phelps says these are trying times not only for the families of the victims, but also for those who were called to the scene Sunday morning.

Cut 5 (05) “…they have children.”

Phelps also noted the announcement that Governor Landry made, stating that his wife’s foundation would be paying for the funerals of all eight children.

Cut 6 (06) “…you so much.”

The House observed a moment of silence following Phelps’ remarks.

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An effort to prevent someone from serving as governor for three or more terms failed to get enough votes in the House. Chalmette Representative Michael Bayham’s proposed constitutional amendment needed 70 votes, but it only got 67. There were 22 no votes, and 16 members did not vote. New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry likes the proposal.

Cut 7 (05) “…good bill, thanks.”

The constitution currently only allows a person to serve two *consecutive* terms. But if former governors Bobby Jindal or John Bel Edwards wanted to run for governor next year, they could. But Bayham says they’ve already had their chance, and eight years is enough for future governors.

Cut 8 (07) “…of this state.”

No one spoke in opposition. Bayham can bring the measure up for another vote to see if he can get the 70 votes needed to send the proposal to the Senate.

If the proposed legislation can get two-thirds approval in both the House and the Senate, voters would decide if it should be added to the state’s constitution. Bayham believes the public would support it, based on how they already feel about term limits.

Cut 9 (11)  “…by the legislature.”

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The 2026 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival opens today. It consists of essentially two four-day weekends – Thursday through Sunday at the Fair Grounds Race Course. Despite the name, jazz is by no means the only music featured during the festival; Jazz Fest Producer Quint Davis says this is a celebration of Louisiana artistry.

Cut 10 (08) “…to become now.”

That remaining 15-percent usually includes some of the biggest names in music, and this year is no different. Davis says among this year’s headliners are Stevie Nicks, the Eagles and Rod Stewart.

Cut 11 (10) “…a special thing.”

Davis says this year’s cultural exchange is celebrating Jamaica.

Cut 12 (11) “…arts and crafts.”

So if you miss this year’s Jazz Fest, you’ll certainly “Jamaica” mistake, so don’t miss it!

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The NFL Draft begins tonight at seven p.m. in Pittsburgh, and several LSU Tigers will be waiting to hear their names called this weekend. One of them is Garrett Nussmeier. NFL Draft expert Mike Detillier of WWL Radio believes Nussmeier will be highly coveted by teams for his rare set of abilities.

Cut 13 (15)  “…he’s got that.”

Nussmeier missed a good portion of the 2025 season with an oblique injury stemming from a cyst on his spine, which was discovered by doctors after the NFL Combine. Detillier does not believe the injury will be an issue moving forward and says Nussmeier has positioned himself well to be a top-75 pick following a strong offseason.

Cut 14 (14) “…this draft class.”

Another former Tiger who will be waiting to hear his name called this weekend is cornerback Mansoor Delane. He has likely solidified himself as a top-10 pick, and Detillier could see him going to the Saints with the eighth overall selection. Detillier notes that Delane would help offset the loss of a key cornerback in free agency.

Cut 15 (14) “…play out wide.”

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The Saints will look to make a splash in this year’s NFL Draft, much like they did last season. New Orleans holds eight picks this weekend, including the number-eight overall selection. One name that has appeared in several mock drafts is LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. General Manager Mickey Loomis, who attended Delane’s impressive pro day at LSU, says he is uber-talented.

Cut 16 (10) “…get taken high.”

Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier will not be with the front office and coaching staff in the building this weekend, as he will be with his son Garrett while he awaits his name to be called. Loomis said Doug will still be involved in the draft process, just from afar.

Cut 17 (13)  “…value his input.”

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UL Lafayette football will wrap up spring practice with a game Saturday. Head coach Michael Desormeaux says he wants his team to take full advantage of the work they’ll have the opportunity to get in.

Cut 18 (10)  “…in the summer.”

One position group Desormeaux wants to see more production from is the wide receivers. With Shelton Sampson out with an injury, Desormeaux is looking for players to step up Saturday.

Cut 19 (16) “…a break for.”

An effort to prevent someone from serving as governor for three or more terms failed to get enough votes in the Louisiana House. Chalmette Representative Michael Bayham’s proposed constitutional amendment needed 70 votes, but it  only got 67 votes. New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry likes the proposal…

Cut 28 (05) “…thanks”

The constitution currently only allows a person to serve two consecutive terms. But if former governors Bobby Jindal or John Bel Edwards wanted to run for governor next year, they could. But Bayham says…

Cut 29 (10)
No one spoke in opposition. Bayham can bring the measure up for another vote to see if he can get the 70 votes to send the proposal to the Senate.

The Louisiana House approves legislation that would allow public universities to keep private how they spend revenue share dollars with their athletes. The measure passed 91 to 4. Revenue share dollars is public money. It includes tax dollars from sports betting. If the legislation is approved, the public will not see how much money athletes are getting directly from the university and how much a sports program is receiving. Supporters have cited safety concerns for the athlete if fans know how much the players are getting paid, and it would cause a competitive disadvantage. Opponents say this is public money and the public has a right to see how it is spent.

There was no discussion on the bill before it was passed to the Senate. But the bill’s author Tehmi Chassion says media members that have filed a lawsuit seeking to see the revenue share dollar allocations have received death threats and he says that’s not right…

Cut 26 (16) “…don’t’ deserve that”

LSU wraps up spring football this week. The Tigers’ offense struggled for most of the spring but has started to find its rhythm over the past few practices. Coach Lane Kiffin says he’s seen significant improvement from the quarterback group in the last week.

Cut 16 (16) “…progression’s really good.”

LSU football received a verbal commitment Monday night from four-star athlete Braylon Calais (COL-ay) out of Cecilia High School. Calais, who grew up as a huge LSU fan, says he is excited to join what he believes is a special program being built by the new coaching staff.

Cut 19 (10) “…part of it.”

The LSU baseball team earned a ten-to-seven victory over UNO last night to get back in the win column after three straight losses. Freshman William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season with a broken hamate bone in his wrist. Patrick started for Brown in right field in last night’s win and had an RBI double. Patrick on the advice he got from Brown…

Cut 12 (16) “…up to him.”

ULM picked up a much-needed win last night after defeating Northwestern State 4-1. The Demons have now dropped six straight. The Warhawks will host James Madison this weekend.

Louisiana Tech dropped a 4-3 midweek contest to McNeese State last night. The Bulldogs left 15 runners on in the loss. Tech will host Missouri State this weekend.

A recent poll on the 5^th district Congressional Republican Primary finds that more than half of the likely voters surveyed had not heard of any of the four candidates. New Orleans-based pollster Greg Rigamer surveyed 600 likely voters. Blake Miguez lead the poll with 20 percent, followed by Rick Edmonds with 13-percent, Michael Echols 10-percent and Misti Cordell with three-percent. ULM Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the winner of this election may come down to who has the most money.

Cut 11 (13) “…just don’t know”

Rigamer conducted the survey that was paid for by business lobbyist Alton Ashy.

proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to limit a governor to just two terms fails to get enough votes to pass in the Louisiana House. Belle Chasse Representative Mike Bayham’s measure needed 70 votes to pass, it got 67. He can bring the measure up for a vote again.

It’s Love the Boot week and the Louisiana Department of Transportation is using the opportunity to get the word out about the Sponsor A Highway program. DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet says companies can pay a third party to keep clean a section of highway and the sponsors get road signs with their logos on them…

Cut 5 (13) “….congested areas”

LSU freshman baseball player William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season with a broken hamate bone in his wrist. Patrick started for Brown in last night’s 10-7 win over UNO and had an RBI double — but not before he got some valuable advice from Brown.

Cut 12 (15) “…up to him.”

LSU begins a series versus Mississippi State Friday night.

DOTD is using the occasion of Love The Boot Week to launch a new program aimed at cleaning litter from busy highways.  Secretary Glenn Ledet (luh-DAY) says it’s called Sponsor-A-Highway.

Cut 3 (05) “…segments of highways.”

Sponsor-A-Highway calls for companies to pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway.

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them due to poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan could not figure how they would pay the money back, since the scholarship money goes directly to the schools.

Cut 6 (13) “…garnished.”

The measure failed on a 38-62 vote.

We are ten days away from the start of early voting for the May 16^th primary. voters in 20 parishes will also be electing a new person to represent the 5th Congressional district. In a poll of 600 likely voters, State Senator Blake Miguez leads the field in the 5th District Republican Party Primary as 20-percent of the respondents said they prefer Miguez. ULM Political Science professor Pearson Cross says it remains to be seen if Miguez ends up replacing Julia Letlow.

Cut 10 (10) “…in the race?”

Rick Edmonds received 13-percent of the vote in the survey, followed by Michael Echols at 10-percent and Misti Cordell received three-percent.

Monroe’s William Patrick will likely see more playing time now that LSU right fielder Jake Brown will miss the rest of the season with a broken hamate bone. Coach Jay Johnson likes Patrick’s athleticism…

Cut 13 (07) “…a great competitor”

The mayor of Winnsboro is arrested on a Medicaid fraud charge. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

We are ten days away from the start of the early voting period for the May 16th election. Pearson Cross teaches political science at ULM, and he’s expecting a low turnout for the state’s first closed primary election since 2010.

Cut 9 (12)  “…more like 25.”

The gun used by Shamar Elkins to fatally shoot eight children on Sunday in Shreveport was stolen from a man’s truck last month. That’s according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. The court papers say Charles Ford was in possession of the gun and suspected Elkins stole it and when he confronted Elkins, he became offensive, so he let it go. Ford is facing charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm and making a false statement to federal agents. Authorities say Ford originally denied having the gun but changed his story later that day when he met with ATF agents.

It’s Love the Boot week and the Louisiana Department of Transportation is using the opportunity to get the word out about the Sponsor A Highway program. DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet says companies can pay a third party to keep clean a section of highway and the sponsors get road signs with their logos on them…

Cut 5 (13) “….congested areas”

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them as a result of poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Bossier City Representative Dennis Bamburg says he was looking after taxpayer dollars with his legislation.

Cut 7 (09) “..this is about.”

But Baton Rouge Representative Barbara Freiberg says no other scholarship asks for the money back if a student fails to keep it.

Cut 8 (07) “…back those scholarships”

Bamburg had exemptions in his bill, where TOPS recipients would not have to pay their scholarships back if they lost them while also dealing with significant life challenges, like a death of an immediate family member. The measure failed on a 38-to-62 vote.

A new poll shows state senator Blake Miguez is leading the Fifth District Congressional Republican primary. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

A woman is arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs into the East Baton Rouge Prison for one of the suspects in the murder of three-year-old Devin Page Jr. Police say Errolynn Hilson planned to give 120 sheets of mojo paper, which is a synthetic cannabinoid, to Jordan Anderson, who’s been incarcerated there for an unrelated killing.

The mayor of Winnsboro is arrested on a Medicaid fraud charge. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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A new poll shows state senator Blake Miguez is leading the Fifth District Congressional Republican primary. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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DOTD is using the occasion of Love The Boot Week to launch a new program aimed at cleaning litter from busy highways.  Secretary Glenn Ledet (luh-DAY) says it’s called Sponsor-A-Highway.

Cut 3 (05) “…segments of highways.”

Unlike the more common Adopt-A-Highway, in which volunteers pick up trash along the stretch of highway they have adopted two to four times a year, Sponsor-A-Highway is geared towards companies which pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway. Ledet says sponsors are already signing up.

Cut 4 (06) “…in New Orleans.”

Ledet says sponsors get road signs with their logos on them, giving them an additional advertising opportunity, making this a win-win for everyone.

Cut 5 (13) “…really congested areas.”

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The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them as a result of poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan could not figure how they would pay it back, since the scholarship money goes directly to the school.

Cut 6 (13) “…to be garnished.”

The measure failed on a 38-to-62 vote.

Bossier City Representative Dennis Bamburg says he’s looking after taxpayer dollars with his legislation.

Cut 7 (09) “..this is about.”

Bamburg had exemptions in the bill, where TOPS recipients would not have to pay their scholarships back if they lost them while also dealing with significant life challenges, like a death of an immediate family member. He also gave the option for a student to go to a technical school instead, with the state still paying for the tuition.

But Baton Rouge Representative Barbara Freiberg says no other scholarship asks for the money back if a student fails to keep it.

Cut 8 (07) “…back those scholarships”

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We are ten days away from the start of the early voting period for the May 16th election. Pearson Cross teaches political science at ULM, and he’s expecting a low turnout for the state’s first closed primary election since 2010.

Cut 9 (12)  “…more like 25.”

Republican and Democratic U-S Senate primaries are the main item on the ballot, but voters in 20 parishes will also be electing a new person to represent the 5th Congressional district. In a poll of 600 likely voters, State Senator Blake Miguez leads the field in the 5th District Republican Party Primary. Cross says it remains to be seen if Miguez ends up replacing Julia Letlow.

Cut 10 (10) “…in the race?”

Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds received 13-percent of the vote in the survey, followed by Monroe Representative Michael Echols at 10-percent. Board of Regents chairwoman Misti Cordell received three-percent. Cross says the winner of this election may come down to who has the most money.

Cut 11 (13) “…just don’t know”

New Orleans-based pollster Greg Rigamer conducted the survey that was paid for by business lobbyist Alton Ashy.

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LSU freshman baseball player William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season with a broken hamate bone in his wrist. Patrick started for Brown in last night’s 10-7 win over UNO and had an RBI double — but not before he got some valuable advice from Brown.

Cut 12 (15) “…up to him.”

Coach Jay Johnson is impressed with Patrick’s athleticism.

Cut 13 (07) “…a great competitor.”

LSU will look to snap a six-game SEC losing streak when they visit Mississippi State for the start of a three-game series Friday night.

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them due to poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan could not figure how they would pay the money back, since the scholarship money goes directly to the schools.

Cut 6 (13) “…garnished.”

A report from Leaders for a Better Louisiana finds that Louisiana is doing well in creating jobs. Better Louisiana CEO Adam Knapp says health and social assistance is leading the growth in new jobs, and employment in construction has been steadily growing since last August.

Cut 5 (09) “…over the place.”

DOTD is using Love The Boot week to launch Sponsor-A-Highway. Unlike the more common Adopt-A-Highway, in which volunteers pick up trash along the stretch of highway they have adopted, Sponsor-A-Highway is geared towards companies which pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway. DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet says sponsors are already signing up.

Cut 4 (06) “…in New Orleans.”

LSU freshman baseball player William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season. Patrick started in last night’s 10 to 7 win over UNO and had an RBI double – but not before Brown gave him some valuable advice.

Cut 12 (16) “…up to him.”

A report from Leaders for a Better Louisiana finds that Louisiana is doing well in creating jobs. Better Louisiana CEO Adam Knapp says based on state and federal data, Louisiana ranks third among Southern states for job growth. Knapp says all large Louisiana metros and two smaller metros saw year-over-year growth.

Cut 4 (06) “…all seeing growth.”

DOTD is using the occasion of Love The Boot Week to launch a new program aimed at cleaning litter from busy highways.  Secretary Glenn Ledet (luh-DAY) says it’s called Sponsor-A-Highway.

Cut 3 (05) “…segments of highways.”

Unlike the more common Adopt-A-Highway, in which volunteers pick up trash along the stretch of highway they have adopted two to four times a year, Sponsor-A-Highway is geared towards companies which pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway.

A major milestone for the Amtrak Mardi Gras line, and it reached it much earlier than expected. Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

The mayor of Winnsboro is arrested on a Medicaid fraud charge. Attorney General Liz Murrill says Mayor Alice Wallace fraudulently received Medicaid benefits for herself and a dependent since 2021 while misrepresenting the availability of employer-provided health insurance. The arrest comes three weeks before Wallace faces voters in her re-election bid.