Lawmakers return to Baton Rouge Monday for the 2023 legislative session:
Cut 2 (33) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

State Police say an Alexandria woman was killed in an Avoyelles Parish crash Friday night and impairment is suspected to be a factor. They say the investigation revealed 23-year-old Christopher McCoy of Bunkie drove his truck off the road into a ditch, and crashed into a tree. McCoy sustained moderate injuries but his passenger, 22-year-old Lauren Vaughn died on the scene. McCoy is suspected to have been under the influence.

Pineville Representative Mike Johnson has a bill for the legislative session that makes it a crime to approach a cop while he or she is doing their job. He says he’s heard from LEOs about citizens walking upon them unexpectedly, while they’re working a crime scene or traffic accident…:
Cut 13 (09) “safety issue”
He says this will help set officers a little more at ease while they do their jobs.

Another measure to be heard would raise the age limit to enter bars from 18 to 21. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell says her “Card’em” bill requires any person attempting to enter a Class-A General retail establishment to show their ID verifying they are 21. She expects pushback from bar owners even though underage drinking is not legal…:
Cut 6 (04) “under 21”
The proposed bill also adds the requirement that only a person 21 and older can be employed as a bartender.

The 2023 regular legislative session begins on Monday and one of the issues to be discussed is whether to raise the state’s spending cap. La-Politics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says that would require a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers…:
CUT 7 (12) “in the future”
And because it’s a fiscal session lawmakers can only file five non-fiscal issues this session.

Another bill would require health insurance to pay fertility preservation costs for cancer patients whose treatment could make them sterile. It’s a measure by Baton Rouge Representative Paula Davis…:
CUT 6 (09) “bill does”
The proposed law would be known as “The Medically Necessary Fertility Preservation Act.”

Another matter set to be heard in the legislative session would make it a crime to walk up unexpectedly on a cop who’s doing their job. Kevin Gallagher elaborates…:
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And there will be no Game 3 between the LSU and South Carolina baseball teams. The already rescheduled game was cancelled today due to ongoing rain in Columbia and will not be made up. This set began on Thursday and SEC rules state once it begins you have 3 days to play 3 games. The two teams evened the series with the Gamecocks taking Game 1 and The Tigers winning Friday 8-7.

Following the death of LSU student Madison Brooks after a night of underage drinking at a Tigerland bar in Baton Rouge – Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell is hoping to raise the age limit to enter bars from 18 to 21.
Cut 4 (09) “…a negative.”
Mizell’s proposal will heard by lawmakers in the legislative session that begins Monday.

The Humane Society of Louisiana reminds you every Easter that you might want to think twice before getting a live baby chick or bunny. Spokesman Jeff Dorson says many of these animals become abandoned after the Holiday and it’s better to go for other gifts in the basket which don’t require a long term commitment:
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He says it’s also illegal in many areas for photographers to use live animals as props unless they are licensed.

A bill to require insurance companies to pay fertility preservation costs for cancer patients has been filed for the upcoming session. Brooke Thorington has more…:
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LSU says the National Champion Lady Tigers basketball program will accept the invitation to the White House. That invitation was made Friday when President Biden called Coach Kim Mulkey and Star forward Angel Reese to congratulate them on their championship. A date has not been set.

A measure to decide whether to ban the death penalty in Louisiana will be heard in the upcoming legislative session. Marrero Representative Kyle Green says the legislation is based on morality, not to mention it’s extremely costly to house prisoners on death row…:
Cut 14 (11) “of legislation”
The proposal would not apply to individuals already on death row.

The autopsy is in for the Georgia businessman who went missing in Baton Rouge and was located almost two weeks later. East Baton Rouge Coroner Dr. Beau Clark says Nathan Millard, like so many others, overdosed from cocaine, alcohol, and fentanyl. He says lacing drugs with fentanyl is lucrative for dealers…:
CUT 5 (11) “powerfully addictive”
He says most street drugs out there right now are laced with fentanyl.

A north Louisiana lawmaker is trying to make it legal for your pet’s remains to be buried with you if you wish. Brooke Thorington has more:
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Governor John Bel Edwards has released a statement on the mass shooting at a school in Nashville which claimed the lives of three children and three adults — two of whom were Louisiana natives. Mr. Edwards said nobody should ever have to worry about whether a teacher or student will come home from school alive, and he’s asking the entire state to pray for the families of the victims.

The toxicology results for Nathan Millard have been released. The Georgia Businessman who went missing in Baton Rouge and was found a couple weeks later died from an overdose of cocaine, alcohol and fentanyl. That’s according to East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Beau Clark who says fentanyl is responsible for so many overdose deaths…:
Cut 4 (12) “person’s system”
He says there is a lot of evidence showing most street drugs are laced with fentanyl these days.

A bill that would allow people to be buried with the cremated remains of their pets has been filed for the session beginning April 10th. Minden Representative Wayne McMahan on how the law stands now…:
CUT 10 (12) “just human”
He suspects this law is broken often.

Lawmakers will debate a bill to eliminate the death penalty during the upcoming legislative session. Teiko Foxx has more…:
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DOTD says there are 3 final proposed location choices for a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge all in Iberville Parish. DOTD Spokesperson Rodney Mallett says there are numerous factors to be considered in the planning of locations..:
Cut 7 (09) “the communities”

A bill that would eliminate the death penalty in Louisiana has once again been filed for the upcoming legislative session. The measure by Marrero Representative Kyle Green would put a max life sentence for first degree murder and rape convictions. He proposed the same bill in 2020 and 2022 but believes they need to take another look…:
CUT 13 (11) “get it right”

As the LSU Women’s Basketball team heads to the Final 4 to face Virginia Tech on Friday, Coach Kim Mulkey comments on her flashy courtside fashion which she says is in no way meant to take away from the team:
CUT 17 (18) “game for us”
The game Friday tips at 6.

The East Baton Rouge Coroner says fentanyl was involved in the death of Nathan Millard, like so many others.
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Minden Representative Wayne McMahan is once again trying to make it legal for pet owners to have the cremated remains of their pet buried with them. He says the measure still allows a cemetery to decide if they’ll allow it…:
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He says this would just make it legal. The regular session begins April 10th.

The autopsy is in for the Georgia businessman who went missing in Baton Rouge and was located almost two weeks later. East Baton Rouge Coroner Dr. Beau Clark says Nathan Millard died from a combination of cocaine, alcohol, and fentanyl. Dr. Clark says fentanyl is lucrative to drug dealers even though it’s responsible for the majority of overdoses…:
CUT 6 (08) “addiction disorders”
He says there is a high possibility that any illicit drugs on the streets are dangerously laced with fentanyl.

Marrero Representative Kyle Green files a bill that would eliminate the death penalty in Louisiana. He says the legislation is based on morality not to mention it’s extremely difficult to carry out a death sentence:
Cut 15 (09) “with that”
The legislation says anyone who commits first-degree murder, first-degree rape, and treason would receive a maximum life sentence.

The state department of transportation says there are now just three proposed locations for a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge – all connecting the East and West Banks of Iberville Parish. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says the $1.5 billion dollar project has received $300 million in state funding, which is a good starting point:
Cut 8 (11) “gets built”
He says they hope to narrow down the location of the new bridge when environmental evaluations are completed in the summer of 2024.

The two Baton Rouge Police Officers who died in a helicopter crash, Sgt. David Poirrier and Cpl. Scotty Canezaro, will be honored with a special procession today from the West Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office to BRPD Headquarters. It’s slated to begin around 10:30am.