The full House has approved a measure that would require third graders to pass a literacy test before advancing to the fourth grade. Jeff Palermo has the story
Cut 2 (33) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

A recount of the recent mayoral election in Pineville confirms Rich Dupree will be the Rapides Parish city’s new leader, by five votes. Dupree he’s excited for the future of Pineville and its industries..:
Cut 15 (09) “is strong”
Dupree will take office July 1st.

The 2022 legislative regular session ends one month from today and there are still some hot button issues to be decided like expanding medical marijuana laws, cracking down on speeders using cameras and a controversial ban on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports which was vetoed last year. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the Governor might want to change course:
Cut 6 (09) “it’s gonna hurt you”
The legislature must adjourn by 6 pm on June 6th.

Mother’s Day is Sunday, but while many families will celebrate with their loved ones, the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs is working to help those seniors who aren’t getting the care they deserve. Program manager Ebony Thomas-Phillips says abuse takes many different forms…:
Cut 8 (10) “sometimes abandonment”
Contact Louisiana Elderly Services to report abuse.

With just one month left to go in the 2022 Legislative Session, what have lawmakers accomplished and what is left to do? Kevin Gallagher reports…:
Cut 1 (33) “I’m Kevin Gallagher”

The full House has approved a measure that would require third graders to pass a literacy test before advancing to the fourth grade. Mississippi has a similar law:
Cut 10 (12) “in Mississippi”
Bill author Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson.

Mother’s Day is Sunday, but while many families will celebrate with their loved ones, the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs is working to help those seniors who aren’t getting the care they deserve. Program manager Ebony Thomas-Phillips says all of us can play a role in ending elder abuse…:
Cut 7 (11) “us a call”
To report suspected abuse or neglect, search online for Louisiana Elderly Protective Services.

Get ready for more pain at the pump. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular jumped 4 cents overnight to $3.95 a gallon which is up over a dime from last week.

Elvis Costello is in New Orleans for his appearance at the second weekend of Jazz Fest and he made a stop at the newly renamed Allen Toussaint Boulevard to take a selfie with the caption “It’s about time.” The street used to be designated as Robert E Lee Boulevard, but the City Council agreed to change it to honor Toussaint, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame producer who lived on the street for several years. He and Costello were close friends and collaborators.

The 2022 regular legislative session ends one month from today. With just a few weeks left to go, what’s been accomplished? Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says a big achievement is lawmakers and the governor working in a bipartisan fashion to make optimal use of a huge budget surplus…:
Cut 4 (11) “…increases in taxes.”
The legislature must adjourn by 6 pm on June 6th.

The full House has approved a measure that would require third graders to pass a literacy test before advancing to the fourth grade. Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson says his legislation will help more than just students who struggle with reading…:
Cut 12 (12) “because of this”
The measure heads to the Senate for more consideration.

The AP reports former head of state police Kevin Reeves has had his journals released on the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene, and they appear to show he knew the situation needed to be addressed early on, though it was not. The pages were put out as part of subpoena from a committee investigating a possible cover up in Greene’s fatal traffic stop. They are demanding Reeves turn over all his journals or hold him contempt if he does not.

A recount of the recent mayoral election in Pineville confirms Rich Dupree will be the Rapides Parish city’s new leader, by a margin of only five votes. Dupree tells LRN the race, the results and the ensuing recount demand have made for a wild ride…:
Cut 13 (11) “like it did”
Dupree will take office July 1st.

Louisiana’s tourism industry apparently has made a healthy bounce back, after taking a huge hit from the COVID pandemic. More from Kevin Gallagher…:
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Louisiana’s longest serving state fire marshal is retiring. Governor John Bel Edwards announced Wednesday that State Fire Marshal Butch Browning has accepted the position of executive director of the National Association of State Fire Marshals. State Fire Marshal Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel H. Wallis has been named as Browning’s successor.

The House Criminal Justice Committee approves legislation that would make abortions in Louisiana a crime of homicide. New Orleans Attorney Gwyneth O’Neil spoke in opposition calling the measure a reckless, bad law. She says the way it’s written in vitro fertilization would be illegal..:
Cut 6 (09) “negligent homicide”
The legislation heads to the House floor.

In the same committee room, the bill aimed at cracking down on theft of catalytic converters continued to move through the legislative process. Under this proposal, prison terms for the crime would be based on the value of the parts stolen. Lafayette Representative Jonathan Goudeau made the motion to report the bill favorably…:
Cut 13 (11) “a problem”
The measure heads to the house floor.

Nick Tullier, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Deputy who was shot in an ambush targeting law enforcement in 2016, has died.

The House Criminal Justice Committee approves legislation that would make abortion a crime in Louisiana. Executive Director of the Foundation to Abolish Abortion Bradley Pierce says medical and scientific research has determined that human life begins at the moment of fertilization…:
Cut 5 (10) “our lives”
Opponents say the way the bill is worded some forms of birth control, IVF and miscarriages would also be illegal. The legislation heads to the House floor.

The state’s tourism industry is seeing a good surge following the Covid lockdowns. Lt Governor Billy Nungesser’s office oversees the Department of Tourism. He says over 41 million people visited Louisiana in 2021 and as people are ready to get out and vacation again, we stand ready to welcome them…:
Cut 10 (10) “coming back for more”

Tyrann Mathieu is officially a Saint, and the All-Pro Safety and former LSU star is thrilled. It’s been an incredible journey for the New Orleans native, who went from undiscovered gem to Heisman Finalist to being kicked off the LSU football team. The Honey Badger says he’s proud of where he is in life…:
CUT 15 (10) “in my life”

Catalytic converter thefts have been a massive problem in our state and under a bill approved in House Criminal Justice the act would be considered a crime with a sliding scale of prison terms depending on the value of the parts stolen. Objecting to the bill was committee chair Joe Marino who said it’s already illegal to steal…:
Cut 11 (10) “are committing”
The measure heads to the house floor.

A House committee approves a bill that would allow law enforcement to charge a mother who has an abortion, and also those who help her…:
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Natchitoches woman accused in the 2018 burning death of her infant son has been sentenced as part of a plea bargain. Hannah Barker will serve about 30 years on the charges of conspiracy to commit first degree murder and manslaughter. Barker’s girlfriend, who actually killed the infant, has already been convicted and will be sentenced later this year.

The Honey Badger is home, and he’s as excited as Saints fans. Tyrann Mathieu and New Orleans made it official on Wednesday as the All Pro signed a reported 3 year $33 million dollar contract to join the team. A reporter mentioned Mathieu is about to turn 30, and to that the Honey Badger said…:
Cut 16 (10) “some more”
Though he doesn’t have an official number yet, the Saints are taking pre-orders for Mathieu’s jersey and the website crashed almost instantly. It’s back up now.

The state’s tourism industry is bouncing back nicely from the COVID pandemic lockdowns and restrictions. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, whose office oversees the Department of Tourism, says over 41-million people visited the Bayou State in 2021, which isn’t bad…
Cut 8 (11) “coming out of COVID”
Tourism is the state’s fourth-largest employer; supporting over a quarter-million jobs.

The House Criminal Justice Committee approves legislation that would make abortion a crime in Louisiana. Under Oil City Representative Danny McCormick’s proposal, the mother and those assisting in the termination of a pregnancy can be charged with homicide:
Cut 4 (09) “not yet born”
Opponents of the bill say the measure would criminalize in vitro fertilization.

The New Orleans Saints and safety Tyrann Mathieu made it official Wednesday, as the three-time All-Pro signed a reported three-year, $33-million contract to join the team. The “Honey Badger” says he’s still pinching himself…
Cut 14 (12) “take advantage of it”
Mathieu said he is excited to join a Saints defense under new head coach and former coordinator Dennis Allen.

The bill aimed at cracking down on theft of catalytic converters continues to move through the legislative process. Under the proposal, a person convicted of stealing auto emissions systems worth over 25 grand could be sentenced to 10 to 20 years. Prairieville Representative and retired Ascension Sheriff’s deputy Tony Bacala says Louisiana needs this law…:
Cut 12 (10) “growing trend”
The Senate has already moved the bill and so has House Criminal Justice.

Governor John Bel Edwards has announced the retirement of State Fire Marshal Butch Browning; who has accepted the position of executive director of the National Association of State Fire Marshals. Browning’s 14 years serving Louisiana is the longest tenure for the position in the state’s history.

Attorney Lewis Unglesby says it’s an unreasonable response for state lawmakers to hold former State Police leader Kevin Reeves in contempt for not handing over a certain journal entry. Jeff Palermo has the story..:
Cut 3 (32) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Ahead of the start of hurricane season on June 1st, Governor John Bel Edwards is slated to hold a news conference this morning with other emergency preparedness officials to discuss how the public should get ready for a potential storm.

Abortion will become illegal in Louisiana if the leaked Supreme Court opinion stands. Chief Justice John Roberts has confirmed the leaked draft IS authentic, and Tulane University law professor Keith Werhan (pronounced “WER-han”) feels – IF there are enough votes to reverse Roe V. Wade – that will eventually happen. He says the Supreme court more often seeks to narrow precedent rulings..:
CUT 12 (08) “opinion was drafted”
He points out the draft has preliminary support but it’s not a done deal.

Louisiana’s so-called version of what opponents call the Don’t Say Gay bill was halted in a House Committee. The bill drew opposition from several witnesses, like Brenna Wells, with the LSU School of Social Work and LGBTQ Studies, who feels the bill is mean-spirited…:
Cut 8 (12) “…and their future.”
The committee voted 7-to-4 to reject the bill.