The Supreme Court ruled the most recent state congressional map approved by lawmakers with two majority Black districts will be the one to use in the upcoming election. Mel Bridges has more.

Cut 1 (31)  “…I’m Mel Bridges”

Congressman Garret Graves says he plans to run for re-election, but he hasn’t determined which district he’ll run in. He currently represents District 6, which was altered to be a majority-minority district.

The Louisiana Senate approves a bill to create the Gator Scholarship Program which gives parents public dollars to pay for private school tuition. New Orleans Senator Royce Duplessis says Education Savings Accounts are an abandonment of public education and its teachers…

Cut 7 (13) “…in the program.”  

It still needs House approval.

Organizers say they’ve collected 6,000 signatures of the 36,000 they need to recall embattled St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Christopher Tape. Noble-Bates Young with Family First St. Tammany says they’ll rely heavily on business hubs for signatures.

Cut 13 (13) “…so far.” 

Signatures must be collected by October.

The Louisiana Senate has given approval to the creation of the Gator Scholarship Program which will provide parents public dollars to pay for private school tuition. The bill’s author, Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds, says this is a historic moment as the legislation will give parents options on where to send their child to school…
cut 6 (11) “…of Louisiana”
The E-S-A bill passed on a 24-15 vote. It still needs House approval. Opponents are concerned about the overall cost of the program which could be 500-million.

Organizers say they are off to a strong start in the first month of the recall effort to oust embattled St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Christopher Tape. Noble-Bates Young with Family First St. Tammany says they’ve collected about 6,000 signatures but they’ll need 36,000.
Cut 12 (08) “…what not.”
Tape has said that once voters get to know his work, they’ll be pleased with his performance. He ran unopposed in the last election.

Legislation mandating the 10 Commandments be displayed in public school and college classrooms is nearing final passage. Brooke Thorington explains…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

LSU pitcher Gage Jump pitched a gem last night and the LSU Tigers won the first game of its series against Ole Miss by beating the Rebels five to one in a game that was delayed for about an hour and half by weather. Jump struck out eight hitters over six innings and gave up one run. LSU’s Luke Holman will try to duplicate that performance today.

Louisiana Tech plays a doubleheader today against Liberty to wrap up the regular season. The Bulldogs Adarius Myers drove in the go ahead run in the ninth last night as the Bulldogs defeated Liberty four to three.

The 21st ranked Ragin Cajuns could not finish their game with South Alabama last night. U-L Lafayette leads the Jaguars six to four in the sixth inning and the game will resume at 3 PM.

ULM’s baseball game was suspended in the bottom of the eighth with the Warhawks leading Arkansas State eight to four. The game will resume at 1 PM today.

Southeastern Louisiana clinched a spot in the Southland Tournament by sweeping Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi.

The highlight of the Saints 2024 schedule is Sean Payton’s return to the Superdome on October 17th. New Orleans and Payton’s Broncos will play on Thursday night football. Nola-dot-com’s Luke Johnson covers the Saints and says it’s a game the Saints should win…
cut 18 (21) “….I think”
The Saints kick off the season by hosting Carolina September eight.

NCAA Softball Regional action gets underway today. At 1:30 PM, LSU hosts Jackson State and at noon U-L Lafayette hosts Princeton. The Cajuns are hosting their first Regional since 2016. Infielder Brooke Ellestad says it’s good to be home…
cut 26 (07) “….more comfortable”

The Supreme Court says the most recent congressional map approved by lawmakers with two Black majority districts will be the one used in upcoming federal elections. Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry says the May 15th ruling came just in time…

Cut 3 (10) “…fall elections.” 

Baton Rouge plastic surgeon Doctor “Tre” Doucet and two of his three children were killed Wednesday when their single-engine airplane broke apart en route to Louisville. Aaron McCarter with the NTSB says they will try to determine if human error, mechanical malfunction, or weather caused the crash.

Cut 8 (13) “…to tell.” 

Legislation mandating the 10 Commandments be displayed in public school and college classrooms passes in the Senate on a 30 to 8 vote. New Orleans Senator Royce Duplessis challenged Bossier City Senator Adam Bass who presented the House Bill in the upper chamber.

Cut 10 (13) “…agree with that”

Duplessis said the bill is unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment by promoting one religion over another.

Cut 11 (13) “…read and write.”

The bill was amended to recognize the 10 Commandments as a historical document. The amended bill now returns to the House for final passage.

Legislation mandating the 10 Commandments be displayed in public school and college classrooms passed in the Senate on a 30 to 8 vote. Opponents say it violates the first amendment by promoting one religion over another. Monroe Senator Jay Morris amended the bill to recognize the 10 Commandments as a historical document…

Cut 12 (11) “…mandate it.” 

The amended bill returns to the House for final passage.

National Safe Boating Week gets underway tomorrow. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries senior agent Thomas Wolf says make sure your life jackets are in good shape…

Cut 14 (07)  “…working order.”
Between 2019 and 2023 the state reported 107 boating fatalities and 82 percent of the victims weren’t wearing a lifejacket.

Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain is meeting with the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture at the U.S. Agriculture Business Conference in Havana to look at the difficulties of importing much-needed resources to Cuba. Sean Richardson has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

After yesterday’s storms 104,000 customers remain without power in Louisiana. Much of south Louisiana is under a flood watch until tomorrow morning with more rain in the forecast today. Heavy rains could lead to flash flooding tonight and into the early morning.

The Louisiana Legislature is close to passing a law that would require the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom from kindergaten all the way through college. But is it constitutional? New Orleans Senator Royce Duplessis believes its not, because it promotes Christianity over other religions…
cut 11 (11) “…read and write’
But supporters of the legislation say the Ten Commandments is historical and is the foundation of our legal system.

NCAA Softball Regional action gets underway today. At 1:30 PM, LSU hosts Jackson State and at noon U-L Lafayette hosts Princeton. The Cajuns are hosting their first Regional since 2016. Infielder Brooke Ellestad says it’s good to be home…
cut 26 (07) “….more comfortable”

Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain has spent the week in Cuba, which is experiencing a food shortage. The Cuban government is asking not just to buy seeds and fertilizer from the US but also for assistance and expertise from US farmers to help them become more self-sustainable. Strain says America needs to have a presence in Cuba and if they don’t someone else will.
Cut 6 (09) “…is our business.”

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents are participating in Safe Boating Week which gets underway tomorrow. Alcohol use is one of the leading causes of boating crash incidents L-D-W-F senior agent Thomas Wolf says the penalties for operating or driving a vessel while intoxicated are the same as driving a vehicle…
cut 15 (07) “…license”

Many are mourning the deaths of Baton Rouge plastic surgeon Doctor Lucius “Tre” Doucet and two of his three children. They were killed when when their single engine airplane broke apart enroute to Louisville on Wednesday afternoon. NTSB Aviation Investigator Aaron McCarter says an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway
Cut 7 (12) “..out of control.”
McCarter says weather could have been a factor as storms were brewing at the time.

Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain is wrapping up a week long trip to Cuba. Strain says Louisiana farmers could help the island nation as there is a food shortage. Strain says Louisiana already sends rice and poultry to Cuba, but they need more and it could lead to more opportunities for Louisiana…
cut 5 (07) “….very little equipment”

Safe Boating Week gets underway tomorrow. Mel Bridges has more.
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”

The NCAA Softball tournament gets underway today with action in Baton Rouge and Lafayette. The LSU Tigers host Jackson State at 1:30 and the Cajuns Coach Gerry Glasco’s team takes on Princeton at noon. Glasco has a scouting report on the Ivy League school…
cut 21 (09) “…on your infield”

The Louisiana Senate has passed legislation mandating the Ten Commandments be displayed in public school and college classrooms on a 30 to 8 vote. New Orleans Senator Royce Duplessis challenged Bossier City Senator Adam Bass who presented House Bill 71 in the upper chamber.
Cut 10 (13) “…agree with that”
The measure still needs House approval on Senate changes and then it heads to the governor’s desk.

Governor Landry continues to push the Senate to pass the Gator Scholarship Program which will make public dollars available to families of all income levels to pay for private school. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat…
cut 20 (05) “…achievements”
One of Landry’s campaign promises was school choice. But senators are concerned about the cost of the program. One estimate has it costing the state 529-million dollars in the third year of the program.

Graduation ceremonies take place today at LSU but there is a sense of sadness as Giselle and Jean-Luc Doucet, along with their father, Doctor Tre Doucet were killed in a plane crash near Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday. Officials say their 1966 Beechcraft V-35 Bonanza plane broke apart mid-air as it was heading to Louisville, Kentucky. The NTSB’s Aaron McCarter says the age of the plane is not a concern…
cut 9 (11) “….flying”
Doucet was known was an avid flight enthusiast and the Opelousas native was a plastic surgeon in Baton Rouge.

National Safe Boating Week gets underway tomorrow. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries senior agent Thomas Wolf says make sure your life jackets are in good shape…
cut 14 (07) “….working order”
Between 2019 and 2023 the state reported 107 boating fatalities and 82 percent of the victims weren’t wearing a lifejacket.

Legislation mandating the 10 Commandments be displayed in public school and college classrooms is nearing final passage. Brooke Thorington explains…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

There’s a little over two weeks left in the legislative session and Governor Jeff Landry is pushing lawmakers to approve the Gator Scholarship Program which would allow parents access to public dollars to pay for private school. How to pay for it is the big question, Landry is suggesting to use money that’s currently protected in the state constitution.

Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain is at the U.S. Agriculture Business Conference in Havana, Cuba to connect US rice and poultry exporters with potential Cuba importers. Strain says the country is in desperate need of food and that need continues to climb.
Cut 4 (12) “….billion or more.”
Strain is meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture to lay out logistics on the type of imports the country can handle.

Tomorrow is the start of Safe Boating Week, and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Senior Agent Thomas Wolf says now is the time to make sure everything on your boat is in working order….
Cut 13 (10) “…the action.”
Between 2019 and 2023 the state reported 107 boating fatalities and 82 percent of the victims weren’t wearing a lifejacket.