Governor Edwards is no longer requiring face masks in schools and COVID restrictions on businesses have also been lifted as a result of a new public health emergency order. But Edwards says the state will continue its push to vaccinate more individuals as people are dying from COVID every day…
cut 5 (10) “….is effective’
10,548 Louisianans have died of COVID-19 and 13 new deaths were reported Tuesday.

Recently elected Congresswoman Julia Letlow has joined with Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee to introduce the Broadband for Rural America Act….
Cut 14 (11) “…to connect.”
Letlow says a least 350-thousand households in Louisiana do not have high-speed internet as defined by the FCC.

Senate Judiciary B voted for a proposal that would result in a referendum in St. Tammany Parish to see if voters approve of a new casino in Slidell. Chairman Gary Smith was questioned about his wife working as a lobbyist on behalf of a company trying to bring a casino to the Northshore…
cut 13 (10) “…on that”
The legislation heads to Senate Finance, which has yet to pass a similar bill on this topic.

There’s a bill that would create the Louisiana Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Team within the Louisiana Health Department. Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Executive Director Mariah Wisneski says the panel will examine domestic violence deaths to see if there were missed opportunities to intervene and potential areas for reform….
cut 10 (09) “….information”
The measure is expected to get a vote on the House floor today.

Governor Edwards has removed all remaining business capacity restrictions and the mask requirement for students in public schools. Edwards says the decision comes after hitting an all-time low in COVID-related hospitalizations, and…
cut 4 (10) “…their part”

State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says based on data from the dating website OkCupid, vaccinated individuals are considered “more attractive”…
Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

A proposal that would allow voters in St. Tammany Parish to decide if they want a riverboat casino in Slidell passed on a four to three vote in the Senate Judiciary B Committee. Chairman Gary Smith of Norco voted for it. His wife is one of 19 lobbyists trying to bring the casino to the Northshore. Pearl River resident Lisa Clayton testified against the legislation…
cut 12 (11) “…impartiality”
Smith responded by saying his wife was a lobbyist long before they met and she has a separate career and they keep it professional.

State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter is touting data from the dating website OkCupid shows users who identify as vaccinated are considered “more attractive”. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

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A House bill to study domestic violence fatalities in Louisiana continues to make its way through the legislature

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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A house-approved bill allowing St. Tammany residents the right to vote on whether they want a casino built outside of Slidell resulted in some chippy testimony in a Senate committee. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

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Starting today most of the remaining COVID public health restrictions will be lifted.

Governor Edwards says his decision to drop most of the remaining limitations was due to the fact we’ve hit an all-time low in COVID-related hospitalizations, and…

Cut 4 (10)”…their part.”

Only 269 Louisianans are currently hospitalized with COVID, down from the all-time high of 2,069 on January 7^th.

But Edwards says despite our recent success he isn’t canceling the public health emergency declaration. He says we have a lot of work to do and are still seeing new COVID deaths every day.

Cut 5 (10)”…is effective.”

10,548 Louisianans have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic last year and 13 new deaths were reported Tuesday.

The mask mandate for educational settings will remain in place through the end of the current semester but will cease for the summer semester. Masks will still be required in health care facilities, prisons, and public transit.

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With the number of new weekly vaccinations dropping the state is pulling out all the stops to get more people off the fence. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter had a unique pitch to the unvaccinated…

Cut 6 (10)”…more attractive.”

Dating apps like Tinder and Bumble are even offering special bonuses to users who get vaccinated…

Cut 7 (09)  “…to everyone.”

____________________

A House bill to study domestic violence fatalities in the state continues to make its way through the legislature. Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Executive Director Mariah Wisneski says House Bill 452 creates a multidisciplinary team within the health department to review a victim’s records.

Cut 8 (12) “…future homicides.”

The review will pinpoint missed opportunities for intervention and potential areas for reform.

Wisneski says Louisiana has one of the highest rates of domestic violence fatalities in the nation and the formation of a review team is overdue.

Cut 9 (09) “…review team.” 

Because the bill involves funding and would be part of the health department’s duties its been through several House committees. Wisneski says the framework of the bill is set up to similar mortality reviews already in place in the health department.

Cut 10 (09) “…information.”

Wisneski says so far the bill has received bipartisan support and she’s hopeful it will eventually reach the governor’s desk.

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Senate Judiciary B advances House-approved legislation giving St. Tammany residents the right to vote on whether they want a casino to be built on the water outside of Slidell.

Slidell resident Camille Thompson spoke against the bill. She says it’s not fair that people in the Parish outside of Slidell get to vote on this.

Cut 11 (10) “….about that.”

The proposal would relocate a license currently held by DiamondJacks in Bossier City to St. Tammany Parish.

And another opponent, Lisa Clayton of Pearl River, questioned the integrity of Chairman Gary Smith, saying his wife’s connection to the gaming industry is suspect…

Cut 12 (11) “…impartiality.”

But Smith countered that his wife’s career is separate from his and they handle their business professionally.

Cut 13 (10) “…on that.”

The legislation heads to Senate Finance where an identical bill by Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt has been stuck for weeks. Reportedly the bill is having trouble finding the votes needed to pass.

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Congresswoman Julia Letlow joins House Agriculture Republicans to introduce the Broadband for Rural America Act. It is one of several infrastructure proposals to help to bridge the digital divide for communities.

Cut 14 (11) “…to connect.”

Letlow says a least 350-thousand households in Louisiana do not have high-speed internet as defined by the FCC. Letlow says that’s roughly the population of Shreveport, Bossier, Monroe, and Alexandria combined.

Letlow says the funding is part of the USDA’s $7 billion authorized for connectivity programs.

Cut 15 (10)“…the conversation.”

The majority of households lacking broadband in the state are located in the state’s Fifth Congressional District that Letlow represents.

Cut 16 (09) “…as soon as possible.”

Letlow campaigned on bringing broadband connectivity to rural Louisiana.

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The Ragin Cajuns baseball team is ready for the Sun Belt tournament.  The tournament’s format is different, as the 12 conference teams are in four pools or divisions, with three teams each.  The team with the best record in that pool after two games will advance to the semi-finals. Coach Matt Deggs on the round-robin format.

Cut 17 (20) “…might not matter.”

The Cajuns take on Texas State tonight and Appalachian State on Friday in Montgomery, Alabama.  If each team in a pool is 1-1 after two games, the team with the highest seed advances.  U-L Lafayette has the highest seed in its pool, which gives them the tie-breaker.  Deggs says seeding is important in this format.

Cut  18 (14)”…higher seed.”

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The Conference USA Baseball Tournament starts today at J-C Love Field at Pat Patterson Park in Ruston. Louisiana Tech will face UTSA at 4 PM. Bulldogs Coach Lane Burroughs says winning today is a must

Cut 19 (18) “…pitch much.” 

Burroughs says hosting the tournament will help them this week, it will also benefit the program down the road as players from around the league will get to see their new park

Cut 20 (19)  “…long way.” 

Senate Judiciary C narrowly advances house-backed legislation that would decriminalize possession of up to 14 grams of marijuana. Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover says cops have better things to do than to spend time processing minor possession cases…

Cut 12 (10)    “…felon” 

The bill heads to the Senate floor for final passage.

The House passes legislation mandating schools spend more time teaching about World War Two and the Holocaust but the legislation saw opposition from Black lawmakers who were frustrated after the chamber rejected an amendment that would have required more instruction on famous Black Americans as well. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James proposed the amendment…

Cut 11 (10) “…as well”

James’s amendment failed on a 45-51 vote.

Teachers’ unions are not happy about the Legislature’s decision to only back an 800 dollar teacher pay raise as opposed to the 1000 dollar teacher pay raise that was being considered. Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative Director Cynthia Posey says even with recent pay raises we’re not keeping track with the ever-rising southern regional average for teacher pay…

Cut 3 (08)  “…to stay.” 

Louisiana schoolteachers are, on average, paid $4-thousand below the southern average.

House Ways and Means green lights a three-year extension of the state’s 180 million dollar film tax credit, pushing the program out to 2028. Supporters say the industry supports ten thousand jobs in the state but Eunice Representative Phillip Devillier is not a fan…

Cut 8 (12) “…concerns me.”

Governor John Bel Edwards announced starting Wednesday nearly all of the remaining restrictions on building capacity and social distancing will be lifted in Louisiana. Once the semester ends, students will no longer need to wear masks at schools. You will still be required to wear face masks on public transit, in health care facilities, and in prisons and jails.

The budgeted amount for K-12 teacher pay raises in Louisiana appears to be on track for $800 and not $1000 as previously discussed by lawmakers. Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative Director Cynthia Posey says the effort to push state teachers towards the southern regional average got sidetracked…

Cut 4 (08) “…again.” 

Support staff would receive a $400 pay raise. On Monday Senate finance committee released their markup of the state budget that begins July 1^st.

Senate Judiciary C advances house-backed legislation that would decriminalize possession of up to 14 grams of marijuana. Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover says under his bill those found with just under half an ounce would only face a 100 dollar fine.

Cut 12 (10)    “…felon” 

It now heads to the Senate floor.

The House passes a bill that would require Louisiana public high schools to spend more time teaching students about the Holocaust and World War II. Denham Springs Representative Valarie Hodges says currently public schools are only required to spend one semester teaching students about the topics, but she believes they should be discussed throughout a child’s high school career…

Cut 10 (11) “…I believe”

The bill passed on a 66-32 vote.

Senate Judiciary C advances house-backed legislation that would decriminalize possession of up to 14 grams of marijuana and those found with just under half an ounce would only face a 100 dollar fine. Louisiana Progress Action Policy Director Peter Robins-Brown spoke in support of the bill. He says polls show nearly 70 percent of Louisianans support decriminalization.

Cut 13 (12)“…law”

The bill heads to the Senate floor for final passage.

The House passes a bill that would require Louisiana public high schools to spend more time teaching students about the Holocaust and World War II. Denham Springs Representative Valarie Hodges says students and young adults know very little about the Holocaust…

Cut 9 (12) “…died”

Legislation that extends the state’s 180-million dollar film tax credit program for another three years through 2028 is moving closer to final passage. Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt explained to the House Ways and Means Committee on why it’s important to pass the tax credit beyond 2025…

Cut 6 (12) “…of that”

The budgeted amount for K-12 teacher pay raises in Louisiana appears to be on track for $800 and not $1000 as previously discussed by lawmakers. Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative Director Cynthia Posey says the amount is disappointing and the goal to bring teacher pay to the southern regional average continues to be put on the backburner.

Cut 3 (08)  “…to stay.” 

On Monday the Senate Finance committee released their markup of the state budget that begins on July first.

Governor John Bel Edwards announces starting tomorrow nearly all of the remaining restrictions on building capacity and social distancing will be lifted. After this semester ends students will no longer need to wear masks at schools.

It appears pay raises for the next fiscal year will be $800 for teachers and $400 for support staff. Union leaders say lawmakers claim they want to invest in education, but their actions show otherwise. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 1 (32) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

By a narrow 3-2 vote Senate Judiciary C approves legislation that would decriminalize possession of up to 14 grams of marijuana. Only one person spoke in opposition, Louisiana Baptist Convention Office of Public Policy Director Dr. Will Hall. He says these days 14 grams of marijuana can be very dangerous…

Cut 14 (09) “..THC” 

The legislation already cleared the House and is headed to the Senate for final approval.

The state House passes a bill that would require Louisiana public high schools to spend more time teaching students about the Holocaust and World War Two. Several Black lawmakers voted against the bill after Baton Rouge Representative Ted James tried to amend the bill to also include the required instruction of significant figures in Black history.

Cut 11 (10) “…as well”

James’s amendment failed 45-51.