The state health department reported 5,388 new COVID cases today, the third-highest single day total since the pandemic started. The number of COVID-19 hospital patients also continues to rise. It now stands 844, the highest it’s been since mid-February.

UL-Lafayette kicks off an incentive program to encourage students to return to campus fully vaccinated this fall. Brooke Thorington has more.
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It’s the House’s turn this afternoon to consider whether to overturn the governor’s veto of a bill that bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. 70 votes are needed in the lower chamber after the Senate narrowly voted to override the governor’s veto of Senate Bill 156. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says there are 68 Republicans in the House and the GOP may need a couple of Democrats to vote their way in order to execute the override..
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Sad story out of St. Landry Parish as a 17-year-old riding a horse in a retention pond near Beau Chene High School drowned after he fell off the horse. Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says the horse got spooked as the water got deep and Jacory Levier’s body was recovered last night….
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The St. Landry Parish School system says Levier was a student at Port Barre High School.

The state saw another dramatic increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations today as the Delta variant fueled surge rips across the state. 65 more COVID patients have been admitted to hospitals putting the total number of hospitalizations at 844 while nearly 5,400 new cases were reported today. It’s the third highest single day report in new cases and our hospitalization numbers are now back to where they were in February.

That has many concerned about the start of the fall semester at higher education institutions. UL-Lafayette is one of those programs hoping to combat the increase with their  ‘Don’t Wait. Vaccine!” incentive program. Dean of Students Dr. Margarita Perez says they will hold a drawing and give away 10 prizes to fully vaccinated students.

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Prizes include iPhone, MacBook Airs, and free campus parking.

The Louisiana Office of Tourism is asking you for sites submissions known for their unique birding and outdoor recreation as a part of the redesigned Louisiana Birding Trails project. Erik Piccoli has the story…

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The Louisiana State House is set to gavel in at 1 PM today for the second day of this historic veto override session. They’re set to take up an override of the Governor’s veto of legislation banning transgender atheltes from girls and women’s K-12 and higher ed sports teams. 

The House will consider whether to overturn the governor’s veto of a bill that bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. 70 votes are needed to override the veto. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat the 68 Republicans will need two votes and only one of the three independent representatives will be at the capitol today, so they’ll need a Democrat to cross party lines.

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The House convenes at 1 pm.

A 17-year-old drown Tuesday after he was thrown from a horse in a retention pond. St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says Jacory Levier led the horse when into the pond.

Cut 3 (11) “…and drown.” 

The body was recovered hours later.

Six Louisianans have been arrested by the Attorney General’s Office for allegedly defrauding California out of a million dollars in unemployment benefits. Louisiana Bureau of Investigations Special Agent Ernest Green says the scheme was based around filing fraudulent online claims with the nation’s largest state during the early days of the pandemic.

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The Louisiana Office of Tourism is seeking site nominations known for exceptional birding and outdoor recreation to be included for the redesigned Louisiana Birding Trails. Louisiana Byways Director Sharon Calcote says outdoor recreation, which includes birdwatching, accounts for nearly 7 million dollars of income for the state…

Cut 9 (10) “…pretty substantial part.” 

It’s day two of the veto session and the House will have the opportunity to complete the override effort of a bill that would prohibit transgender students from playing organized female sports. But an effort to override a veto of a bill that would remove the need for a permit to carry concealed a gun failed to get two-thirds support in the Senate. The bill is authored by West Monroe Senator Jay Morris…
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Four senators who voted for Morris’s bill on June 1st voted against the override effort yesterday including Natchitoches Senator Louie Bernard, who changed his mind after some reflection away from Baton Rouge…
cut 5 (13) “….in the session”

The Louisiana Office of Tourism is asking the public for excellent bird watching sites as the state agency works to redesign the state’s Birding Trails…
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It has been a wet summer, especially for southeast Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says 2021 rainfall totals for the Big Easy are close to surpassing the rainfall total the city normally sees for an entire year…
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On the opening day of the state’s first-ever veto session, Louisiana’s Republican state Senators were successful in their effort to override Governor Edwards’ veto of a bill that would prohibit transgender students from participating in school sports. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell told lawmakers the public overwhelmingly supports her legislation…
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The Louisiana House will have its opportunity today to finalize the override. There are 27 other bills that were vetoed but political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the transgender sports bill is the big one…
cut 16 (11) “….mattered”

There is not enough support in the Louisiana Senate to override Governor Edwarsds’ veto of a bill that would allow for adults to conceal carry a gun without a permit. The effort needed 26 votes and 23 Senators voted for the override. Norco’s Gary Smith was the lone Democratic Senator to vote in favor during the regular session, but he says he changed his mind after thinking about his own experience as an avid gun collector.
Cut 6 (11) “…been invaluable.”

It’s been a wet summer across south Louisiana, especially in southeast Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says fronts hardly ever move through the state during the summertime, but that’s not been the case this year…
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Keim says drier days should be coming soon, but that will also mean hotter temperatures.

The Senate has voted to override Governor Edwards’s veto of a bill that would ban transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports. Brooke Thorington examines whether there are enough votes in the House to complete the override effort….
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AT 2 PM, the governor holds his monthly Ask the Governor Show. Edwards will give his thoughts on the override veto session. He’ll also discuss the state’s fourth COVID surge. The state has surpassed 500-thousand total cases since the pandemic started and the number of people hospitalized is 779.

While lawmakers are poised to override Governor Edwards’s veto of a transgender sports bill, an effort to override his veto of a permitless conceal carry bill has failed in the Senate after several lawmakers voted against the override effort, after voting for the legislation during the regular session. One of those lost votes came from Natchitoches Senator Louie Bernard…
Cut 5 (13) “…in the session.”

Torrential rain led to flooding in parts of St. Tammany Parish yesterday as south Louisiana has been mired in a wet summer. But State Climatologist Barry Keim says the weather pattern is expected to change in the next few days which will benefit the drought stricken areas of our country…
cut 13 (08) “…little bit’

All of the attention is on the Louisiana House as the override veto session enters a second day. Yesterday, the Senate voted to override Governor Edwards veto of a bill that bans transgender athletes from playing female sports. The House will have that same opportunity today. 70 votes are needed and political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says if the G-O-P needs votes from Democrats in order to override the veto it might not happen…
cut 15 (10) “…and helping Republicans”
The House convenes at 1 PM.

It has been a wet summer, especially for south Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the 2021 rainfall totals for the Big Easy are close to surpassing the rainfall total the city normally sees for an entire year…
cut 11 (10) “…to go”

The Louisiana Senate has killed an effort to override the Governor’s veto of legislation that would remove the need to get a permit to carry a concealed firearm for those 21 and older. West Monroe Senator Jay Morris says his bill is a 2nd Amendment issue and the state already allows people to carry guns without a permit.
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The legislation passed during the regular session with 27 votes, but four lawmakers who voted yes earlier this year, voted no yesterday. Marrero Senator Patrick Connick says he changed his mind after speaking with law enforcement leaders in his district. He says after that happened he got inundated with hateful messages…
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An effort to override Governor Edwards’ veto of legislation allowing concealed carry without a permit is defeated in the Senate after four lawmakers backed away from their regular session support. Matt Doyle has the story…
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The vote was 23 to 15 in favor to override the governor’s veto of permitless concealed carry. 26 yes votes were needed.

It’s the House’s turn today to consider whether to overturn the governor’s veto of a bill that bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. 70 votes are needed in the lower chamber after the Senate narrowly voted to override the governor’s veto of Senate Bill 156. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says if lawmakers vote upon party lines, the 68 Republicans in the House need two votes and there are two independent representatives attending the session.
Cut 14 (08) “…the governor.”
The House convenes at 1 PM.

If you are a bird watcher and know a good place to watch, the Louisiana Office of Tourism wants to know about it as they are updating the state’s Birding trails for the first time in 20 years…
cut 8 (12) “…around the state”
Louisiana Byways Director Sharon Calcote says nominations can be submitted to la-birding-trails-dot-com.