The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries released several new regulations on red drum fishing that go into effect today. Mel Bridges explains…
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”
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Governor Jeff Landry signed the LA GATOR Scholarship Program into law today, which will provide vouchers for more parents to send their kids to better schools. Mel Bridges has more…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”
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While Louisiana hopes to be the first state to require public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, the newly signed law is already facing a legal challenge. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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Starting today, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will enforce several new limits on catching red drum in an attempt to curb overfishing. LDWF Director of Marine Fisheries Chris Schieble (sheeble) says the new regulations aren’t anything too crazy.
Cut 4 (05) “…of four.”
Additionally, the caught red drum now must be between 18 and 27 inches. Schieble says there are also new rules for whether or not the captain and crew on charter on for-hire trips can catch and keep red drum.
Cut 5 (10) “…catches one.”
These limits are in place to get the population of red drum back up after LDWF found signs of overfishing, such as not enough juvenile fish making it back to spawning areas. Luckily, Schieble says, it shouldn’t take too long for red drum to bounce back.
Cut 6 (05) “…fairly quickly.”
LDWF estimates the red drum population will recover in three to five years with these regulations in place.
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Governor Jeff Landry signed the LA GATOR Scholarship Program into law yesterday, which will provide vouchers for more parents to send their kids to better schools. Bill author Senator Rick Edmonds of Baton Rouge says GATOR will look similar to the current voucher program for low-income students and students in low-rated schools.
Cut 7 (07) “…funded.”
The plan is to eventually expand GATOR to cover students of all incomes and schools. Similar programs in other states have ballooned financially as parents took vouchers and sent their kids to different schools whether they needed to or not. Edmonds says he and his team planned for this while creating GATOR.
Cut 8 (08) “…both worlds.”
In addition to tuition, the vouchers could also be used for tutoring, textbooks, dual enrollment courses, uniforms, and transportation. Edmonds says he hopes GATOR, which will roll out in three phases, becomes a blueprint for how to do a state scholarship program right.
Cut 9 (06) “…together.”
Phase one of GATOR is set to start for the 2025-26 school year.
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Upon Governor Jeff Landry’s signature of the Ten Commandments bill requiring them to be posted in every public school classroom, Executive Director of the ACLU of Louisiana Alanah Odoms says they are filing a lawsuit.
Cut 10 (11) “…face of that.”
President of the Louisiana Family Forum Gene Mills helped craft the legislation and he believes not only do the Ten Commandments belong in the classroom for their historical significance, but they set a universal moral code that every individual conscience is bound to.
Cut 11 (13) “…a challenge.”
Governor Landry has stated he welcomes the legal challenge as Louisiana becomes the first state to require them in the classroom. Odoms says Landry knows what he signed is patently unconstitutional.
Cut 12 (13) “…in court.”
Mills says the Ten Commandments law will withstand the legal challenge and once it does, he believes other states will follow Louisiana’s lead.
Cut 13 (07) “…the challenge.”
The law also authorizes the display of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance.
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As peak watermelon season approaches, more and more Washington Parish watermelons will appear in stores and stands. State Representative John Wyble explains what makes melons from Washington Parish so special…
Cut 14 (08) “…continuing that.”
Wyble says shoppers looking for local, high-quality watermelons should look for fruits with a Washington Parish Watermelons sticker. Only watermelons grown in Washington Parish can have the sticker, and anyone found to be mislabeling melons could face fines or other consequences.
Cut 15 (07) “…that you can find.”
Washington Parish also hosts a Watermelon Festival. This year, it’s July 5 through 7 at the Washington Parish Fair Grounds.
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