AM Newscall, May 19th, 2015

The House Civil Law Committee will hear controversial legislation today that deals with discrimination against gays and same sex couples. Jeff Palermo reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Senator Bill Cassidy’s bill to expand drilling in the Gulf and increase the revenues Gulf states receive for supporting offshore energy production receives a hearing today on Capitol hill. Scott Carwile has the story…

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To recognize National Dog Bite Prevention Week, State Farm compiled claims data and found that Louisiana ranks 14th in the United States in a 2014 analysis of dog bite injury claims. Michelle Southern reports.:

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Today the House Civil Law Committee will hear Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson’s controversial religious freedom bill. Johnson says HB 707 would prevent adverse treatment from the state of any person or entity on the basis of their religious views on marriage, while opponents feel this bill legalizes discrimination. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat doesn’t think the outlook for this bill is good…

cut 4  (07)  “probably not”

The committee is also expected to hear a bill by New Orleans Representative Austin Badon that would protect someone from being fired from a job or denied housing because of their sexual orientation. Pinsonat believes this bill will be shot down as well…

Cut 5  (10)  “no to this” 2X

Pinsonat says there are already many laws on the books to protect individual rights and passing more of those laws is not popular among Louisiana voters…

Cut 6 (08)  “feel about it”

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The US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hears legislation today that seeks to expand offshore drilling and provides Louisiana with additional dollars from oil and gas produced in federal waters off the state’s coast. Recently elected Senator Bill Cassidy is the author of the bill that supporters say could create over 200-thousand jobs

CUT 7 (08)  “with that”

Louisiana and three other gulf states currently receive hundreds of millions of dollars for hosting offshore energy production. But there’s a cap on how much the states can receive, Cassidy is calling for a raising of the cap with this bill…

Cut 8  (10)  “Security Act” 

Cassidy’s bill would also allow for offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico in 2017. While the Obama administration has signed off on a plan to drill in the Artic Ocean north of Alaska, it’s held firm on a ban that prohibits drilling in the Eastern Gulf. Cassidy hopes his legislation can lift that ban

Cut 9 (08)  “for you”

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An 11-year-old boy was killed in Ruston Monday after the car he was riding in got swept away in flash flood waters and he was trapped inside. Police Department spokesman Deputy Chief Clint Williams says a woman was taking her 11 and 7 year old grandsons to school when their vehicle got swept into a creek. He says they located the driver…:

Cut 10 (11) “clinging to a tree”

Williams says the grandmother and the 7-year-old were able to remove themselves from the vehicle and they were rescued. He says they found the partially submerged car when the creek waters began to recede…:

cut 11 (05) “the 11-year-old”

Williams says they want to remind the public that you should never travel when there is water on the roadway, especially moving water…:

cut 12 (08)   “again”

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To recognize National Dog Bite Prevention Week, State Farm compiled claims data and found that Louisiana ranks 14th in the United States in a 2014 analysis of dog bite injury claims. The company says it paid out nearly $3 million dollars here for dog bite claims last year. Spokesman Roszell Gadson says they want people to be mindful of safety when it comes to unfamiliar animals…:

Cut 13 (10)  “proper shots”

Gadson says while an overwhelming majority of interactions with dogs don’t result in injury, most dog bites to children could be prevented. He says parents should teach their kids not to trust strange dogs…:

Cut 14 (10) “from the owner”

Gadson says having the proper insurance coverage for your pet situation is an important aspect to being a responsible dog owner…:

Cut 15  (07)  “have a pet”

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New men’s basketball coach Eric Konkol says he’s wants to build on a standard of excellence that’s already growing at Louisiana Tech. Konkol takes over for Michael White, who won three straight league titles. Konkol, who has been an assistant at Miami for the last four seasons, says he’s heard nothing but great things about the Bulldog basketball program….

Cut 16  (19)  “to me”

Last year, Tech won 27 games and they were second in Conference USA in scoring. During his introductory press conference, Konkol talked about his philosphy on offense

Cut 17 (19)  “great shot”

The Bulldogs have also been a team that liked to create turnovers and fast break opportunities on offense. Konkol says he wants to keep that style in place…

Cut 18 (18) “to them”‘