LRN PM Newscall February 9

He’s a poli-sci student at LSU and winner of the second quarter-finals in Jeopardy’s College Champions. Brooke Thorington has more on who is Steven Privat. (Pre-vot).

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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The Louisiana Senate approves a new Congressional map that does NOT contain a second Black-majority Congressional district. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (33)…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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The House Governmental Affairs Committee approves a new state House map that keeps the number of majority-minority districts at 29. Opponents say the map is gerrymandered to prevent more blacks from being elected to the state legislature. A high school student from Shreveport was vocal in her opposition…

Cut 3 (14) “..from office.”

Despite the strong words from 17-year-old Autumn Summers, the measure was approved on a 13-4 vote and heads to the House floor for more consideration.

The high school students have an issue with a majority-black district in Natchitoches being moved to New Orleans. House Governmental Affairs Chairman John Stefanski grilled the teens about the opposition…

Cut 4 (11) “…moved it”

Stefanski asked the teenagers if they knew the definition of gerrymandering…

Cut 5 (15) “..gerrymander.”

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In a new 60-second online ad, U-S Senate candidate Gary Chambers sets a Confederate flag on fire, while talking about systemic inequalities in criminal justice, economics, and voting rights. The ad is getting attention, but ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley doesn’t see it improving Chambers’ chances at winning.

 Cut 6 (13) “…needle too much.” 

Chambers faces a major uphill climb in trying to unseat incumbent Senator John Kennedy, as a relative newcomer to politics. Professor Stockley says Chambers has to pull out all the stops to draw people to his campaign.

Cut 7 (12) “…his case, incendiary.” 

Stockley believes Chambers has raised some very important issues but has a long way to go in areas like fundraising and developing a campaign with broader appeal, in a state that hasn’t been kind to progressive candidates.

Cut 8 (13) “…very Republican state.”  

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He’s a Lafayette native, a political science major at LSU, and is the second quarter-final winner of Jeopardy’s National College Champions for 2022. Who is Steven Privat. (Pre-vot). Privat was a guest on Talk 107.3 in Baton Rouge this morning, and even though he wasn’t able to discuss anything beyond Tuesday’s episode he says the experience is exciting.

Cut 9 (11) “…some questions.”

To become a Jeopardy contestant Privat says he first took an online test, and then was invited for an audition which includes a mock round of the game show. Privat chose to enter College Champions and says it’s a long process before you get behind the buzzer.

Cut 10 (12)  “…that long ago.” 

Privat says he even forged friendships with fellow contestants, and he isn’t the only one with Louisiana ties competing in the College Championship this year.

Cut  11 (10)   “….who’s competing.”  

Liz Feltner representing Northeastern will compete in episode four and Tulane’s Fiona Hellerman will appear in episode six. The Jeopardy College Championship continues tonight at 7 pm on ABC.

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The state Senate has approved a new Congressional district map that maintains the status quo and that’s just one majority-minority district. Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields authored an amendment that created a second-majority Black voting district by taking voters from Representative Julia Letlow’s 5th district…

Cut 12 (11) “…with the law”.  

But Fields amendment failed on a party-line vote. Republican Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt says Fields’s proposal would actually dilute the black vote in the two majority-minority districts he’s trying to create.

Cut 13 (10) “…whatsoever.”

Black lawmakers argue that 33-percent of the state’s population is African-American, therefore two of the state’s six congressional districts should be majority-minority, if not it violates the Voting Rights Act.

Hewitt disagrees and says a law firm hired by the Legislature has told them that her proposed map is legal. But New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson wanted to know more about this law firm…

Cut 14 (15)  “…it matter.” 

Hewitt later identified lawyer at Kate McKnight.

Governor John Bel Edwards could veto the proposal as he believes there should be two majority-minority districts.