4:30 LRN Newscast February 09

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, but Republican Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt says Fields’ proposal would actually dilute the black vote in both districts…:

CUT 13(10)      “…minority representation 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. A federal consent decree from decades ago, mandates the state have “at least one” majority black district.

COVID hospitalizations keep dropping in Louisiana. The state Department of Health today reports 1435 patients under care; a drop of over 100 in just one day.

 

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 06(13)      “move the needle too much.”

Stockley says unless Chambers can raise a lot of cash AND appeal to at least SOME non-black voters, he doesn’t stand a chance.

New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson is suing a neighbor over the death of one of her dogs. Benson’s lawyer says the neighbor’s dogs got out unrestrained and left the Yorkie “literally torn apart.” Another dog was badly injured, but lived. The neighbor’s dogs have been euthanized. Benson says, if she wins the suit, she’ll give the money to a pet charity, and match it out-of-pocket.