State lawmakers are accused of coming up with nutty ideas, well this one might make sense as a central Louisiana lawmaker wants to make the pecan the official state nut. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”
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Governor Edwards releases a Public Service Announcement urging Medicaid recipients to update their contact information with the program as eligibility checks are re-starting in April. Don Molino has the story…
Cut 2 (32) “….I’m Jeff Palermo”
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Alexandria Representative Lance Harris has authored a bill that would designate a little taste of Louisiana – the pecan as the official state nut and authorize its use on official state documents and with the insignia of the state. Harris says in a quest to identify the state nut he realized one did not exist and a constituent requested he propose the bill.
Louisiana harvests an average of 17.7 million pounds of pecans annually and ranks top five among pecan-producing states. Harris says the only nut produced in the state has been overlooked and this measure will add candied benefits for Louisiana growers.
Cut 4 (11) “…that designation”
Harris says the state sports one of the largest crops of pecans in the south – Louisianans love them and it’s time to make it official.
Lawmakers will hear the bill in the legislative session that begins April 10.
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It’s another great week for crawfish consumers with an average 15-cent drop in prices this week. That’s according to Crawfish App co-founder Laney King. She says the drop in prices wasn’t at the dock this time, it was retailers who dropped their prices.
Cut 6 (09) “…crawfish season.”
Which of course is Easter weekend. You can expect to pay about $2.64 a pound this weekend for live crawfish. As we approach Easter weekend, King says you’ll want to start planning now if you haven’t already and reserve your sacks as soon as possible. And even though there’s been a consistent weekly drop in crawfish prices this season King predicts that’s about to change.
Cut 7 (10) “…quarter a pound.”
And if you’re hankering for some crawfish this weekend and aren’t in the mood to boil them yourself, King says you’ll pay about $4.00 a pound.
The Crawfish App compiles data from more than 16-hundred Louisiana vendors and prices this weekend are down 20-cents a pound compared to the same weekend in 2022
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Governor John Bel Edwards urges Medicaid recipients to take action and check their eligibility status, to avoid losing coverage. Eligibility reviews typically happen annually but were paused due to the COVID pandemic. In a public service announcement released earlier today, Edwards says this will be an important and critical process for many Louisianans.
The massive outreach effort will cost nearly $196-million. Medicaid eligibility reviews will begin in April but it will take up to 14 months to complete. Edward says renewal packets and information letters will be mailed to more than two million members – who should reply right away.
Cut 10 (09) “…contact information”
The process is expected to continue into the next fiscal year with an $89.2-million budget. Edward says this is a top priority for his administration and LDH and they will do everything they can to remove practical barriers and meet members where they are.
LDH estimates more than 300-thousand people will be taken off of Medicaid during the re-eligibility process. Visit Louisianaradionetwork.com to view resources on where to update contact information.
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District 1 Congressman and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says the indictment of former President Donald Trump is a political maneuver. Scalise says the New York City D.A. Alvin Bragg is abusing his power…:
Cut 12 (13) “…after Donald Trump.”
Trump has been indicted for alleged illegal use of campaign dollars as hush money to cover up an alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. He is the first former (or seated) U.S. President to ever be formally accused of a crime. Scalise says the New York district attorney is pretty obviously acting in the best interests of his political party; not his constituents…:
Cut 13 (11) “…politically-charged.”
Scalise says the charges are alleged violation of federal law, and federal prosecutors have not seen fit to indict Trump. He questions why a local D.A. would press the issue…:
Cut 14 (08) “…standard in America.”
Scalise says it’s “clear to anyone who looks at it impartially” that the Trump indictment is politically-motivated to hurt Trump’s 2024 election plans.
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