A House bill, criticized as “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, clears its first legislative hurdle. Kevin Gallagher reports…:
Cut 1 (34) “I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
_______________________________________________
A Louisiana teen excepted to several top universities earns scholarships totaling $1.2 million for college. Teiko Foxx has more…
_______________________________________________
St. Charles Parish files a lawsuit against FEMA over the Risk Rating 2.0. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
_____________________________________________
A bill that would forbid school teachers and staff from classroom discussion of gender identity and sexual preference topics clears its first legislative hurdle. Bossier Parish Republican Representative Dodie Horton sponsors the legislation. In the House Education Committee, Baton Rouge Rep. Barbara Frieberg tells Horton her bill is not necessary…:
Cut 4 (09) “…shouldn’t control this.”
Horton says local school districts tell her the policy would be more defensible from a legal standpoint if it is set into state statutes…:
Cut 5 (10) “…a policy around.”
Horton’s House Bill 466 has been criticized as a “Don’t Say Gay” bill, but she says it would simply ban discussing such topics with students in class or during extracurricular activities. It also addresses use of so-called “preferred pronouns,” stating teachers are not required to use them unless parents have given permission/request to address their child as such. Claiborne Parish Rep. Patrick Jefferson worries the bill would mean students can no longer seek advice from teachers…:
Cut 6 (09) “…have a question.”
Horton says the bill would only apply to such discussion in class or school-sanctioned activities. She says a student could seek advice from a teacher otherwise…:
By a vote of 7 “yeas” and 5 “nays”, the bill moves to the House floor for debate. Horton filed the same bill last year but withdrew it due to lack of support.
_______________________________________________
A Louisiana High School Senior has secured $1.2 million in academic and merit scholarships for college. Kelsie Tillage, a senior at Southern University Laboratory School in Baton Rouge, says she was unsure if she would receive a scholarship when she first applied.
Tillage maintains a 4.25 GPA and has been accepted into more than six top universities including Tufts, Spelman, UNC, Howard, Rhodes, and more. She is also dually enrolled at Southern University and has accumulated 30 college credit hours. Tillage has also broadened her resume by participating in several volunteer ventures.
Tillage is a published author with an anthology series – “Unpopular Opinions”. She is also a Duke Tip and John Hopkins CTY scholar and was awarded the Gold Medal Congressional Award in 2022, the highest honor a youth civilian can achieve through the US Senate and House of Representatives. Tillage says the best way to get a scholarship is to simply apply.
She was recently awarded the 2023 Louisiana Public Broadcasting Young Hero Award. Tillage will be attending Spelman College - a historically Black college and a global leader in the education of African American women in Atlanta - this fall with the class of 2027.
____________________________________________________
After exhausting all other options, St. Charles Parish files a lawsuit against FEMA seeking transparency of the Risk Rating 2.0 calculations. Parish President Matthew Jewell says on average property owners in the area have seen their flood insurance increase more than 200 percent.
Jewell says the new pricing methodology has not been shared with local leaders and even members of the state’s congressional delegation have been denied access.
With millions invested in the construction of new levees and pumps, Jewell says the parish is protected more than ever but yet property owners are going to be priced out of living in St. Charles Parish. Jewell believes instead of using a model to create rates, the rates were calculated in reverse.
The federal lawsuit is filed on the basis of being denied a public document under the Freedom of Information Act.
________________________________________
The USDA approves a fourth round of Pandemic-EBT for Louisiana. The Bayou State is among more than 25 states that received the approval. Department of Children and Family Services Economic Stability Director Tim Jenkins says this is welcome news for recipients.
Cut 14 (11) “…public health emergency.”
Jenkins says DCFS will issue benefits to school-aged children; K-12, along with zero- to five-year-olds who are currently receiving SNAP.
Cut 15 (10) “…for the summer.”
Schools will advise DCFS of the children who are eligible and the funds will be automatically added to P-EBT cards. Parents of children who are in a BESE-approved home-school study program or attend an approved virtual school will have to apply for benefits by May 11th.
The first group to receive benefits will be children who are eligible for free and reduced lunch, or who attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school. Jenkins the students will have to have missed school due to COVID or had a COVID quarantine. Jenkins anticipates the number of qualified applicants for this round of P-EBT will be less than before.
Children in the zero- to five-year-old age range Jenkins anticipates will be $120,000 in benefits monthly. The largest population to receive benefits will be the summer group of over 600,000 children.
Call 2-1-1 for more information.
______________________________________________
The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft is tonight, and the Saints hold the 29th overall pick thanks to Sean Payton’s move to Denver. New Orleans’ tenth overall pick belongs to the Eagles after trading up in last year’s first round. Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis is known for his aggressive drafting strategy and seems open to moving up again if possible. He says the Saints don’t have the ammunition to make a big jump forward, but don’t expect them to move back either…
After an offseason of speculation and key free agent signings many believe the Saints will try to address tight end or the interior defensive line with their top overall pick. Loomis says this year’s tight end and cornerback classes were especially deep, but New Orleans isn’t opposed to adding to an already strong position group…
______________________________________
The NFL Draft starts off tonight, and a couple of LSU players will hope to hear their names called over the weekend. Edge rusher BJ Ojulari is the Tigers’ strongest prospect but could be slightly undersized for his position. Draft Analyst Mike Detillier says he’s shown a lot of technical talent at one of the most sought-after positions in the NFL Draft, but he’s just on the outside of the first round looking in…
Wide Receiver Kayshon Boutte shocked LSU fans when he declared for the draft after initially planning to return to LSU. Boutte began the season as a preseason All-American and projected first-round pick but struggled throughout the year for the Tigers and wasn’t able to impress in pre-draft workouts. Detillier projects him to go in the third or fourth round and suspects the ankle injury that ended his 2022 season has a lot to do with his regression…