LRN PM Newscall February 29

After the body of missing 19-year-old Sheryl Turner of New Iberia was found in Catahoula Parish, authorities say they are following up on multiple leads. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (33)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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Legislation that would restart executions of death row inmates in Louisiana received final legislative approval after an emotional vote on the Senate floor. Jeff Palermo has the story….

Cut 2 (35)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

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The body of 19-year-old Sheryl Turner of New Iberia was positively identified as the one found on January 24th in the Ouachita River. She was last seen alive around New Year’s. Catahoula Parish Sheriff Toney Edwards says they are following up on leads which includes Turner’s social media activity and friends.

Cut 3 (09) “…particular area.”  

Turner’s dismembered body was found floating in the Ouachita River by a fisherman approximately three miles north of Jonesville. Edwards says deputies are working with deputies in Iberia Parish and areas in between.

Cut 4 (11) “…incident.” 

Edwards says Turner was last seen by family members and left with a friend headed to north Louisiana at the beginning of the year. He says they are following up on leads as to that person’s identity and multiple law enforcement agencies are assisting in the investigation.

Cut 5 (10) “..work with.”

If you have any information about the case, you are asked to contact the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Department.

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Preliminary estimates show Louisiana’s crawfish crop loss approaches 140 million dollars and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain has written 2 letters this month to the Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack requesting federal assistance under the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program. His second letter sent Wednesday requested expansion or clarification…

Cut 6  (10) “…for crawfish.” 

Last year’s drought was unprecedented and losses to several of Louisiana’s industries reached around one point seven billion dollars. Strain says ELAP needs to expand to help struggling crawfish farmers.

Cut 7 (10) “…main problem.”  

Strain was in Washington D.C. earlier this month and met with Louisiana’s congressional delegation. He discussed the struggles of the crawfish farmers and how slow the season is going. He’s also meeting with state legislators.

Cut 8 (09) “…the drought.” 

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Legislation that would expand the methods Louisiana can use to carry out a death sentence has received final legislative passage. The Louisiana Senate approved the bill that would allow the state to use the electric chair or nitrogen gas to end a death row inmate’s life. New Orleans Senator Royce Duplessis voted against the proposal…

Cut 9 (09) “…simply unacceptable.” 

Religious arguments were also made against the bill. New Orleans Senator Gary Carter says the legislation is unconstitutional because the death penalty is applied in a discriminatory way…

Cut 10 (13) “…against this.”

The last execution in Louisiana was in 2010 as the state can not obtain the drugs needed to carry out a lethal injection. This bill requires that lethal injection records must be sealed. This will give the drug companies who make the chemicals needed for a lethal injection more confidence to supply the necessary drugs.

Turkey Creek Senator Heather Cloud says the death penalty is already legal and this legislation gives the state the tools to resume executions…

Cut 11 (10) “…this vote”

Right before the vote, Port Allen Senator Caleb Kleinpeter recognized the families of victims of death penalty cases who were watching from the Senate Gallery with Governor Jeff Landry…

Cut 12 (05)  “…the victims”  

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Louisiana lawmakers passed a bill that will lengthen the amount a time a first-offense DWI offender must have an ignition interlock device in order to drive. Current law is three months, a bill approved by the House extends it to six months. Covington Representative Mark Wright says the longer time period will help create the habit of not drinking and driving

Cut 13 (09) “..what’s necessary”  

The bill passed the House on 93-to-1 vote. Several lawmakers raised concerns about the installation and maintenance of the interlock ignition device, which Wright estimated was 500-dollars. He says financial assistance is available for low-income individuals…

Cut  14 (08) “..drink or drive.”