LRN AM Newscall March 18

Speed limits are changing for truckers crossing the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge on I-10. Colleen Crain has the details…

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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Congressman Troy Carter is hosting three workshops to help those in the crawfish industry apply for financial assistance. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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Since the Louisiana Legislature can not mandate homeowners insurance rates, how can they lower premiums. Jeanne Burns has more…

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Jeanne Burns”

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Phase 2 of the state’s plan to make the I-10 Atchafalaya Basin Bridge safer begins today with a change in speed limits for truckers. For years, the speed limit for trucks was 55-miles per hour and 60 miles per hour for passenger vehicles. Executive Director of Louisiana Motor Transport Association, Renee Amar, says a change to a uniform 60 mile per hour limit for all vehicles makes everyone safer…

Cut 4 (12) “…more hazardous.”

Truckers will continue to be limited to just the right lane. Amar believes it would be better to allow truckers access to both lanes…

Cut 5 (09) “…going forward.” 

Signs warning motorists of the speed limit and traffic changes as they approach the Basin Bridge are helpful, says Amar. She says people from all over the country are traveling I-10 and need to know what’s coming on roadways they don’t travel often…

Cut 6 (07) “…the Basin.”

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To help the crawfish industry with financial assistance after last summer’s drought severely impacted the crop, Congressman Troy Carter is holding three workshops for crawfish producers, boil houses, restaurants, grocery stores, and others who depend on crawfish.

Cut 7 (10) “…of Louisiana.”

The first of three workshops in conjunction with the Small Business Administration will be at Southern University at New Orleans today. Carter says it’s not just about Louisianan’s love for crawfish, but about a vital part of the state’s economy.

Cut 8 (12) “…for us.” 

On Wednesday a workshop will be held at Reserve Community College and on Thursday at the Reimagine Women’s Center in Baton Rouge.

Carter says the workshops are one-stop-shops for those in the crawfish industry who need financial support.

Cut 9 (12)  “…it most.”

For a detailed listing of the workshops visit LouisianaRadioNetwork.com

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Beginning today the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control will resume the enforcement of state laws concerning the marketing and sale of vapor products. Commissioner Ernest Legier says even though the law restricting the sale of products not registered with the state’s VAPE directory is being challenged in court…

Cut 10 (09) “…as written.”

Enforcement of Act 414, which passed in the 2023 regular session, was paused after a legal challenge. Legier says retailers who sell unregistered products can be fined and…

Cut 11 (11) “…are written.” 

Legier says for products to be included in the state’s VAPE directory they must have an application, pending or approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

He says the legislature passed and the governor signed off on Act 414 to eliminate flavored vape products…

Cut 12 (11) “…elected officials.” 

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Clarifying the claims process is one idea lawmakers will discuss during this legislative session as a way to bring more insurers into Louisiana. Senate Insurance Chairman Kirk Talbot says they’ve been told by Lloyd’s of London, which is an insurance and reinsurance marketplace, that Louisiana’s claims process is ambiguous and unclear

Cut 13 (06)  “…in Louisiana”

Talbot has filed a bill that makes it more clear on when the clock starts for claims to be paid. He also wants to give insurers 60-days, instead of 30 days, for a claim to be paid after a hurricane…

Cut 14 (12) “…do it”

Talbot says the current system leads to more lawsuits and insurers are hesitant to do business in a litigious environment. He says the legislature can’t tell insurance companies to lower rates, they have to create a market that results in multiple companies vying for your business…

Cut 15 (08) “…listeners business”

The consumer advocacy group, Real Reform Louisiana, is concerned lawmakers are trying to take away the legal rights of storm victims

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The road to another national championship for the LSU Lady Tigers basketball team looks difficult as they are a 3-seed in a region that features top-seeded Iowa and second-seeded UCLA. Coach Kim Mulkey’s team beat Iowa in the national title game last year and UCLA holds its opponents to 60 points a game…

Cut 16 (09) “..at home” 

LSU will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. They will face Rice, who won the American Athletic Conference Tournament as a ten-seed. If the Lady Tigers defeat the Owls, they’ll play either sixth-seeded Louisville or 11th-seeded Middle Tennessee who easily won the Conference USA regular season and conference titles. Louisville is LSU point guard Hailey Van Lith’s former team. Mulkey expects Van Lith will handle it well

Cut 17 (17) “…salty too” 

LSU has not played since a grueling SEC Tournament that ended with a loss to top-ranked South Carolina on March 10th. Mulkey says her team has been able to get healthy during this extended break…

Cut 18 (18)  “..we were” 

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McNeese is the 12th seed in the Midwest Region and will face 5th seeded Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The game will be played on Thursday night at 6:25 in Salt Lake City. Coach Will Wade has led the Cowboys to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 and they’ll play a Gonzaga team ranked 17th in the AP poll…

Cut 19 (14) “….get there”  

Gonzaga was a national runner-up in 2017 and 2021. McNeese will make its third ever NCAA Tournament appearance. They have not won a game in the Big Dance and this will be the first meeting between the two schools. The Zags are considered the best mid-major program in the country and Wade is interested to see how his team stacks up…

Cut 20 (12) “…away we are”