New Office of Motor Vehicles leader Bryan Adams is optimistic OMV can run more efficiently despite outdated computer system. Sean Richardson has the story…
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”
_____________________________________________
It is Distracted Driving Awareness Month in Louisiana and state officials are making the case again, when behind the wheel put the phone down. Colleen Crain has more…
Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”
____________________________________________
Louisiana Democrats are hailing the failure of the four constitutional amendments last weekend. Andrew Greenstein has more from a press conference held by the Louisiana Democratic Party…
Cut 3 (36) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
______________________________________________________
This week, Governor Jeff Landry appointed Bryan Adams as the new leader for the Office of Motor Vehicles following Commissioner Dan Casey’s resignation. OMV is suffering from system outages due to outdated technology. Adams was serving as the State Fire Marshal and he’s optimistic OMV customers will start to see improvements as early as next week…
Cut 4 (10) “…citizens of Louisiana.”
The current mainframe system is 50 years old and it keeps crashing, causing delays at OMV field offices, forcing customers to leave and make another appointment for another day to get a driver’s license, renew vehicle tags or file paperwork. Adams says enough is enough.
Adams described the effort as upgrading from “Band-Aids” to “duct tape” until a permanent solution is in place. Landry expressed confidence in Adams’s ability to lead the agency through this transition.
Cut 6 (12) “…ready to put it out.”
______________________________________________________
It is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and state officials want to see an end to distracted driving on Louisiana’s roads. Department of Transportation Secretary Joe Donahue says preliminary data from 2024 shows that distracted driving crashes led to 180 fatalities and 1,295 serious injuries in Louisiana…
Cell phones are believed to be a major contributor to distracted or inattentive crashes. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple urges parents to set an example of not using a phone while behind the wheel…
Louisiana Highway Safety Commission executive director Lisa Freeman says in the upcoming legislative session, they will once again push lawmakers to approve a hands-free primary law, which would allow police officers to ticket drivers who use a hand held cell phone while driving…
Cut 9 (07) “…tremendous results.”
______________________________________________________
The Louisiana Democratic Party is hailing the defeat of all four constitutional amendments last weekend. Voters turned back amendments that would have rewritten Article 7 of the state constitution, created specialty courts, made it easier to send minors to adult prisons and change the way that judicial vacancies are filled. Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle says the vote was a unified message.
Cut 10 (12) “…work collaboratively together.”
Another Baton Rouge representative, Edmond Jordan, says the vote was a rebuke of the Landry administration.
Cut 11 (11) “…gubernatorial election”
The rejection of Constitutional Amendment 2 could result in a decrease in teacher pay, if state lawmakers can not find 200-million dollars in revenues. Randal Gaines, the chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party, says he’s calling for a permanent pay raise for teachers with no strings attached.
______________________________________________________
Do you want to know how public school districts and charter schools are spending their money? You can find that information at treasury-dot-la-gov. State Treasurer John Fleming says click the box that reads Louisiana K-12 School Transparency Project and you find out all kinds of information…
Fleming says it’s the most comprehensive website of its kind in the country. He says taxpayers now have easy access to details regarding how public schools are spending public funds…
Cut 14 (12) “…spending practices.”
Fleming says they are still collecting data, so not every school’s financial information is published yet….
_________________________________________
Lady Tigers basketball star Flau’Jae Johnson is reportedly returning for her senior season at LSU. Johnson has the option to enter the WNBA draft, but Reed Darcey of the Advocate says Johnson said after the team’s season-ending loss to UCLA, she wanted to get past the Elite Eight…
Cut 16 (19) “…own championship.”
Johnson was a freshman on LSU’s 2023 national championship team. But Angel Reese and Alexis Morris were the big leaders on that team. Darcey says Johnson seems motivated to win a national title as a senior leader…
Cut 17 (16) “…call it her own.”
_________________________________________________
The battle for starting quarterback at U-L Lafayette is well underway as the team started spring break last week. Daniel Beale, Ole Miss transfer Walker Howard and former Lutcher star Lunch Winfield are in a three-way competition. Coach Michael Desormeaux says all three are making strides…
Cut 18 (20) “…that competition.”
Most schools are doing away with their spring game. A few coaches have raised concerns that spring practices allow other schools to scout their players better and then the convince the kids they want to come to their school. Desormeaux is not concerned about tampering and believes the spring game is an important part of their offseason…
Cut 19 (23) “..let them play.”
The Cajuns spring game is May 3rd.