A slew of new laws will go into effect August 1st. Among them is one that makes kratom illegal. Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain was with Governor Landry when he signed the bill into law last week; he recalled when he testified in favor of the bill, he came face-to-face with powerful lobbyists within the kratom industry.

Cut 8 (12) “…it in Louisiana.”

Another law going into effect that day is one that criminalizes grooming – the act of building trust with minors to enable sexual abuse. What’s different here is the new law allows authorities to intervene even if abuse hasn’t happened yet. Marrero Senator Patrick Connick says in the case of his son in law, authorities had to wait until a priest molested him before taking action.

Cut 11 (09) “…then and stopped.”

While you might be able to order tilapia at your favorite seafood restaurant, you might not know that it is actually an invasive species, and it is reemerging in canals near Port Sulphur. LDWF Deputy Assistant Secretary of Fisheries Chris Schieble says if you catch tilapia, do not release it back into the water.

Cut 6 (09) “…you got it.”

The addition of State Senator Blake Miguez in the U.S. Senate race is bad news for Senator Bill Cassidy. That’s the opinion of LSU-Shreveport Assistant Political Science Professor Jeffrey Sadow, who says Miguez’s entry in the U.S. Senate race greatly increases Cassidy’s vulnerability.

Cut 14 (08) “…chances of re-election.”

Miguez joins State Treasurer John Fleming in challenging Cassidy for the G-O-P nomination in the newly-closed primary.