Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are struggling to remain a self-sufficient agency.  Jeff Palermo has more on a possible restructuring of their licensing program…

Cut 1 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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A controversy is brewing in Franklinton as a parent group is using a gun raffle to raise money for the school. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

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A new person is at the helm of the Louisiana GOP.  Kelley Ray spoke with Louis Gurvich.

Cut 3 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is facing a budgetary crisis.  After years of operating as a self sufficient agency, the predicted annual 19.8-million-dollars will not be enough to keep up.  Cole Garett, Executive Counsel for the LDWF, says they are proposing a bill in the regular legislative session to get rid of most of the current 117 different licenses.  By raising some fees, this will help them get matching federal funds …

Cut 4  (06) “tax money.” 

There would be a reduction in the price of the Sportsman Paradise license from $100.00 to $90.00.  Garrett says there would also be increases in the basic fishing and hunting licenses for Louisiana residents to $13.50 and $20.00 respecively…

Cut 5  (12)  “fee increase.”

LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet says they hate to increase the fees, but it’s the only way they can remain solvent in the future…

Cut 6 (06)  “be zero.”

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There has been an increase in the amount of organ donations from opioid addicts.  In Louisiana, there has been a 40 percent increase in the last two years.   Louisiana Organ Procurement Association spokesperson Kirsten Heintz says the opioid crisis is now colliding with another health crisis.  That of the need for life saving organs.  It all starts with the decision to donate, which might come from family decision…

Cut 7 (06)  “organ donation.”

There is a concern among some that getting an organ from an opioid addicted person, that the medicine would be transferred to the person obtaining the donation.  Heintz says there are plenty of precautions in place to ensure the organs are drug-free…

Cut 8 (09) “a recipient.”

There are nearly 21-hundred recipients on the list who need a donation in Louisiana.  Heintz says it’s not enough…

Cut 9 (05)  “the need.”

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A parent group at Bowling Green School, a K-12 in Franklinton is using a gun raffle that includes two AR-15s to raise money for a program to keep seniors safe on graduation night.
30 guns in total will be given away, and H&H Gun Shop owner Brent Hoggatt, who’s helping put on the raffle, says the raffle will raise a substantial amount of money, which will be given back to the students.

Cut 10 (10) “and stuff.”

Project Graduation is a nationwide initiative to keep seniors indoors on graduation night by providing an environment with games, gifts, food, and music to keep them from getting into dangerous activities. The giveaway is turning heads in the wake of the Florida school shooting that left 17 dead at the hands of an AR-15 wielding 18-year-old. Hoggatt says concerns about the rifle are misplaced.

Cut 11 (11) “it looks.”