LRN 9:30 A.M. Newscast 02/27/2018

For the first time in 14 years, a new chairman is at the helm of the Louisiana Republican Party.  Louis Gurvich was elected Saturday in a first round victory winning 97 of the 177 votes.  One of the first things Gurvich will begin working on is to find a Republican opponent to run against Democrat Governor John Bel Edwards in 2019

During the nominating process Saturday, candidate Scott Wilfong said the state party is some 100-thousand-dollars in debt and called for the party to be more transparent.   Gurvich says he’s not concerned and is confident any debt can be erased through fund raising campaigns…

Cut 16 (12) “was down.”

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.

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…

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.”

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.

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.”

But Executive Director of the Louisiana Violence Reduction Coalition Victoria Coy says while she supports Project Graduation efforts, she can’t get behind putting more weapons in the community.

Cut 12 (12) “gun violence.”