7:30 LRN Newscast November 3

Polls opened at 6 AM today and there are long lines at some voting locations. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin predicts a voter turnout around 70-percent as the contentious presidential race tops the ballot. Louisiana voters will also have a chance to decide if Bill Cassidy should remain as the state’s senior US senator.

Matt Doyle gets a break down of the race from a political analyst…
cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

A runoff is scheduled for December fifth.

Voters will decide the fate of Sports Betting for their parish today. Under this act, sports betting would be permitted in any parish where the majority of voters say yes. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott ….
Cut 13 (06) “…it online”
If a parish votes yes to legalize sports betting, legal wagering will not happen immediately until the state legislature adopts laws, regulations and taxation for sports betting.

A confessed serial church arsonist has received a 25-year federal sentence. Holden Matthews’ torched three historically Black churches in St. Landry Parish during a ten-day span in the spring of 2019. Legal Analyst Tim Meche says Judge Robert Summerhays sent a message with this sentence…
cut 12 (11) “….do that”
The court has also ordered Matthews to pay over two-point-six million dollars in restitution to the three churches.