07:30 Newscast, April 1st, 2016

A proposed bill that seeks equal pay for men and women was approved by the Senate Labor Committee. Halen Doughty has more..:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The National Weather Service confirmed two weak tornadoes touched down in southeast Louisiana early Thursday. One east of Greensburg in St. Helena Parish, the other in Tangipahoa Parish. With more rain in the forecast, most of southeast and north Louisiana remains under flood watches or warnings.

Lafayette’s Makenzie Boyd was eliminated last night on the final season of American Idol, after reaching the singing competition’s final four.

A Metairie lawmaker thinks it should be legal to park on the wrong side of the road in residential neighborhoods. The measure by Senator Danny Martiny advanced in the Senate Transportation Committee Thursday. He says ticketing drivers parked on the wrong side of the road in subdivisions is shady…:
Cut 8 (09) “budget problem”
He believes the law was intended for highways only.

Drivers are paying the cheapest quarterly gas prices in 12 years. AAA says Americans have saved almost $10-billion on gas this year compared to the same period in 2015. Fuel analyst Mike Right says motorists are well on their way to significant savings on gas this year…:
Cut 14 (06) “gasoline bill”
The average price for a gallon of gas in Louisiana $1.88.

As the 1 cent sales tax increase goes into effect today, the Tax Foundation says Louisiana’s sales tax system is ranked worst in the nation.

 

06:45 Sportscast, April 1st, 2016

The 14th ranked LSU Baseball team looks for its first series win in SEC play this weekend as they visit Auburn for a three-game series that starts tonight. The Tigers are 2-and-4 in league play and have lost three of their last four overall. Sophomore right-hander Alex Lange will start tonight on the mound tonight for the Tigers…:
Cut 17 (10) “as possible”
First pitch at Plainsman Park is slated for 6pm.

The New Orleans Pelicans were able to get past the Denver Nuggets last night in a 101-95 victory. The Pels are playing without nine players, including 7 who are out for the season due to injury. Little known Luke Babbit led New Orleans last night with 22 points, and had 10 of the Pelicans’ first 12 points scoring.

The Evangeline Downs in Opelousas will be back with thoroughbred racing Wednesday and run through August 27th. There will be 26 stakes races held during the season with total purses in excess of $2 million.

Back to college baseball, Southeastern Louisiana takes a 15-game winning streak into this weekend’s home series against Nicholls. The Lions are led on the mound by senior left-hander Kyle Cedotal, who is 4-2 with a 1.15 ERA. S-L-U Coach Matt Riser says Cedotal will get the start tonight…:
Cut 19 (17) “go out”
First pitch today is 6pm.

The UL-Lafayette baseball team takes their four game win streak to Arkansas State for a three game conference series this weekend.

ULM is set for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series against league leader South Alabama.

Louisiana Tech is set to kick off an eight-game road stretch with a three-game Conference USA series against Marshall.

The controversial bill dealing with select, non-select high school sports, legislation aimed at forcing changes in high school football and other playoffs was delayed Thursday at the request of the LHSAA.

 

06:30 Newscast, April 1st, 2016

According to AAA, quarterly gas prices are lower than they’ve been in over a decade, as the average price for a gallon of gas in the state is $1.88. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Three weeks into the regular legislative session and things are still moving slow. The biggest piece of legislation so far has been the minimum wage bill clearing the Senate Labor Committee. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says legislators were burnt out after a tough special session…:
cut 4 (08) “school reform”
The session ends on June 6th.

A bill seeking equal pay for men and women in Louisiana has been approved by the Senate Labor Committee. According to data from the US Census Bureau, women make 65-cents for every $1 a man makes, and that gap is even wider for minority women Author of the bill, New Orleans Senator JP Morrell, says this is not acceptable:
Cut 10 (10) “than men”
But Dawn Starns, with the National Federation for Independent Business says legislation is already in place to protect equal pay…:
cut 12 (07) “business owners”
The governor supports the measure.

 

LRN AM Newscall, April 1, 2016

Legislation to allow drivers to park on the wrong side of the road in residential areas passed in the Senate Transportation Committee. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (26) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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A proposed bill that seeks equal pay for men and women was approved by the Senate Labor Committee. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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According to AAA, quarterly gas prices are lower than they’ve been in over a decade, as the average price for a gallon of gas in the state is $1.88. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Three weeks into the regular legislative session and things are still moving slow. The biggest piece of legislation so far has been the minimum wage bill clearing the Senate Labor Committee. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says legislators were burnt out after a tough special session.

cut 4  (08)  “school reform”

Pinsonat expects the voucher program along with teacher reforms to be big issues discussed during this session. He says the TOPS program is also another topic that will be heard.

Cut 5  (08)  “have TOPS”

Pinsonat says legislators have raised various taxes like on alcohol and cigarettes but still haven’t raised enough revenue for the next fiscal year. He says anything that has to do with the budget will be a hot topic in the coming weeks before the session ends on June 6th.

Cut 6 (10)  “next year” 

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A bill to make it legal to park on the wrong side of the road in residential areas has passed in the Senate Transportation Committee. Metairie Senator Danny Martiny says currently it’s illegal to park in the opposite direction, but he believes the law was intended for highways only. He says it doesn’t pose a public safety hazard in residential areas.

CUT 7 (10)  “an hour”

Martiny says parking the wrong way on a residential street is not a safety problem. He says ticketing drivers parked like this is subject to abuse by local officials for economic gain.

Cut 8  (09)  “budget problem”

Martiny says uniformly parked cars look nicer, but it isn’t the government’s place to make sure everything looks pretty in your subdivision.

Cut 9 (08)  “statute”

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A bill seeking equal pay for men and women in Louisiana has been approved by the Senate Labor Committee. According to data from the US Census Bureau, women make 65-cents for every $1 a man makes, and that gap is even wider for minority women Author of the bill, New Orleans Senator JP Morrell, says this is not acceptable.

Cut 10 (10) “than men”

Governor John Bel Edwards went before the committee to tout his support for the measure. He says women deserve equal pay for equal work to their male counterparts.

cut 11 (07) “of us”

Dawn Starns, with the National Federation for Independent Business, opposes the legislation. She says legislation is already in place to protect equal pay.

cut 12 (07) “business owners”

Renee Amar, with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, says determining what is “comparable work” could pose a problem for employers. She also says things like education, experience, and market prices determine how much an employee is paid.

Cut 13 (06)  “their wages”

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Drivers are paying the cheapest quarterly gas prices in 12 years. That’s according to Triple-A, who says Americans have saved almost $10-billion on gas this year compared to the same period in 2015.  AAA spokesperson Mike Right says people are well on their way to significant savings on gas this year.

Cut 14 (06)  “gasoline bill” 

Right says this is leading to a record-breaking number of motorists out on the roads, according to US Department and Transportation numbers. The average price for a gallon of gas in Louisiana is about $1.88. Right says we could see prices at the pump increase in the coming months.

Cut 15 (08) “Memorial Day”

Right says greater demand for gas and refineries’ annual maintenance are driving up prices. But he says even with those factors, gas prices will not get as high as they were this time last year.

Cut 16  (06)  “last year”

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The 14th ranked LSU Baseball team looks for its first series win in SEC play this weekend as they visit Auburn for a three-game series that starts tonight. The Tigers are 2-and-4 in league play and have lost three of their last four overall. Sophomore right-hander Alex Lange will start tonight on the mound tonight for the Tigers.

Cut 17 (10) “as possible”

LSU enters this weekend’s action, tied for fifth place in the SEC West. Starting shortstop Kramer Robertson says they are trying to remain loose.

Cut 18 (12) “good results”

Southeastern Louisiana takes a 15-game winning streak into this weekend’s home series against Nicholls. The Lions are led on the mound by senior left-hander Kyle Cedotal, who is 4-2 with a 1.15 ERA. S-L-U Coach Matt Riser says Cedotal will get the start tonight.

Cut 19 (17) “go out”

The Lions are 20-6 on the season, 9-0 in the Southland Conference. Riser says his team is motivated to reach the NCAA Tournament after missing it last year.

Cut 20 (18) “ballclub”

 

18:30 LRN Newscast March 31, 2016

The bill to increase the state’s minimum wage to $8.00 an hour beginning next year, and then to $8.50 in 2018 passed out of the Senate Labor Committee with a 4-3 vote. Governor John Bel Edwards testified in support of increasing the minimum wage today. Edwards says Louisiana households are unable to afford their basic necessities. He says it’s not just high school and college students who are working for minimum wage.

CUT 9 (06) “monthly expenses”

Baton Rouge business owner Mark Johnson opposes the increase because he says this would leave business owners with difficult decisions about absorbing the new costs.

cut 12 (06) “your choices”

This bill, and a measure seeking equal pay for men and women, heads to the Senate floor.

Lafayette’s own local celebrity, 23-year-old MacKenzie Bourg, will find out tonight if he’ll advance to the Top 3 on the final season of American Idol. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (32)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

State and local officials broke ground on an 88 acre technology park in Monroe that will feature an IBM facility that will employ 400 workers. The IBM Client Innovation Center will provide software technology services to clients across the US and partner with CenturyLink on research.

17:30 LRN Newscast, March 31, 2016

Bills to increase the minimum wage and demand equal pay for men and women were approved by the Senate Labor Committee today. Governor John Bel Edwards was on hand to testify in favor of both measures. He says a higher minimum wage could help solve the child poverty problem in Louisiana.

Cut 10 (08) “and raising”

Baton Rouge business owner Mark Johnson opposes the increase because he says it would impact small businesses production costs.

Cut 11 (09) “bottom line”

On a 4-3 vote the committee approved the minimum wage increase to $8.00 an hour beginning next year. And a 5-2 vote from the panel passed the bill seeking equal pay for women. Both bills head to the Senate floor.

A bill to allow hunters to wear blaze pink in addition to hunter’s orange passes out of the House. Author of the legislation Bogalusa Rep. Malinda White says all this does is give another option that has been proven to be safer. White says the blaze pink attire would be simple and without embellishment to meet the 400 square inches of color requirement. She says pink will stand out in the woods.

CUT 4 (08)  “and yellows”

White says men can wear blazing pink too.

Several tax increases will go into effect tomorrow in Louisiana, including a one-cent increase on the state sales tax.  LSU Marketing Professor Dr. Dan Rice says this likely won’t change consumer’s purchasing habits.

Cut 23 (10)  “quite frankly”

The tax on a pack of cigarettes will increase by 22-cents, and taxes on all types of alcohol will also go up.

16:30 LRN Newscast March 31

The Senate Labor Committee has approved a bill to increase the state’s minimum wage to $8.50 by 2018. Halen Doughty has more…
voicer 2 (30) “…I’m Halen Doughty”

Before lawmakers went home for the weekend, the State House approved a measure that would allow hunters to also wear blaze pink, instead of the traditional orange. The bill is by Bogalusa Representative Malinda White…
cut 5 (09) “,…that here
The measure heads to the Senate for more discussion.

Even though Republican US Senator David Vitter is leaving office at the end of this year, he’s still holding town hall meetings across the state getting feedback from voters. In Ascension parish this morning, Vitter said he’s hearing primarily about jobs and highway improvements…:
Cut 13 (09) “is important”
The senator still maintains that he intends to leave politics once his term ends.

We’ll find out soon if Louisiana native MacKenzie Bourg will advance to the Top 3 on the final season of American Idol. Voting results from last week will be announced tonight and the contestant with the lowest total will be eliminated. MacKenzie’s dad, Rudy Bourg, says his 23-year-old son is already a winner…:
CUT 6 (08) “last second shot”
Tonight’s show will feature footage taken at Bourg’s homecoming parade last Saturday in Lafayette.

15:30 LRN Newscast, March 31, 2016

The Senate Labor Committee approved bill to increase the state’s minimum wage to $8.00 an hour beginning next year, and then to $8.50 in 2018. Governor John Bel Edwards says Louisiana households are unable to afford their basic necessities. He says it’s not just high school and college students who are working for minimum wage.

CUT 9 (06) “monthly expenses”

Baton Rouge business owner Mark Johnson opposes the increase. Johnson says this would leave business owners with difficult decisions about absorbing the new costs.

cut 12 (06) “your choices”

The bill now heads to the Senate floor for debate.

Several tax increases will go into effect tomorrow in Louisiana, including a one-cent increase on the state sales tax. The tax on a pack of cigarettes will increase by 22-cents, and taxes on all types of alcohol will also go up.

Even though Republican US Senator David Vitter is leaving office at the end of this year, he’s still got things to accomplish in his final year. Vitter says he will be focusing on chemical safety reform and improving infrastructure access. He says he plans on getting out of politics once his term ends in January.

cut 14 (09)  “our lives”

Vitter doesn’t plan on making any endorsements for the US Senate race until after the primaries.

Lafayette’s own local celebrity, 23-year-old MacKenzie Bourg, will find out tonight if he’ll advance to the Top 3 on the final season of American Idol. MacKenzie’s dad, Rudy Bourg, says it’s incredible that five years ago his son was fighting for his life due to a sudden illness, and now he’s where he’s at today…:

CUT 8 (09) “at life”

14:30 LRN Newscast, March 31, 2016

The bill to increase the state’s minimum wage to $8.00 an hour beginning next year, and then to $8.50 in 2018 passed out of the Senate Labor Committee with a 4-3 vote. Governor John Bel Edwards testified in support of increasing the minimum wage today. Edwards says this is an investment in Louisiana families, which is an investment in our state as a whole. He says this slight increase in minimum wage would help solve the problem of childhood poverty in the state.

cut 10 (08)  “and raising”

Baton Rouge business owner Mark Johnson opposes the increase because he says it would impact small businesses production costs.

Cut 11 (09) “bottom line”

The bill, along with a measure seeking equal pay for men and women, now head to the Senate floor.

Lafayette’s own local celebrity, 23-year-old MacKenzie Bourg, will find out tonight if he’ll advance to the Top 3 on the final season of American Idol. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (32)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal entered a plea of not guilty to charges he violated federal civil rights laws. Prosecutors accuse Ackal of ordering the beatings of at least three pre-trial inmates in 2011. Nine of Ackal’s former deputies have already pleaded guilty in the case.

13:30 Newscast, March 31st, 2016

The Senate Labor Committee approves the bill that would increase the state’s minimum wage to $8.00 an hour in 2017 and then to $8.50 in 2018. Halen Doughty has more:
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

A bill that would add blaze pink as an acceptable color hunters can wear advances out of the House. Bogalusa Representative Malinda White says this just gives sportsmen and sportswomen an additional option to hunter orange…:
CUT 3 (07) “safety”
The measure heads to the Senate.

A bill that would have made it illegal for a business to fire a victim of domestic violence for missing work to take care of court proceedings or seek treatment, stalls in the House Labor Committee. Opponents said this is too over reaching into a businesses own practices. The vote was 6-6.

Even though US Senator David Vitter says he’s leaving politics at the end of his term this year, he’s still touring the state to hear from Louisiana citizens. He held a town hall in Ascension and Rapides today. We asked Senator Vitter if he planned on endorsing anyone for his seat…:
CUT 15 (08) “the race”
Vitter says during his final year in office he will be focusing on chemical safety reform and improving infrastructure access.

A woman is accused of taking human remains from a historic New Orleans cemetery and trying to sell them on-line. It’s reported that 24 year old Ender Darling who is described as a witch, has apparently skipped town. She is accused of plucking human bones from graves and trying to get money for them.