With the defeat of Amendment 2 at the ballot box, the question now becomes – what will become of teacher pay? The amendment would have converted stipends of two-thousand dollars for teachers and one-thousand dollars for support staff into permanent pay increases. It will take 200-million dollars to keep salaries at their current level. House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says the big challenge for lawmakers is finding that money amid a budget shortfall.

Cut 7 (09) “…could come from.”

The clock is tik-tok’ing for TikTok. Barring a sale, the app will go dark for U.S. users on Saturday. Tech analyst Haggai Davis says the Trump administration is helping facilitate a sale.

Cut 13 (11)  “…to finalize everything.”

There are currently two offers on the table – one from a group led by Amazon and one from AppLovin, a similar app owned by Steve Winn.

Parents who are curious on how their tax dollars are spent on public education can visit the School Transparency Project Portal at the State Treasury’s website. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

A Baton Rouge teenager pleads guilty to conspiring to have her mother killed. 18-year-old Jermyne Lewis admitted to her role in the plot in which her mother, Markeshia Stone, was shot to death. Lewis was sentenced to life in prison; but since she was a juvenile at the time of the crime, she will be eligible for parole in 25 years.

Parents who are curious on how their tax dollars are spent on public education can visit the School Transparency Project Portal at the State Treasury’s website. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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Now that Amendment 2 has failed at the ballot box, the question now becomes, what will become of teacher salaries? Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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With the clock tik-tok’ing for Tik Tok, the race is on to finalize a sale. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Parents can now see how taxpayer dollars are being spent on public education. Along with State Treasurer John Fleming, Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds unveiled the Louisiana K-12 School Transparency Project Portal, a website providing financial data on public and charter schools.

Cut 4 (09) “…public charter schools.”

The portal is hosted on the State Treasury’s website, the portal includes budgets, expenditures, contracts, and salaries, with continuous updates and quarterly reports from schools. The project was mandated by Act 370 from the 2023 legislation, authored by Edmonds, who emphasized its role in promoting transparency.

Cut 5 (09) “…kids to be educated.”

Edmonds noted that the site helps parents compare schools’ financial integrity, supporting school choice.

Cut 6 (07) “…those tax dollars.”

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With the defeat of Amendment 2 at the ballot box, the question now becomes – what will become of teacher pay? The amendment would have converted stipends of two-thousand dollars for teachers and one-thousand dollars for support staff into permanent pay increases. It will take 200-million dollars to keep salaries at their current level. House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says the big challenge for lawmakers is finding that money amid a budget shortfall.

Cut 7 (09) “…could come from.”

McFarland says the legislature will take another stab at giving teachers and other school staff permanent pay raises, but it will likely not be in the form of a bill as ambitious as Amendment 2.

Cut 8 (14) “…opportunity to pass.”

McFarland says whatever the legislature decides to do, they have to do a better job in getting the message out to the public and fight misinformation.

Cut 9 (14)  “…how they work.”

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The Louisiana Department of Education recently conducted a study showing that fewer high school students are involved in internships and apprenticeships than in neighboring states. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley emphasizes the importance of high school internships, noting that Louisiana falls behind other southern states in offering these opportunities.

Cut 10 (11) “…seeing those numbers uptick.”

Brumley advocates for incorporating internships into the state’s accountability system to better equip students for the workforce. Brumley underscores the need for collaboration between businesses, schools, and policymakers to strengthen career education and expand work-based learning programs.

Cut 11 (10) “…before they get here”

By integrating internships into the educational framework, Brumley aims to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world job experience, ensuring students graduate with practical skills that align with industry needs.

Cut 12 (06) “…workforce ready.”

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The clock is tik-tok’ing for TikTok. Barring a sale, the app will go dark for U.S. users on Saturday. The app got a reprieve in January when President Trump took office, but that’s now set to expire. There are currently two offers on the table – one from a group led by Amazon and one from AppLovin, an app owned by Steve Winn. Tech analyst Haggai Davis says the Trump administration is helping facilitate a sale.

Cut 13 (11)  “…to finalize everything.”

Davis says China is showing signs that it’s willing to cooperate.

Cut 14 (10) “…tariff questions involved.”

Davis says the big wild card in these negotiations is TikTok’s current parent company, ByteDance.

Cut 15 (14) “…the ultimate decision.”

Under the law that mandates the shutting down of TikTok in the U.S. without a sale, ByteDance would be allowed to retain up to 20-percent ownership.

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The seventh ranked LSU baseball team begins a three-game series against 10^th ranked Oklahoma tonight in Norman. The Tigers have the third best batting average in the country, and they have three regular starters hitting over .400, including Ethan Frey. Coach Jay Johnson says he’s glad to see Frey have a breakout season during his junior campaign

Cut 16 (14) “…better team.”

Kade Anderson is expected to start on the mound for LSU tonight. The sophomore left-hander gave up three home runs in his last start, but Johnson expects he’ll bounce back…

Cut 17 (17) “…ready to roll.”

First pitch tonight is at 6 p.m.

Governor Landry has ordered a temporary hiring freeze for the executive branch of state government. In a statement, Landry’s office says the goal is to save 20-million dollars in the general fund. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says changes to the tax law may have had something to do with the budget shortfall.

Cut 9 (11)  “…the entire budget.”

The world is bracing for a big announcement by President Trump on global tariffs. Trump says one purpose of the tariffs is to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. U-N-O economics professor Dub Lane says if China loses jobs because of the tariffs, those jobs would most likely go to Vietnam or Bangladesh and not the U.S.

Cut 5 (12) “…over other people.”

A warrant is issued for a Slidell man after investigators say he forced his way into a home and assaulted a woman. Investigators say the woman shot 52-year-old Tyrone Mercadel (merk-a-dell) in the leg. Lieutenant Suzanne Carboni  says once Mercadel is released, he will be arrested for aggravated battery.

Cut 8 (12) “…fired upon the vehicle.”

Experian teams up with LSU women’s basketball star Flau’jae Johnson to help relieve five-million dollars of consumer debt for five-thousand families in Louisiana. Christina Roman with Experian says with Louisiana having one of the highest poverty rates in the country, the money could be life changing…

Cut 13 (13)  “…in Louisiana.”

A Baton Rouge man facing murder charges reaches a plea deal. Three years ago, 23-year-old Brynnen (BRIN-in) Murphy shot and killed his pregnant girlfriend, 24-year-old Kaylen Johnson, and he threw her two-year-old son, Kaden, off a bridge. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar (HILL-er) Moore says Johnson’s family wanted to avoid a trial.

Cut 7 (15) “…for some time.”

Murphy will be sentenced to a total of 95 years in prison – essentially a life sentence.

Despite having a Democratic district attorney, Caddo Parish has a disproportionate number of inmates on death row. LSU Shreveport political science professor Jeff Sadow (SAD-ow) points out that many of those death row inmates were sentenced years ago.

Cut 4 (09) “…anti-death penalty.”

Certain Louisiana tax filers can use United Way Southwest Louisiana’s My Free Taxes app, a free online tax filing service. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

A Hollywood A-lister with ties to New Orleans has passed away. Val Kilmer died of pneumonia yesterday. In 2006, Kilmer filmed Deja Vu in New Orleans, and he served as Bacchus the 41st during Mardi Gras in 2009. Val Kilmer was only 65 years old.

Caddo Parish has a disproportionate number of inmates on death row – despite the fact that its district attorney belongs to the political party that generally opposes capital punishment. LSU Shreveport political science professor Jeff Sadow (SAD-ow) says Democratic District Attorney James Stewart will not stand in the way of judges signing death warrants, like what Judge Donald Hathaway did this week in setting execution dates for Darrell Draughn and Marcus Reed.

Cut 6 (07) “…in the past”

Senator Bill Cassidy has introduced “The Defining Male and Female Act.”

Cut 13 (16)  “…to chest-feed.”

Cassidy introduced the bill with Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall.

A Baton Rouge man who killed his pregnant girlfriend and her two-year-old son reaches a plea deal with prosecutors. 23-year-old Brynnen (BRIN-in) Murphy pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one count of feticide and was sentenced to a total of 95 years in prison. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar (HILL-er) Moore says he would have had no trouble convicting Murphy of the second-degree murder charges he was originally facing.

Cut 8 (11) “…and their future.”

United Way Southwest Louisiana has launched My Free Taxes, a free online tax filing service for taxpayers earning up to 84-thousand dollars a year. Kimberlie Heckard with UWSLA says the program guarantees secure and accurate tax filing.

Cut 12 (14) “…the tax client.”

Following the rejection of Constitutional Amendment Two, Governor Landry issued a statement with one sentence that’s drawing the ire of voters. Landry said, in his words, positive change can be hard to implement in a state conditioned to fail. The statement quickly went viral, with many accusing him of insulting the state and its people. Political analyst Clancy Dubos…

Cut 12 (09) “…work on that.”

The rejection of Amendment 2 has added uncertainty in the future of educator salaries now that a one-time stipend will not become a permanent pay raise. Larry Carter, the president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees, says the group is working with legislators to explore solutions, but funding is uncertain.

Cut 5 (11) “…here in Louisiana.”

Construction is underway in Lincoln Parish on a nine-mile stretch of I-20. Erin Buchanan with DOTD says since this is a heavily-traveled section, they will be implementing a queue-detection system to give drivers real-time traffic conditions.

Cut 7 (14) “…another route.”

The LSU men’s basketball team suffered through a losing season this year, but Coach Matt McMahon is trying to bring a winner to the Boot and has a much bigger NIL budget to bring in better players…

Cut 9 (13)  “…impacting winning.”

LSU signed two players on Monday – UNLV point guard Dedan (DEE-dan) Thomas and Mississippi State center Michael Nwoko (nuh-WOE-koe).

The author of Amendment 2 is speaking out following its defeat over the weekend. Carencro Representative Julie Emerson says it was just a few details that voters were concerned about, and that’s why it was ultimately defeated.

Cut 11 (10) “…lot of opposition.”

Emerson says she and her colleagues learned a lot of lessons from the last several months, and she’s looking forward to the legislative session to continue these conversations.

LaPolitics-dot-com Editor Jeremy Alford Governor says Landry now joins a long list of governors who have tried and failed to significantly alter the state constitution.

Cut 6 (09) “…it’s followed suit.”

In fact, Alford says the only modern governor to succeed was Edwin Edwards, who replaced the entire constitution. That happened back in 1974.

The rejection of Amendment 2 leaves huge question marks for the future of educator salaries. Larry Carter, the president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees, says funding remains uncertain.

Cut 3 (12) “…local school districts.” 

Amendment 2 aimed to convert last year’s temporary stipends of two-thousand dollars for teachers and one-thousand dollars for support staff into permanent pay raises. But now, these stipends will expire after this school year, potentially lowering pay unless new funding is secured.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office takes down a street gang, arresting seven people, including two juveniles. Sheriff Jason Ard says the Motion Gang is known as a “hybrid gang.”

Cut 13 (12)  “…rules or regulations.”

It’s back to the drawing board for the legislature after the overwhelming defeat of Amendment 2, which would have substantially rewritten Article 7 of the state constitution. Amendment 2 was authored by Carencro Representative Julie Emerson. She concedes that because there were so many components to the amendment, fellow lawmakers had trouble answering all the questions surrounding it.

Cut 12 (12) “…comfortable with it.”

Emerson says she took the broad rewrite approach because there had been so many changes to Article 7 over the years, so she wanted to basically wipe the slate clean and start fresh.

Jeremy Alford, the editor at LaPolitics-dot-com, says the outcome will likely have no impact on Governor Landry’s support.

Cut 5 (11) “…some other things.”

A 55-year-old cold case has finally been solved with the mother being arrested for the murder of her 16-month-old son in Sulphur.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Two more execution dates are set. 53-year-old Darrell Draughn is scheduled to die on May 28th for stabbing a Shreveport woman to death inside her own home, and 47-year-old Marcus Reed is slated to be executed June 4th for killing three young men who he had erroneously believed had stolen an X-Box from his ex-girlfriend’s home. Both will be executed by nitrogen hypoxia.

The failure of Amendment 2 will have a profound effect on the upcoming legislative session. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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A 55-year-old cold case has finally been solved with the mother being arrested for the murder of her 16-month-old son in Sulphur.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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The author of Amendment 2 is speaking out after it was soundly defeated over the weekend. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The overwhelming failure of Amendment 2 on Saturday will be a game-changer for the upcoming fiscal session. Jeremy Alford, the editor at LaPolitics-dot-com, says had it passed, it would have been a relatively quiet session. Now, not so much.

Cut 4 (09) “…definitely, 100-percent.”

Alford says this vote should have little to no impact on Governor Landry’s support among his staunchest supporters.

Cut 5 (11) “…some other things.”

Alford says with Saturday’s loss, Landry joins a long list of governors who have tried and failed to significantly alter the state constitution.

Cut 6 (09) “…it’s followed suit.”

In fact, Alford says the only modern governor to succeed was Edwin Edwards, who managed to replace the entire constitution.

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It took more than a half century, but an arrest has finally been made in the 1970 death of a 16-month-old boy. 75-year-old Alice Bunch Idlett of Norwood has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the 1970 death of her toddler son. Police Chief John Wall says the Sulphur Police Department reopened the case in 2022 at the request of the child’s family.

Cut 7 (10) “…assisted in the case.” 

Initially, Earl D. Bunch the Third’s injuries were attributed to a crib fall, and the case was closed due to lack of evidence. Wall says recent discoveries led to his body’s exhumation.

Cut 8 (8) “…death as a homicide.”

A Grand Jury indicted Alice Bunch, and she is being held on 950-thousand dollars bond. Wall says the family finally has some closure.

Cut 9 (04)  “…that we have.”

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The author of Amendment 2 is speaking out following its defeat over the weekend. Carencro Representative Julie Emerson says the reason she authored the amendment as a broad rewrite of Article 7 of the state constitution is because there had been so many changes to it over the years, so she wanted to basically wipe the slate clean and start fresh.

Cut 10 (11) “…rewrite on that.”

Emerson says it was just a few details of the amendment that voters were concerned about, and that’s why it was ultimately defeated.

Cut 11 (10) “…lot of opposition.”

Emerson concedes that because there were so many components to the amendment, fellow lawmakers had trouble answering all the questions surrounding it.

Cut 12 (12) “…comfortable with it.”

In all, Emerson says she and her colleagues learned a lot of lessons from the last several months, and she’s looking forward to the legislative session to continue these conversations.

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The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office takes down a street gang. Deputies arrested seven members of the Motion Gang on various charges, including attempted first-degree murder, drug possession and weapons charges. Sheriff Jason Ard says this gang is known as a “hybrid gang,” which is a bit more disorganized than a typical street gang.

Cut 13 (12)  “…rules or regulations.”

Sheriff Ard says gang activity can happen anywhere, and his deputies are working diligently to rid the parish of it.

Cut 14 (14) “…sooner than later.”

The seven gang members arrested include two juveniles, with the rest ranging in age from 18 to 23. Ard says more arrests will likely be forthcoming stemming from this investigation.

Cut 15 (10) “…down the road.”

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Louisiana Tech begins a five-game week in south Louisiana as the Bulldogs will visit 7th-ranked LSU tonight and then travel to Lafayette to face the Ragin Cajuns. Tech coach Lane Burroughs knows his players are excited to play at Alex Box Stadium tonight…

Cut 16 (10) “…for us.”

Tech comes to Baton Rouge after taking two of three from Kennesaw State. The Bulldogs are 17-11 overall, 4-2 in Conference USA play. Burroughs on the busy week…

Cut 17 (08) “…this week.”

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The Ragin Cajuns also begin a five-game week by hosting Northwestern State. U-L Lafayette swept James Madison this past weekend and the Cajuns are 14-and-15 overall. Coach Matt Deggs says his team will be challenged this week…

Cut 18 (21) “…best shot.”

Conor Higgs leads the Cajuns in hitting with a .351 average and he’s also hit 10 home runs and he’s scored 32 times in 29 games. Deggs likes Higgs approach at the plate…

Cut 19 (15) “…tough pitches.”

The failure of the four constitutional amendments over the weekend continues to send shockwaves across the entire state. Governor Landry told voters that the passage of Amendment Two could result in the state eliminating state income taxes one day. But political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says that didn’t motivate potential supporters of the amendment to vote.

Cut 10 (10) “…just stayed home.”

The opposition to Amendment 2 was led by Jan (YAHN) Moeller, the executive director of Invest in Louisiana. Moeller says it was a decisive and appropriate verdict by the voters.

Cut 3 (09) “…bad policy outcomes.” 

While Landry is blaming the defeat on, in his words, far-left liberals spreading lies and propaganda, opponents note that a great many Republicans also voted no. A two-month long fiscal session begins in two weeks, and Pinsonat says more tax reform items will likely be introduced.

The Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office is seeking death warrants for two death row inmates, 54-year-old Darrell Draughn and 47-year-old Marcus Reed. Reed killed three brothers in 2010 who he believed stole his girlfriend’s Xbox. Draughn stabbed a woman to death inside her home.

Governor Landry taps State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams to be the new commissioner of the Office of Motor Vehicles. Adams replaces Dan Casey, who resigned the position last Friday. Stepping in for Adams as the new state fire marshal is Deputy Chief Ed Branch.

Yesterday proved to be the last game of LSU All-American forward Aneesah Morrow’s college career. Morrow has exhausted all of her college eligibility. She leaves as one of the greatest rebounders in women’s college basketball history and gives a lot of credit to Coach Kim Mulkey…

Cut 14 (13) “…for that.”