The Louisiana Senate approves a new congressional map that has five majority white Republican districts and just one majority Black Democratic district. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (38) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The first debate in House Governmental Affairs is expected sometime next week. The legislature must achieve final passage of the congressional map by June 1st, when the legislative session must end.

Along with the three Republicans battling for that party’s Senate nomination, there are three people vying for the Democratic nomination – Jamie Davis, Nick Albares and Gary Crockett. Statewide, more Democrats cast ballots in early voting than Republicans; LSU political science professor Larry Hogan says that doesn’t necessarily mean enthusiasm for any one of the three.

Cut 23 (08) “…four constitutional amendments.”

We’re well into spring; so if you haven’t taken proactive steps to protect your home from termites, now would be a very good time to do so. LSU AgCenter entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says one thing you can do is turn off your lights at night.

Cut 24 (07) “…and are nocturnal.”

Ashbrook also recommends that you keep wood as far away from your home as possible, because the closer to your home that you store your wood, the less distance termites have to travel in order to start feasting on your home’s framing.

The U.S. Senate primary election is tomorrow. Andrew Greenstein has a preview.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Now that we’re in the middle of the spring, now is the time to take steps to protect your home from termites, if you haven’t already done so. Andrew Greenstein explains why.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The Louisiana Senate approves a new congressional map that has five majority white Republican districts and just one majority Black Democratic district. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (38) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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A U.S. Senate campaign that started in December of 2024 when John Fleming announced a primary challenge against Bill Cassidy reaches its first critical checkpoint tomorrow with the primary election. Several other hopefuls also threw their names in the ring; but when Julia Letlow entered the race after getting President Trump’s endorsement, that cleared the field except for the incumbent Cassidy and the original challenger Fleming. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says tomorrow could be Cassidy’s last stand.

Cut 4 (10) “…indicate he’s third.”

If he does indeed finish third, his 12-year run in Washington will come to an end. Polling indicates a runoff is a near certainty; and Hogan says the mountain will be higher to climb for Cassidy in that next phase.

Cut 5 (09) “…other two candidates.”

There are three people vying for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate – Jamie Davis, Nick Albares and Gary Crockett. There has been no polling data to indicate where the race stands currently. Statewide, more Democrats cast ballots in early voting than Republicans; Hogan says that doesn’t necessarily mean enthusiasm for any one of the three.

Cut 6 (08) “…four constitutional amendments.”

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Voters will see five constitutional amendments on the ballot tomorrow. Amendment Three has received the most attention. Barry Erwin with Leaders for a Better Louisiana says the amendment would abolish three large education trust funds and use the revenues of the funds to pay down teacher retirement debt.

Cut 7 (10) “…lot of implications.”

Constitutional Amendment One would allow the legislature to remove state government jobs from the civil service system and its protections without getting approval from the Civil Service Commission. Steven Procopio with the Public Affairs Council says supporters say the current civil service system is too rigid, with too many rules that make it difficult to find ways to improve government operations and efficiency.

Cut 8 (07) “…private business approach.”

Amendment Two asks voters if they want to create the St. George Community School System. Erwin says the reason why the city of St. George formed in Baton Rouge was so that residents in that city can have its own school system.

Cut 9 (08)  “…Parish in particular.”

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We’re well into spring; so if you haven’t taken proactive steps to protect your home from termites, now would be a very good time to do so. LSU AgCenter entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says Louisiana’s climate makes termite infestations more likely.

Cut 10 (10) “…lot of wood.”

Ashbrook says your first line of defense is to take preventative measures.

Cut 11 (09) “…in-ground bait stations.”

In addition to those preventative measures, Ashbrook says there are certain precautions you can take to reduce the risk of termites damaging your home, including turning off your lights.

Cut 12 (07) “…and are nocturnal.”

Ashbrook also recommends that you keep wood as far away from your home as possible, because the closer to your home that you store your wood, the less distance termites have to travel in order to start feasting on your home’s framing.

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The Louisiana Senate has approved a Congressional map that eliminates one of the two majority Black districts. Monroe Senator Jay Morris says under his proposal, the state’s congressional map will have five districts that will likely have Republican representation and one district likely represented by a Democrat.

Cut 13 (12)  “…maximize Republican advantage.”

The state senate approved the map on a 27-10 party line vote. New Orleans Democrat Royce Duplessis says the map undoes all the progress that Blacks have made since the civil rights movement.

Cut 14 (11) “…of the world.”

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled Louisiana’s current congressional map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, because race was the primary factor in the drawing of the sixth district, represented by Democrat Cleo Fields.

Morris says the nation’s highest court says it’s okay to draw a map based on party politics and a 5-1 map is reflects Louisiana’s conservative values.

Cut 15 (11) “…based on race.”

But Monroe Senator Katrina Jackson-Andrews says only a third of the state’s voters are registered Republican, so the map should have more diversity.

Cut 16 (12) “…of our people.”

The new congressional map heads to the House, and the first debate in House Governmental Affairs is expected sometime next week.

This afternoon, the State Senate passed a congressional map with five Republican-leaning districts and one Democratic-leaning district. The vote was 27 to 10, straight down party lines. West Monroe Republican Jay Morris defended the map he created….

Cut 13 (08) “…present.”

New Orleans Democrat Royce Duplessis spoke out against Morris’ map, saying it undoes all progress that Blacks have made since the civil rights movement.

Cut 14 (11) “…of the world.”

The legislature is redrawing the congressional map because the Supreme Court ruled the current map an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The debate shifts to the House as the lower chamber will also have to approve the map before it is sent to the governor’s desk. 

Vehicle inspection stickers in Louisiana will soon be a thing of the past. A House bill to replace the inspection sticker with a QR code will soon be on the desk of Governor Landry, who has said he will sign it. While some argued that eliminating inspection stickers might be detrimental for some service stations, Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau said inspections are not a major source of revenue for them.

Cut 4 (09) “…profitable or not.”

16 and 17-year-olds no longer need to obtain a work permit from their school board to obtain a part-time job. Governor Landry has signed House Bill 232, removing a lot of the red tape that those teens had to go through in order to be able to work. Josh Carlson’s bill removes the government from the process altogether.

Cut 12 (09) “…the school system.”

By a party-line vote of 27 to 10, the State Senate passed a congressional map with five Republican-leaning districts and one Democratic-leaning district. During questioning, New Orleans Democrat Sidney Barthelemy told West Monroe Republican Jay Morris that since 80-percent of the Republican party is white, his map is also based on race, which is not allowed.

Cut 14 (12) “…partisanship.”

16 and 17-year-olds can now get a job without all the red tape. Governor Landry has signed House Bill 232 into law, removing the requirement that those teens obtain a work permit from their school board. The author of the legislation, Lafayette Republican Josh Carlson says the old system actually prevented some minors from being able to work.

Cut 11 (10) “…a work permit.”

When the calendar flips to 2027, you will no longer have to schlep to your local service station to get your vehicle inspected. That’s because a bill to replace vehicle inspection stickers with QR codes will soon be on the way to Governor Landry’s desk, and Landry has said he will sign it. While some have said no amount of technology can replace inspections, Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau said times are changing.

Cut 6 (11) “…are going on.” 

Two-time state championship-winning football coach Joe Spatafora is leaving Union Parish for a high school coaching job in Arkansas. Spatafora, who brought a run-first, physical style of football to Farmerville, says he cherishes the relationships he built at Union Parish.

Cut 8 (08) “..family forever.”

Within the last hour, the State Senate has passed the congressional map with five Republican-leaning districts and one Democratic-leaning district. The vote was 27 to 10, straight down party lines. West Monroe Republican Jay Morris defended the map he created. 

Cut 13 (08)  “…the present time.”

The bill now moves to the House. Like the Senate, Democrats don’t have close to the numbers needed to offer any resistance toward passage.

Vehicle inspection stickers in Louisiana will soon be a thing of the past. A House bill to replace the inspection sticker with a QR code will soon be on the desk of the Governor, who has said he will sign it. While some argued that eliminating inspection stickers might be detrimental for some service stations, Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau said inspections are not a major source of revenue for them.

Cut 4 (09) “…profitable or not.”

16 and 17-year-olds can now get a job without all the red tape. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

The NFL releases its 2026 schedule tonight and it’s been leaked the Saints will open the season on the road at Detroit. The Black and Gold will also be on the road Thanksgiving weekend as they will visit Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals in Cincinnati.

Inspection stickers in Louisiana are about to go the way of the do-do bird. A bill to replace them with QR codes will soon be on Governor Landry’s desk, and Landry has said he will sign it. Lafayette Democrat Gerald Boudreaux argued against it, saying no amount of modern technology can replace inspections to keep everyone on Louisiana roadways safe.

Cut 5 (06) “…on the road.”

Alexandria Democrat Jay Luneau said technology changes things; and by implementing the QR codes, the state is moving on to the next level.

Cut 6 (11) “…are going on.”

The only information revealed by the QR codes is the VIN. Luneau said they can help keep law enforcement officers safe by letting them know things like whether the vehicle was stolen before approaching it during a traffic stop.

The Department of Insurance is using modern technology to catch people committing insurance fraud. Commissioner Tim Temple says it’s using Anti-Fraud One and artificial intelligence to catch people defrauding insurance companies.

Cut 13 (12)  “…combat insurance fraud.”

That technology was used to arrest six Ouachita Parish residents last week in connection with a nearly decade-long insurance fraud scheme involving fire and water damage claims. 

Two-time state championship-winning football coach Joe Spatafora is leaving Union Parish for a high school coaching job in Arkansas. Spatafora says this new opportunity at Drew Central High School in Monticello, Arkansas, came together in the last week.

Cut 7 (12) “…as well.”

If your vehicle inspection sticker is not due for renewal until next year or beyond, don’t bother – you’ll never need to renew it again. A House bill to replace the inspection sticker with a QR code has passed the Senate and will soon be on the desk of the Governor, who has said he will sign it. The vote in the Senate was 27 to 7. Lafayette Democrat Gerald Boudreaux one of those voting “no”; he said owners of businesses that perform official state inspections expressed concerns about the effects on their operations.

Cut 3 (07) “…have been there.”

Alexandria Democrat Jay Luneau said inspections are not a major source of revenue for these businesses.

Cut 4 (09) “…profitable or not.”

The QR code will cost six dollars a year.

The legislature approves a bill to make the rescheduled U.S. House primaries open primaries and hold them November 3rd. House Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Beau Beaullieu was asked whether it’s legal to have the Senate races be closed primaries while the House races are open primaries.

Cut 12 (10) “…any legal jeopardy.”

Attorney General Liz Murrill is threatening to strip New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno and others of their offices for violating the state’s usurper laws. After the legislature merged the office of Orleans Parish criminal court clerk with that of the civil court clerk, the city called a special election. UNO political science professor Ed Chervenak says the question is whether the legislature’s action actually created a new office.

Cut 8 (11) “…by the courts.”

Louisiana continues to lead the nation in academic improvement, according to the latest Education Scorecard. Joe Gallinaro has the story.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

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Attorney General Liz Murrill is threatening to remove New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno and others from office. Andrew Greenstein explains why.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The legislature sends a bill to Governor Landry’s desk that establishes the rescheduled dates for the U.S. House races. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Education Scorecard ranks Louisiana first among states in reading growth from 2022 to 2025 and second among states in math growth over that same time frame. Governor Jeff Landry congratulates the students for achieving historic academic gains.

Cut 4 (11) “…systems across Louisiana.”

Landry noted when the Education Recovery Scorecard released its report last year, Louisiana held the same rankings in both metrics in the period from 2019 to 2024.

Cut 5 (11) “…leading the nation.”

Landry says Louisiana is the only state to surpass pre-pandemic levels.

Cut 6 (05) “…we’re leading.”

This Scorecard follows the 2024 Nation’s Report Card, where Louisiana jumped 17 spots up to number-32 — the highest ranking in the state’s history.

Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says these rankings are a point of pride for the state, but they’re not satisfied and will keep pushing for greater academic outcomes.

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The battle over the Orleans Parish clerk of court between the parish and the state is getting nasty. Attorney General Liz Murrill is accusing Mayor Helena Moreno, five council members and the district attorney of violating the state’s usurper laws, and UNO political science professor Ed Chervenak says that has severe consequences.

Cut 7 (09) “…an interim clerk.”

This all stems from the legislature passing a law that abolishes the office of Orleans Parish criminal clerk and transfers those duties to the civil clerk, Chelsey Richard Napoleon. The New Orleans city government maintains that action created a new office, so it appointed Retired Judge Calvin Johnson to the office and called a special election. Chervenak says the disagreement is whether the legislature’s action indeed created a new office.

Cut 8 (11) “…by the courts.”

Governor Landry signed the law just as exoneree Calvin Duncan was set to take office after being elected. As to whether the state has the authority to tell a local government how to run its affairs, Chervenak says in Louisiana, the answer is yes.

Cut 9 (08)  “…power to destroy.”

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The legislature has approved a bill that sets new election dates for the six U.S. House races. House Governmental Affairs Chairman Beau Beaullieu says the 2026 House races will be an open primary in November, with a December runoff. Beaullieu says the U.S. House elections scheduled for May 16th election have officially been canceled.

Cut 10 (13) “…in the fall.”

The legislation also says future congressional races will be a closed primary after this year. Beaullieu was asked why this year’s U.S. House races can’t be closed primaries.

Cut 11 (12) “…did discuss that.”

Beaullieu was also asked whether it’s legal to have the Senate races be closed primaries while the House races are open primaries.

Cut 12 (10) “…any legal jeopardy.”

Qualifying for the U.S. House open primaries and all other fall elections will take place August 5th through the 7th.

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The Department of Insurance is using modern technology to catch people committing insurance fraud. Commissioner Tim Temple says it’s using Anti-Fraud One and artificial intelligence to catch people defrauding insurance companies.

Cut 13 (12)  “…combat insurance fraud.”

Temple says Anti-Fraud One can detect things like filing the same damage claims over and over again.

Cut 14 (11) “…a repetitive claimant.”

Temple says that technology was used to arrest six Ouachita Parish residents last week in connection with a nearly decade-long insurance fraud scheme involving fire and water damage claims.

Cut 15 (08) “…catch these individuals.”

The Department of Insurance did not provide specific details of what the alleged fraud scheme entailed.

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The LSU baseball team finishes out the regular season with a three-game series against 19th ranked Florida that starts tonight at Alex Box Stadium. The only way the Tigers can make the NCAA Tournament at this point is to win next week’s SEC Tournament. Coach Jay Johnson says they’re focused on the Gators, but they also have an eye toward the SEC Tourney.

Cut 16 (11) “…have to do.”

It will be the final games at the Box for a couple of key contributors to last year’s national championship team, outfielder Chris Stanfield and pitcher Zac Cowan. Johnson says it’s rare to have talented players like those two guys stay for their senior seasons.

Cut 17 (20)  “…season this year.”

First pitch tonight is at 6:30.

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The Ragin Cajuns host Sun Belt Conference leader Coastal Carolina for senior weekend that begins tonight at Tigue Moore Field. Coach Matt Deggs says one senior he will definitely miss is Lee Amedee, who is the team’s second leading hitter.

Cut 18 (21)  “…better every year.”

Coastal Carolina leads Southern Miss by one game for first place in the Sun Belt. Not only are they trying to win a regular season conference championship, but they also have a chance to host an NCAA Regional. The Cajuns are on the bubble when it comes to making the NCAA Tournament. Deggs says both teams do a lot of things well.

Cut 19 (21) “…for both teams.”

First pitch is at 6 p-m.

After almost ten hours, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee passed a new congressional map that contains only one majority Black district. One woman couldn’t contain her anger after the committee voted down a map that would have preserved two majority Black districts.

Cut 9 (16)  “…in your district.”

Hours later, the legislature passed a bill making the rescheduled U.S. House elections open primaries, taking place November 3rd, with the general election December 12th. House Governmental Affairs Chairman Beau Beaullieu was asked whether it’s legal for the U.S. Senate races to be closed primaries and the House races being open primaries.

Cut 12 (10) “…legal jeopardy.” 

The Revenue Estimating Conference has adopted a forecast that will result in fewer available dollars to spend for Louisiana lawmakers. Melinda Deslatte with the Public Affairs Research Council says the changes adopted will lessen state general fund money by 104-million dollars for next year’s fiscal year.

Cut 23 (10) “…run into problems.”

Deslatte says this jeopardizes Governor Landry’s request to double the funding of the Louisiana GATOR Scholarship program, which provides low-income families with state dollars to pay for private school tuition and other education expenses. She says Senate President Cameron Henry was not on board with doubling the size of L-A GATOR anyways.

Cut 24 (11) “…funded right now.”

Deslatte says Governor Landry’s tax reform plan is the main reason for the decline in state revenue.

A marathon meeting of Senate Governmental Affairs results in the approval of a Congressional map that will likely result in five Republicans and one Democrat representing Louisiana in the US House. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (45) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Louisiana ranks first in the nation for reading growth according to a new report from the Education Scorecard. State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says this latest scorecard measured growth from 2022 to 2025.

Cut 14 (12) “…we are making.”

Louisiana also ranks second for math growth from 2022 to 2025.

We’ve known for a while that the Saints will be playing a game in Paris this season. Now, we know the date and their opponent – October 25th against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jeff Duncan, who covers the Saints for The Advocate and NOLA-dot-com, says everyone thought that their opponent would be the Browns, but the NFL had other ideas.

Cut 3 (11) “…an attractive matchup.”