If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That’s what Harahan Representative John Illg is doing with legislation to ban outdoor balloon releases. Last year, his bill to create a new law to ban the intentional release of balloons sailed through the legislature, only to have Governor Landry veto it, saying it would be unenforceable. At the Love The Boot Week kickoff event, Illg says that’s no reason not to have a law on the books.

Cut 6 (07) “…against the law.”

So this time, Illg’s bill adds intentional balloon releases to the state’s existing law against intentional littering. It’s currently one Senate vote away from landing on Landry’s desk. Illg says passing a law at the state level is all well and good, assuming it can gain Landry’s signature this time, but a state law doesn’t go far enough.

Cut 8 (10) “…end up here.”

A measure to crack down on marijuana use near school facilities advances to the Senate. The full House passed Pollack Representative Gabe Firment’s bill on a vote of 59-to-34. It would increase the penalty for smoking marijuana within two-thousand feet of a school facility to up to a year in prison and up to a one-thousand-dollar fine. Firment said marijuana use near schools is getting out of control.

Cut 4 (11) “…little meaningful consequence.”

Marrero Representative Kyle Green expressed concerns that some people’s homes are located within that two-thousand-foot zone and, thus people who live there may face serious criminal charges for something they do in their own homes.

Cut 5 (11) “…law enforcement officer.”

We’re following breaking news out of Baton Rouge, as there’s been a mass shooting in the food court at the Mall of Louisiana. The latest information is at least six people were shot – two are in critical condition.

Law enforcement, meanwhile, teamed up to foil a mass shooting plot at Jazz Fest. Sheriff’s deputies in Destin, Florida, arrested 45-year-old Christopher Gillum, who police say was en route to New Orleans to shoot Black people at Jazz Fest before committing so-called “suicide by cop.” Investigators found a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition in his hotel room.

State Representative John Illg is trying again with a ban on balloon releases. Last year, Governor Landry vetoed his bill to create a standalone law. So this time, Illg’s bill adds intentional balloon releases to the state’s existing anti-littering law. Illg says it would also protect the state’s livestock.

Cut 7 (11) “…all these farmers.”

The drought in Louisiana is getting worse. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

The LSU Board of Supervisors approves a contract extension for Athletic Director Verge Ausberry. His new deal will pay him eight-million dollars through 2030. Ausberry says it’s an honor to lead the LSU athletics department.

Cut 10 (06) “…me than anything.”

We’re learning new details about the man arrested for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at Jazz Fest. The Advocate is reporting that 45-year-old Christopher Gillum is a former law enforcement officer in North Carolina, and that his family reported that he was looking to shoot Black people and commit so-called “suicide by cop.”

The Louisiana House approves legislation that would allow public universities to keep private how they spend revenue share dollars with their athletes. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Chalmette Representative Mike Bayham says he plans on bringing up his proposed constitutional amendment to limit governors to two lifetime terms to another vote next week. It got 67 votes yesterday, three short of the requisite 70 needed to advance. Current law states that governors are only limited to two *consecutive* terms. Bayham says, though, eight years is enough.

Cut 8 (07) “…of this state.”

About 90-percent of the state is in a drought, with more than half now in extreme drought. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says everywhere you go, you can start to see the devastating effects.

Cut 4 (14) “…of Louisiana agriculture.”

Grymes says this is the worst drought the state has experienced since 2023.

We continue to follow breaking news as a North Carolina man has been arrested for allegedly planning to carry out a mass shooting at Jazz Fest. Christopher Gillum was arrested in Destin, Florida, after authorities found more than 200 rounds of ammo in his hotel room.

Jazz Fest opens today; and if you think this incident is going to ruin a good time at the Fair Ground Race Course, think again.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Michelle Southern.”

If you’re not in the greater Baton Rouge area or in Cameron Parish, you’re in an area experiencing drought. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says the latest Louisiana Drought Monitor shows drought conditions getting worse.

Cut 3 (12) “…as extreme drought.”

Grymes says in order to turn things around at this point, we need to see two to four weeks of steady wet weather.

On the State House floor, Shreveport Representative Tammy Phelps took time to address the horrific events from this past Sunday, when a man shot seven of his kids and a nephew to death. Phelps said these are trying times not only for the families of the victims, but also for those who were called to the scene Sunday morning.

Cut 5 (05) “…they have children.”

The House observed a moment of silence following Phelps’ remarks.

The Louisiana House approves legislation that would allow public universities to keep private how they spend revenue share dollars with their athletes. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________________________

The 2026 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival opens today. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Michelle Southern.”

____________________________________________

Several former LSU football standouts are set to hear their names called as the NFL Draft begins tonight. Andre Champagne takes a look at who could come off the board early….

Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

______________________________________________

On the State House floor, Shreveport Representative Tammy Phelps took time to address the horrific events from this past Sunday, when a man shot seven of his kids and a nephew to death. Phelps expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support, not only from people in Louisiana but from people coast to coast.

Cut 4 (05) “…take a while.”

Phelps says these are trying times not only for the families of the victims, but also for those who were called to the scene Sunday morning.

Cut 5 (05) “…they have children.”

Phelps also noted the announcement that Governor Landry made, stating that his wife’s foundation would be paying for the funerals of all eight children.

Cut 6 (06) “…you so much.”

The House observed a moment of silence following Phelps’ remarks.

_____________________________________________________________

An effort to prevent someone from serving as governor for three or more terms failed to get enough votes in the House. Chalmette Representative Michael Bayham’s proposed constitutional amendment needed 70 votes, but it only got 67. There were 22 no votes, and 16 members did not vote. New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry likes the proposal.

Cut 7 (05) “…good bill, thanks.”

The constitution currently only allows a person to serve two *consecutive* terms. But if former governors Bobby Jindal or John Bel Edwards wanted to run for governor next year, they could. But Bayham says they’ve already had their chance, and eight years is enough for future governors.

Cut 8 (07) “…of this state.”

No one spoke in opposition. Bayham can bring the measure up for another vote to see if he can get the 70 votes needed to send the proposal to the Senate.

If the proposed legislation can get two-thirds approval in both the House and the Senate, voters would decide if it should be added to the state’s constitution. Bayham believes the public would support it, based on how they already feel about term limits.

Cut 9 (11)  “…by the legislature.”

_________________________________________________________

The 2026 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival opens today. It consists of essentially two four-day weekends – Thursday through Sunday at the Fair Grounds Race Course. Despite the name, jazz is by no means the only music featured during the festival; Jazz Fest Producer Quint Davis says this is a celebration of Louisiana artistry.

Cut 10 (08) “…to become now.”

That remaining 15-percent usually includes some of the biggest names in music, and this year is no different. Davis says among this year’s headliners are Stevie Nicks, the Eagles and Rod Stewart.

Cut 11 (10) “…a special thing.”

Davis says this year’s cultural exchange is celebrating Jamaica.

Cut 12 (11) “…arts and crafts.”

So if you miss this year’s Jazz Fest, you’ll certainly “Jamaica” mistake, so don’t miss it!

_________________________________________________________

The NFL Draft begins tonight at seven p.m. in Pittsburgh, and several LSU Tigers will be waiting to hear their names called this weekend. One of them is Garrett Nussmeier. NFL Draft expert Mike Detillier of WWL Radio believes Nussmeier will be highly coveted by teams for his rare set of abilities.

Cut 13 (15)  “…he’s got that.”

Nussmeier missed a good portion of the 2025 season with an oblique injury stemming from a cyst on his spine, which was discovered by doctors after the NFL Combine. Detillier does not believe the injury will be an issue moving forward and says Nussmeier has positioned himself well to be a top-75 pick following a strong offseason.

Cut 14 (14) “…this draft class.”

Another former Tiger who will be waiting to hear his name called this weekend is cornerback Mansoor Delane. He has likely solidified himself as a top-10 pick, and Detillier could see him going to the Saints with the eighth overall selection. Detillier notes that Delane would help offset the loss of a key cornerback in free agency.

Cut 15 (14) “…play out wide.”

________________________________________________________

The Saints will look to make a splash in this year’s NFL Draft, much like they did last season. New Orleans holds eight picks this weekend, including the number-eight overall selection. One name that has appeared in several mock drafts is LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. General Manager Mickey Loomis, who attended Delane’s impressive pro day at LSU, says he is uber-talented.

Cut 16 (10) “…get taken high.”

Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier will not be with the front office and coaching staff in the building this weekend, as he will be with his son Garrett while he awaits his name to be called. Loomis said Doug will still be involved in the draft process, just from afar.

Cut 17 (13)  “…value his input.”

______________________________________________________

UL Lafayette football will wrap up spring practice with a game Saturday. Head coach Michael Desormeaux says he wants his team to take full advantage of the work they’ll have the opportunity to get in.

Cut 18 (10)  “…in the summer.”

One position group Desormeaux wants to see more production from is the wide receivers. With Shelton Sampson out with an injury, Desormeaux is looking for players to step up Saturday.

Cut 19 (16) “…a break for.”

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them as a result of poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Bossier City Representative Dennis Bamburg says he was looking after taxpayer dollars with his legislation.

Cut 7 (09) “..this is about.”

But Baton Rouge Representative Barbara Freiberg says no other scholarship asks for the money back if a student fails to keep it.

Cut 8 (07) “…back those scholarships”

Bamburg had exemptions in his bill, where TOPS recipients would not have to pay their scholarships back if they lost them while also dealing with significant life challenges, like a death of an immediate family member. The measure failed on a 38-to-62 vote.

A new poll shows state senator Blake Miguez is leading the Fifth District Congressional Republican primary. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

A woman is arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs into the East Baton Rouge Prison for one of the suspects in the murder of three-year-old Devin Page Jr. Police say Errolynn Hilson planned to give 120 sheets of mojo paper, which is a synthetic cannabinoid, to Jordan Anderson, who’s been incarcerated there for an unrelated killing.

The mayor of Winnsboro is arrested on a Medicaid fraud charge. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

A new poll shows state senator Blake Miguez is leading the Fifth District Congressional Republican primary. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________________________

DOTD is using the occasion of Love The Boot Week to launch a new program aimed at cleaning litter from busy highways.  Secretary Glenn Ledet (luh-DAY) says it’s called Sponsor-A-Highway.

Cut 3 (05) “…segments of highways.”

Unlike the more common Adopt-A-Highway, in which volunteers pick up trash along the stretch of highway they have adopted two to four times a year, Sponsor-A-Highway is geared towards companies which pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway. Ledet says sponsors are already signing up.

Cut 4 (06) “…in New Orleans.”

Ledet says sponsors get road signs with their logos on them, giving them an additional advertising opportunity, making this a win-win for everyone.

Cut 5 (13) “…really congested areas.”

____________________________________________

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them as a result of poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan could not figure how they would pay it back, since the scholarship money goes directly to the school.

Cut 6 (13) “…to be garnished.”

The measure failed on a 38-to-62 vote.

Bossier City Representative Dennis Bamburg says he’s looking after taxpayer dollars with his legislation.

Cut 7 (09) “..this is about.”

Bamburg had exemptions in the bill, where TOPS recipients would not have to pay their scholarships back if they lost them while also dealing with significant life challenges, like a death of an immediate family member. He also gave the option for a student to go to a technical school instead, with the state still paying for the tuition.

But Baton Rouge Representative Barbara Freiberg says no other scholarship asks for the money back if a student fails to keep it.

Cut 8 (07) “…back those scholarships”

_____________________________________________________

We are ten days away from the start of the early voting period for the May 16th election. Pearson Cross teaches political science at ULM, and he’s expecting a low turnout for the state’s first closed primary election since 2010.

Cut 9 (12)  “…more like 25.”

Republican and Democratic U-S Senate primaries are the main item on the ballot, but voters in 20 parishes will also be electing a new person to represent the 5th Congressional district. In a poll of 600 likely voters, State Senator Blake Miguez leads the field in the 5th District Republican Party Primary. Cross says it remains to be seen if Miguez ends up replacing Julia Letlow.

Cut 10 (10) “…in the race?”

Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds received 13-percent of the vote in the survey, followed by Monroe Representative Michael Echols at 10-percent. Board of Regents chairwoman Misti Cordell received three-percent. Cross says the winner of this election may come down to who has the most money.

Cut 11 (13) “…just don’t know”

New Orleans-based pollster Greg Rigamer conducted the survey that was paid for by business lobbyist Alton Ashy.

______________________________________________________________________

LSU freshman baseball player William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season with a broken hamate bone in his wrist. Patrick started for Brown in last night’s 10-7 win over UNO and had an RBI double — but not before he got some valuable advice from Brown.

Cut 12 (15) “…up to him.”

Coach Jay Johnson is impressed with Patrick’s athleticism.

Cut 13 (07) “…a great competitor.”

LSU will look to snap a six-game SEC losing streak when they visit Mississippi State for the start of a three-game series Friday night.

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them due to poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan could not figure how they would pay the money back, since the scholarship money goes directly to the schools.

Cut 6 (13) “…garnished.”

A report from Leaders for a Better Louisiana finds that Louisiana is doing well in creating jobs. Better Louisiana CEO Adam Knapp says health and social assistance is leading the growth in new jobs, and employment in construction has been steadily growing since last August.

Cut 5 (09) “…over the place.”

DOTD is using Love The Boot week to launch Sponsor-A-Highway. Unlike the more common Adopt-A-Highway, in which volunteers pick up trash along the stretch of highway they have adopted, Sponsor-A-Highway is geared towards companies which pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway. DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet says sponsors are already signing up.

Cut 4 (06) “…in New Orleans.”

LSU freshman baseball player William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season. Patrick started in last night’s 10 to 7 win over UNO and had an RBI double – but not before Brown gave him some valuable advice.

Cut 12 (16) “…up to him.”

A report from Leaders for a Better Louisiana finds that Louisiana is doing well in creating jobs. Better Louisiana CEO Adam Knapp says based on state and federal data, Louisiana ranks third among Southern states for job growth. Knapp says all large Louisiana metros and two smaller metros saw year-over-year growth.

Cut 4 (06) “…all seeing growth.”

DOTD is using the occasion of Love The Boot Week to launch a new program aimed at cleaning litter from busy highways.  Secretary Glenn Ledet (luh-DAY) says it’s called Sponsor-A-Highway.

Cut 3 (05) “…segments of highways.”

Unlike the more common Adopt-A-Highway, in which volunteers pick up trash along the stretch of highway they have adopted two to four times a year, Sponsor-A-Highway is geared towards companies which pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway.

A major milestone for the Amtrak Mardi Gras line, and it reached it much earlier than expected. Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

The mayor of Winnsboro is arrested on a Medicaid fraud charge. Attorney General Liz Murrill says Mayor Alice Wallace fraudulently received Medicaid benefits for herself and a dependent since 2021 while misrepresenting the availability of employer-provided health insurance. The arrest comes three weeks before Wallace faces voters in her re-election bid.

Two people have been arrested for killing a three-year-old in Baton Rouge four years ago. Police have charged 22-year-old Jayden Davis and a juvenile with first degree murder in the killing of Devin Page Jr., who was fatally shot while sleeping in his home in April of 2022. His grandmother, Cathy Toliver, is overcome with emotion that justice is finally being served.

Cut 13 (12)  “…process of healing.”

A major milestone for Amtrak’s Mardi Gras line, as it has welcomed its 100-thousandth passenger much earlier than expected. Walt Leger, the president and CEO of New Orleans and Company, says the success of the Mardi Gras line could ultimately result in a population boom for New Orleans.

Cut 9 (08)  “…creates more accessibility.”

A new report finds that Louisiana’s job growth rate is ranked third fastest in the South for 2025. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Federal agents arrest a Shreveport man who they say possessed the firearm used to kill eight children Sunday. The Justice Department says 56-year-old Charles Ford admitted that Shamar Elkins took the rifle and shot the kids with it. Ford is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements.