On the opening day of the legislative session, Governor Jeff Landry laid out his agenda for lawmakers. He began his speech by encouraging legislators to make his reforms in public education. The governor says he wants parents in control of a child’s education and take away some of the burdens affecting teachers…

Cut  14 (14) “..can teach”

Insurance reform will also be a key topic as the state legislators will look at ways to improve the property insurance market. New Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says deregulation of the industry is the key and Landry agrees…

AM Cut 12 (12) “…our people” 

Secretary of State Nancy Landry is pushing for bills to increase election integrity. She says the bills would bring Louisiana closer to being ranked first in the nation for election integrity. For example, House Bill 114 to verify if Louisiana residents are still eligible to vote.

Cut 4 (11) “…more years.” 

After 10 years, Landry points out voters would not be removed from the non-active voters list automatically. She says notification would be mailed out and if a voter does not respond…

Cut 5 (12) “…active rolls.”

Former Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed the proposed bill multiple times after it was passed by the legislature.

The regular legislative session is underway with Governor Jeff Landry making his opening remarks. And Secretary of State Nancy Landry is pushing for bills to increase election integrity. For example, House Bill 114 to verify if Louisiana residents are still eligible to vote.

Cut 4 (11) “…more years.” 

After one day of early voting, the number of mail-in ballots for the March 23^rd presidential primary is the third highest in Louisiana’s election history. And Pollster John Couvillon says considering this Presidential primary is “low wattage” with a few local elections thrown in, mail-in voting is higher than the 2020 Presidential primary…

Cut 7 (07) “…to me.”  

The November 2020 Presidential race and the 2022 Senate primary were first and second respectively for mail-in ballots for Louisiana.

LSU and South Carolina battled each other hard yesterday and tempers flared late in the game which resulted in both benches clearing after Lady Tigers guard Flau’jae Johnson was pushed down to the ground. The loss ended the Lady Tigers ten game winning streak and Coach Kim Mulkey is eager to see her team try to win another title…

Cut 13 (13) “…next week”  

Johnson’s brother, Trayron Milton was arrested and booked for assault and battery and disorderly conduct by the Greenville Police during the incident when it he jumped from the crowd onto the court to protect his sister yet video footage of him making contact with another player has not surfaced. LSU will find out on Sunday night who they will play in the NCAA Tournament

The Louisiana National Guard is preparing to assist in Operation Lone Star. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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Surrounded by family, friends, and fellow troopers, a select of group of men and women achieved their goal of completing the Louisiana State Police Training Academy this morning. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

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Soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard are among the more than a dozen states participating in Operation Lone Star at the Texas border. LANG spokesperson, Lt. Col. Noel (No-elle) Collins says 50 soldiers will be deployed for three rotations.

Cut 3 (09) “…requiring.”  

Collins says Texas has asked for Louisiana guardsmen to arrive no later than March 15^th.

Cut 4 (09) “…to Texas.” 

Soldiers from the 2-108^th Cavalry Squadron in Shreveport will participate in the first rotation and soldiers from the 61^st Troop Command, based in Carville will round out the two remaining rotations. And are currently scheduled to remain in place until approximately mid-June.

Collins says among the duties they would likely assist with is patrolling and enhancing some of the obstacle emplacements along the border.

Cut 5 (08) “…Texas National Guard.”

The legislature approved and Governor Landry has signed off on LANG’s request for $3 million to cover their expenses and pay allowances for Operation Lone Star.

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It’s a big day for the Louisiana State Police. 33 new troopers graduated from their 103^rd cadet class. Captain Nick Manale says the cadets began their journey nearly six months ago.

Cut 6  (12) “…leadership skills.” 

Manale says cadets also completed a physical training regimen. He says the diverse class of new troopers will continue their training with veteran troopers

Cut 7 (08) “…state troopers.”  

Manale says there are nearly 900 troopers working in patrol, criminal investigation, and public safety services. But they continue to look for qualified men and women to join the ranks.

Cut 8 (06) “…process started.” 

Anyone interested can apply at www.lsp.org.

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Early voting for the March 23rd presidential preference primary begins tomorrow (Saturday). Secretary of State Nancy Landry says Democrats and Republicans will only be allowed to vote for presidential candidates in their respective party.

Cut 9 (10) “…remind everybody.” 

There are local elections in 24 parishes in which all voters may cast their ballots regardless of party.

Landry expects  a 20 – 25 percent of voter turnout for this election.  A higher turnout is expected for the hotly contested Caddo Parish Sheriff race.

Cut 10 (13) “…that turnout.”

Location hours are 8:30 am until 6 pm and ballots can be cast until March 16th, except for Sunday.

Landry says if you need to know where to go for early voting, they’ve got all the info you need at geauxvote.com.

President Joe Biden has already locked up the Democratic Party’s nomination and former President Donald Trump has secured the Republican Party’s nomination. Landry still expects Republicans and Democrats to have their voices heard.

Cut 11 (09) “…should be.”

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The Saints have re-signed veteran and former LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu to a two year contract that will keep him in his hometown of New Orleans through the 2025 season. The Honeybadger is happy he’s staying with the Black and Gold…

Cut 12 (12)  “…to me”  

The 31-year-old will reportedly make 13-million dollars over the next two seasons. He signed with the Saints as a free agent prior to the 2022 season and retiring as a Saint is appealing to him…

Cut 13 (13) “…part of it”  

Mathieu was selected by the Saints as their nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his community service work. He’s also playing at a high level. In his two seasons in New Orleans, he’s started all 34 games and intercepted seven passes. But he wants to lead the Black and Gold to the playoffs

Cut  14 (12) “..opportunity”

Cut 15 (10) “…novel concept”

Cut  16 (14)   “…tell his story.”

Early voting for the March 23rd presidential primary begins Saturday. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says Democrats and Republicans will only be allowed to vote for presidential candidates in their respective party. Landry expects a 20 – 25 percent of voter turnout for this election.  A higher turnout is expected for the hotly contested Caddo Parish Sheriff race.

Cut 10 (13) “…that turnout.”

Voting hours are 8:30 until 6 and ballots can be cast until March 16th, except for Sunday.

Soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard are among the more than a dozen states participating in Operation Lone Star at the Texas border. LANG spokesperson, Lt. Col. Noel (No-elle) Collins says 50 soldiers will be deployed for three rotations.

Cut 3 (09) “…requiring.”  

Collins says Texas has asked for Louisiana guardsmen to arrive no later than March 15^th.

Surrounded by family, friends, and fellow troopers, a select of group of men and women achieved their goal of completing the Louisiana State Police Training Academy this morning. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

You’ll want to be weather aware today especially the parishes in north Louisiana along the Mississippi border. There’s a risk of severe thunderstorms throughout the afternoon and evening. Once the front moves through we’ll have cooler temperatures and don’t forget to set your clock forward before you go to bed on Saturday when Daylight Saving Time starts.

Early voting begins Saturday for the Louisiana Presidential Primary, even though the party nominations have already been decided. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 3 (28) “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

Governor Landry has signed off on a bill to deploy members of the Louisiana National Guard to Texas to help in Operation Lone Star at the southern border. The amount approved for funding the operation to cover salaries and expenses is $3 million. 50 soldiers will serve at one time in three rotations over 90 days.

It’s a big day for the Louisiana State Police. 33 new troopers graduated from their 103^rd cadet class. Captain Nick Manale says the cadets began their journey nearly six months ago.

Cut 6  (12) “…leadership skills.” 

He says cadets also completed a physical training regimen and they will continue their training with veteran troopers.

A bill that would allow judges the sentencing option of vasectomies for convicted sex offenders has been filed for the regular session. New Orleans Representative Delisha Boyd says House Bill 166 is simple and gets straight to the point.

Cut 9 (09)  “…supposed to.”

She says sex offenders are usually repeat offenders and this would protect women who are raped from getting pregnant.

5:30 (17) 8:30 (20)

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, one in six women are victims, of rape or an attempted rape in their lifetime. New Orleans Representative Delisha Boyd wants health insurers to provide mental health coverage for victims. She says no matter their age, rape victims deserve mental health services and when the perpetrator is someone, they trust it’s another layer of difficulty.

Cut 12 (09)  “…the family.”  

House bill 302 is pending in the House Insurance Committee

Two Louisiana women unable to get an abortion in the state despite medical issues with their pregnancy will attend the State of the Union Address tonight. They were invited by a Congressman from New York. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has invited Louisiana Right to Life director Ben Clapper as his guest.

BESE has removed the requirement for high school seniors to complete FAFSA to graduate. The new policy goes into effect next school year. The board believes requiring a student to apply for federal aid for college is an unnecessary burden on parents. And BESE President Ronnie Morris says some families do not want to give out their tax and income information.

Cut 3 (12) “…for everybody.”  

AAA is rolling out new technology that will cause an alert to automatically update motorists when the tow truck arrives at the location to help the stranded driver. Spokesperson Don Redman says this gives motorists more time to slow down or move over. And provides a safeguard for those responding to aid stranded motorists.

Cut 9 (12) “…so dangerous.” 

New Orleans Representative Delisha Boyd wants health insurers to provide mental health coverage for victims of rape. The legislation is personal for Boyd because her mother was raped at the age of 15. Boyd says her mother had psychological issues.

Cut 11 (10) “…was 30.”
The bill also requires coverage for at least one year of postpartum psychosis screenings for victims who have a child as a result of the rape.

For the upcoming regular session, Marrero Representative Kyle Green has filed legislation that would have all statewide offices be term-limited to two terms, just like the governor…

Cut 7 (11) “…elected officials.”  
Green’s legislation is a constitutional amendment and will need voter approval.

BESE removes the requirement for high school seniors to complete FAFSA to graduate. BESE President Ronnie Morris says some families do not want to give out their tax and income information and the form is simply not necessary to graduate.

Cut 4 (09) “…line somewhere.” 

The new policy goes into effect next school year.

AAA is rolling out new technology that sends alerts to drivers to slow down and move over when they are approaching a stranded motorist on the side of the road. Spokesperson Don Redman says motorists will receive alerts when a AAA member is in an unsafe location.

Cut 8 (11) “…roadway assistance.” 
Cut 8 (11) “…roadway assistance.”
AAA researchers found 123 roadside assistant providers were killed by passing vehicles between 2015 and 2021.

Among the Crime legislation Governor Jeff Landry signed yesterday is House Bill 5 makes the illegal use of a weapon be designated as a crime of violence, which would lengthen prison sentences for anyone illegally shooting a gun, including shooting into the sky on July 4th and New Year’s Eve. Landry hopes this legislation can reduce gun violence.

Cut 12 (09) “…long time.” 

Entergy Louisiana is seeking approval from the Public Service Commission to build a 411-million dollar natural gas power station that would be built on top of a barge. Entergy’s Laura Beauchamp says the facility would provide essential backup power for industries located at Port Fouchon…
cut 14 (12) “…critical base”

Starting next year, high school seniors will not have to apply for FAFSA to graduate. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (30)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

And Southern Living magazine has named two cities in the Bayou State among their list of “The South’s Best Cities on the Rise” for 2024. They are Lake Charles and Covington. Lake Charles ranked 22 and Covington ranked 11^th.

One of former Governor John Bel Edwards’ signature pieces of legislation has been changed as a result of a new law signed by Governor Jeff Landry. Teiko Foxx has the story…
cut 2 (34) “…Teiko Foxx”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a $5,000 reward for information regarding a whooping crane found dead and Mamouon on January 9^th. The reward is for information leading to the arrest or criminal conviction of those involved.

Entergy Louisiana is seeking approval from the PSC to construct a floating natural gas power station off the state’s southeast coast. Director of Resource Planning and Market Operations Laura Beauchamp (pronounced Beach-um) says with a price tag of 411 million, the average customer would see a $1.50 increase on their bill.

Cut 15 (11) “…customer bills.”

It will serve as a microgrid for Port Fourchon, Grand Isle, and Golden Meadow.

If you’ve tried to delay your craving for crawfish due to the cost, have I got news for you.

Cut 8 (12) “…some crawfish.” 

That’s Crawfish App co-founder Laney King and she says, and you can find a sack for about $160. After a rough start, King says we’ve hit that sweet spot for the best prices you’ll see this season, especially with Easter at the end of the month.

Crawfish lovers can rejoice because the average price for a pound of mudbugs is down a dollar this week. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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One of former Governor John Bel Edwards’ signature pieces of legislation has been changed as a result of a new law signed by Governor Jeff Landry. Teiko Foxx has the story…

Cut 2 (34)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

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Entergy is seeking approval from the PSC to build a floating natural gas power station and microgrid for southeast Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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Baton Rouge Republican Congressman Garret Graves says he’s definitely running for re-election this year and he’ll seek to continue to represent the sixth district despite major changes to the district’s political boundaries. Graves says he does not want to leave Congress when he’s set to be the next Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee…

Cut 4 (09) “…do that.”

Graves says as chairman of House Transportation he’ll have a major say on federal funding for infrastructure projects desperately needed in Louisiana..

Cut 5 (12) “…it’s going to flood.” 

State lawmakers approved a new Congressional map that stretches the sixth district from Baton Rouge to Shreveport. It gives a Black Democrat a better chance at winning the seat. Graves believes the new Congressional map is unconstitutional and expects to continue to represent the district he’s currently serving…

Cut 6 (12) “…to earn.”

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Finally, some good news about crawfish this week. Crawfish App co-founder Laney King says mudbug prices dropped a dollar a pound this week. She says boiled crawfish average $5.99 a pound and you can find a sack for about $160. After a rough start to the season, King says the outlook has definitely improved.

Cut 7 (11) “…prices down.”

If you’ve tried to delay your craving for crawfish due to cost, King says we’ve entered that sweet spot for the best prices you’ll see this season especially with Easter at the end of the month.

Cut 8 (12) “…some crawfish.” 

King says now is the time to visit your favorite crawfish spot because they’re at a good size and prices are reasonable.

Cut 9 (13)  “…every week.”

You can find the Crawfish App available for download on your smartphone.

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At a press conference in New Orleans, Governor Jeff Landry signed the remaining bills approved during the crime special session. Many of the new laws will lead to longer prison sentences. Landry highlighted the bill that will raise the minimum sentence for a carjacking from two to five years

Cut 10 (12) “…long time.”

Joining Landry for the bill signing ceremony were law enforcement officials and victims and victim family members of carjackings. Landry also signed the bill that would result in a 25 to 99 prison sentence for anyone who packages fentanyl to attract minors…

Cut 11 (08) “…our children.” 

Landry has also signed House Bill 5. It says that the illegal use of a weapon should be designated as a crime of violence, which would lengthen prison sentences for anyone illegally shooting a gun, including shooting into the sky on July 4th and New Year’s Eve. Landry hopes this legislation can reduce gun violence

Cut 12 (09) “…long time.” 

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Entergy Louisiana is seeking approval to construct a floating natural gas power station off the state’s southeast coast. Director of Resource Planning and Market Operations Laura Beauchamp (pronounced Beach-um) says the project will enhance coastal reliability and resilience for such a vital part of the state.

Cut 13 (10)  “…communities.”

Beauchamp says it will be a first of its kind for Louisiana, situated atop a barge across from the substation in Leeville. She says that part of Louisiana is not only important for the state’s tourism and seafood industries but also from the perspective of the country’s energy security.

Cut 14 (12) “…critical base.”

The project must first receive approval from the Public Service Commission and will come with a price tag of $411 million. Beauchamp says as with any of their investments, the average Entergy Louisiana customer would see a $1.50 increase on their bill.

Cut 15 (11) “…customer bills.”

Assuming the project receives PSC approval in the next year, Beachamp anticipates it could be commissioned in 2028.

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Big basketball game in Ruston tonight as the Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team hosts Sam Houston. The two teams are tied for first place in the Conference. The Bulldogs lost to the Bearkats earlier this season, but Tech Coach Talvin Hester remembers his team’s preparation was not great for that game…

Cut 16 (15) “…play well.” 

Sam Houston beat La Tech 81-77 in Huntsville on January sixth. Hester is looking forward to the rematch…

Cut 17 (14) “…this game.” 

Both teams enter tonight’s game on a five-game winning streak. Tech is 21-8 and 13-1 at home in Hester’s second season in Ruston. A win tonight assures the Bulldogs of at least a share of the conference title, which is a big accomplishment…

Cut 18 (20)  “…guys.” 

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Cut 19 (23) “…high-level.”

Cut 20 (18) “…as a team.”