The Louisiana House approves legislation that would result in a long prison sentence for anyone convicted of intentionally infecting another person with an incurable sexually transmitted disease. The bill passed the House on a 68-18 vote, but it got some pushback  from New Orleans Democrat Jason Hughes, who says sexually active adults will look at this new law and decide not to get tested so they’re protected from this kind of conviction.

Cut 14 (09) “…bad list.”

Monroe Democrat Pat Moore authored the bill and  says she has no sympathy for people who knowingly give a sexually transmitted infection to another person or a person who is sexually active and refuses to get tested.

Cut 15 (10) “…this disease.”

Moore’s bill still needs Senate approval, and the legislative session must end Thursday, June 12th.

With hurricane season now here, the state is ready for whatever Mother Nature has in store. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

It’s been more than two and a half weeks since ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Jail; and two remain on the loose. Among them is 32-year-old Antoine Massey, who recently posted a video onto Instagram saying, among other things, that he’s innocent. State Police Superintendent Colonel Robert Hodges says the courtroom is where Massey should state his case.
Cut 8 (07) “…you’re an escape.”

Now that the calendar has flipped to June, hurricane season is has officially arrived. And the state is prepared for anything Mother Nature may have in store. Some are concerned that the recent cuts to the National Weather Service may hinder its ability to provide essential updated information when a severe storm approaches. But State climatologist Jay Grymes has Louisiana covered and says it’s going to be a very busy hurricane season here.

Cut 5 (10) “…a response activity.”

Ten days after over 100,000 people across parishes abruptly lost power, city and state leaders grilled Entergy and MISO leaders yesterday regarding what happened and why no one had been warned. MISO Representative Rick Kim said several events led to the decision including a tornado in West Louisiana that knocked out one high-capacity powerline, while another was down for planned testing, they they made the decision to shut off power to avoid a catastrophic, widespread outage.

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A lawsuit was filed against Pelicans star Zion Williamson last week accusing him of rape and sexual assault. Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson addressed the suit for the first time yesterday. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

Cotton planting season is wrapping up, and the LSU AgCenter says this year’s crop could be the smallest one on record. LSU AgCenter Cotton and Corn Specialist Shelly Pate Kerns says farmers are not planting as much cotton because of low demand and low prices.

Cut 11 (09) “..other crops.”

The Louisiana House approves a bill that makes it a crime to knowingly give another person an incurable sexually transmitted infection. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

It’s June, which means it’s hurricane season. And this year some are worried that recent  cuts to the National Weather Service may be a problem.  But during a news conference at GOHSEP headquarters, Governor Landry pointed out Louisiana has Jay Grymes.

Cut 4 (11) “…us accurate information.”

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It’s now been more than two and a half weeks since ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Jail; and two remain on the loose. Among them is 32-year-old Antoine Massey, who recently posted an Instagram saying, among other things, that he’s innocent of the domestic abuse charges that landed him behind bars. State Police Superintendent Colonel Robert Hodges says those who helped Massey post the video will likely also be facing charges.

Cut 7 (07) “…online platform.”

Cotton planting season is wrapping up, and the LSU AgCenter says this year’s crop could be the smallest one on record. LSU AgCenter Cotton and Corn Specialist Shelly Pate Kerns says acreage is way down from last year.

Cut 10 (10) “…all-time low.”

Pate Kerns says farmers are not planting as much cotton because of low demand and low prices.

Hurricane season starts tomorrow and the National Weather Service and NOAA want you to know they’re prepared to keep you informed. Acting NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm says personnel will be going to great lengths to get you life-saving information and they’re improving their process for predicting how storms intensify.

Cut 10 (13) “…and underwater gliders.”

After a five hour weather delay last night, LSU took care of Little Rock seven to nothing in game one of the Baton Rouge Regional. Anthony Eyanson got the start of the mound and pitched into the eighth inning, striking out seven hitters. Second baseman Daniel Dickinson led the offense with two home runs over the left field wall after recording outs in his first two plate appearances…

Cut 15 (14) “…swings on em.”

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The Insurance Council of Louisiana is speaking out with concerns over a bill signed into law by the governor. It gives the insurance commissioner the ability to reject rate increases regardless of market conditions. Executive Director Rodney Braxton says this law is reminiscent of when Louisiana had the now-abolished insurance rating commission, which injected politics into the process.

Cut 8 (10) “…on actuarial science.”

Black bears have been spotted roaming neighborhoods in Baton Rouge, and the Covington and Abita Springs areas of St. Tammany Parish. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager John Hanks says if you encounter a bear, don’t run, back away slowly.  And don’t yell at the bear, but be loud and calm.

Cut 5 (07) “…not something to eat.”

The Insurance Council of Louisiana has some concerns about House Bill 148…a new law  the insurance commissioner the power to reject rate increases regardless of market conditions. Executive Director Rodney Braxton says the new law will cause insurance companies not to expand in Louisiana and will impact their desire to deploy new capital in the state.

Cut 7 (06) “…be less competition.”

The LSU-Shreveport Pilots achieved perfection on Friday, becoming the first college baseball team to go undefeated in history as they defeated Southeastern of Florida 13 to 7 to win the NAIA Baseball National Championship. Coach Brad Neffendorf says this national championship was many years in the making…

Cut 18 (13)  “…do this.”

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Get ready for another hurricane season – it starts Sunday. Andrew Greenstein reports.

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Black bears have been spotted roaming neighborhoods in Baton Rouge, and the Covington and Abita Springs areas of St. Tammany Parish. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager John Hanks says while not common, bear sightings in the parish aren’t unusual.

Cut 3 (12) “…place to live.”

Hurricane season starts Sunday, and the National Weather Service and NOAA are both prepared to keep people informed at all times with the latest life-saving information. Acting NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm says personnel will be going to great lengths in this endeavor.

Cut 9 (16)  “…of storm processes.”

The Insurance Council of Louisiana is sounding the alarm on House Bill 148. That’s the bill that Governor Landry signed into law that gives the insurance commissioner the ability to reject rate increases regardless of market conditions. Executive Director Rodney Braxton says the new law makes insurance companies uneasy about what the future looks like.

Cut 6 (09) “…in the future.”

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Black bears have been spotted in Baton Rouge and St. Tammany Parish. Sean Richardson has details.

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LSU baseball waited out a five-and-a-half-hour weather delay, and once the game started, they took care of Little Rock seven to nothing in the opening game of the Baton Rouge Regional. Anthony Eyanson got the start, striking out seven hitters with his breaking ball…

Cut 12 (13) “…after the other team” 

The Alliance for Affordable Energy is urging the state and utility regulators to take steps to prevent another massive outage like the one in New Orleans saw over the weekend. The weather in the New Orleans area Sunday was considerably warmer than forecast; and MISO was forced to order the blackouts to preserve energy.  Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis blamed the inaccurate forecasts on DOGE cuts. Alliance clean grid manager, Yvonne Vickery says it’s imperative that the National Weather Service be fully staffed.

Cut 8 (13) “…such as this.”

A ban on kratom in Louisiana is now one signature from Governor Landry away from becoming law. The State House voting to ban the supplement sometimes known as “gas station heroin.” The House vote on West Monroe Senator Jay Morris’ bill was 86-to-6. Kenner Republican Debbie Villio says kratom is highly addictive and potentially fatal.

Cut 14 (11) “…bad, bad stuff.”

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The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network held Cancer Action day at the Capitol to advocate for increase cancer funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.  Sean Richardson has more.

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After more than a week of sifting through rubble, the State Fire Marshall’s Office has concluded its investigation of Fire that destroyed historic Nottoway Plantation.   Evidence collected has now been transferred to the A-T-F Crime Lab in Atlanta, Georgia, for analysis to determine the origin and cause of the fire that destroyed the 166 year old, 53-thousand square foot structure May 15^th.

A statewide ban on kratom is now one signature from Governor Landry away from becoming reality. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The State Fire Marshall’s Office and ATF have wrapped up their investigation of the Fire that Destroyed historic Nottoway on May 15^th.  Evidence collected from the scene has been transferred to the A-T-F Crime Lab in Atlanta, Georgia, where it is currently undergoing analysis to determine the origin and cause of the fire.

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The Alliance for Affordable Energy is urging the state and utility regulators to take steps to prevent another massive outage like the one New Orleans experienced Sunday night. The alliance’s clean grid manager, Yvonne Cappel (cah-PELL)-Vickery, says MISO should not be the ones to blame; one factor behind the outage was poor transmission planning among the utilities.

Cut 7 (10) “…us in Louisiana.”

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network held Cancer Action Day at the Capitol. Louisiana Government Relations Director for the ACS CAN Alice Kline says advocates met with lawmakers to stress the importance of investing tobacco tax revenue in initiatives to prevent youth tobacco use and help smokers quit.

Cut 11 (10) “…long-term Medicaid costs.”

The Alliance for Affordable Energy is urging the state and utility regulators to take steps to prevent another widespread blackout. Colleen Crain reports.

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The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network held Cancer Action Day at the Capitol. Louisiana Government Relations Director for the ACS CAN Alice Kline says the rally was to advocate for increased funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

Cut 10 (10) “…so heavily.”

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A ban on kratom in Louisiana is now one signature from Governor Landry from becoming law. The State House has followed the Senate’s lead in overwhelmingly voting to ban the supplement sometimes known as “gas station heroin.” The House vote on West Monroe Senator Jay Morris’ bill was 86-to-6. Kenner Republican Debbie Villio presented the bill in the House. She said kratom is cloaked in deception.

Cut 13 (08)  “…routinely do so.”

The ULM School of Education earned an A+ rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality for its elementary math teacher preparation, one of only four Louisiana universities to achieve this distinction.  School of Education Associate Director Dr. Shalanda Stanley says the NCTQ evaluated 17 programs, focusing on time dedicated to key math content and math pedagogy.

Cut 4 (11) “…very proud of it.”