Governor Edwards files a lawsuit defending his public health emergency orders against a legislative petition that seeks to terminate the emergency declaration. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 1 (30) “ I’m Matt Doyle”

A hurricane warning is up from Morgan City to the Mississippi-Alabama border as Tropical Storm Zeta is expected to make landfall in southeast Louisiana tomorrow night as a Category One storm. New Orleans and Slidell could see wind speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, while 80-mile per hour plus winds are expected for Port Fourchon and Buras.

It’s the last day of early voting and Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin expects another busy day with as many as 80 thousand voters expected to cast their ballot. At the end of this extended version of early voting Ardoin, predicts as many as 950-thousand Louisianans will have performed their civic duty.
Cut 8 (09) “…out to vote”
Early voting will conclude at 7 PM.

The Louisiana Budget Project says based on U-S Census data about 11-thousand children in this state lost their health insurance last year, the largest single-year drop in over a decade. L-B-P policy director Stacey Roussel says the uninsured rate for children is rising across the country as well as here in Louisiana…
Cut 15 (11) “..decrease”

Governor John Bel Edwards has filed a lawsuit defending his authority to issue and enforce public health restrictions against a legislative petition signed by Republicans in the state House of Representatives that claims to have stripped him of those powers. Edwards says the Louisiana Constitution does not allow for one chamber of the Legislature to terminate a public health emergency issued by the Governor.
Cut 4 (06) “unconstitutional”
The Governor also says state law requires the petition organizers to consult with state health officials before filing the petition, which Edwards says they did not do. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder says the governor’s restrictions are not solely about health, he says they are damaging the state’s economy and more than just one service area…
cut 7 (08) “…them away”

It’s the last day of early voting in Louisiana and despite record turnout and COVID mitigation efforts poll workers are getting rave reviews…
Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

According to the Louisiana Budget Project, the state saw a 28 percent increase in uninsured children from 2018 to 2019. Policy Director Stacey Roussel says 50,000 Louisiana children went into the pandemic without health insurance, and that number is expected to rise…
Cut 14 (08) “…hit”
2019’s number of 50,000 total uninsured kids was up 11,000 from 2018.

Governor John Bel Edwards has filed a lawsuit challenging a petition filed by the Republican-led House of Representatives that ends the restrictions put in place by the governor to control the spread of the coronavirus. Sixty-five Republicans signed the petition, but Edwards says he will not comply because he believes its unconstitutional…
cut 6 (11) “…told me”
Baton Rouge State Judge William Morvant will hear the case.

Today is the final day of early voting for the November third election. There have been long lines at polling locations but Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says the average wait time to vote has been about 25 minutes…
cut 9 (10) “…over the state’
When early voting concludes at seven PM, the number of early votes could reach one-million.

The parents of 31-year old Trayford Pellerin, the black man who was shot by police August 21st, are suing Lafayette Police for damages related to his death. Also named in the suit is Lafayette Consolidated Government and 10 police officers. Family attorney Ronald Haley says they want justice and change.
Cut 11 (12) “their investigation”
The lawsuit argues that Pellerin never threatened anyone and it remains unclear whether he had a knife in his possession. Lafayette Police and Lafayette Consolidated government declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Metairie native Amy Coney Barrett has been sworn in as the newest justice on the US Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed her on a 52-48 vote.

Tropical Storm Zeta is moving over the Yucatan Peninsula but it’s expected to strengthen into a hurricane once it gets into the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall in southeast Louisiana tomorrow night as a Category One storm.

The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season is not done with Louisiana as another storm is expected to make landfall in the Bayou State…
Cut 1 (30) “ I’m Jeff Palermo”

A longtime LSU season ticket holder says he was attacked and robbed at Tiger Stadium following the victory over South Carolina on Saturday. The victim’s daughter-in-law said in a Facebook post the attacker posed as a stadium worker before repeatedly hitting her father in law in the head when the two were alone in a restroom. The victim had his wallet stolen and suffered lacerations to his head. LSU says it’s police department is investigating.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has sent a petition to John Bel Edwards that they believe should result in the cancellation of the governor’s coronavirus restrictions. Governor Edwards refuses to cancel the order and he says if his order is overturned…
cut 13 (13) “…testing”
The courts will likely have to decide if the petition is enough to cancel the governor’s coronavirus emergency order.

If Constitutional Amendment Six on the November ballot passes it would allow homeowners with higher incomes to qualify for the property tax assessment freeze. Robert Travis Scott of the Public Affairs Research Council says this proposed consitutional change should be attractice for those 65 and older and whose income falls in between the current levels…
cut 7 (12) “….very popular”
The exemption would result in fewer tax dollars for local government.

Tropical Storm Zeta is near hurricane strength as it approaches Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and its expected to maintain hurricane strength as it emerges in the southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. According to the National Hurricane Center, Zeta will remain a category one storm as it moves across the Gulf, making landfall as a hurricane in southeast Louisiana on Wednesday night.

A Pennington Biomedical Research survey shows pandemic lockdowns reduced mental health and increased weight gain around the world…
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry says the petition the House of Representatives signed on Friday ends the governor’s public health emergency orders for COVID-19. Crowley Representative John Stefanski says signing the petition was the only option left for lawmakers as the governor rejected all compromise efforts to make the Legislature a partner in COVID policy…
cut 8 (08) “….on that”
Governor Edwards says his COVID emergency orders remain in place despite the petition and he’s ready to argue the issue in court.

Construction has been completed on a 72 million dollar widening project of Interstate Ten from southeast Baton Rouge to Ascension Parish. State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson…
Cut 9 (09) “time”
Wilson says the extra lane will shave an estimated 15 minutes off the standard commute for those living in the area.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry says the petition signed by 65 members of the state House of Representatives ends the governor’s coronavirus emergency orders. But Governor Edwards says the peitition process is unconstitutional, which means we are headed to a court battle…
cut 5 (14) “….die”
The petition also orders the governor not to issue any additional public emergency declarations for a week. Crowley Republican Representative John Stefanski argued the seven-day ban on COVID restrictions is reasonable and could demonstrate the state is ready to advance past Phase Three…
Cut 7 (09) “as well”

State officials cut the ribbon this morning on the completed I-10 widening project in Ascension and East Baton Rouge parishes. It cost 72-million dollars in federal and state funding to add an additional lane and it took two years to complete. Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says this will make life better for the roughly 100-thousand drivers who travel through the corridor every day…
cut 11 (08) “…that way”

Even without wide receivers Michael Thomas and Emmanual Sanders, the Saints still defeated the Carolina Panthers 27 to 24 yesterday. Marquez Callaway stepped up and caught eight passes, so did Alvin Kamara and he also rushed for 83 yards. Quarterback Drew Brees says they are finding different ways to win…
cut 16 (12) “…do that”