A Tulane social worker warns people may experience a new wave of COVID-related anxiety as states reopen and people experience the new normal. Matt Doyle has the story.

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The deadline is nearing for families of children that received free or reduced-price meals at Louisiana schools to apply for Pandemic EBT cards. Brooke Thorington has more.

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 The legislature is expected to give final passage today to tort reform legislation aimed at lowering auto insurance rates. Matt Doyle has more on how that could spark a fight with the Governor…

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Mental health advocates warn that the reopening of the economy may lead to more anxiety as people try to adapt to the new normal. Dr. Tonya Hansel with the Tulane School of Social Work says, to start, limit your news intake, so as not to overstimulate yourself while trying to safely navigate the outside world.

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She says if you log in and don’t see any new news to read, put down your phone and don’t check it for a few hours.

Hansel says another way to relieve stress is to reconnect with friends and family outside of your household in safe, outdoor environments…

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Experts say viral transmission is a lot less likely outdoors than it is indoors.

Hansel also says another good way to fight stress is to volunteer or donate to causes aimed at helping those impacted by the virus.

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She also mentioned wearing a mask while in public can help lower your stress levels when having to leave the house.

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Families of children who receive free or reduced-price meals are eligible for Pandemic EBT cards to help offset those meals lost when schools closed early, but they need to act fast. Syndi Dunn, Louisiana Department of Education spokesperson says applications must be completed by June 8^th.

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More than 600-thousand children normally receive free and reduced-price meals at schools and any child, prekindergarten through 12^th grade is eligible for the Pandemic EBT card.

Dunn says even students who attend Community Eligibility Provisions schools, regardless of income, also qualify for the card.

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Participation in other relief programs will not disqualify students from the P-EBT program. Dunn says so far approximately 60 percent of eligible families have applied for the benefits and they want to make sure no one is missed.

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For more information go to the Louisianabelieves.com and click on Covid-19 Information and Resources or call 1-888-524-3578

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Tort reform legislation that supporters say will lower auto insurance rates is expected to be sent to the Governor today.

Governor Edwards is not in favor of the bill and UL Lafayette Poli Sci Professor Pearson Cross says if it hits Edwards’ desk he expects it to be vetoed even though it passed by veto-proof majorities.

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Cross says a veto override has not been completed in Louisiana since 1993.

Cross says if this bill is passed and vetoed the Governor will likely go to work trying to pick off a few votes in both chambers to avoid a veto override.

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Among other things, the legislation lowers the jury trial threshold to 5,000 dollars. The insurance lobby says this will result in fewer costly settlements, savings that can be passed on to drivers.

If Edwards does veto the legislation GOP lawmakers will have plenty of time in the upcoming special session to attempt an override. Cross says the additional time significantly improves their odds.

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The special session will begin today after the session ends.

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Governor John Bel Edwards is expected to announce at 2:30 today whether the state is ready to move into Phase 2 of reopening the economy. Edwards says the metrics used to make the decision to move into phase one are still in play for determining whether the state is ready for phase two

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Edwards says they are also looking at active cases and testing capacity, which he says continues to improve. He says even if the state goes to phase two that doesn’t mean COVID-19 has left the state…

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The state reported six more deaths yesterday to bring the total to 2,686 statewide.

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Today is the first day of the 2020 hurricane season and there’s the possibility we could see a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico later this week. National Weather Service Forecaster Stephen Carboni, says  what was Tropical Storm Amanda in the Pacific is moving over Central America and

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The National Hurricane Center says there’s a medium chance we’ll of something developing in the southern Gulf of Mexico over the next five days. Carboni says if it does develop into a storm, it will be called Cristobal, the third named storm of 2020 and the hurricane season is just starting

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Health and safety measures will be in place across UL System campuses in the Fall, Jeff Palermo has more on what students and staff can expect.

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Legislation barring local governments from suing oil and gas companies for coastal damages will not pass this session. Matt Doyle has more.

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Legislation allowing delivery services that use contract workers to deliver alcohol is headed to the Governor.

Bill sponsor Franklin Senator Bret Allain says it is timely legislation.

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Restaurants are still limited to delivering sealed beer or wine, and grocery stores may deliver any type of packaged alcohol.

Allain says he is confident allowing contract workers the right to deliver booze won’t be a problem.

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The bill amends last year’s alcohol delivery law. The delivery industry says barring contract workers from delivering drinks disqualified most delivery services, like Waitr, from participating.

Allain says if this is signed into law it could really take off in a state like Louisiana.

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There will be several changes when college students return to campus in the Fall due to COVID-19. University of Louisiana System President Jim Henderson says it’s all designed to protect the students, staff, and faculty. For example, changing the calendar so students will complete the semester before Thanksgiving.

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The population of dorm rooms could change on campus, for example, a communal space that was reversed for four students before could be now be limited to two.

Henderson says this spring they learned how to improvise and implement technology, and it will be part of the changes designed to assist those at high-risk.

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Henderson says masks are going to be prevalent on UL System campuses.

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Legislation barring local governments from suing oil and gas companies for coastal damage dies in the House.

Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Gifford Briggs says the failure to pass this legislation will cost the state thousands of potential new jobs because oil companies will refuse to invest here.

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Proponents believe the coastal damage lawsuits should be handled by the state, and not local governments.

Briggs says the lawsuits will never lead to a windfall for local governments and is just a trial lawyer scheme.

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But St. Bernard President Guy McInnis says the oil and gas industry has to pay for the damage they’ve done to the coast

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McInnis pointed to their success honing in on a 100 million dollar settlement with Freeport-McRoran for damages.

McInnis says the lawsuits are very much a local issue and they are not trying to run oil companies out of the state.

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The Louisiana House approved on Friday afternoon a proposal that will change the legal system for cases involving car accidents. Chalmette Representative Ray Garofalo says this tort reform bill will lower auto insurance rates

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But Baton Rouge Representative Ted James says nowhere in the bill does it say that insurance companies must reduce rates if this reform effort becomes law

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Garofalo says every insurance company has told them they’ll lower rates by at least 10-percent if this bill passes.

The legislation lowers the jury threshold from 50-thousand to five-thousand dollars. But Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle says this will actually hurt an injured person’s ability to recover damages they deserve and in a timely manner…

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Supporters say the state’s high jury threshold is a big reason why our auto insurance rates are the second-highest in the nation. Freshman Representative Larry Frieman from Abita Springs says when he campaigned, voters complained about our high rates and this measure is our best vehicle to lowering premiums

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The vote was 72-28 in favor of the measure and heads back to the Senate to see if they agree to House changes to the bill.