The number of COVID-19 patients in Louisiana has fallen below one-thousand. Governor Edwards says just over a month ago, we had 21-hundred individuals in the hospital with COVID-19. Yesterday’s number was 931. It was last Friday when the governor loosened restrictions on businesses and he says it’s too early to tell if it’s led to an increase in total cases…
cut 12 (13) “….get the data”
Edwards plans on announcing on June first if the state will move into phase two of reopening the economy.

The NCAA Division One council has reportedly voted to allow football and basketball players to begin voluntary workouts on college campuses starting on June 1st. LSU officials hope to get football players back on campus next month and SEC campus leaders are set to vote on Friday whether their schools can reopen their facilities in early June.

A bill that would significantly expand medical marijuana access nears final legislative passage. Patients are only currently eligible for the treatment if they are impacted by a significant disease or disorder, but Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley says this legislation would authorize therapeutic cannabis for any condition that a doctor considers debilitating…
cut 15 (08) “….access”
The bill easily passed the House and is awaiting final legislative approval in the full Senate.

NOAA releases its hurricane forecast for the upcoming season in the next hour. State Climatologist Barry Keim expects the federal forecasters to predict an above-average season, because of warm sea surface temps and the lack of an El Nino or La Nina…
cut 5 (11) “…does the opposite”

For the first time since March 28th, the state has fewer than one-thousand COVID-19 patients in the hospital. Governor John Bel Edwards…
cut 10 (11) “….to go down”
As of Wednesday’s Department of Health report, there are 931 COVID-19 hospitalizations. 110 patients are on ventilators, down from a peak of 571 on April 4th.

Today at 10:00 NOAA releases its hurricane forecast for 2020. We’ve already seen one named storm. State Climatologist Barry Keim says Tropical Storm Arthur grazed North Carolina’s coast before heading back out to sea this week…
cut 6 (09) “….had one”
Colorado State researchers have already called for an above-normal season.

The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to discuss a budget for next fiscal year, but time is running out to approve a spending plan before the regular session ends…
voicer 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

Former longtime Angola prison warden Burl Cain has been named as the new head of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The 77-year-old received national attention for dramatically reducing inmate violence at Angola, but he abrutly retired in 2015 as he was the subject of multiple investigations looking into whether prison employees did work on his personal home and used public funds for personal use. Cain has denied any wrondoing.

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has fallen below one-thousand…
cut 3 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

A State Trooper is fighting for his life after he was hit by a Hammond Police car early Wednesday morning during a car chase. Authorities say George Baker and another trooper were retrieving a tire deflation device in the road when they were struck by the police unit. Baker is in critical condition, the other trooper suffered minor injuries. One of the suspects in the vehicle that was being pursued is in custody, the other remains on the run.

A bill significantly expanding medical marijuana access is nearing final passage. Under the legislation any condition a doctor considers “debilitating to a patient” would be eligible to receive medical marijuana. New Iberia Senator Fred Mills says the current limitations are too strict.
Cut 13 (06) “…not me”
This legislation needs Senate approval for final passage. And it would allow any doctor in good standing to prescribe this treatment.

The House Appropriations Committee will discuss the governor’s budget proposal this morning that uses federal money and rainy day dollars to cover up most of an expected billion dollar revenue shortfall. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says approving a budget will probably wait until a June special session. He says that would give lawmakers a chance to override a potential veto of tort reform legislation and a coastal lawsuit bill involving oil and gas companies…
cut 8 (09) “…apple”

A reworked budget proposal from the Edwards Administration gets its first hearing before the House Appropriations Committee this morning. But with less than two weeks left in the regular session, political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says it’s a safe bet a special session will be needed.
Cut 7 (10) “…budget.
The Edwards administration is proposing to use federal recovery dollars and rainy day money to avoid deep budget cuts.

A bill that would allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana for any reason they see necessary is close to final legislative passage. Senate Health and Welfare Chairman Fred Mills says the measure would also allow any doctor in good standing to authorize the treatment…
cut 14 (12) “… issue”
The measure has already passed the House and is awaiting final legislative approval on the Senate floor.

Today NOAA unveils its initial outlook for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. Brooke Thorington has a preview.
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Sabine Parish native Cade Brumley has been named as the state’s new superintendent of education. The 39-year-old currently leads the Jefferson Parish school system. Before that he was the superintendent for the DeSoto Parish Schools

Casinos are experiencing a promising start to reopening. Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Jones says players are showing up and are not pushing back against virus spread mitigation efforts of wearing masks and social distancing.
Cut 6 (09) “ …the virus hit.”

The House Governmental Affairs Committee has rejected a bill that would allow all registered voters in Louisiana to vote by mail. Republican legislators express concerns that mail ballot voting would lead to an increase in voter fraud, but St. Francisville resident Catherine McKinney testified it will not…
cut 12 (10) “…by mail
Despite this argument, the measure died on a nine-five vote.

NASA’s Michoud Assembly Center in New Orleans is slowly ramping up production again after an extended closure due to the pandemic. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Cal-Maine Foods in St. Helena Parish is donating nearly 600-thousand eggs to five food banks. General Manager Corey Davis says they had an excess of eggs because schools and restaurants have been closed…
cut 16 (10) “…with them”

A House committee shoots down a proposal allowing all registered voters in Louisiana to vote by mail. Recent LSU grad Catherine McKinney and supporter of the legislation says vote by mail is already an option for Louisiana college students…
Cut 10 (11) “…plan”
The legislation would have allowed voters to request the Secretary of State’s office mail them a ballot. The proposal ran into opposition from Republicans like Denham Springs Representative Valarie Hodges who says vote by mail is more prone to fraud than showing up at a booth.
Cut 11 (08) “…integrity”
The vote was nine to five against and the proposal is dead for the session.

Some technicians are back at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans continuing their work on a rocket for a spaceship that will take the first woman to the moon by 2024. Michoud Director Robert Champion says many engineers continue to work from home…
cut 6 (10) “….attitude”
The decision to return technicians to the facility was made after NASA officials observed a decrease in COVID numbers across the New Orleans region over a 14-day period.

Cal-Maine Foods in St. Helena Parish donates nearly 600,000 eggs to food banks in Louisiana. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says Cal-Maine had an excess and wanted to donate it, so they filled two tractor-trailer trucks with 1,560 cases of eggs each and they are on their way to food banks…
Cut 14 (03) “…people”
Strain says that’s 23,400 dozen cartons of eggs.