The consulting firm New Orleans hired in the wake of the New Year’s Day terror attack on Bourbon Street is out with its recommendations. Andrew Greenstein explains.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Governor Jeff Landry unveiled his insurance reform plan today. He says if approved by lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session it will lower prices for Louisianans. Jeff Palermo has the details…
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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The seven-year-old girl injured in the house fire in Shreveport over the weekend has died. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux confirmed that this morning in an interview with LRN affiliate KEEL radio.
Cut 3 (14) “…to her injuries.”
That seven-year-old girl was the first to notice the fire and called her mother, who in turn called 911. The other three victims are the girl’s five-year-old sister, her grandmother and her great-grandmother. Investigators say all were awake at the time of the fire; but without working smoke detectors, they didn’t have time to escape before being overcome with smoke inhalation. Mayor Arceneaux says he normally does not go to fire scenes because he would only interfere with the firefighters; but he says this was one that he felt he needed to go to.
Cut 4 (12) “…as a mayor.”
Arceneaux says this is the worst outcome possible.
Cut 5 (05) “…a long time.”
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Consultants hired by the City of New Orleans have recommended that Bourbon Street be permanently closed to vehicular traffic. Now, the question is – will the city heed that recommendation? In a news conference this morning, Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick seemed non-committal.
Cut 6 (11) “…the community wants.”
The city hired Teneo, led by former New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, to make a recommendation in the wake of the New Year’s Day terror attack, in which a man plowed into a crowd with a pickup truck, killing 14 people. Superintendent Kirkpatrick says Teneo’s recommendation to turn Bourbon Street into a permanent pedestrian mall only addresses ramming.
Cut 7 (11) “…have prevented that.”
The subject of closing off Bourbon Street to vehicular traffic has come up in the past, but businesses had previously pushed back on that notion. Teneo also recommended that St. Charles Street be closed to vehicular traffic as well. But Kirkpatrick says that’s a little more problematic.
Cut 8 (16) “…to their homes.”
Kirkpatrick says it will be up to the City Council to decide which of Teneo’s recommendations to ultimately implement.
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The University of Louisiana at Monroe plans to request approval from the University of Louisiana System Board to implement staff furloughs to address up to a 6-million-dollar budget shortfall before the end of the fiscal year on June 30th. Acting President Nick Bruno, who returned temporarily after retiring in 2020, emphasized that the financial position of the University is fragile.
Cut 9 (09) “…correcting that problem.”
Bruno says layoffs aren’t currently being considered, though campus restructuring is likely. A hiring freeze began on Monday and all employees working remotely have been recalled…
Cut 10 (12) “…to disperse that.”
Bruno says the primary goal now is to make sure that their estimates and budget align with the revenue of the university for the 2026 fiscal year; and even if furloughs are implemented, it will not affect students.
Cut 11 (10) “…reduced staff anyway.”
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Governor Jeff Landry released an insurance reform plan that if approved by lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session would put new regulations on both insurance companies and trial lawyers. The governor says one of the bills he’s pushing would require attorneys to prove injuries in a claim are the result of the accident…
Cut 12 (15) “…after the accident.”
Landry says he’s poured over the data on why Louisiana’s auto insurance rates are among the highest in the country and found minor injury claims in Louisiana double the national average.
The governor says he also wants to rein in lawyer advertising as he believes that’s pushing car crash victims to seek big settlements…
Cut 13 (15) “…Louisiana families.”
Landry says his insurance reform plan is a balanced approach as he’s not seeking to pass laws that benefit trial lawyers over insurance companies or vice versa. He says another key to lowering auto insurance rates is fewer wrecks and one to accomplish that is through efforts to minimize distracted driving…
Cut 14 (08) “…today.”
Landry says he supports a bill that would allow law enforcement to pull drivers over that are caught texting or using social media while driving.