A proposal to allow sports betting at the state’s casinos and racetracks failed in the House Appropriations Committee. Amendments were added to the legislation to get some money for horseman and allow sports betting at video poker establishments, which drew the opposition of the Louisiana Casino Association. Executive Director Wade Duty…
cut 13 (11) “…we can support”
There’s still a chance the sports betting bill could be revived through legislative procedures, but the odds are against the measure from passing.

A bill shielding the makers of the drugs used in lethal injections to carry out death sentences failed in a Senate committee. New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson says offering confidentiality is not the way to go…
cut 11 (09) “…this body”
The last execution held in Louisiana was in 2010.

The Senate Finance committee has approved a budget proposal that contains a one-thousand dollar pay raise and 39-million dollars in block grant funding for local shool systems. But the House does not support extra money for local schools, instead they prefer a larger pay raise for teachers. Council for a Better Louisiana president Barry Erwin says election year politics is playing a role in the dispute…
cut 5 (11) “…teacher pay raise’
The dispute needs to be solved by June sixth, the final day of the session.

An eleven-year-old Baton Rouge boy has been charged with negligent homicide in the weekend fatal shooting of his nine-year old brother. No charges have been filed against the parents in what police call an accidental shooting. Legal analyst Franz Borghardt says without facts and data in place, it is a difficult call on how to charge the parents…
cut 8 (09) “…indirectly”

On a 15-6 vote, a House Committee voted against a proposal that would allow the public to legalize sports betting. Louisiana Baptist Convention Director for Office of Public Policy, Doctor Will Hall, spoke in opposition….
cut 14 (11) “…that hope”
Another House bill dealing with the taxing and regulation of sports betting could be amended, so that a vote could take place this fall to legalize sports betting. But it would take 70 votes in the House to pass.

The session comes to a close next Thursday and the House and Senate differ on how much of a pay raise teachers should get and if public schools should receive an additional 39-million dollars in block grant funding. Council for a Better Louisiana president Barry Erwin believes a deal can be made…
cut 4 (08) “…compromise”

A Senate committee has killed a bill that sought to help the state carry out lethal injections. Jeff Palermo has the story…
cut 2 (30) I’m Jeff Palermo”

LSU basketball coach Will Wade spoke publicly today for the first time he was suspended on March 7th. Wade told reporters covering the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Florida that it’s been a couple of difficult months for the basketball program. But Wade says allegations of illegal recruiting were thoroughly addressed with LSU administrators and NCAA officials.

An attempt to legalize sports betting in Louisiana is dead for the session after the House Appropriations Committee voted 15-to-6 against it. The bill got swamped with amendments, video poker, horse breeders, software producers and others wanted a piece of the gaming pie. The bill’s author, Metairie Senator Danny Martiny, questioned whether those additions were in good faith.
cut 12(10) “…posture””

Another bill that died today is a proposal to shield the drug manufacturers who supply the state with drugs to carry out a lethal injection. Several came to a Senate Committee to speak out against the proposal. Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops executive director Rob Tasman…
cut 10 (12) “…the process”
The measure died on a three-two vote.

The Senate Finance committee has approved a budget proposal that contains a one-thousand dollar pay raise and 39-million dollars in block grant funding for local shool systems. But the House does not support extra money for local schools, instead they would prefer giving teachers a larger pay raise. Council for a Better Louisiana president Barry Erwin says election year politics is playing a role in the dispute over education funding…
cut 5 (11) “…teacher pay raise’
The dispute needs to be solved by June sixth, the final day of the session.

An 11-year-old Baton Rouge boy has been charged with negligent homicide in the shooting death of his nine-year brother. Police say it was an accidential shooting. Legal analyst Franz Borghardt says if conficted, the child could receive a juvenile life sentence, which would keep him in state custody until he turns 18…
cut 7 (07) “…he becomes an adult”
The child’s parents are not facing any charges at this time.

A fatal blow was delivered to a pro death penalty bill at the State Capitol today. A proposal to shield the identity of the drug companies that supply lethal drugs for the state to carry out death penalty sentences failed on a 3-2 vote in Senate committee. New Orleans Senator J-P Morrell says the legislation opens the state to lawsuits, if an execution is botched
Cut 9 (10) “…of dollars”
Proponents of the legislation say the only way to buy the drugs to carry out an execution, is if drug manufacturers know their names would names would not be made public.

The session comes to a close next Thursday and the House and Senate differ on how much of a pay raise teachers should get and if public schools should receive an additional 39-million dollars block grant funding. Council for a Better Louisiana president Barry Erwin believes a deal can be made…
cut 4 (08) “…compromise”

Three Louisiana teams are in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Jeff Palermo has more on who they will play…
Voicer 3 (30) “..Jeff Palermo”

A record number of Louisiana high school students are set to move on to college. Matt Doyle discussed the results with the State Assistant Superintendent…
Voicer 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

The Louisiana House is set to vote this afternoon on a bill that would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks of pregnancy. Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia are among the states that have passed similar anti-abortion legislation and the measures are facing court challenges.

There’s about a week and a half left in the legislative session and a bill to bring sports betting to Louisiana has yet to pass. It died in the legislature last year and Metairie Senator Danny Martiny is trying to make sure it doesn’t happen again….
cut 13 (06) “….behind”
Martiny’s sports betting measure gets a hearing today in front of the House Appropriations Committee.

Researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is participating in a study that’s looking at why Southerners in some rural parishes live longer, healthier lives than other parishes, even though the two parishes share similar poverty levels and racial composition.
cut 8 (06) “….these differences”
That’s Doctor Stephanie Broyles who says Assumption Parish is more resilient to heart disease and other illnesses compared to Franklin Parish. The study is expected to take several years to complete.