Lawmakers will once again debate equal pay legislation after the legislative session convenes on Monday. Opponents argue it would place an undue burden on businesses and open companies up to expensive litigation. But the bill’s author Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton says a recent report shows the state ranks 48th in pay equality…
cut 10 (12) “….opportunities”
This legislation has failed to gain much traction in the legislature, despite support from the governor.

Strong storms are rumbling across the state today. Phil Grgisby with the National Weather Service says the potential for severe weather will continue the rest of the day….
cut 14 (10) “…tornadoes’
Rain chances are also high this weekend.

The latest report from the Louisiana Survey shows many residents are wrong when it comes to how much they pay in taxes. Director of LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab, Dr. Mike Henderson, says 46% of the respondents say the state income tax rates are higher than they were four years ago, and 32% say the rates are higher than last year, but the state income tax rate hasn’t changed in years…
Cut 3 (10) “…simply not true.”
Henderson says their survey also found that people thought they paid much more in gasoline taxes than they actually pay.

A suspected impaired driver has been charged with vehicular homicide after his seven-year daughter was killed in a single vehicle wreck in the Donaldsonville area last night. State Police Trooper Taylor Scrantz says 25-year-old DeVontae Sanders had three unrestrained kids in the car.
Cut 7 (10) “…local hospital”
The ages of the children that survived are three and four-year-olds and they were sent to separate hospitals with critical injuries.

Many Louisiana residents have misunderstandings about tax rates according to the latest release from the 2019 Louisiana Survey. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Most of southeast Louisiana is under a flash flood watch until midnight. Phil Grigsby with the National Weather Service in Slidell says a warm front has stalled along the coast and its producing significant downpours…
Cut 12 (07) “…heavy rain.”

A father has been arrested on numerous charges after his seven-year daugther was killed in a single vehicle wreck in the Donaldsonville area last night. State Police Trooper Taylor Scrantz says they believe 25-year-old DeVontae Sanders of Donaldsonville was impaired….
Cut 6 (11) “…vehicle overturned”
Two other young children survived the crash but they sustained critical injuries. None of the kids were buckled up.

The regular session begins on Monday and once again there’s legislation that would require private businesses to pay male and female workers the same amount for equal work. Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton is the author of the bill and says the measure is aimed at improving the quality of life of working women…
cut 11 “…that dollar”
A recent report ranks Louisiana 48th in the state in pay equality.

The search continues for a man who shot a female cop during a traffic stop in Abbeville last night. KLFY News reports the person of interest is Nahshon Ishmael Brooks. The officer is said to be in stable condition.

For the third time in the last 10 days, a church in St. Landry Parish has burned down. Investigators are on the scene after firefighters received a call about a fire at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas.

A father has been arrested on numerous charges after his seven-year daugther was killed in a single vehicle wreck in the Donaldsonville area last night. State Police Trooper Taylor Scrantz says they believe 25-year-old DeVontae Sanders of Donaldsonville was impaired….
Cut 6 (11) “…vehicle overturned”
Two other young children survived the crash but they sustained critical injuries. None of the kids were buckled up.

Is Louisiana on a path to financial disaster? Republican State Treasurer John Schroder thinks so….
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

A survey from offers-dot-com finds that one in five Louisiana consumers have used either grocery delivery or curbside pickup, which is about the national average. But Kristen McGrath says only 42-percent of those place more than one order a month for the service….
cut 12 (09) “…grocery run”
The average amount spent on an online order is about 110 dollars.

A report shows one in five Louisiana shoppers have either had their groceries delivered or did curb side pickup through online ordering with a local grocery store. Offers.com editor Kristen McGrath says most services come with a fee and a one to two hour wait time, but it definitely has its perks.
Cut 10 (09) “…delivery.”
The survey showed the top concern about online ordering was that folks can’t inspect the produce, and that it might be spoiled.

Strong storms are moving through southeast Louisiana this morning. Matt Hemingway is a forecaster with the National Weather Service…
cut 8 (09) “….the remainder”
Severe weather in northwest Louisiana has knocked out power for hundreds of SWEPCO customers.

And in St. Landry Parish, firefighters are on the scene of another church fire, the third one in the parish since March 26th.

Republican State Treasurer John Schorder believes the state is headed for financial disaster, because the Edwards administration is failing to say no to more government spending and mathematics indicate a crash is coming…
cut 14 (09) “…their max”
In an interview with USA Today Network, Governor Edwards dismissed Schroder’s claims as political posturing.

Cajun Navy Relief will hold its second annual Search and Rescue Games on Saturday in the Jefferson Davis Parish town of Welsh. The event will also feature hands-on training for those who want to give involved in the organiziation. Cajun Navy Relief President Shawn Boudreaux says for the competition part, they’ll have three divisions and participants will compete for prizes…
cut 6 (09) “…prizes as well”
For more information go to Cajun-Navy-Relief-dot-com.

It comes as no suprise that LSU freshman big man Naz Reid has announced he’s entering the NBA draft and forgoing the rest of his college eligibilty. Reid is the Tigers first one-and-done player since Ben Simmons, who left at the conclusion of the 2016 season. Reid could be the first of several Tigers who leave for the NBA. Tremont Waters is likely to declare for the draft and freshman Javonte Smart and Emmit Williams might also leave.

LSU interim head coach Tony Benford denies reports he’s taking an assistant coaching job at Texas A-and-M. Benford’s good friend Buzz Williams has been named the head coach of the Aggies sparking speculation Benford would leave Baton Rouge for College Station. But Benford tells the Advocate he remains committed to the LSU program.

Julius Randle had 34 points but it wasn’t enough as the Pelicans lost to the Charlotte Hornets 115 to 109 last night. Just three games left in the regular season.

LSU baseball won its fourth straight last night and for the second straight night it was a shutout victory. Five LSU pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout in a two to nothing win over South Alabama. Ma’Khail Hilliard started and struck out five over three innings. Trent Vietmeier was the winning pitcher as he threw two shutout innings and Devin Fontenot earned the save. Antoine Duplantis had two more hits and drove in one run.

Louisiana Tech downed McNeese 10 to four. Both Parker Bates and Steele Netterville each hit two home runs.

The Ragin Cajuns scored five runs in the sixth inning and defeated Southeastern Louisiana nine to eight. Tremaine Spears had a two-run homer and Todd Lott extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Northwestern State blanked Mississippi Valley State nine to nothing as Jerry Maddox pitched five shutout innings to get the win.

Mississippi State clobbered ULM 21 to 8 and it was Louisiana College over Centenary 10 to three.

The Louisiana Good Roads Association is asking the state to steer clear of toll roads as the legislature considers how to raise more funds to build highway projects. President Kenneth Perret says toll roads have generated a lot of money in places like Houston, but only because that city has a large population….
Cut 6 (10) “…in it”
This was in response to those who have called for toll roads instead of a proposed gas tax bill.

Motorists traveling on I-10 near Baton Rouge received a surprise this morning when a small plane landed next to the interstate. State Police Trooper Taylor Scrantz says it happened near the Highland Road exit…
cut 12 (10) “…to his hand”
The plane reportedly took off from Baton Rouge Regional Airport and it was supposed to land at Louisiana Regional near Donaldsonville.

We’ll know around April 16th if the feds will allow those who received SBA loans after the 2016 floods whether they can also access RESTORE flood recovery grant dollars. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

More Louisiana residents believe the state is heading in the right direction compared to last year. Kevin Barnhart has more on a statewide poll conducted by LSU….
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Rouses Markets announces it will move its corporate headquarters from Thibodaux to a 32-acre piece of property located in Schriever. The grocery store chain also plans on opening their first distribution center, which will result in an additional 200 to 300 employees. Rouses employs over 63-hundred people across the Gulf South.

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says another meeting on April 16th will take place with US Housing and Urban Development and the Office of Management and Budget as the state’s Congressional delegation attempts to free up federal grant money for thousands of Louisiana residents impacted by the 2016 floods. Cassidy says O-M-B is not willing to follow a federal law that says 2016 flood victims who received S-B-A loans should also be eligible for federal recovery grant dollars…
cut 7 (07) “…us up”
Cassidy says O-M-B’s concern is that disaster victims in the future will not take an S-B-A loan and just wait for the grant money.

Two people have been arrested in Mississippi for the murder of a 21-year-old female whose body was found in shallow water in Madison Parish on April 1st. Twenty-one-year-old Celeste McDonald was reported missing out of Scott County in Misssissippi. The two people arrested are from Jackson, Mississippi and they’ve been identified as 33-year-old Ryan Hopkins and 46-year-old Yolanda Torns.