LRN PM Newscall May 17

The Supreme Court ruled the most recent state congressional map approved by lawmakers with two majority Black districts will be the one to use in the upcoming election. Mel Bridges has more.

Cut 1 (31)  “…I’m Mel Bridges”

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The Louisiana Senate has passed the Gator Scholarship Program which would give parents the ability to receive taxpayer dollars to pay for private school tuition. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (33)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo.” 

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The Supreme Court says the most recent congressional map approved by lawmakers with two Black majority districts will be the one used in upcoming federal elections. Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry says the May 15th ruling came just in time…

Cut 3 (10) “…fall elections.” 

Some questioned why the Secretary of State’s office put a May 15th deadline on having a map in place when the election is not until November. Landry says it takes months to run a statewide election.

Cut 4 (10) “…doing that.” 

Landry says anyone within the changed districts will know long before they cast any votes…

Cut 5 (12)  “…that seat.”

Qualifying for the Congressional races is from July 17th to 19th.

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The Louisiana Senate has approved the bill that creates the Gator Scholarship Program which will provide parents public dollars to pay for private school tuition. The bill’s author, Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds, says this is a historic moment as the legislation will give parents options on where to send their child to school..

Cut 6  (11) “..of Louisiana. ” 

The E-S-A bill passed on a 24-15 vote. It still needs House approval. Opponents are concerned about the overall cost of the program which could be 500-million.

New Orleans Senator Royce Duplessis voted against the legislation. He says Education Savings Accounts are an abandonment of public education and its teachers…

Cut 7 (13) “…in the program.”  

The Gator Scholarship program would replace the state’s current voucher program which provides state tax dollars to low income families to help pay for non-public school tuition. The voucher program also can help a family move their child from a C, D or F-graded school.

The Gator Scholarship program would start by offering grants to families who currently involved in the voucher program. It will eventually open up to all families. Senate President Cameron Henry says the E-S-A bill was amended so the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will determine how fast the program will grow and who will be eligible…

Cut 8 (11)  “…here.” 

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A bill to ban transgender people from using school restrooms and other facilities that match their gender identity passed in the Senate 29 to 10. New Orleans Senator Royce Duplessis asked Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell, who presented it to the Senate, why it’s needed. She says because of an incident that happened at a Louisiana park restroom…

Cut 9 (12) “…nothing (x2).” 

Duplessis believes this bill is a cultural war issue meant to drum up unnecessary fear…

Cut 10 (08) “…protect children.” 

Mizell, meanwhile, champions the bill as protecting women…

Cut 11 (12) ” …that bathroom.”

The bill would also separate restrooms in prisons and domestic violence shelters. The bill awaits Governor Landry’s signature.

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Organizers say they are off to a strong start in the first month of the recall effort to oust embattled St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Christopher Tape. Noble-Bates Young with Family First St. Tammany says they’ve collected about 6,000 signatures but they’ll need to have 36,000 by October.

Cut 12 (08) “…what not.” 

Tape ran unopposed and a recall effort began after criminal accusations of child sexual abuse more than two decades ago in New Mexico came to light.

With festival season about to wind down, Young says they will rely heavily on business hubs to collect signatures.

Cut 13 (13) “…so far.” 

As for who will run against Tape if the recall is successful, Young says Family First St. Tammany is focused on getting enough signatures right now.

Cut  14 (10) “…of office.” 

Young says if they meet their goal it will most likely be on the Spring 2025 ballot for St. Tammany Parish voters.

12:30 LRN Newscast

The Louisiana Senate has given approval to the creation of the Gator Scholarship Program which will provide parents public dollars to pay for private school tuition. The bill’s author, Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds, says this is a historic moment as the legislation will give parents options on where to send their child to school…
cut 6 (11) “…of Louisiana”
The E-S-A bill passed on a 24-15 vote. It still needs House approval. Opponents are concerned about the overall cost of the program which could be 500-million.

Organizers say they are off to a strong start in the first month of the recall effort to oust embattled St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Christopher Tape. Noble-Bates Young with Family First St. Tammany says they’ve collected about 6,000 signatures but they’ll need 36,000.
Cut 12 (08) “…what not.”
Tape has said that once voters get to know his work, they’ll be pleased with his performance. He ran unopposed in the last election.

Legislation mandating the 10 Commandments be displayed in public school and college classrooms is nearing final passage. Brooke Thorington explains…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU pitcher Gage Jump pitched a gem last night and the LSU Tigers won the first game of its series against Ole Miss by beating the Rebels five to one in a game that was delayed for about an hour and half by weather. Jump struck out eight hitters over six innings and gave up one run. LSU’s Luke Holman will try to duplicate that performance today.

Louisiana Tech plays a doubleheader today against Liberty to wrap up the regular season. The Bulldogs Adarius Myers drove in the go ahead run in the ninth last night as the Bulldogs defeated Liberty four to three.

The 21st ranked Ragin Cajuns could not finish their game with South Alabama last night. U-L Lafayette leads the Jaguars six to four in the sixth inning and the game will resume at 3 PM.

ULM’s baseball game was suspended in the bottom of the eighth with the Warhawks leading Arkansas State eight to four. The game will resume at 1 PM today.

Southeastern Louisiana clinched a spot in the Southland Tournament by sweeping Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi.

The highlight of the Saints 2024 schedule is Sean Payton’s return to the Superdome on October 17th. New Orleans and Payton’s Broncos will play on Thursday night football. Nola-dot-com’s Luke Johnson covers the Saints and says it’s a game the Saints should win…
cut 18 (21) “….I think”
The Saints kick off the season by hosting Carolina September eight.

NCAA Softball Regional action gets underway today. At 1:30 PM, LSU hosts Jackson State and at noon U-L Lafayette hosts Princeton. The Cajuns are hosting their first Regional since 2016. Infielder Brooke Ellestad says it’s good to be home…
cut 26 (07) “….more comfortable”

9:30 LRN Newscast

The Louisiana Legislature is close to passing a law that would require the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom from kindergaten all the way through college. But is it constitutional? New Orleans Senator Royce Duplessis believes its not, because it promotes Christianity over other religions…
cut 11 (11) “…read and write’
But supporters of the legislation say the Ten Commandments is historical and is the foundation of our legal system.

NCAA Softball Regional action gets underway today. At 1:30 PM, LSU hosts Jackson State and at noon U-L Lafayette hosts Princeton. The Cajuns are hosting their first Regional since 2016. Infielder Brooke Ellestad says it’s good to be home…
cut 26 (07) “….more comfortable”

Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain has spent the week in Cuba, which is experiencing a food shortage. The Cuban government is asking not just to buy seeds and fertilizer from the US but also for assistance and expertise from US farmers to help them become more self-sustainable. Strain says America needs to have a presence in Cuba and if they don’t someone else will.
Cut 6 (09) “…is our business.”

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents are participating in Safe Boating Week which gets underway tomorrow. Alcohol use is one of the leading causes of boating crash incidents L-D-W-F senior agent Thomas Wolf says the penalties for operating or driving a vessel while intoxicated are the same as driving a vehicle…
cut 15 (07) “…license”

8:30 LRN Newscast

Many are mourning the deaths of Baton Rouge plastic surgeon Doctor Lucius “Tre” Doucet and two of his three children. They were killed when when their single engine airplane broke apart enroute to Louisville on Wednesday afternoon. NTSB Aviation Investigator Aaron McCarter says an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway
Cut 7 (12) “..out of control.”
McCarter says weather could have been a factor as storms were brewing at the time.

Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain is wrapping up a week long trip to Cuba. Strain says Louisiana farmers could help the island nation as there is a food shortage. Strain says Louisiana already sends rice and poultry to Cuba, but they need more and it could lead to more opportunities for Louisiana…
cut 5 (07) “….very little equipment”

Safe Boating Week gets underway tomorrow. Mel Bridges has more.
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”

The NCAA Softball tournament gets underway today with action in Baton Rouge and Lafayette. The LSU Tigers host Jackson State at 1:30 and the Cajuns Coach Gerry Glasco’s team takes on Princeton at noon. Glasco has a scouting report on the Ivy League school…
cut 21 (09) “…on your infield”

7:30 LRN Newscast

The Louisiana Senate has passed legislation mandating the Ten Commandments be displayed in public school and college classrooms on a 30 to 8 vote. New Orleans Senator Royce Duplessis challenged Bossier City Senator Adam Bass who presented House Bill 71 in the upper chamber.
Cut 10 (13) “…agree with that”
The measure still needs House approval on Senate changes and then it heads to the governor’s desk.

Governor Landry continues to push the Senate to pass the Gator Scholarship Program which will make public dollars available to families of all income levels to pay for private school. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat…
cut 20 (05) “…achievements”
One of Landry’s campaign promises was school choice. But senators are concerned about the cost of the program. One estimate has it costing the state 529-million dollars in the third year of the program.

Graduation ceremonies take place today at LSU but there is a sense of sadness as Giselle and Jean-Luc Doucet, along with their father, Doctor Tre Doucet were killed in a plane crash near Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday. Officials say their 1966 Beechcraft V-35 Bonanza plane broke apart mid-air as it was heading to Louisville, Kentucky. The NTSB’s Aaron McCarter says the age of the plane is not a concern…
cut 9 (11) “….flying”
Doucet was known was an avid flight enthusiast and the Opelousas native was a plastic surgeon in Baton Rouge.

National Safe Boating Week gets underway tomorrow. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries senior agent Thomas Wolf says make sure your life jackets are in good shape…
cut 14 (07) “….working order”
Between 2019 and 2023 the state reported 107 boating fatalities and 82 percent of the victims weren’t wearing a lifejacket.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

One win down, two more victories to go for the LSU Tigers. Needing a sweep for a chance at the NCAA Tournament, LSU took game one of its three-game set with Ole Miss beating the Rebels five to one last night. Gage Jump allowed one run in six innings and Coach Jay Johnson got great work from his bullpen…
cut 22 (12) “…with power”
Last night’s game was delayed by more than 90 minutes because of a thunderstorm. In an effort to avoid any delays today, Today’s game will start noon.

The 21st ranked Ragin Cajuns could not finish its game with South Alabama last night. U-L Lafayette leads the Jaguars six to four in the sixth inning and the game will resume at 3 PM.

Adarius Myers RBI single in the ninth inning gave Louisiana Tech a four to three victory over Liberty. The Bulldogs are a half a game back of Dallas Baptist for first place after the Patriots swept Middle Tennessee.

ULM’s baseball game was suspended in the bottom of the eighth last night with the Warhawks leading Arkansas State eight to four at Lou St. Amant Field. The game will resume at 1 PM today.

Nicholls edged McNeese four to three, Southeastern Louisiana swept a double header from Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi, while Lamar swept a doubleheader from UNO. Northwestern State’s game against Stephen F Austin was canceled.

The wake of the release of the Saints 2024 regular season schedule sees many fans questioning if the Saints can reach the postseason for the first time since 2020. NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson covers the Saints and says early season games against the Cowboys, Eagles, Falcons and Super Bowl champion Chiefs will test the Black and Gold…
Cut 16 (17) “….three or four games of the season.”

6:30 LRN Newscast

Legislation mandating the 10 Commandments be displayed in public school and college classrooms is nearing final passage. Brooke Thorington explains…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

There’s a little over two weeks left in the legislative session and Governor Jeff Landry is pushing lawmakers to approve the Gator Scholarship Program which would allow parents access to public dollars to pay for private school. How to pay for it is the big question, Landry is suggesting to use money that’s currently protected in the state constitution.

Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain is at the U.S. Agriculture Business Conference in Havana, Cuba to connect US rice and poultry exporters with potential Cuba importers. Strain says the country is in desperate need of food and that need continues to climb.
Cut 4 (12) “….billion or more.”
Strain is meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture to lay out logistics on the type of imports the country can handle.

Tomorrow is the start of Safe Boating Week, and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Senior Agent Thomas Wolf says now is the time to make sure everything on your boat is in working order….
Cut 13 (10) “…the action.”
Between 2019 and 2023 the state reported 107 boating fatalities and 82 percent of the victims weren’t wearing a lifejacket.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU’s series against Ole Miss is underway. Game one was moved up to four PM today because of rain moving into Baton Rouge tonight. Gage Jump started game one for the Tigers and he talked about the team’s mindset as the Tigers need a sweep to give them a chance at receiving an at large berth into the NCAA Tournament…
cut 28 (17) “….at a time”
The 21st ranked Ragin Cajuns go after an outright Sun Belt regular season title when they host South Alabama tonight.

Louisiana Tech begins a series against Liberty today. The Bulldogs enter the final Conference USA series tied with Dallas Baptist for first place. Tech will play a doubleheader tomorrow at noon due to the possibility of rain on Saturday.

The Saints 2024 schedule is out and we’ll know a lot about the Black and Gold after the first few weeks. After opening the season at home against Carolina, the Saints will travel to Dallas, host the Eagles, and then visit Atlanta and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Luke Johnson covers the Saints for the Nola-dot-com, says the defense will face some veteran quarterbacks…
cut 20 (13) “…actually was”

After two seasons at Oklahoma, quarterback General Booty has signed at ULM. Booty did not throw a pass for the Sooners. He last played in 2021 at Tyler Texas Junior college and that season threw for 3.410 yards and 27 touchdowns.

LSU men’s basketball has announced that seven footer Noah Boyde has signed with the Tigers. He played the last two seasons at McCook Community and averaged 11 points and nine rebounds a game.

LRN PM Newscall May 16

Authorities say a 15-year-old girl from Terrebonne Parish was sexually abused, set on fire and shot twice. Sean Richardson reports a car crash in Baytown, Texas likely saved her life

Cut 1 (35)  “…I’m Sean Richardson”

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The US Supreme Court says the state’s most recent map with two majority Black districts will be used in the fall election. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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Louisiana is in for some bad weather that is expected to start tonight and last into Saturday.  LSU Climatologist Barry Keim says the entire state will get hit and the most severe areas being from Baton Rouge to Alexandria….

Cut 3 (14) “…next 36 hours or so.” 

Keim says there is a chance for another round tornados and hail starting tonight.

Cut 4 (11) “…1 out of 5.” 

Keim says to batten down the hatches and get ready for a rough day of sever weather.

Cut 5 (12)  “…across Louisiana.”

And even though it’s a cold front bringing the storms, next week’s temperatures will be back in the 90s leading into the summer season.

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Authorities say 41 year old Terrence Washington of Thibodaux was sexually abusing a 15 year old and the teens mother blamed her daughter then set her on fire.  Cops also say on April 18th Washington  shot the 15-year old in the chest and the face. On April 20th they left Louisiana headed for Texas. Terrebonne Parish Sheriff  Lt. Blake Tabor…

Cut 6  (08) “..by law enforcement. ” 

Tabor says Baytown Police responded to the crash on an I-10 service road.

Cut 7 (11) “…service road area.”  

Once at the hospital, it was clear that the teen’s injuries were from abuse and contacted the Baytown Police Department. When questioned Washington admitted to shooting and sexually abusing the teen and both Washington and the Mother have been arrested.

Cut 8 (08)  “…course of my career.” 

Tabor says the teens drive to survive and fight to get better are nothing short of heroic.
Washington and the child’s mother face child cruelty charges and attempted 1st degree murder.

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The US Supreme Court ruled Louisiana’s congressional map with two majority-Black districts will be used for the fall election. After several years and back and forth and multiple maps passed by the legislature, NAACP Legal Defense Fund Attorney Jared Evans says he’s pleased to finally tell his clients…

Cut 9 (12) “…joy today.” 

But Edward Greim an attorney for Republican plaintiffs, which included Congressman Garret Graves, says the state has enacted a map of a brutal racial gerrymander that segregates voters based on race.

With the clock ticking and the Louisiana Secretary of State’s self-imposed deadline of May 15th and qualifying for elections in mid-July Evans believes yesterday’s ruling came down to timing.

Cut 10 (06) “…a new map.” 

While opponents say the legislature’s most recent map was based on race, Evans says politics was the driving factor that altered Congressman Garett Grave’s district into a second majority-Black district.

Cut 11 (11) ” …for Speaker.”

The fall election is November 5th.

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Governor Jeff Landry held a pair of town hall meetings this morning in the New Orleans area to push for the passage of the Gator Scholarship Program, which would give all families the ability to use taxpayer dollars to pay for private school education. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Landry is having trouble building support for the proposed program in the state Senate…

Cut 12 (08) “…in the Senate.” 

Opponents are concerned about the cost of the Gator Scholarship Program, an estimated 500-million dollars by year three of the program. Landry says E-S-A’s empower parents, putting them in control of the type of education they want their child to receive. He says it will also improve schools.

Pinsonat says school choice was a campaign pledge from the governor and it’s important an E-S-A bill reaches his desk for signature…

Cut 13 (11) “….brag about achievements” 

Pinsonat says Landry is fighting opposition from public schools…

Cut  14 (10) “..as it is.”