The Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction has added three new inductees to its ranks. Teiko Foxx has more.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

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Early voting and mail-in ballots in Caddo Parish are off to the strongest start in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington explains.

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Governor Jeff Landry challenges state lawmakers to be bold on the opening day of the legislative session. Colleen Crain has the story…

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Three individuals who have made contributions to advancing agriculture in Louisiana are the newest inductees into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction. One inductee, former North Louisiana Congressman and Physician Dr. Ralph Abraham served the largest agricultural district in the nation.

Cut 4 (11) “…national security.”

The Richland Parish native co-authored the 2018 farm bill and ensured Iraq remained a reliable destination for U-S rice.

Stephen Crawford of Concordia Parish was recognized for his extensive career in protecting agriculture. He aided the LSU AgCenter’s efforts of developing weed control to prevent and disrupt the growth of intrusive weeds.

Cut 5 (13) “…with them.” 

Crawford has been a key developer of herbicides for cotton, corn, soybeans, and rice.

Dr. Leodrey Williams became the first black inductee in the hall of distinction. Since 2001, Williams has led the Southern University Agricultural and Research Extension. Establishing the newest campus was challenging, but Williams knew it would see great dividends.

Cut 6 (11) “…various locations.”

Since its inception, the Hall of Distinction has inducted 31 individuals.

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Turnout for early voting is high in Caddo Parish and the driving force isn’t the presidential primary, it’s the hotly contested sheriff’s race. Political analyst Scott Hughes says there was a one-vote margin between Democrat Henry Whitehorn and Republican John Nickelson last November and after two appeals, the courts ruled for another run-off election.

Cut 7 (09) “…early voting.”

And while you’d expect plenty of mudslinging with such a close race, Hughes says so far, it’s been more of a get-out-the-vote effort driving turnout.

Cut 8 (08) “…vote in person.” 

Hughes says another noteworthy item in this race is that traditionally Democrats tend to vote early or by mail compared to Republicans who tend to cast their ballot on election day…

Cut 9 (11)  “…Republican voters.”

Hughes says the one-vote margin in the November 2023 sheriff’s election was not only historic in Louisiana, but he believes it’s the largest one-vote margin in the country with more than 40,000 votes cast.

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Governor Jeff Landry opens the 2024 regular legislative session by telling state lawmakers that bold changes need to be made to improve public education. Landry says it’s time to give parents more flexibility to decide where to send their students to school. He pointed out the success of two children in the audience who attend a charter school in Baton Rouge…

Cut 10 (10) “…in their area”

Landry also wants legislators to address constitutional reform. He says the state’s current constitution has been amended way too many times. He says the document also limits the legislature’s ability to address significant problems…

Cut 11 (11) “…(cheering)” 

Insurance reform will also be key topic as the state legislators will look at ways to improve the property insurance market. New Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says deregulation of the industry is the key and Landry agrees…

Cut 12 (12) “…our people” 

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Children’s Hospital New Orleans has been designated the only hospital in Louisiana to offer a promising, newly approved gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease, a devastating illness that affects every major organ. Pediatric Oncologist, Dr. Zachary Leblanc says this therapy has advantages over others because it uses the patient’s own stem cells…

Cut 13 (11)  “…red blood cells.”

Leblanc says after years of clinical trials that began in France; two companies received approval from the FDA in December to provide the gene therapy products Lygenia (lif gen nee uh) and Casgevy (cass jevie). According to the Louisiana Department of Public Health, around 3000 Louisianans are living with Sickle Cell Disease.

Cut 14 (10) “…that goal.”

The therapy is only available for patients over the age of 12 and involves multiple health care disciplines. Dr. Leblanc says, the procedures require several months, and the patient will be hospitalized at least twice with multiple follow up visits but when it’s over…

Cut 15 (07) “…non-sickle hemoglobin.”

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One of LSU’s most popular athletes will likely compete for the final time on the LSU campus Friday night. Olivia Dunne and the 2nd ranked LSU gymnastics squad host North Carolina for Senior night. Dunne only competed in four meets last year because of injuries, but she says a more focused approach to all of her responsibilities has led to better results

Cut 16 (15) “…on it” 

The social media star, who is earning millions through NIL deals, has competed on uneven bars several times year and last week matched a career-high 9.9 score on the floor.

Last summer, Dunne started the Livvy fund, to help other LSU female athletes land NIL deals with some of the top brands. She’s proud of the legacy she’s leaving behind

Cut 17 (16) “..so far” 

The 21-year-old is a senior, but does have one more year of eligibility left. Dunne is not ready to speculate on her future plans, she’s more focused on helping LSU win its first national championship in gymnastics. The New Jersey native admits this has been her favorite year at LSU…

Cut 18 (13)  “…a blast” 

A package of bills aimed to make Louisiana number one in the country regarding election integrity will be addressed in the regular session which begins today. Teiko Foxx has more.

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After one day of early voting, the number of mail-in ballots for the presidential primary is the third highest in Louisiana’s election history. Brooke Thorington has more.

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Today marks the first day of the 2024 legislative session. Secretary of State Nancy Landry is pushing a package of bills that would further boost the state’s election integrity policies. She says the bills would bring Louisiana closer to being ranked first in the nation for election integrity.

Cut 3 (08) “…our elections.”  

Among those bills is one that would expand voter canvass to further ensure that Louisiana’s voter rolls are accurate. Landry says House bill 114 will help verify if Louisiana residents are still eligible to vote.

Cut 4 (11) “…more years.” 

Former Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed the proposed bill multiple times after it was passed by the legislature.

After 10 years, Landry points out voters would not be removed from the non-active voters list automatically. She says notification would be mailed out and if a voter does not respond…

Cut 5 (12) “…active rolls.”

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After one day of early voting, the number of mail-in ballots for the March 23^rd presidential primary is the third highest in Louisiana’s election history. The November 2020 Presidential race and the 2022 Senate primary were first and second respectively. JMC Analytics pollster John Couvillon says when the pandemic eased the rules for those 65 and older to vote by mail…

Cut 6  (08) “…out of habit.” 

The volume of mail-in voting for this primary is 17% higher than it was on the first day of the 2020 primary which was in July, not March. The dates were pushed twice due to COVID-surges.

Couvillon says considering this Presidential primary is “low wattage” with a few local elections thrown in, mail-in voting is higher than the 2020 Presidential primary…

Cut 7 (07) “…to me.”  

He says it suggests that mail-in voting is a trend that’s here to stay.

The deadline for mail-in ballots to be turned in for this Presidential Primary is March 22 so it’s possible it could eclipse the 2022 Senate primary for mail-in votes. Couvillon says mail-in ballots for the November 2020 election were significantly greater than the 2022 Senate primary.

Cut 8 (09) “…it happening.” 

Caddo Parish has the highest number of mail-in votes this primary because of a hotly contested sheriff’s race.

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Jeremy Alford of La-politics-dot-com says insurance reform and education issues will be the big topics during the three-month long legislative session that began today. Alford says Republican lawmakers are eager to set up a program called education savings accounts. He says it would allow eligible families to use public money on a variety of education expenses

Cut 9 (10) “…private school tuition.” 

Alford says new Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple is pushing a package of bills that are considered pro industry. Alford says Temple will make the argument to legislators that there are too many regulations on insurance companies…

Cut 10 (10) “…pro industry ideas.”

Alford says legislators also have to approve a budget for next fiscal year. He says lawmakers will look at reducing state spending with an eye towards 2025 when a temporary sales tax expires

Cut 11 (12) “…tough decisions”

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LSU and South Carolina battled each other hard yesterday and tempers flared late in the game which resulted in both benches clearing after Lady Tigers guard Flau’jae Johnson was pushed down to the ground.  LSU ended up losing in the SEC Tournament title game 79 to 72, but Coach Kim Mulkey feels good about her squad

Cut 12 (11)  “…this point  

Poa was taken off on stretcher on Saturday night after banging her head on the floor. Mulkey expects Poa to be ready for the NCAA Tournament which begins next week.

LSU will find out on Sunday night who they will play in the NCAA Tournament. Sunday’s loss ended the Lady Tigers ten game winning streak and Mulkey is eager to see her team try to win another title…

Cut 13 (13) “…next week”  

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On the opening day of the legislative session, Governor Jeff Landry laid out his agenda for lawmakers. He began his speech by encouraging legislators to make his reforms in public education. The governor says he wants parents in control of a child’s education and take away some of the burdens affecting teachers…

Cut  14 (14) “..can teach”

Landry also wants legislators to tackle the insurance crisis and he’s calling for a constitutional convention. He says the current constitution makes it too difficult for lawmakers to correct the state’s problems

Cut 15 (12) “…too late”

Landry and Republican lawmakers are pushing to move items out of the state’s constitution and place it into state law.

The regular session begins at noon today and insurance reform will be a major topic. Teiko Foxx has more…

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Legislation to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s abortion ban has been filed for the regular session, the same bill that failed to make it out of committee last year. Brooke Thorington has more.

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Automated enforcement devices that measure speed and automatically send citations to vehicle owners may have to change if a bill gets through this legislative session. Colleen Crain has the details…

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The 2024 legislative session begins at noon today. Insurance reform is a hot-button issue up for debate. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says lawmakers want to do something to lower insurance rates.

Cut 4 (12) “…lower insurance.”

Homeowners in Louisiana pay on average about two thousand dollars every year for insurance. And Louisiana ranked second to Florida for the highest car insurance rates.

Pinsonat says since 2020 dozens of insurers have withdrawn, canceled, or refused to renew existing homeowners’ policies in Louisiana. He says the new legislature heard from constituents on the campaign trail about skyrocketing insurance costs.

Cut 5 (11) “…as automobiles.” 

Streamlining the state’s constitution will be another topic up for debate. The state’s constitution was adopted in 1974 but has been amended more than 200 times. Governor Jeff Landry has discussed with Republican lawmakers about taking some items out of the state’s constitution and putting them into state law. Pinsonat says a bill to condense the constitution has yet to be filed…

Cut 6 (12) “…overhauling Louisiana.”

Any changes to the state’s constitution would need voter approval and the proposed changes could be placed on the November Presidential ballot.

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New Orleans Democrat Representative Delisha Boyd is trying again to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s near-total abortion ban. Even though Boyd’s mother, who was raped in her teens and gave birth to her at age 15, she still advocates for exceptions.

Cut 7 (10) “…to term.”

House Bill 164 would allow physicians to terminate a pregnancy if it’s a result of rape or incest.

In last year’s regular session, Boyd’s bill never made it out of committee.

Cut 8 (12) “…is born.” 

Boyd says she expects pushback from the Republican-controlled legislature again, but she continues to fight to have exceptions to one of the strictest abortion bans in the country.

Cut 9 (09)  “…ridiculous.”

The proposed law also adds provisions that a police report, forensic evidence, and prosecution of the alleged offense are not required.

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A bill requiring automated enforcement devices to take a photo of the speeding driver not just the license plate of the vehicle has been filed for the session. Marksville Representative Daryl Deshotel says the current procedure that snaps a photo of the license plate and automatically sends a ticket to the vehicle’s registered owner isn’t fair because the driver may not be the registered owner.

Cut 10 (08) “…vehicle owner.”

Deshotel says he’s not a fan of enforcement cameras, but the bill would provide a better chance to get the ticket to the right person. He believes an officer should be the ones writing tickets because cameras can’t do what they do to keep the community safe.

Cut 11 (11) “…for speeding.” 

Deshotel’s bill would also require the posting of large visible signs within 500 feet of the devices to alert drivers to them. He says the companies that set up and operate the devices contract with municipalities but keep the greater portion of the fines collected.

Cut 12 (11) “…they’re doing it.” 

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You might have heard about the phenomenon of two broods of periodical cicadas, one that appears every 17 years and the other every 13 years, could coincide this year. But LSU AgCenter Entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says it doesn’t look like that will happen here in the Bayou State…

Cut 13 (11)  “…specifically.”

The unique correlation hasn’t happened in the U.S. since 1803.

The 13-year-brood, also known as the Great Southern Brood, has appeared in a few of Louisiana’s northern parishes in the past. But Ashbrook says the outlook isn’t as promising this year because logging in the area disturbed their habitat.

Cut 14 (08) “…Louisiana brood.”

While the chances of the convergence of the two broods are slim in Louisiana, Ashbrook says there are parts of the US where it’s more likely to occur.

Cut 15 (07) “…Wisconsin.”

He says we just won’t know if and where exactly the 13- and 17-year broods will appear until spring and summer. But Ashbrook says the annual cicadas, which typically have a one or two-year life cycle are expected this summer in Louisiana.

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After a tough loss to Sam Houston last Thursday, the Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team responded on Saturday with an 84-70 win over Middle Tennessee. Tech finished the regular season with a 22-9 record, 12-4 in Conference USA. Coach Talvin Hester is glad to see his team rebound from a tough loss…

Cut 16 (16) “…do that now” 

La Tech is the second seed in the Conference USA Tournament and will play Middle Tennessee again on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals in Huntsville, Alabama.

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The Ragin Cajuns baseball team took two of three from Tulane in exciting fashion. After losing the series opener 11-8, U-L Lafayette won in extra innings on Saturday, and on Sunday Kyle DeBarge hit a three-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth. Dan McDonald had the call on ESPN-plus…

Cut 17 (24) “..four to three.” 

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A bench-clearing scuffle towards the end of yesterday’s SEC Championship game left LSU with just five players in a 79-72 loss to top-ranked South Carolina. It was a very physical game and there was a lot of jawing throughout. Coach Kim Mulkey believes the referees let the game get out of hand….

Cut 18 (18)  “….one time” 

Both benches emptied after Flau’Jae Johnson intentionally fouled a South Carolina player with two minutes left. Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso shoved Johnson to the ground, which prompted Johnson’s brother to leave the stands and come on the court during a wild scene. Mulkey says Cardosa should pick on someone her own size…

Cut 19 (12) “…my opinion”

After the game, Cardoso went on social media and apologized for her role in the scuffle. It was the second time LSU lost to the Gamecocks this season, but Angel Reese liked the fight her team showed….

Cut 20 (15) “…right now”