Governor Landry’s proposal to shift Louisiana elections to closed party primaries underwent major changes yesterday. A Senate committee removed statewide and legislative elections and only federal and state supreme court elections would move to closed party primaries starting in 2026. The full Senate will debate the bill today.

Once again Oil City Representative Danny McCormick files a bill for debate in the regular session to make it legal to conceal carry a gun without a permit.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The 2024 New Orleans JazzFest lineup has been released and there are 624 acts and some of the biggest groups and singers in music. Including the Rolling Stones, Chris Stapleton, Neil Young, and the Foo Fighters. Jazz Fest Producer Quint Davis says it’s a massive undertaking to book hundreds of acts for two weekends in April and May…
cut 8 (09) “…aligned”
Tickets are now on sale.

The Louisiana Office of Tourism is launching the “Year of Music” campaign, which will be used to lure music lovers from other states to visit the Pelican State. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says they’ll be at CMA Fest in Nashville and DC Jazz Festival as a way to promote Louisiana’s musical culture…
cut 6 (11) “…trip here”

Governor Jeff Landry unveiled a plan last night to build a new I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles and he says this proposal is not as costly as the one proposed last year by the Edwards Administration. Landry says the new proposal costs 25-percent less and tolls have been reduced by 26-percent across the board.

Louisiana has launched the Year of Music Campaign to emphasize the state’s musical culture as a reason to visit the state. Colleen Crain has more…
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain”

The Louisiana House and Senate are scheduled to meet at 9 AM to debate a proposal to move federal elections to closed party primaries and up for debate in the House is a Congressional map that would add a second-majority minority district. That second district would extend from Shreveport to Baton Rouge. New Orleans Representative Candace Newell…
cut 12 (15) “…support from”

The 2024 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Musical Festival line-up is out and and music lovers are making plans to be in the Big Easy during the final weekend of April and the first weekend of May. Jazz Fest Producer Quint Davis…
cut 9 (12) “….and state”
Tickets are on sale.

A Congressional map redesign that makes Republican Congressman Garret Graves’s sixth district a majority minority district continues to advance at the special session. The House Governmental Affairs Committee approved the map proposal, but Representative Ed Larvadain does not like that the second black voting district stretches from Shreveport to Baton Rouge…
cut 11 (11) “….zig zagging”
Senator Glen Womack is the author of the map and he says it accomplishes their goals, two majority-minority districts and it protects the re-election chances for Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise, Julia Letlow and Clay Higgins. It will be debated on the House floor today.

The regular session begins in March and Oil City Republican Danny McCormick has already filed what he calls a constitutional carry bill that would allow non-felons, 18-years-and-older to conceal carry a gun without a permit..
cut 15 (11) “…God Given right”
The regular session begins March 11th.

The 2024 New Orleans Jazz Fest Line-up is out and festival producer calls it a “Killer” line-up….
cut 2 (34) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

The state Office of Tourism will emphasize music this year in promoting Louisiana to visitors…
cut 4 (09) “…January 22nd”
Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the Year of Music coincides with the launch of the Louisiana Music Trail which will go live on explore-louisiana-dot-com.

The House Governmental Affairs Committee votes for a proposed Congressional district map that makes Republican Garret Graves’ district a second Black majority district in Louisiana. A federal judge has ordered the Louisiana Legislature to draw a map with two majority-minority districts. Catahoula Parish Senator Glen Womack says his bill does that and it also…
Cut 10 (12) “…Scalise.”
Sulphur Representative Les Farnum added an amendment that puts all of Ouachita Parish in Julia Letlow’s district and all of Calcasieu Parish in Speaker Mike Johnson’s district. But it splits Rapides and East Baton Rouge between three different Congressional districts. Baton Rouge Representative has a problem with that…
cut 18 (09) “….that’s insane” (2x)
The bill will be debated some more today on the House floor.

State lawmakers have begun filing bills for the regular session that starts in March and north Louisiana Republican Danny McCormick has already filed his legislation to allow non-felons, 18 and over to conceal carry a firearm without a permit. McCormick’s measure ran into trouble in the state Senate last year…
Cut 13 (07) “…constitutional carry bill.”
This is the fifth consecutive year McCormick has authored a conceal carry bill. In 2021, Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed it.

The 2024 Jazz Fest lineup is out. We already knew Rolling Stones on May 2nd but producer Quint Davis released the entire lineup yesterday with much fanfare….
cut 7 (13) “…..fell in”
Tickets and weekend packages are on sale now.

The state House approved a bill that would move Louisiana from an open primary system to closed party primaries for federal, state, legislative and certain judicial elections. Carencro Representative Julie Emerson is the sponsor of the bill..
cut 12 (10) “….general election ballot.
The House approved the bill on a 64 to 40 vote. New Orleans Representative Matthew Willard says there was a recent poll that showed the public favors the state’s unique jungle primary, where candidates from all parties are on the same primary ballot…
cut 13 (08) “….current primary system”
The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee is expected to debate this bill some more this afternoon. Governor Jeff Landry is pushing for a closed party primary system. He says southern states with a closed primary system are succeeding.

The winter weather has pushed the state’s blood supply to a critical low level. Because of the cold and hazardous travel, blood donations have dropped this week. Spokesperson for the Blood Center, Paul Adams, says they like to have a supply of three to five days on hand, but at the moment it’s down to one day…
cut 4 (10) “…anybody”
Adams says reach out to your local hospital about donating blood.

Jazz Fest released its entire 2024 musical line-up today. It includes country music star Chris Stapleton, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt and iconic rock band the Foo Fighters. Nola-dot-com entertainment writher Keith Speara says there will also be tribute to the late Jimmy Buffet…
cut 7 (10) “…as well”
The dates this year are April 25th through the 28th and May 2nd through the 5th.

The Louisiana Senate approved a new Congressional district map that makes Republican Garret Graves’ sixth district a black majority voting district by having it stretch from Baton Rouge to Shreveport. Senator Glen Womack is the sponsor of this legislation…
cut 16 (10) “….the country”
It passed on a 27-11 vote and the House Governmental Affairs Committee is expected to vote on the map today.

Hunters interested hunting black bears in December can attend a public meeting at the West Monroe Convention Center tonight, hosted by LDWF. Humane Society of Louisiana president Jeff Dorson is pushing for a more humane approach when it comes to controlling the growing black bear population and encourages the state to follow Florida’s BearWise program…
Cut 10 (08) “…all about.”

The Louisiana Shrimp Association is suing the Biden Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service over their rule requiring skimmer trawl vessels to use Turtle Excluder Devices in Louisiana’s Inshore waters.
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Colleen Crain”

The New Orleans JazzFest released its 2024 musical line-up today and your headliners are Chris Stapleton, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and the rock band Foo Fighters. Bonnie Raitt, Earth Wind and Fire and Jon Batiste are also performing at the New Orleans Fair Grounds during the last weekend of April and first weekend of May. Previously announced, the Rolling Stones on May 2nd.