Mike Johnson has spent just six years in the U-S House but now finds himself in possession of the gavel as he was elected as the House Speaker yesterday. The 51-year-old is from Benton in Bossier Parish and the mayor of Benton, Shelly Horton, believes Johnson’s temperament and people’s skills will make him an excellent speaker…
cut 12 (10) “….skills”

At the state capitol today, the House Education Committee will meet this morning to discuss a proposal approved by BESE that will give seniors an appeals process that would still allow them to graduate, despite not passing the LEAP exit exam. Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley opposes the policy…
cut 7 (12) “….they need”
If the House Education Committee does not approve, Governor Edwards can still act and allow the policy to go into effect.

The House Transportation Committee rejected the use of tolls to partially fund a new $2.1 billion I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge. Brooke Thorington reports DOTD has other options.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

I-55 in St. John the Baptist Parish remains closed following Monday’s deadly pile-up crash that killed eight people and involved 168 vehicles. No timeline on when the bridge will open. Inspectors have identified several areas that need repairs.

Mike Johnson is the first Congressman from Louisiana to serve as House Speaker. LSU Shreveport Political Science Professor Jeffrey Sadow says Johnson won on a 220-to-209 vote after three other nominees, including Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise, failed to get the full support of Republicans in the House…
cut 13 (12) “…..voting behavior”
The 51-year-old Johnson is in his fourth term. He’s a Shreveport native, but now lives in Benton. The mayor of Benton, Shelly Horton, says the community could not be happier…
cut 10 (04) “…of Johnson”
Speaker Johnson says now that the House is back in business, the public will see Congress work as hard as ever to deliver for the American people.

Governor-elect Jeff Landry has announced the chairpersons of his transition team, which include influential Republican businessman Lane Grigsby. Landry says fixing Louisiana’s problems will not happen overnight, but his transition team will help his administration get off to a running start…
Cut 30 (05) “ …we have coming.”
Landry says his administration will focus on reducing crime and improving education and the economy. The transition team will be housed at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

A new I-10 bridge in Lake Charles is not coming anytime soon after the House Transportation Committee voted down a proposal to use a combination of tolls and taxpayer dollars to build a two-point-one billion dollar bridge. DOTD Secretary Eric Kalivoda says they’ll now look to rehab the current bridge built in 1952…
cut 4 (12) “….funding allows”
Kalivoda says under this plan it will take decades to build a new bridge.

Governor-elect Jeff Landry will hold a press conference in Lafayette today to introduce members of his transition team. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat…
cut 11 (10) “…from them”
Landry will be sworn into office on January 8th.

U-S Senator Bill Cassidy is co-sponsoring legislation called the Stop Campus Hazing Act. The legislation requires hazing incidents to be included in a college’s annual crime report….
cut 6 (08) “….stop hazing”
Steve Gruver, the father of Max Gruzer, says this legislation could have saved his son’s life. Max pledged at Phi Delta Theta and died in a hazing incident. The year before that same fraternity was suspended because of hazing.

The House Transportation Committee has rejected a proposal to use state and federal dollars plus toll money to build a two-point-one billion dollar I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles. Lake Charles Representative Wilford Carter urged the committee to vote for the plan, because he’s concerned if they do not, a new bridge will never be built…
Cut 15 (12) “…southern part of the country”
But Sulphur Representative Les Farnum says tolls are only used in the United States when you are building a new highway
Cut 14 (10) “…not the place.”
The financing proposal was shot down eight to six and it will likely be left up to the next administration on what to do with the current bridge that was build in 1952.

It’s unclear what will happen next after the House Transportation Committee votes against a financing plan for a new two-point-one billion dollar I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles. The bridge would be partially funded by tolls. Sulphur Representative Les Farnum questioned the high price tag…
Cut 13 (11) “…portrayed to be.”
But Lake Charles Representative Wilford Carter says the current I-10 bridge is not safe and a new bridge could spur economic development…
cut 16 (10) “….that area”
As a result of this vote, DOTD interim Secretary Eric Kalivoda says they may need to look at rehabbing the existing bridge that was built in 1952.

Jeff Landry holds his first press conference today as the Governor-elect announces his transition team. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the transition team will be people close to him and they’ll begin the work of developing policies that Landry plans to put in place once he gets into office…
Cut 10 (08) “…legislative session.”
Landry will be sworn in on January 8th.

2017 was when LSU fraternity pledge Max Gruver died after a heavy night of drinking during a hazing event. Max’s father, Steve Gruver, is backing U-S Senate legislation that would require hazing incidents to be reported publicly.
cut 5 (12) “…son’s life”
The year before Max Gruver’s death, the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, was suspended for a hazing incident.

House Republicans are now backing Louisiana’s Mike Johnson as the next Speaker of the House. Johnson is the fourth Republican to claim the speaker-designate title, but will he get the 217 votes needed to be elected as the next Speaker? The House is scheduled to hold a vote this morning.

Jeff Landry will hold his first governor-elect press conference this morning and announce members of his transition team.
Cut 3 (32) …I’m Brooke Thorington.”

University of Louisiana System President Dr. Jim Henderson is set to interview tonight to be the next president at Louisiana Tech. A vote could take place at today’s special meeting of the U-L System board as Henderson is the lone candidate. He says he would be honored to succeed the retiring Les Guice…
Cut 7 (09) “… strengthens that.”
Henderson has been the President of the UL System for nearly seven years.

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy is co-sponsoring the Stop Campus Hazing Act to address violence on college campuses. The federal law would require colleges to include hazing incidents in their annual crime report.
Cut 4 (09) “…know that history.”
The legislation has the support of Max Gruver’s parents. Gruver died in 2017 from a hazing incident at an LSU fraternity that involved excessive amounts of alcohol.