State higher education leaders are giving the “thumbs up” to the state budget passed last week at the Capitol. University of Louisiana System President Jim Henderson says lawmakers did ‘amazing work” on crafting a budget that fully funds schools under his banner. He says there were a lot of fiscal resources available to legislators, but when you have a lot of available resources…:
Cut 10 (11) “…this investment.”
The budget still needs the governor’s signature.

Meanwhile, on capitol hill, Louisiana Congresswoman Julia Letlow had the opportunity to question FDA Commissioner Robert Califf about the nationwide baby formula shortage…
cut 13 (11) “…is distibuting”
The Biden administration has invoked the Defense Production Act to speed up the production of infant formula.

The Senate Education Committee approves a House-backed measure that would hold back third-graders from advancing to the fourth grade if they score poorly multiple times on a literacy test…
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Michelle Southern.”

Authorities in Hammond say they continue to search for others who were involved in Thursday night’s shooting on Southeastern Louisiana University’s campus that injured four. Detectives say it was gang-related. So far 20-year-old Trent Thomas of Hammond was arrested. The people injured were on campus for Hammond High’s graduation ceremonies suffered non-life-threatening injuries

A House-approved bill that would hold back third-graders who score in the bottom tier in state reading assessments continues to move through the Legislature. The Senate Education Committee approved Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson’s bill and an amendment was added that would give a student three tries to pass a literacy test before it’s determined the student must repeat the third grade….
Cut 4 (08) “…as well.”
An estimated 45-hundred students could be held back and the legislation would go into effect for the 2023-24 school year.

There’s a chance for rain today and rain chances are even higher tomorrow as a result of a cold front. LRN meteorologist John Wetherbee…
cut 15 (09) “…rainfall”
The good news is the rain will bring an end to the 90-degree temperatures we’ve been seeing. .

Authorities believe the shooting that took place on Southeastern Louisiana’s campus on Thursday night was gang-related. Three people were shot. The victims were innocent bystanders. Hammond Police Cheif Edwin Bergeron says they’ve arrested 20-year-old Trent Thomas of Hammond…
cut 10 (11) “….person of interest”
None of the injuries sustained in the shooting are considered life-threatening.

Two arrests made in a 7-year-old murder & kidnapping case in Terrebonne Parish. 56-year-old Pamela Johnson was murdered in 2015. Sheriff Tim Soignet says his office worked hard to find Johnson’s killers, as they thought about her nieces who were kidnapped on December 1 2015 and found in a car registered to Johnson….
CUT 07(06) “needed that closure.”
33-year-old George Earl Robinson Jr. and 40-year-old Shannon Robinson have been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping.

Louisiana is not out of the COVID woods just yet. 114 people were hospitalized statewide due to the virus as of Wednesday…the highest figure in the state since March 24. Speaking during his Ask the Governor radio show, John Bel Edwards expressed his concern with the recent rise in cases…
Cut 10 (12) “…certainly increasing.”
Despite those concerns, Edwards says the Louisiana Department of Health will not add the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for school children, citing a lack of full approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

Also, the governor said on his monthly call-in show, that he believes the bill to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports is unnecessary, but will not say if he’ll veto it this year. The Senate is expected to give final legislative approval to this bill soon.

New Orleans Representative Royce Duplessis is trying to prevent the release of a mug shot to the media after a person is arrested. His bill was approved in the House, but Senate Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Sharon Hewitt amended the legislation in her committee so that the mug shot will be released if the person commits a violent crime…
cut 8 (11) “….be used”
The bill is heading to the Senate floor for more discussion.

Turkey Creek Senator Heather Cloud’s legislation that would require juvenile offenders to be assessed and secured as either low, medium or high-risk individuals in an effort to reduce the violence occurring at juvenile justice facilities is moving closer to final legislative passage. Cloud says evaluating and housing juvenile inmates based on a tiered system will be safer for guards and other detainees…:
Cut 6 (08) “…in that facility.”

K-through-12 schools will not require students to show proof of a COVID vaccine next fall. David Grubb has more…
Cut 3 (36) “…I’m David Grubb.”

Louisiana is experiencing another surge in COVID. LDH reported 12-hundred new cases yesterday and hospitalizations are over 100 for the first time since March 24th.

House-approved legislation to limit the release of mugshots to the press continues to advance in the Louisiana Legislature. New Orleans Representative Royce Duplessis
Cut 7 (12) “…release it.”
The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee added several amendments that would allow the release of a mugshot if the person is charged with a violent crime and once a person is convicted of a crime.

Legislation is moving through the capitol to address the violence in juvenile detention centers. The House Criminal Justice Committee heard from Michelle Piazza, a corrections officer at a youth detention center in Bunkie. A teenage offender attacked her at that facility…
cut 5 (10) “…..in the face”
The Senate and the House Criminal Justice Committee have approved a bill that would require an assessment of all juvenile offenders, assessing them from least to most dangerous.

The Louisiana Senate has approved a 39-billion dollar budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1st. Very little discussion on the Senate floor as the spending plan passed unanimously. The bill includes a 15-hundred dollar annual pay raise for teachers and 300-million dollars towards a new Mississippi River Bridge.

House approved legislation to limit the release of mugshots in Louisiana advances in Senate Governmental Affairs. Brooke Thorington has more
Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The House Criminal Justice Committee approved a Senate-passed bill that would require the state to conduct a risk assessment of juvenile offenders before they are placed into a juvenile detention center. Turkey Creek Senator Heather Cloud says the bill is in response to a big uptick in violence at juvenile facilities…
Cut 4 (11) “…to a tiered system.”
High-risk individuals would be segregated from low and medium-risk juvenile offenders.

Congress is trying to do something about the nationwide shortage of baby formula. Louisiana Congresswoman Julia Letlow says the head of the F-D-A will testify in front of a House Appropriations subcommittee today…
cut 14 (13) “….months ago”

At the state capitol, the Louisiana House approved a Senate-backed bill that would prohibit transgender girls from playing female sports in Louisiana. Opponents say the legislation is unnecessary and mean-spirited, but Baton Rouge Representative Rick Edmonds disagrees…
cut 15 (10) “….female sports”
The bill heads back to the Senate for agreement on a minor amendment and then it heads to the governor’s desk.

Legislation requiring written and oral permission from a parent or guardian before a school administers a vaccine to a child receive full House approval. Houma Representative Beryl Amedee says there were cases in Louisiana of kids forging a parental permission slip and getting the COVID shot. She says some school administrators asked her to file the bill to help protect them from liability…:
Cut 11 (13) “…got a shot?”

Baton Rouge Republican Congressman Garret Graves confirms to the USA Today Network he is considering a run for governor. The 50-year-old says nearly a thousand people have encouraged him to run. But Graves says 100-percent of his focus is on his re-election campaign and his job now in Congress.

Cleco is spreading the word on how you can save on your energy costs this summer. David Grubb has more…
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m David Grubb.”

A bill to ban transgender athletes from playing women’s sports will return to the Senate after passing through the House on a 72 to 21 vote yesterday. This is the same legislation responsible for last year’s historic veto session Metairie Representative Laurie Schlegel presented the bill.
cut 13 (09) “….sports”
She’s referring to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas who won an NCAA women’s championship. The bill needs Senate approval of a minor amendment and then it heads to the governor’s desk.

Either today or tomorrow, the full Senate will debate the budget bill that contains a 15-hundred dollar pay raise for teachers. But Louisiana Association of Educators President Doctor Tia Mills believes the raise should be two-thousand dollars to help curb a teacher shortage…
cut 5 (10) “…than later”
The Southern Regional Average is 55-thousand dollars, while the average teacher pay in Louisiana is 51-thousand.

The Louisiana House approves a bill that would require a parent or guardian to sign a written form and also confirm orally before a vaccine is administered to a child at school. The bill’s author is Houma Representative Beryl Amedee…
cut 12 (11) “….given permission”
The measure passed on a 65-31 vote and heads to the Senate.

With air conditioners already working overtime due to the 90-plus temperatures, Cleco is telling customers to use L-E-D lightbulbs and regularly replace air conditioner filters in order to help save a few dollars on the energy bill. Cleco spokesperson Fran Phoenix says for more tips go to cleco-dot-com-slash watt matters…
cut 9 (12) “….summer months”