After a concealed carry bill was amended to allow for armed teachers in schools and serve as safety officers, a Louisiana teacher’s union has come out in opposition to the legislation. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Senate could give final legislative approval today to a bill that will ban abortions in Louisiana if Roe versus Wade is overtuned. The legislation does not include exceptions for rape and incest and under the proposal, doctors or others who perform abortions could receive up to a 10-year prison sentence.

Louisiana’s version of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill failed to pass this year, but its author says she will bring it back next year. Last month, House Education Committee members voted in a bipartisan manner to end the bill’s progress. Bill author and Haughton Representative Dodie Horton says fellow Conservatives in the House moved the bill to a Committee of the Whole, meaning ALL members can debate and vote on it. However, she withdrew the bill from further consideration this year…:
Cut 7 (08) “…put the body through that.”
But Horton plans to bring it back next year, because she believes teachers should not discuss their gender identity of sexual orientation during class time.

Governor John Bel Edwards signed into law the budget for next fiscal year that will give teachers a 15-hundred dollar pay raise and provide millions of dollars for major infrastructure projects like new bridges in Lake Charles and Baton Rouge. House Appropriations Chairman Jerome Zeringue…
cut 6 (12) “…infrastructure”

The state House has approved legislation that would result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years for a doctor or others who perform an abortion if abortion becomes illegal in Louisiana. Pro-life advocates are expecting the U-S Supreme Court will overturn Roe versus Wade this summer and this bill which is expected to pass will become law at that point.

The author of a so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill for Louisiana that failed to pass in the House says she will bring it back next year…:
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed House Bill 1, the state’s budget for the next fiscal year. Appropriations Chair and Houma Representative Jerome Zeringue, says the budget is a good reflection of both the intent of the legislature and the governor’s priorities.
Cut 4 (12) “…childhood education.”
The budget contains 84-million dollars for early childhood education.

After an Associated Press report indicated that Governor John Bel Edwards saw the body camera video of the violent arrest of Ronald Greene before local prosecutors, Edwards says when he saw the video, he did not know the Union Parish D-A did not see it. He also says Greene’s family saw the video, days after he saw it first….
cut 15 (09) “…testify”
Edwards is scheduled to testify in front of a House panel investigating the circumstances surrounding Greene’s death on June 16th.

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers opposes legislation lawmakers are considering in the final days of the legislative session that would allow teachers to be armed in the classroom. L-F-T legislative director Cynthia Posey says they support school safety measures but this is not the way to go about it…
cut 10 (11) “….more than that”

Legislation that would prohibit teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity during classroom time did not make it out of the House this year. But Haughton Representative Dodie Horton says she will bring the bill back next year because she says educators should not be the ones discussing alternate lifesytles with young children…
cut 8 (10) “….teaching a standard”
The House Education Committee failed to approve Louisiana’s version of the “Don’t Say Gay Bill.”

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed next fiscal year’s budget into law. David Grubb spoke with one of the main architects of the legislation…
cut 1 (32) “…I’m David Grubb”

A House bill to allow permitless concealed carry was heavily amended by Gonzales Senator Eddie Lambert in a Senate committee. The original bill to allow non-felons over the age of 21 to conceal carry without a permit now creates provisions for a school safety officer and its initial intent has been removed.
Cut 6 (07) “…other schools.”
The session ends Monday, so the only way legislators can address school safety and mass shootings is by amending an existing bill. It remains to see if this school safety bill can make it through the process before the session ends.

At the U-S Capitol, Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins has filed legislation to secure schools. One bill would establish national training standards for school resource officers. Higgins says he filed similar legislation in 2018…
cut 9 (10) “…these school shootings”

Lt. Colonel Chris Eskew, who was the head of State Police internal affairs at the time Ronald Greene died in L-S-P custody, tells state lawmakers he saw no criminal activity when he watched the violent body camera video of Greene’s arrest. Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle provided the line of questioning…
cut 3 (13) “…no ma’am”
Later on in the meeting, Eskew changed his answer. He says he was reluctant to answer for fear it could harm the ongoing criminal and civil investigations into Greene’s death.

There’s another shortage to be aware of….the contrast dye for C-T scans. LSU Health New Orleans radiology professor Bradley Spieler (pronounced: SPEE-ler) radiologists and oncologists are postponing CT scans deemed non-emergency and using smaller amounts of dye when doing scans…
cut 30 (07) “…fourth quarter”
A plant in China that makes the dye has been shut down as a result of COVID restrictions.

Governor John Bel Edwards says he will testify before a special House committee looking into the circumstances of Ronald Greene’s death. Houma Representative Tanner Magee says they want to know when Edwards saw the violent police body camera video that shows troopers beating Greene before he died. Magee says a recent Associated Press report says Edwards viewed the video much earlier than Greene’s family or local prosecutors
cut 11 (07) “….bottom of it”
Edwards says he’s done nothing to interfere with the investigation into Greene’s death.

Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins has filed a bill in the U-S House called the School Resource Officer Assessment Act which calls on the federal government to gather data regarding the number of school resource officers in each school…
cut 8 (12) “….no data of that”
Higgins says a similar bill passed in the U-S House in 2018.

The state Department of Insurance says nearly a dozen firms have stopped writing coverage in Louisiana; meaning the state-run insurer of last resort, Louisiana Citizens, is having to write more policies for property insurance to cover homes and businesses.
Cut 13 (13) “…90-thousand policy range.”
That’s Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon who says his office will work to help these policyholders find less expensive policies in the private market.

Facing the potential of $43-million in damaged infrastructure, Southern University is receiving federal help to construct permanent erosion control measures. Congressman Troy Carter was on hand for the announcement… Cut 4 (11) “…the Mississippi River.”
Carter says it’s another example of the federal government investing in infrastructure solutions for the people of Louisiana.

A bipartisan House committee wants to hear from Governor John Bel Edwards as they investigate the State Police Custody death of Ronald Greene. Kevin Gallagher has the story…
Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

A Senate Committee has dramatically changed a proposed permitless concealed carry law to a bill that would allow teachers and administrators to carry concealed guns on campus. The legislation would also authorize school districts to appoint a school protection officer, who would receive training.

Congressman Troy Carter says seven million dollars in federal money will be used to preserve Southern University’s ravine and prevent some of the school’s buildings from falling into the Mississippi River. Carter says he learned about the dire situation a year ago from former retired U-S Army General Russell Honore…
cut 6 (13) “….the Mississippi River”

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the number of property insurance policies being taken on by the state’s insurer of last resort, Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance, is growing as a result of two active hurricane seasons. Donelon says he wants to reverse that trend…
cut 14 (14) “…property insurance business”

Governor John Bel Edwards will appear before the House committee investigating the circumstances surrounding Ronald Greene’s death when the panel meets on June 16th. Greene’s family was told he died in a car crash in Union Parish. But police body camera video shows Greene was beaten by troopers following a high-speed chase. During Wednesday’s meeting, Houma Representative Tanner Magee read written testimony from Doctor Frank Peretti, a coroner in Arkansas who oversaw Green’s autopsy
Cut 12 (12) “..tree branches.”

In response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins has introduced a bill he calls the School Watch and Tactics Act…
cut 7 (09) “….tactical skills”
Higgins says he has filed another bill that would lead to more security officers at schools that do not have enough.

Southern University gets a major boost in its efforts to save its campus from erosion. David Grubb has the details…
Cut 1 (36) “…I’m David Grubb.”

The Louisiana Legislature has approved a new name, image and likeness law that allows schools and their booster groups to facilitate N-I-L deals. The legislation heading to the governor’s desk would also keep the endorsement deals involving the student-athletes private. Supporters say this will put Louisiana in line with what other states are doing.

The LSU baseball team is in Hattiesburg getting ready for regional play that will begin tomorrow at Pete Taylor Park. Tiger Fans are confident their team can take this Regional. Coach Jay Johnson doesn’t believe the pressure to win is a negative…
cut 17 (19) “…..the right way”
The Tigers will take on Kennesaw State Friday night.

The Ragin Cajuns play TCU on Friday in the College Station Regional. U-L Lafayette pitcher Austin Perrin…
cut 19 (11) “…..give them anything”

LSU athletics director Scott Woodward tells the Advocate there’s no rush to approve a new scheduling format for football in the Southeastern Conference. It’s possible a vote could take place tomorrow when the SEC spring meetings end in Destin, Florida. The discussion surrounds whether there will be eight or nine conference games and how many permanent opponents, between one and three have been thrown around as many expect the SEC will scrap the division format.

N-I-L is also a popular discussion at the S-E-C spring meetings. Tigers football coach Brian Kelly says name, image, and likeness has turned into a runaway train…
cut 20 (11) “…right now”
The Louisiana Legislature has approved a new N-I-L law that allows schools to help facilitate N-I-L deals. The legislation heading to the governor’s desk would also keep the endorsement deals private.