A Senate-passed bill to roll back Louisiana’s 2016 “Raise the age” law clears another legislative hurdle. Monroe Senator Stewart Cathey’s bill won approval from the House Criminal Justice Committee. He says his legislation would only apply to youthful offenders who commit violent crimes, like murder, assault, battery rape and armed robbery…:
Cut 7 (06) “…within 24 hours.”
The “Raise the Age” law passed in 2016; keeps 17-year-old offenders from being imprisoned with adult inmates. Cathey’s bill calls for an evaluation of 17-year-old offenders to see if they need to be in juvenile detention, or sent to the adult population.

An innovative new surgery for repairing a torn anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, has come to Louisiana. Ochsner Baton Rouge Medical Director of Sports Medicine, Dr. Jeremy Burnham says this method heals the ligament rather than replacing it.
Cut 13 (10) “…with something new.”
Burnham is the first surgeon in the region to utilize the Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair Implant, known as BEAR.

US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm was in the Bayou State yesterday to see how Louisiana is a major contributor to energy.
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act is on its way to the Governor’s desk, but will Governor Edwards sign it this year after he vetoed it last year. Brooke Thorington has more…
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Louisiana House has approved a bill that would prohibit the use of a handheld cell phone while driving. The vote was 55-to-38 in favor. It goes to the Senate, but there are just under two weeks to go in the legislative session.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission reports the state’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was a record low three-point-five percent as the state has added 200-thousand jobs over the last two years…
cut 5 (10) “…better jobs”
Over the last year, the leisure and hospitality industry added 16 thousand jobs and the number of construction jobs is up by nearly seven thousand.

If you’ve been out in the garden or the backyard in South Louisiana, you may have seen a worm with a hammerhead. Hammerhead worms make themselves at home where they can find high temperatures and humidity. LSU AgCenter entomologist Nathan Lord says they are an unwelcome sight…
Cut 13 (09) “…gardens and forests.”
The problem is that the hammerhead worm is a predator, and its prey is the earthworm.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission reports unemployment in Louisiana has reached a record low. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows the not-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate for April 2022 at 3.5-percent. LWC Secretary Ava Cates says that’s the lowest rate ever recorded and their data goes back to 1976 …:
Cut 4 (07) “…we’ve ever experienced.”
Louisiana has gained over 200-thousand jobs in seasonally adjusted non-farm employment since April 2020.

The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act is on its way to the Governor’s desk after the Senate voted 32-6 to concur with a House amendment. The bill which bans transgender females from competing in female sports was vetoed by Governor John Bel Edwards last year. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat on what’s next.
Cut 10 (09) “…sign it.”
The bill which bans transgender females from playing female sports in K-12 and college competitions was amended to remove the ban from intramural sports.

Louisiana will elect a new governor in 18 months and we still do not have a single declared candidate. It’s expected Attorney General Jeff Landry and Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser will run. Congressman Garret Graves and Senator Bill Cassidy are possibilities and political analyst Ron Faucheux says if Senator John Kennedy got in that would be a real surprise…
cut 8 (12) “…for the senate”
Kennedy is up for re-election this year.

LSU Ag Center entomologist Nathan Lord says based on the reports he’s getting there’s an increase in hammerhead worms, especially in south Louisiana. He says the head of a hammerhead worm is shaped like a hammerhead and they are not good for your garden, because they prey on earthworms. Lord says they are not harmful to humans but…
cut 15 (12) “….on humans”

For the second straight year, the governor will have to decide whether to veto a bill that prohibits transgender women and girls from competing in organized female sports. John Bel Edwards vetoed the bill last year and it’s heading to his desk again after the Senate gave final legislative approval yesterday. The bill was amended to remove the ban from intramural sports. Political Analyst Pinsonat says Edwards has said the amendment is significant.
Cut 11 (05) “…better bill.”

The Louisiana Workforce Commission reports the state has added 200-thousand jobs since April 2020, which was the height of the economic shutdown due to COVID. L-W-C Secretary Ava Cates says in the last year, the leisure and hospitality industry gained more than 16-thousand jobs…
cut 6 (05) “….back from New Orleans”
The state’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of three-point-five percent history is the lowest in recorded history which dates back to 1976.

With about a year & half until the next governor’s race in Louisiana, where are all the declared candidates? Kevin Gallagher has that…:
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

U-S Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is in Louisiana to take a tour of the G-E wind turbine blade test center at Michoud in New Orleans East. Secretary Granholm will also tour the Strategic Petroleum Reserve site at Bayou Choctaw which is located in Iberville Parish, 12 miles southwest of Baton Rouge.

Heading into their series against Vanderbilt, LSU baseball was up against the ropes. So the Tigers came out swinging and delivered a three-game knockout of the Commodores, scoring 42 runs. Dylan Crews, the newly crowned SEC Co-Player of the Year says that the Tigers understood the assignment and came through at the right time.
Cut 16 (17) “…needed to do.”
Crews, who leads the SEC in home runs, runs scored, and ranks in the top four in nearly every major offensive category, is the first Tiger to be named Player of the Year since Raph Rhymes in 2012.

ULM faces Georgia State in the Sun Belt Tournament at noon today in Montgomery, Alabama. It’s a single-elimination game with the winner advancing to the double-elimination bracket. The Warhawks took two of three from the Panthers this season and have won 10 of the last 13 meetings.

The Ragin Cajuns are the four-seed in the Sun Belt Tournament. U-L Lafayette will play South Alabama on Wednesday afternoon after taking two of three from Little Rock last weekend.

Louisiana Tech is the two seed in the Conference USA Tournament and will play Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs just two took of three from the 49ers.

Louisiana Tech forward Kenneth Lofton Junior says he’s 100-percent committed to staying in the NBA draft. The Port Arthur, Texas native participated last week at the NBA G-League Elite Camp and has received an invitation to the NBA Combine.

For the second straight year, the Louisiana Legislature has sent a bill to the governor’s desk that would ban transgender athletes from competing in girls and women’s sports. The Senate gave final legislative passage yesterday on a 32-6 vote. There are still about two weeks left in the regular session, so Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says if the governor vetoes the bill again…
cut 12 (07) “…and when”
Pinsonat says the governor could also not sign the bill and just let it become law without his approval.

Louisiana will elect a new governor in about 18 months, but there are NO officially announced candidates. Political analyst Ron Faucheux says, in years past, prospective candidates would have announced their intentions by now to maximize campaign fundraising…:
Cut 7 (07) “…than they used to.”
Potential candidates include Attorney General Jeff Landry, Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and state treasurer John Schroder, Congressman Garret Graves and Senator Bill Cassidy.

Some unwelcome visitors could be in your garden…David Grubb has the story…
Cut 3 (36) “…I’m David Grubb.”

The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act is on its way to the Governor’s desk, after the Senate voted 32-6 to concur a House amendment. The lower chamber voted for it last week. The bill which bans transgender females from competing in female sports was vetoed by Governor John Bel Edwards last year. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat on what’s next for the bill.
Cut 10 (09) “…sign it.”
The bill which bans transgender females from playing female sports in K-12 and college competitions was amended to remove the ban from intramural sports. Pinsonat says Edwards has said the amendment is significant
Cut 11 (05) “…better bill.”
But even with intramurals taken out, he says the legislation is unnecessary. But supporters of the legislation point to Lia Thomas, a biological male who won an NCAA swimming championship in female swimming.

There are two weeks left in the legislative session and Oil City Representative Danny McCormick is looking to get his bill approved that would allow non-felons over the age of 21 to conceal carry a weapon without a permit. It has passed the House and it will be heard by a Senate Committee Tuesday…
cut 20 (05) “….on the Senate”
Governor Edwards opposes the bill because he doesn’t want to see the training component go away, which is required in order to obtain a permit. But McCormick says a majority of voters would like the opportunity to conceal carry without a permit…
cut 19 (10) “…constitutional carry:

In other legislative action, the Louisiana House approves a constitutional amendment to raise the mandatory retirement age of judges from 70 to 72. It still needs Senate approval. And the House also approved a bill to ban hand held cell phone use while driving. It also needs Senate approval.

Lafayette Police are investigating a tragic shooting that claimed the life of a 16-year-old female and another juvenile has been charged with her murder. Sgt Robin Green says last night detectives found the victim and the alleged 14-year old shooter sitting inside a parked vehicle. Green says the victim suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Cut 5 (09) “…here in Lafayette.”
Green says details on a motive or the relationship between the two teens have not been released.

Two people are dead after two boats collided on the False River in Pointe Coupee Parish on Friday night. State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson says Adam Einck says 31-year-old Shea Mouton’s body was recovered Friday night and they searched most of the weekend for Kenneth St. Romain…
Cut 3 (10) “..two injuries”
Einck says a good Samaritan recovered from the water two people who received minor injuries.

Driving without a seat belt can cost you your life, or at the very least a $50 fine. David Grubb has more…
Cut 2 (34) “…I’m David Grubb.”

This weekend is the Memorial Day holiday and motorists will be paying record high prices at the pump. The statewide average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $4.24, which is up ten cents from a week ago. Gas prices are up nearly 40-cents from a month ago.