Lawmakers begin a historic veto override session today at noon. Over the next five days, legislators will have the opportunity to override any of the 28 bills that Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed from the 2021 legislative session. Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder…
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There are two bills generating the most interest in this first-ever veto session. One would prohibit transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports, the other would do away with the requirement that a permit is needed to carry a concealed handgun. Baton Rouge Democrat Ted James says the veto session is a waste of taxpayer money…
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Matt Doyle spoke with Capitol expert Jeremy Alford of LaPolitics.com about what to expect in this historic veto override session…
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Nearly eleven months after southwest Louisiana was struck by Hurricane Laura, still no disaster aid funding from Congress Brooke Thorington has more.

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 A new report finds the state has seen a 15-percent decline in construction jobs since the pandemic started. Jeff Palermo has more…

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The Veto Override session begins tomorrow and there are 28 vetoes that could be potentially overturned. Including the constitutional carry bill, which would allow non felons to conceal a gun without a permit.  Matt Herriman with the NRA believes this bill has a good shot at being overturned.

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The bill is Senate Bill 118 by West Monroe Senator Jay Morris. It will take a two-thirds majority vote, 70 in the House and 26 in the Senate to overturn the governor’s veto of the legislation.

Opponents of the legislation say it could lead to an increase in gun violence and Governor John Bel Edwards believes the training needed to obtain the permit is important. But Herriman says other states that have passed Constitutional carry legislation have not seen an increase in any particular crimes.

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The bill passed the Senate on a 27-9 vote during the regular session, while the House approved the legislation on a 73-28 margin. So supporters of the legislation can’t lose too many votes in order to override the veto. Herriman believes the support is still there for this legislation.

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Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter voiced his frustration and made pleas for help on “Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster” this morning. Hunter says it’s been nearly eleven months since Hurricane Laura demolished parts of the city, but the federal government has yet to approve a federal disaster aid bill.

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Hunter says he’s trying to hold his emotions in check but it’s difficult when the city he represents continues to be ignored. Hunter also reminded listeners the southwest Louisiana city has not only endured two major hurricanes without federal assistance but in less than a year also a major winter storm…

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Hunter says federal aid was issued 10 days after Katrina, 34 days for Hurricane Andrew, and 98 days for Super Storm Sandy, but it’s been 320 days since Hurricane Laura.

After a year of unprecedented pandemic relief funding from the Federal government, Hunter says there is no excuse for the federal government not to help those who lost homes and do not have flood insurance…

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Hunter says the city also needs to demolish as many as 1,000 uninhabitable homes but they don’t have the funds to do so. Due to the lack of assistance, Hunter stated they are about to launch a campaign to remind lawmakers and citizens of their ongoing unaddressed needs.

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A new report shows 21-thousand fewer construction jobs in Louisiana compared to February 2020. The 15-percent loss is the second-highest in the country. Louisiana Associated General Contractors C-E-O Ken Naquin says the pandemic slowed down the chemical industry and the oil and gas industry is reeling from the President’s executive order that prohibits new oil and gas exploration

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Naquin says there are plenty of construction projects that can be completed, but supply chain challenges are impacting firms’ ability to hire new workers…

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Naquin is glad that the Legislature made plans this year to dedicate more state dollars for road, bridge, and drainage construction, but the construction industry is a long way from full recovery…

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38 people have lost their lives due to home fires this year in Louisiana, four more than at this same time last year. Most of these home fires appear to be related to cooking, smoking, or electrical issues.

State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says when it comes to cooking-related fires they’re finding most of those incidents come from people who are either impaired, tired, or distracted…

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Rodrigue says smoking really needs to be done outdoors and not inside of a home, and when you smoke outside make sure you safely discard whatever is left…

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Rodrigue says many of the electrical fires have been linked to people overloading outlets by connecting extension cables to each other…

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Rodrigue says the number one most common factor all of these fatal home fires shared was the lack of a functioning smoke detector.

A historic veto override session begins tomorrow, as lawmakers have until the end of Saturday to override any of the governor’s 28 vetoes from the last legislative session…
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Hundreds of people spent this past weekend saying goodbye to a legendary figure in Louisiana’s history. Former four-term Governor Edwin Edwards was laid to rest yesterday in Baton Rouge after a public viewing at the state capitol on Saturday.

Health officials say the latest surge in COVID cases has undone over four months of progress the state made in the fight against coronavirus. LSU Health New Orleans Professor of Clinical Medicine Dr. Catherine O’Neal says the Delta variant is a “different beast” than the coronavirus strain that plagued the nation last year…
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She also warns pregnant women could be at higher risk of complications resulting from a Delta infection.

Louisiana Republican U-S Senator Bill Cassidy says the state needs to get its vaccination rates up to fully beat the pandemic. He says vaccines are like seatbelts, you want to have them before the accident happens…
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Based on data provided by the Louisiana Health Department, 36-percent of Louisiana’s population is fully vaccinated against COVID, one of the lowest percentages in the country.

New Orleans Police have charged a 35-year-old mother with second-degree murder for the fatal stabbing of her infant son. Cops found the woman with a blood-covered railroad spike. She’s been identified as Angelyc Seely and investigators believe she’s a homeless woman believed to be from Detroit. She also had self-inflicted wounds.

LSU Health New Orleans Professor of Clinical Medicine Dr. Catherine O’Neal gives a grim warning for unvaccinated individuals as the Delta variant rages…
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The Louisiana Legislature is heading into its first-ever override veto session tomorrow as lawmakers will have the opportunity to override any of the 28 bills that Governor Edwards vetoed from the 2021 legislative session. When asked if he believes a veto session will inhibit him from enacting his policies going forward, Edwards says no.
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Analysts say the biggest driver for the veto session is a bill that would prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. It will take a two-thirds vote in each chamber to override the governor’s veto.

The college football talking season begins as SEC Media Days get underway in Birmingham, Alabama. LSU Coach Ed Orgeron is one of three coaches who will speak today. 24-7 sports college football writer Brandon Marcello says the Tigers could contend for an SEC title this year after a 5-and-5 campaign in 2020
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State lawmakers will begin a historic veto session tomorrow. The legislature could override as many as 28 Republican-sponsored bills that Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed…
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Two high-profile bills that the governor vetoed are a measure that would do away with the requirement for a permit to conceal carry a gun and legislation banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. Insiders say it was the veto of the latter that inspired a majority of lawmakers to return for an override session.

House Republican Caucus Chairman Blake Miguez says the first veto session since the new state constitution was adopted in 1974, demonstrates a proper balance of government powers.
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Based on data provided by the Louisiana Health Department, 36-percent of Louisiana’s population is fully vaccinated against COVID, one of the lowest percentages in the country. One-point-six million Louisiana residents have completed the vaccine series. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says 21-hundred people who were vaccinated still got COVID-19 and 125 had to be hospitalized…
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Kanter says the median age of serious breakthrough cases is 72.

Today is the unofficial start of the college football season as SEC Media Days begins. LSU beat reporter for the USA Today Network, Glen Guilbeau says despite last year’s mediocre campaign and questions about Ed Orgeron’s job security, many media members expect LSU to have a good season…
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Coach Ed Orgeron is set to speak today at 1:40 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Former Governor Edwin Edwards was laid to rest yesterday in Baton Rouge after a private funeral service at the Old State Capitol. The public and media were not allowed to attend. It was a week ago today that Edwards died from respiratory issues at the age of 93.

A historic veto override session begins tomorrow, and up to 28 pieces of legislation could be overridden. Brooke Thorington has more.
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The Louisiana health department continues its push to get more individuals from 12-years-old and up vaccinated. L-D-H says COVID-19 vaccines are widely available at 14-hundred locations. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says nursing homes show the vaccines work against the virus. Kanter says 85-percent of nursing home residents across the state have initiated or completed the vaccine series
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SEC Football Media Days begin today in Birmingham, Alabama, and LSU Coach Ed Orgeron is set to speak at 1:40 PM. Glen Guilbeau of the USA Today Network says this is a critical season for Coach O…
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CBS Sports has put Orgeron on a list of coaches who are on the hot seat.