The Louisiana House approves legislation that would give medical marijuana users the ability to use the smokeable form instead of taking it by a pill, liquid, or inhaler. The vote was 73-26 in favor. Several conservative members of the House voted against it. Houma Representative Tanner Magee was asked if law enforcement opposed the measure…
Cut 11 (11) “….none”
The measure heads to the Senate for more discussion.

In an interview on the podcast Only In Louisiana, Trina Edwards, the wife of Edwin Edwards says the 93-year old former four term-governor is now confined to a wheelchair. She says the daily obstacles that wheelchair users face have been an eye-opening experience.
Cut 7 (11) “…that yet.”

With the number of visitors expected to increase, restaurants, hotels, and tourist destinations are looking for employees. Erik Picolli has more on a big job fair tomorrow in New Orleans.
Cut 1 (31) “…convention center.”

A man wanted for killing two people in Baker then taking his infant child was killed during a shootout with Mississippi authorities. Biloxi Police say they are not sure if Eric Smith shot himself or was shot by police. His four-month-old child was not injured. The two people he allegedly fatally shot in East Baton Rouge Parish have been identified as 32-year-old Christin Parker and 26-year-old Brandon Parker. They are Smith’s ex-girlfriend and her nephew.

There’s the threat of severe weather today for most of Louisiana. The Climate Prediction Center says there’s an enhanced risk for northeast Louisiana, central Louisiana and a portion of southeast Louisiana north of I-12. The severe storms will begin rolling in this afternoon.

The wife of 93-year old former Governor Edwin Edwards shares with the podcast Only in Louisiana that the silver fox is now confined to a wheelchair. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

SafeSource Direct, a company that produces personal protective equipment, is building two manufacturing facilities, one in Lafayette Parish and the other in St. Martin Parish. Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson says last year there was a shortage of PPE and Louisiana will play a key role in preventing the U-S from facing a shortage again…
cut 15 (10) “…as well”
The Acadiana region projects are expected to produce 12-hundred new direct jobs.

New Orleans and Company, the marketing agency for the city of New Orleans is holding a big job fair tomorrow at the Morial Convention Center. New Orleans and Compnay spokesperson Kelly Schulz says visitors are coming back, and hotels, restaurants and tourist locations need workers….
ctu 6 (10) “…very rewarding”

House Criminal Justice is scheduled to hear a bill tomorrow that seeks to decriminalize prostitution in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (36) …I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The House Appropriations Committee approved a 36-billion dollar spending plan for next fiscal year. The measure contains an eight-hundred dollar raise for school teachers, four-hundred dollars for school support staff. The budget bill will be discussed by the full House on Thursday.

An audit from the Legislative Auditor’s Office finds that six-point-two million dollars in unemployment benefits mistakenly went to nearly 12-hundred prisoners. Data Analytics Manager for the state auditor, Chris Magee, says the Louisiana Workforce Commission plans on trying to recoup the money, and in most of the cases they’ve identified, incarcerated individuals received multiple unemployment checks…
cut 11 (10) “…those individuals”

The Louisiana transportation department says they’ve completed hurricane debris that was left on the side of state roadways from a historic season. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says they collected over three million cubic yards of debris…
cut 7 (12) “…professional fashion”

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office has uncovered that the state workforce commission paid out six-point-two million dollars in state and federal unemployment insurance benefits to nearly 12-hundred prisoners last year. Data Analytics Manager for the state auditor, Chris Magee says L-W-C has told them the problem is with a vendor that multiple states use to track incarceration data…
cut 10 (09) “…COVID pandemic”
Magee says LWC plans on trying to recoup the unemployment benefits that went to prisoners.

The Louisiana transportation department says they’ve completed hurricane debris that was left on the side of state roadways from a historic season. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says they collected over three million cubic yards of debris…
cut 7 (12) “…professional fashion”

A survey shows that more than 60-percent of tourists say they are more likely to visit a place if they’ve already seen it on the silver or small screen. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

The White House says President Joe Biden will visit Lake Charles and New Orleans on Thursday as part of his Getting America Back on Track Tour. The President is expected to discuss his American Jobs Plan which would spend a couple of trillion dollars on improving the country’s infrastructure.

A new survey finds more than 60-percent of tourists say they are more likely to visit a place if they saw it on the silver or small screen. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

The Senate Finance Committee meets at 9:30 today and on the agenda is a bill that calls for a referendum election in St. Tammany Parish to determine if voters want a proposed 250-million dollar casino resort in Slidell. Advocate Reporter and author of Bad Bet on the Bayou, The Rise in Gambling and the Fall of Edwin Edwards, Tyler Bridges, expect an interesting hearing…
cut 6 (07) “….turn out”
Bridges says religious groups are lobbying hard against this legislation.

The Food and Drug Administration has announced plans they plan on banning menthol in cigarettes. Anti-smoking advocates applaud the move. Associate Director for Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living Shawna Shields says the use of menthol in cigarettes gives the tobacco a more appealing taste…
Cut 15 (06)“…smokers.”
For free counseling to quit smoking visit QuitWithUsLA.org

The UNO Survey Research Center finds registered voters are divided on whether returning college students should be required to receive covid vaccines. Director Ed Chervenak says respondents are just as likely to say yes as to say no.
Cut 7 (08) “…in person”
46-percent of the nearly 700 respondents said yes, another 46-percent said no.

Will the Senate Finance Committee say yes or no to a bill that would allow St. Tammany Parish voters to decide if they want a 250-million dollar casino in Slidell. Advocate Reporter Tyler Bridges says the measure passed out of one committee when Norco Senator Gary Smith made the tie-breaking vote…
cut 4 (09) “….in Slidell”
The Senate Finance committee is scheduled to hear the bill at 9:30 today.

The FDA says it’s working to ban the sale of menthol-flavored cigarettes, which make up a third of the cigarette market and are disproportionately used by Black Americans. Associate Director for Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living Shawa Shiles says in Black communities, the makers of menthol promote discounts to entice users…
cut 14 (10) “…communities”
The use of menthol in cigarettes gives the tobacco a more appealing taste.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says a new study finds that about half of the state’s recent visitors were motivated to come to Louisiana after watching a film or TV show that featured the Bayou State. Nungesser says as more people begin to travel again and states compete for visitors, he says luring movie productions to the state is just another way to promote tourism
Cut 12 (12) “…stay open.”

The legislative effort to bring a riverboat casino to Slidell is scheduled for a key vote today. Taylor Sharp has the story.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Taylor Sharp.”

The United Cajun Navy has suspended its search efforts for the seven remaining missing Seacor crewmen. In a Facebook Post, the volunteer group says it has been a long and exhausting search effort and they did their part to assist. The NTSB is investigating the capsizing of the Secor Power and an initial report is expected later this month.

The FDA’s decision to ban menthol cigarettes has garnered praise among public health advocates. Associate Director for Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living Shawna Shields says its a huge step in ending the marketing of highly addictive cigarette additives towards the Black community.
Cut 13 (08) “…Big Tobacco.”
Shields says tobacco companies tend to place more cigarette and cigar retailers in heavily populated Black communities.

The UNO Survey Research Center finds that 46-percent of the respondents support the idea of requiring college students to be vaccinated when they return to school next fall and 46-percent say it should not be a requirement. UNO’s S-R-C Director Doctor Ed Chervenak says nearly 60-percent of blacks believe college students should be required to get the COVID vaccine…
cut 9 (07) “….less so”