President of Louisiana Trans Advocates Dylan Waguespack says while the community is celebrating now he fully expects the Legislature will once again attempt to ban transgender athletes from girls and women’s sports next year. Waguespack says they expect bill author Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell to present the bill again in the next session.

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The bill had 68 votes in the House, just two shy of the two thirds needed to overturn the Governor’s veto. Governor Edwards wasn’t shy about celebrating his win, saying Republicans who complained about him pressuring lawmakers into supporting his veto are being hypocritical…

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Edwards says he was light on threats but not light on promises.

The Rolling Stones have been added to this year’s already stacked Jazz Fest lineup. Kevin Barnhart has more…

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The majority of the state is now in the red zone for COVID community spread as the highly contagious Delta variant fuels a 4^th wave of the pandemic locally. COVID-related hospitalizations are up over 900 now and the graph showing the rate of hospitalizations seems to be sharper than at any time other than the first month of the pandemic. 28-hundred new cases were reported today as well.  

The House failed to override vetoed legislation banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports on Wednesday. Brooke Thorington has more from an advocate for the transgender community.

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The Delta-fueled COVID surge continues to get worse with the state reporting another 28-hundred positive cases coming in along with another sharp rise in COVID related hospitalizations, now over 900. 

The Joint Budget Committee has approved a new naming rights deal for the Superdome. Caesars’ naming rights deal is for 20-years and worth an estimated 138-million dollars according to reports. Evans Holmes for ASM Global, which manages the Dome, says those dollars replace the need for a subsidy from the state….

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The Saints say all of the money from the naming rights deal will go towards renovations of the state-owned building.

The Rolling Stones are heading into New Orleans for Jazz Fest, playing a special Wednesday edition of the iconic festival on October 13^th. Festival producer Quint Davis says adding the Stones to this year’s already stacked lineup just elevates the festival to a whole other level nationally and internationally.

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President of Louisiana Trans Advocates Dylan Waguespack says the transgender community is celebrating the defeat of the transgender athlete ban, but is aware that this is a conflict that likely will not be going away. Waguespack says they expect bill author Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell to present the bill again in the next session.

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The override failed by just two votes in the House and Governor Edwards was not shy about all the work that went into making sure that happened.

Edwards was asked about complaints from conservative activists that he unfairly pressured lawmakers into supporting his veto…

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Edwards says he was light on threats but not light on promises.

The Rolling Stones have been added to this year’s already stacked Jazz Fest lineup. Kevin Barnhart has more…

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The state’s 4^th surge continues in full swing with Louisiana reporting 2,843 new COVID cases and now 913 COVID-related hospitalizations.

The House comes two votes shy of overriding Governor Edwards’ veto of legislation barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports. This comes a day after the Senate kicked off the override session by approving an override by just one vote. Opponents of the bill called it discriminatory and a solution in search of a problem, but supporters like Metairie Representative Laurie Schlegel disagreed…

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That basically wraps up the historic veto override session, lawmakers won’t be returning tomorrow to try again.

Six Louisianans have been arrested by the Attorney General’s Office for allegedly defrauding California out of a million dollars in unemployment benefits. Louisiana Bureau of Investigations Special Agent Ernest Green explains why they chose the Golden State…

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The state saw another dramatic increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations today as the Delta variant fueled surge rips across the state. 65 more COVID patients have been admitted to hospitals putting the total number of hospitalizations at 844 while nearly 5,400 new cases were reported today. 

UL Lafayette is hoping to head off any campus impacts from this surge with a new incentive program…

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The state saw another dramatic increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations today as the Delta variant fueled surge rips across the state. 65 more COVID patients have been admitted to hospitals putting the total number of hospitalizations at 844 while nearly 5,400 new cases were reported today. It’s the third highest single day report in new cases and our hospitalization numbers are now back to where they were in February.

That has many concerned about the start of the fall semester at higher education institutions. UL-Lafayette is one of those programs hoping to combat the increase with their  ‘Don’t Wait. Vaccine!” incentive program. Dean of Students Dr. Margarita Perez says they will hold a drawing and give away 10 prizes to fully vaccinated students.

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Prizes include iPhone, MacBook Airs, and free campus parking.

The Louisiana Office of Tourism is asking you for sites submissions known for their unique birding and outdoor recreation as a part of the redesigned Louisiana Birding Trails project. Erik Piccoli has the story…

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The Louisiana State House is set to gavel in at 1 PM today for the second day of this historic veto override session. They’re set to take up an override of the Governor’s veto of legislation banning transgender atheltes from girls and women’s K-12 and higher ed sports teams. 

The Senate votes to override Governor Edwards’ veto of legislation banning transgender athletes from playing on girls’ sports teams, sending the effort to the House where another two-thirds vote will be needed to complete the override. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell told lawmakers her legislation is popular…

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But Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau says current Louisiana High School Athletic Association rules all but prohibit transgender athletes already…

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The Senate also rejected a push to override Governor Edwards’ veto of legislation that would allow Louisianans to carry a concealed handgun without a permit or training. The failed override saw four Senators back away from their support in the regular session, putting it three votes shy of the two-thirds needed.

Parts of western St. Tammany Parish got inundated this morning leading to some home and street flooding. Slidell National Weather Service Meteorologist Chris Bannan says the area was already soaked with rain over the past few weeks, and when a land breeze blew through…

Cut 3 (12) “…10 inches.” 

Bannan says the area will experience widespread showers today, Wednesday, and possibly into Thursday.

There will be no COVID-related game rescheduling in the SEC this year according to Commissioner Greg Sankey. Sankey says if a team does not have enough players to play as a result of COVID, they may have to forfeit that game

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The Advocate reports more than 90-percent of the LSU football team is vaccinated, one of the highest rates in the SEC.

The veto override of legislation banning transgender athletes from playing on girls’ and women’s K-12 and higher ed sports teams clears the first hurdle, passing the Senate with one vote to spare. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell wrote the bill…

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The vote was strictly party line with all Democrats voting against. New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson says 400 major businesses put out a statement calling bills like this discriminatory…

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Afterward, the Senate rejected a veto override of legislation that would have removed the need to have a permit to concealed carry a firearm. That effort appears to be completely dead for the session as a result.

St. Tammany Parish Government is asking residents in parts of Mandeville to stay off the road until floodwaters recede after up to ten inches of rain fell on parts of the area through the morning. St. Tammany Parish Public Information Director Michael Vinsanau says a number of homes flooded, but some of those floods were preventable…

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Rain is expected to continue in western St. Tammany through the evening.

Last week LSU Health New Orleans Professor of Clinical Medicine, Doctor Catherine O’Neal said if you choose not to get vaccinated you are choosing death due to the danger the Delta variant poses. Senator Bill Cassidy didn’t disagree…

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Today the state reported the 500,000^th confirmed positive COVID-19 test since the start of the pandemic last March.