Forecasters say an above average hurricane season is on tap for 2018. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (29) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Baton Rouge Representative Steve Carter has filed a bill on behalf of the governor’s office that’s designed to prevent hazing on college campuses. Students will be required to attend an orientation class telling students what the consequences of hazing are, then they would be required to report they attended the class…

(CUT 4) (09) “serious business.”

A bill that expands illnesses that medical marijuana can be prescribed for has cleared a House Committee. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James bill adds Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Muscle Spasms, and intractable pain to diagnoses that physicians will be able to prescribe medical marijuana for when it becomes available in Louisiana. James says this legislation will help many…

Cut 9 (08) “save lives.”

The vote for the legislation was 8-4 and now heads to the House Floor.

A constitutional amendment requiring unanimous jury verdicts for felony convictions passed the Senate by 2 votes after impassioned arguments from supporters. Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor says requiring unanimous verdicts protects citizens from government overreach.

Cut 10 (12) “your peers”

Currently only 10 of 12 jurists are needed for many criminal convictions in Louisiana.

New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno’s bill to allow surveillance cameras inside nursing home patient rooms passed unanimously in the House. Moreno says her legislation will not only give residents and their family peace of mind, but it will protect employees also…

Cut 13 (09)  ” of accident.”

A new report from LSU Health will let you compare your local area’s rate of cancer to the state average. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

Colorado State University hurricane researchers are predicting a slightly above average hurricane season. 14 named storms are expected with seven to become hurricanes and three of those are expected to be at least category three storms. The hurricane season runs from June to the end of October.

A constitutional amendment requiring a unanimous jury verdict in felony cases is approved by the Senate and is now heading to the House. Jeff Palermo.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Monroe State Representative Marcus Hunter has filed legislation that would allow a riverboat casino to relocate on the Ouachita River in Ouachita Parish. There have never been casinos in Monroe during the modern gaming period. Hunter says it is not known which, if any, of the 15 licensed riverboat casinos would relocate to northeast Louisiana. He’s leaving that up to the gaming operators and others in the chain of command…

Cut 5  (07)  “best idea.”

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LSU Health New Orleans has released a first of its kind report that allows Louisiana residents to see if people in their local area are more or less prone to cancer.

But those living in the dreaded “Cancer Alley”, the area stretching from West Baton Rouge to St. Charles Parish, have some good news. Louisiana Tumor Registry Liason Lauren Maniscalco says while there are some smaller problem areas, the Parishes in the state’s industrial belt aren’t particularly any worse off than other areas.

Cut 9 (05)  “these parishes”

New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno’s bill to allow surveillance cameras inside nursing home patient rooms passed unanimously in the HouseThe measure heads to the Senate for more discussion. Moreno says if the nursing home patient has a roommate, both individuals have to sign waivers and then the system can be installed…

Cut 15 (13) “nursing home.”

A new report from LSU Health will let you compare your local area’s rate of cancer to the state average. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

Monroe State Representative Marcus Hunter has filed legislation that would allow a riverboat casino to relocate on the Ouachita River in Ouachita Parish. There are currently no casinos in Monroe. Hunter says this bill will allow voters to make the decision if they want casinos in the November election…

Cut 4  (07) “conversation started.” 

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A constitutional amendment requiring unanimous jury verdicts for felony convictions passed the Senate by 2 votes after impassioned arguments from supporters.

Currently only 10 of 12 jurors are needed for many criminal convictions in Louisiana, one of only two states that don’t require unanimous verdicts.

New Orleans Senator JP Morrell, the bill’s sponsor, says unanimous verdicts were a foundational part of the American justice system.

Cut 11 (08) “unanimous juries”

New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno’s bill to allow surveillance cameras inside nursing home patient rooms passed unanimously in the House. Moreno says her legislation will not only give residents and their family peace of mind.

The patient’s family would be responsible for cost of installing the video camera. Moreno says if a surveillance system is installed, there will not be any liability toward the nursing home…

Cut 14 (11) “install this.”

Monroe State Representative Marcus Hunter has filed legislation that could open the door for a riverboat casino in Ouachita Parish. Kelley Ray has more.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

LSU Health New Orleans has released a first of its kind report that allows Louisiana residents to see if people in their local area are more or less prone to cancer. Louisiana Tumor Registry broke the state up into 1,148 sectors, and compared their rate of cancer to the state average. LTR Liason Lauren Maniscalco says it’s a great resource in the fight against cancer.

Cut 7 (08)  “the state”

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A constitutional amendment requiring unanimous jury verdicts for felony convictions passed the Senate by 2 votes after impassioned arguments from supporters. Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor says requiring unanimous verdicts protects citizens from government overreach.

Cut 10 (12) “your peers”

New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno’s bill to allow surveillance cameras inside nursing home patient rooms passed unanimously in the House. Moreno says her legislation will not only give residents and their family peace of mind, but it will protect employees also…

Cut 13 (09)  ” of accident.”

Pig guts

Monroe State Representative Marcus Hunter has filed legislation that could open the door for a riverboat casino in Ouachita Parish. Kelley Ray has more.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

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A new report from LSU Health will let you compare your local area’s rate of cancer to the state average. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

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A constitutional amendment requiring a unanimous jury verdict in felony cases is approved by the Senate and is now heading to the House. Jeff Palermo.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Monroe State Representative Marcus Hunter has filed legislation that would allow a riverboat casino to relocate on the Ouachita River in Ouachita Parish. There are currently no casinos in Monroe. Hunter says this bill will allow voters to make the decision if they want casinos in the November election…

Cut 4  (07) “conversation started.” 

Hunter says it is not known which of the 15 licensed riverboat casinos would relocate to northeast Louisiana. He’s leaving that up to the gaming operators and others in the chain of command…

Cut 5  (07)  “best idea.”

Hunter says some of the business community see this possibility as a way to grow tourism in Monroe. However, he wants to make sure that all his constituents are involved in the process and to vote the way they feel…

Cut 6 (11) “the case.”

Hunter expects his bill to be before a committee sometime later this week.

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LSU Health New Orleans has released a first of its kind report that allows Louisiana residents to see if people in their local area are more or less prone to cancer. Louisiana Tumor Registry broke the state up into 1,148 sectors, and compared their rate of cancer to the state average. LTR Liason Lauren Maniscalco says it’s a great resource in the fight against cancer.

Cut 7 (08)  “the state”

After digging into the numbers, Maniscalco says they found one concerning statistic.

Cut 8 (10)  “the state.”

Wana know if your home is in one of those problem areas? Check out the full map and report by googling Louisiana Tumor Registry 2018.

But those living in the dreaded “Cancer Alley”, the area stretching from West Baton Rouge to St. Charles Parish, have some good news. Maniscalco says while there are some smaller problem areas, the Parishes in the state’s industrial belt aren’t particularly any worse off than other areas.

Cut 9 (05)  “these parishes”

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A constitutional amendment requiring unanimous jury verdicts for felony convictions passed the Senate by 2 votes after impassioned arguments from supporters. Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor says requiring unanimous verdicts protects citizens from government overreach.

Cut 10 (12) “your peers”

Currently only 10 of 12 jurists are needed for many criminal convictions in Louisiana, one of only two states that don’t require unanimous verdicts.

New Orleans Senator JP Morrell, the bill’s sponsor, says unanimous verdicts were a foundational part of the American justice system.

Cut 11 (08) “unanimous juries”

Non-unanimous jury verdicts were first enshrined in law in Louisiana during the post reconstruction era. Morrell says it’s a relic of the state’s racist past.

Cut 12 (11) “their peers”

The House Criminal Justice committee shot down a proposal to allow certain teachers or school staff to carry weapons in school. Chalmette Representative Raymond Garofalo says his bill would only allow teachers to possess a gun after extensive training. He says gun free signs on campuses are invitations to kill.

Cut 9 (08) “like sheep.”

Shreveport representative Barbara Norton argues that she would be more concerned for her grand-daughters life, if the bill passes and teachers are allowed to carry guns to schools.

Cut 10 (11) “wild west.”

A bill to allow concealed handgun permit holders to carry guns on college campuses also failed to get out of committee today.

Monroe State Representative Marcus Hunter has filed legislation that would allow a riverboat casino to relocate on the Ouachita River in Ouachita Parish. There are currently no casinos in Monroe. Hunter says this bill will allow voters to make the decision if they want casinos in the November election…

Cut 4  (07) “conversation started.” 

A constitutional amendment requiring a unanimous jury verdict in felony cases is approved by the Senate and is now heading to the House. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The house committee on criminal justice is locked in a battle over allowing teachers or school staff to carry weapons. Chalmette representative Raymond Garofalo who authored the bill says he’s not requiring teachers to carry weapons, only to carry them after extensive training. He says gun free signs on campuses are invitations to kill.

Cut 9 (08) “like sheep.”

Opponets argued they would be more concerned for their children’s life if the bill passes and teachers are allowed to carry guns to schools.

A fire in Bastrop claimed the lives of two children this morning. The two boys, seven and eight years old, died after a fire broke out that went undetected, but parents were able to able escape. Fire marshal Butch Browning says the parents barely made it out alive.

Cut 13, 11 seconds, those boys

One of the parents sustained injuries trying to reenter the house.

24-year-old Zachary Brooks of Slidell has been arrested in connection with the drowning death of his four-year-old son Timothy Brooks. Police responded to a call on March 5^th from the father, who found the boy non-responsive in his pool. Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal says he believes that drug use played a big part in the negligence that led to Timothy’s death.

Cut 7 (07)  “child’s death”

The House Governmental Affairs committee approved a bill to make it easier to recall an elected official. Covington Representative Paul Hollis’ measure would lower the required the number of signatures from voters in larger cities and parishes to trigger a special election. Hollis says it’s nearly impossible to recall an elected official in large cities and parishes…

Cut 4 (08) “it done.”

The bill now moves to the House Floor.

The personal-finance website Wallethub names Louisiana as the most stressed state in the nation. Spokesperson Jill Gonzales says they looked at a variety of factors and Louisiana has among the highest work and money related stresses than any other state…

Gonzales say many in Louisiana swim in credit card debt and pay high interest rates.

There isn’t one item that is directly leading to such a low score for Louisiana. Gonzales says Louisiana is also considered the most stressed out state, because its high percentage of population living below the poverty line, its divorce rate, crime rate and fewest number of psychologists per capita…

Cut 6 (08) “are not.”

She adds that many Louisianans don’t get enough sleep either, which adds to the low rating for health and safety related stress. Other states with some very high stress levels include New Mexico, West Virginia, Mississippi and Nevada.

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A House committee will hear a bill today by Baton Rouge Representative Rick Edmonds that would require the state to provide adoption information to women considering abortion. Louisiana Right to Life Executive Director Ben Clapper says women seeking to terminate their pregnancy at abortion clinics would receive this information.

He says says many pregnant women are not aware of the options and support available to those who chose adoption.

Cut 11 (09) “the family”

A Governing Magazine Report says Louisianan’s saw a 2.9 percent increase in per capita income last year. The report says the big parts of that gain were the state’s 8.3% increase in benefits received due to the Medicaid expansion, and 2.7 percent increase in property earnigns. Louisiana Department of Labor Executive Director Ava (Day-wah) Dejoie the Incumbent Worker Program for the boost in wages and employment levels that helped the state post a strong showing last year.

Cut 15 (09) “new employees.”

A bill will be heard today that would require abortion clinics to provide information about adoption options. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

The personal-finance website Wallethub names Louisiana as the most stressed state in the nation. Spokesperson Jill Gonzales says they looked at a variety of factors and Louisiana has among the highest work and money related stresses.

Gonzales say many in Louisiana swim in credit card debt and pay high interest rates.

She says Louisiana is the third most stressed state when it comes to below average credit scores…

Cut 5  (11)  “pretty low.”

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The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Louisiana kicked off it’s Smoke Free Louisiana Campaign, as Opelousas Representative Dustin Miller filed legislation to ban smoking in bars and casinos statewide. A smoking ban for restaurants has been in effect since 2007. Spokesperson Raegan Carter says Miller’s bill would amend the current law…

Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death nationwide as an estimated 480,000 die nationwide each year from either smoking or breathing second-hand smoke. Carter says a person working in a bar and casino should not have to  jeopardize their livelihood.

Cut 8 (08)  “their paycheck.”

Several cities have passed local ordinances that prohibit smoking in bars and casinos in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Monroe, New Orleans and in Ouachita Parish. Louisiana would become the 18^th state to implement a statewide smoking ban in bars and gaming facilities.