A pre-pandemic report indicates 57-percent of Louisiana’s children live in households below the ALICE threshold. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. Edy (Edie) Addison with the Capital Area United Way says often those families earn too much to qualify for assistance and they are issuing grants to help the ALICE population with accessing existing resources.

Cut 4  (09) “…needs met.”

You’ll have to stretch your food dollar a bit further as the price of eggs is also on the rise. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain…

Cut 6  (10) “…February 8.” 

He says Avian flu is to blame for the price increase.

A bill to create Education Savings Accounts, to help give parents more school choice options, clears the House Education Committee. Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

New Orleans Democrat Karen Carter Peterson has resigned from the Louisiana Senate after 23-years in the legislature. Peterson says she needs to focus all of her energy on her struggles with depression and gambling addiction. Last week, she spoke about her recovery on the Senate Floor and hopes her battles with addiction helps others.
Cut 12 (10) “…with the disease.”
But the Advocate newspaper reports Peterson’s abrupt resignation is because she’s under a federal investigation due to financial issues linked to her gambling.

A report, conducted before the pandemic, indicates 57 percent of Louisiana’s children live in households below the ALICE threshold. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. Edy (Edie) Addison with the Capital Area United Way says the study took a deep dive into who these children are.
Cut 3 (10) “….are working.”
Addison says the report is concerning because ALICE households often earn too much to qualify for public assistance like food stamps and having two working parents doesn’t guarantee financial stability.

In an effort to make the drive along the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge safer, one Senator is proposing legislation to significantly increase speeding fines. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A Lafayette Police officer is said to be fighting for his life after he was involved in a two-vehicle crash on the Basin Bridge in Iberville Parish yesterday morning. State Police Lt. Todd Alcorn was off-duty and driving a personal vehicle when he struck a bridge rail and lost control. He was also struck by an oncoming vehicle. A state police spokesperson says Alcorn was likely impaired.

New Orleans Democrat Karen Carter Peterson has resigned from the state senate after a 23-years. She’s been public about her struggles with depression and gambling addiction, but the Advocate says she’s under federal investigation. Political analyst says Clancy Dubos says Peterson was the first woman to lead the state’s Democratic Party.

Cut 13 (13) “…domestic violence.”

In Pineville, Cleco Power will make a major economic announcement at noon today. They will be joined by Governor John Bel Edwards and Senator Bill Cassidy; the utility provider will share details on an innovative technology plan for carbon capture and sequestration. Cleco serves approximately 291,000 customers in the Bayou State.

Senate President Page Cortez is proposing to up the fine for speeding on the I-10 Atchafalaya Basin Bridge to 875-dollars for first offenders. Cortez’s legislation also calls for eight sets of speed limit signs equally spaced on the basin bridge…

Cut 9 (08)  “…high fine.”
The proposal is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee.

A bill to create an Education Savings Accounts (ESA’s) to help parents with funding for school options other than public school heads to House. Louisiana School Superintendents Association executive director Michael Faulk says the state already has a school vouchers program, and this will mean less state funding for local school systems and ESA’s won’t be everything proponents promise…:

Cut 5 (08) “…for a full year.”

The second in command at State Police is on administrative leave as an internal investigation looks into why his cell phone was cleared of data as facts of the 2019 in-custody death of Ronald Greene began coming out. Kevin Gallagher has more from a special House committee looking into Greene’s death…:

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.” 

The media released footage of Greene’s arrest two years later which shows LSP officers violently beating Greene while he was handcuffed. Greene’s family was originally told he died in a car crash.

New Orleans Democrat Karen Carter Peterson has resigned from the Louisiana Senate, ending a 23-year career in the legislature. Peterson says she needs to focus all of her energy on her struggles with depression and gambling addiction. On Thursday, she spoke about her recovery on the Senate Floor and hopes her battles with addition helps others.

Cut 12 (10) “…with the disease.”

But the Advocate newspaper reports Peterson’s abrupt resignation is because she’s under a federal investigation due to financial issues linked to her gambling.

Senate President Page Cortez files legislation in an effort to reduce wrecks on the 18-mile-long Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. Cortez says he’s seen multiple 18-wheelers fail to drive in the righthand lane even though signs are posted, and other vehicles are traveling at high speeds.

Cut 8 (03)  “…do something.”
The bill will increase speeding penalties to up $2,500.

Houma Representative Tanner Magee, who chairs a special House committee investigating the 2019 State Police custody death of Ronald Greene, says it was an appropriate decision by Colonel Lamar Davis to put L-S-P’s second in command on administrative leave. Magee says Lt. Colonel Doug Cain should not be actively working if he’s under investigation for having his cell phone data cleared…:
Cut 15 (07) “…all day long.”

Senate President Page Cortez wants to increase the fines for speeding on the I-10 Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. The speed limit on the bridge is 60 miles per hour for cars and 55 for trucks. Cortez says speeders on that stretch of roadway believe they are saving time
Cut 10 (10) “…being killed.”
Cortez’s bill calls for a speeding ticket on the basin bridge to be five times the standard fine imposed. That would be $875 for first-time offenders.

A bill to create Education Savings Accounts, to help give parents more school choice options, clears the House Education Committee. Kevin Gallagher reports…:
Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

A wind advisory is in effect for most of north Louisiana today and southwest Louisiana. Strong winds have led to power outages. SWEPCO is reporting nearly three thousand outages in the Shreveport area. The biggest chance for severe weather this week is Wednesday.

The second in command at State Police, Lt. Colonel Doug Cain, is on paid administrative leave as he’s under an internal investigation into why he had his state-issued cellphone wiped clean as information into the L-S-P custody death of Ronald Greene became public. A special House committee looking into Greene’s death, tried to ask Cain about the sanitizing of the phone, but Houma Representative Tanner Magee says Cain didn’t provide answers because of the L-S-P led investigation….
cut 15 (08) “…avoid answering questions”

Senate President Page Cortez is proposing to up the fine for speeding on the I-10 Atchafalaya Basin Bridge to 875-dollars for first offenders. Cortez’s legislation also calls for eight sets of speed limit signs equally spaced on the basin bridge…
cut 9 (08) “…..high fine”
The proposal is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee.
Several school choice bills are being discussed in the Louisiana House. The legislation would give parents the option of using state dollars from an education savings account to leave a public school to attend a private school or receive special tutoring or services. CEO of the Pelican Institute Daniel Erspamer is behind the idea of public education funding following the child; not the school. He says the bill would give parents – on average – an extra $5500 a year for kids’ education choices…:
Cut 6 (13) “…to every family.”
But Louisiana School Superintendents Association executive director Michael Faulk says there are financial uncertainties with the legislation…
cut 7 (08) “….gonna do it”
The House Appropriations Committee is set to discuss school choice funding today.

New Orleans Democrat Karen Carter Peterson has resigned from the Louisiana Senate, ending a 23-year career in the legislature. Peterson says she needs to focus all of her energy on her struggles with depression and gambling addiction. On Thursday, she spoke about her recovery on the Senate Floor
Cut 11 (10) “…for a long time”
But the Advocate newspaper reports Peterson’s abrupt resignation is because she’s under a federal investigation due to financial issues linked to her gambling.

Senate President Page Cortez files legislation in an effort to reduce wrecks on the 18-mile long Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. Cortez says he’s seen multiple 18-wheelers fail to drive in the righthand lane even though signs are posted and other vehicles are traveling at high speeds.
Cut 8 (03) “…do something.”
The Lafayette Republican’s bill will increase speeding penalties to up $2,500.

The chairman of a House committee looking into the circumstances of Ronald Greene’s State Police custody death supports the decision to place L-S-P’s second in command, Lt. Colonel Doug Cain, on administrative leave. Cain is under an internal investigation for having his state-issued cell phone wiped clean of data. Houma Representative Tanner Magee says Cain could not answer any questions regarding the sanitizing of the phone because of the investigation. Magee says Cain should have been put on administrative leave as soon as the investigation started….
cut 16 (06) “…hide the ball”

A package of school choice bills has cleared the House Education Committee. Key among them, bills to create Education Savings Accounts to help parents with funding for school options other than public school. Pelican Institute CEO Daniel Erspamer says ESAs are already benefitting thousands of families around the country…:
Cut 4 (11) “…to that opportunity.”
But opponents of the legislation say it means less money for public schools.

State Police leader Colonel Lamar Davis has placed the agency’s second in command Lt. Colonel Doug Cain on administrative leave. It comes one day after a special House committee looking at the 2019 fatal arrest death of Ronald Greene grilled Davis about why Cain was still working day-to-day even though he was under investigation for having his state-issued phone cleared of data. Houma Representative Tanner Magee told Davis you can’t have a legitimate investigation into Cain’s actions if he’s in the building every day…
cut 17 (06) “…hide the ball”
Cain could not answer questions about why his phone was sanitized because of the investigation.

A State Police criminal investigator is accused of a hit-and-run in his state-issued unmarked car in St. Tammany Parish…and falsely reporting a separate hit-and-run in Orleans. 19-year veteran Lt. Chad Lacoste is facing multiple charges including Malfeasance.

Several school choice bills began moving in the Louisiana House this week. The legislation would give parents the option of using state dollars from an education savings account to get their children out of a public school and attend a private school or receive special tutoring or services. CEO of the Pelican Institute Daniel Erspamer is behind the idea of public education funding following the child; not the school. He says the bill would give parents – on average – an extra $5500 yearly for kids’ education choices…:
Cut 6 (13) “…to every family.”
But Louisiana School Superintendents Association executive director Michael Faulk says there are financial uncertainties with the legislation…
cut 7 (08) “….gonna do it”
The House Appropriations Committee is set to discuss school choice funding in their meeting on Monday.

The second in command at State Police is on administrative leave as an internal investigation looks into why his cell phone was cleared of data as facts of the 2019 in-custody death of Ronald Greene began coming out. Kevin Gallagher has more from a special House committee looking into Greene’s death…:
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson has resigned, after 23 years in the legislature. Peterson says she is stepping down to focus on her mental health and well-being. She has struggled with depression and a gambling addiction

Senate President Page Cortez files legislation in an effort to reduce wrecks on the 18-mile long Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. Cortez says he’s seen multiple 18-wheelers fail to drive in the righthand lane even though signs are posted and there are also vehicles weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds.
Cut 8 (03) “…do something.”
The Lafayette Republican’s bill will increase speeding penalties to up $2,500 for those going over the legal limit and increase speed limit signage and signs for truckers to drive only in the righthand lane.

A bill heading to the Senate floor puts Louisiana in line with other states’ name, image, and likeness laws. Louisiana approved a law last year that allowed college athletes to receive cash for endorsing products, businesses, or individuals. Marrero Senator Patrick Connick says his bill this year will allow university board members and boosters to participate…:
CUT 12(12) “…to act.”
Connick says colleges in states with expanded NIL laws find it easier to recruit big talent.

Houma Representative Tanner Magee, who chairs a special House committee investigating the 2019 State Police custody death of Ronald Greene, says it was an appropriate decision by Colonel Lamar Davis to put L-S-P’s second in command on administrative leave. Magee says Lt. Colonel Doug Cain should not be actively working if he’s under investigation for having his cell phone data cleared…:
Cut 15 (07) “…all day long.”

Former chairwoman of the Louisiana Democratic Party Karen Carter Peterson has resigned from the Louisiana Senate, ending a 23-year career in the legislature. Peterson says she needs to focus all of her energy on her struggles with depression and gambling addiction. On Thursday, she spoke about her recovery on the Senate Floor
Cut 11 (10) “…for a long time”

The Senate Education Committee approves a bill that brings Louisiana’s law for name, image and likeness deals in line with other states, that are using NILs to recruit the best players in the country.
Cut 2 (30)…I’m Michelle Southern”

Big win for the LSU baseball team last night as they scored four runs in the ninth inning to beat Mississippi State five to two. The rally started with the Tigers down by a run, with two outs and nobody on base. Tre Morgan had a go-ahead two-run single and Dylan Crews clobbered a two-run homer. La Tech and the Cajuns were also winners last night, but ULM lost to Troy.