Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed bills known as Education Savings Accounts, where certain students could receive state funding in order to attend a private school. But Edwards is concerned the legislation really doesn’t work, they do not provide an educational savings for parents. But Daniel Erspamer with the Pelican Institute disagrees…
cut 11 (14) “…all over the country

Due to gas prices impacting summer travel, Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says they’ve made a few marketing tweaks for tourism and so far, they appear to be working. He says they’ve scraped their One Tank Get Around Louisiana campaign and changed it to a half-tank of gas.
Cut 7 (07) “…tank of gas.”
And they’ve also been running promotions a bit closer to home in neighboring states.

Though the temperatures may have indicated otherwise, today is the first official day of summer. State climatologist Barry Keim says get used to the sweltering temperatures because they aren’t going anywhere.
Cut 4 (10) “…this past week.”
Keim says this month could be an all-timer when it comes to daily and monthly temperature readings.

The 2025 New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee has released a Request for Qualifications, or RFQ, for local graphic designers and firms to help create the logo and visual brand identity for Super Bowl 59. Here’s Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation CEO Jay Cicero…
Cut 13 (12) “…for this RFQ.”
For more information visit g-n-o-sports-dot-com.

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed bills to create so-called Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). The bills would allow students who have special educational needs or are behind on reading skills to receive 54-hundred dollars in annual state aid to attend a private school or another education option. Daniel Erspamer (ER-spay-mer), with the Pelican Institute for Public Policy calls the vetoes a disappointment…:
Cut 10 (13) “…be serving them.”
In his statement on the vetoes, Edwards says the bills do not establish any accounts for parental savings. And the governor says the bills take state funding away from public schools, despite the authors’ good intentions.

The governor also vetoed a bill that would create the crime of discrimination based on vaccination status. The bill attempted to prevent any effort to keep the unvaccinated out of govenrment offices or schools.

Highs today will be in mid to upper 90s on this first official day of summer…
cut 1 (35) “…I’m David Grubb”

The statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $4.51. These record high gas prices have altered summer vacation plans for some. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the Staycation promotion t hat worked so well during the pandemic…
cut 8 (07) “….with that”

The special legislative session to pass a court-ordered congressional map with two Black majority districts failed to pass and now lawmakers await feedback from the judicial system. Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields says despite his efforts with a map that had two Black districts, in the end, the legislature simply had no desire to pass a new map.

Cut 3 (10) “…districts.”

Chair of Senate Governmental Affairs, Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt says the legislature did make a concerted effort, but in the end, she says the votes weren’t there.

Cut 4  (10) “…to support.”

Judge Shelly Dick set a court date of June 29^th for attorneys to present congressional maps for her consideration while the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals has a July 8^th court date set.

After recent incidents at the Bridge City Center for Youth and the Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe, Governor John Bel Edwards has directed the Louisiana State Police and The Department of Corrections to provide personnel to those facilities to help with staffing shortages. Office of Juvenile Justice spokesperson Nicolette Gordon says the staff shortages extend to service providers needed on-hand to help in the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders and that both are required for these facilities to fulfill their roles…:

Cut 8 (08) “…things in order.” 

OJJ was provided with $5 million for enhancements during the 2022 Regular Legislative Session that can be accessed immediately.

State Police say two teenage girls died Sunday in Ascension Parish, when the car they were in went off the roadway, struck a tree then crashed into a pond. Both girls were just 16. Troopers say they are unaware if seats played a role in the incident. The crash remains under investigation.

Despite a court order to submit a congressional map with two minority districts the legislature failed to deliver. Brooke Thorington has more…:

Cut 01  (42)      “…Brooke Thorington.”

The statewide average price of regular gas is now at $4.51; down a penny from last week…but still about 28-cents higher than one month ago. Gas cost $2.72 one year ago today.

A member of the House committee that handled redistricting proposals says the map lawmakers passed back in February does not comply with the Voting Rights Act. New Orleans Representative Royce Duplessis told the Baton Rouge Press Club that because one-sixth of the state’s population is Black, two of its six congressional districts should be majority-minority; not one…:

CUT 14(08)      “…lies a problem.”

State Police say two teens were struck by traffic and killed Sunday night, as they dealt with a broken-down vehicle on Interstate 10. Trooper Derek Senegal says Kyle Vidrine, of Lake Arthur, and Brannon Adams, of Jennings, were standing on the frontage road when they were hit by a Jeep; the driver blinded by oncoming headlights. He says that driver submitted a routine blood tox sample, but…:

CUT 12(05)      “…Jeep Wrangler.”

He says the crash seems to be just a tragic accident.

Speaking today at the Baton Rouge Press Club New Orleans Representative and Vice-Chair of House Governmental Affairs Royce Duplessis says the current congressional map – passed in the February Redistricting Session – does not meet certain standards required by the Voting Rights Act, because it doesn’t reflect the state’s one-third black population….:

CUT 13(08)      “…voter dilution.”

He says of the six congressional districts the state’s one-third Black residents should be represented by two of those districts, not one.

A bill that would have assured one could not be discriminated against because one did not have COVID shot has been vetoed by the Governor. Mr. Edwards says he nixed the bill because it’s (quote) “unnecessary and perpetuates a false narrative” and that it undermines public confidence in the vaccines.

State Police say two young men – ages 17 and 18 – were killed Sunday night, as they dealt with car trouble along Interstate 10 near Jennings. Trooper Derek Senegal says the boys’ car ran out of gas & they called for help. He says they walked a few feet over to the I-10 frontage road, where they were hit by a Jeep Wrangler. Senegal says the driver of that Jeep says he couldn’t see them in glare from oncoming headlights…:

CUT 11(09)      “…headlights put out.”

After recent incidents at the Bridge City Center for Youth and the Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe, Governor John Bel Edwards has directed the Louisiana State Police and the Department of Corrections to provide personnel to those facilities to help with staffing shortages. Office of Juvenile Justice spokesperson Nicolette Gordon says they welcome the help, and that safety both inside and out remains a priority…:

CUT 09(11)      “…have been seeing.”

Despite a court order to map a congressional map with two minority districts the legislature failed to deliver. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (42) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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Safety concerns at state juvenile facilities force Governor Edwards to utilize State Police and Correctional Officers for support. David Grubb has more.

Cut 2 (36) “…I’m David Grubb.”  

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The special legislative session to pass a court-ordered congressional map with two Black majority districts failed to pass and now lawmakers await feedback from the judicial system. Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields says despite his efforts with a map that had two Black districts, in the end, the legislature simply had no desire to pass a new map.

Cut 3 (09) “…districts.”

Chair of Senate Governmental Affairs, Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt says the legislature did make a concerted effort, but in the end, she says the votes weren’t there.

Cut 4  (10) “…to support.”

Hewitt presented a map for consideration in the special session, but it only contained one Black majority district. Fields says Republicans weren’t willing to pass any map except the one that passed in the original redistricting session.

Cut 5  (11) “…sending to the committee.”

Even though the session adjourned on the fourth legislative day Hewitt says Judge Shelly Dick’s order that only allowed them six days to pass a new map wasn’t realistic.

Cut 6  (09) “…to do so.” 

Judge Dick set a court date of June 29^th for attorneys to present congressional maps for her consideration while the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals has a July 8^th court date set. Attorney General Jeff Landry is petitioning the State Supreme Court to rule on the matter.

___________________________________________________

After recent incidents at the Bridge City Center for Youth and the Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe, Governor John Bel Edwards has directed the Louisiana State Police and The Department of Corrections to provide personnel to those facilities to help with staffing shortages. Office of Juvenile Justice Spokesperson Nicolette Gordon says they welcome the governor’s assistance…

Cut 7 (11) “…of the shift.” 

Gordon says the staffing shortage hasn’t been limited to guards but extends to service providers needed on-hand to help with the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders and that both are required for these facilities to fulfill their roles.

Cut 8 (08) “…things in order.” 

OJJ was provided with $5 million for enhancements during the 2022 Regular Legislative Session that can be accessed immediately. Gordon says the public can be assured there has not been any significant increase in incidents at the four state-operated secure care facilities and safety both inside and out remains a priority.

Cut 9 (11) “…have been seeing.”

________________________________________________

State Police say two young men – ages 17 and 18 – were killed Sunday night, as they dealt with car trouble along Interstate 10 near Jennings. Trooper Derek Senegal says the boys’ car ran out of gas & they called for help. He says they walked a few feet over to the I-10 frontage road…:

Cut 10 (07) ” …another vehicle.” 

Trooper Senegal says the driver of the Jeep Wrangler that struck them stopped and called for help. He told officers he could not see the boys in the glare from oncoming headlights…:

Cut 11 (09)  “…headlights put out.” 

The victims are identified as 18-year-old Kyle Vidrine, of Lake Arthur, and 17-year-old Brannon Adams, of Jennings. Senegal says it is standard practice to obtain blood toxicology samples in such cases, however….:

Cut 12 (05) “…the Jeep Wrangler.”  

The crash remains under investigation.

_________________________________________________________________

New Orleans Representative Royce Duplessis and Vice-Chair of House Governmental Affairs says the current congressional map does not meet certain standards required by the Voting Rights Act because it doesn’t reflect the state’s one-third black population.

Cut 13 (08) “…voter dilution.”

Duplessis says while the most recent Census didn’t show much growth in the state’s overall population, he says of the six congressional districts the state’s one-third Black residents should be represented by two of those districts, not one.

Cut 14 (08)  “…lies a problem.” 

Duplessis made the remarks at the Baton Rouge Press Club meeting this afternoon.

_________________________________________________________________

Cut 15 (12) “…unnecessary.” 

_____________________________________________

 Cut  16 (08)  “…their businesses“

Safety concerns at state juvenile facilities force Governor Edwards to utilize State Police and Correctional Officers for support. David Grubb has more…:

CUT 02(37)      “…David Grubb.”

Gas or gambling? Which would you choose? State Gaming Control officials say winnings at Louisiana casino were down almost 10-percent for May 2022. One easy explanation is runaway inflation and the high cost of gasoline forcing potential gamblers to stay home.

State Police say two young men – ages 17 and 18 – were killed Sunday night, as they dealt with car trouble along Interstate 10 near Jennings. Trooper Derek Senegal says the boys’ car ran out of gas & they called for help. He says, as they were receiving aid from a relative, they walked a few feet over to the I-10 frontage road…:

CUT 10(07)      “…another vehicle.”

Senegal says the driver of the Jeep stopped and called for help. He told officers he could not see the boys in the glare from oncoming headlights. The crash is under investigation.

State Police have named their new second-in-command, after the retirement of Lt. Colonel Doug Cain. Cain was embroiled in the 2019 death of Ronald Greene while in LSP custody. Today, it was announced that Lt. Colonel Chavez Cammon will take over Cain’s role immediately. Cammon has been openly critical of State Police’s handling of the Greene investigation; comparing it to “torture and murder.”

Despite a court order to map a congressional map with two minority districts the legislature failed to deliver. Brooke Thorington has more…:

CUT 01(42)      “…Brooke Thorington.”

The Department of Health reports over 4-thousand new cases of COVID statewide, with 350 currently under hospital care for it. Two new COVID-related deaths are also reported.

After recent incidents at the Bridge City Center for Youth and the Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe, Governor John Bel Edwards has directed the Louisiana State Police and The Department of Corrections to provide personnel to those facilities to help with staffing shortages. Office of Juvenile Justice spokesperson Nicolette Gordon says the staff shortages extend to service providers needed on-hand to help in the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders and that both are required for these facilities to fulfill their roles…:

CUT 08(09)      “…thing in order.”

OJJ was provided with $5 million for enhancements during the 2022 Regular Legislative Session that can be accessed immediately.

State Police say two teenage girls died Sunday in Ascension Parish, when the car they were in went off the roadway, careened off a tree then crashed into a pond. Both girls were just 16. Trooper say they are unaware if they were properly seatbelted. The crash remains under investigation.

The special legislative session to pass a court-ordered congressional map with two Black majority districts failed to pass and now lawmakers await feedback from the judicial system. Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields says Republicans weren’t willing to pass any map except the one that passed in the original redistricting session.

Cut 5  (11) “…the committee.”

Even though the session adjourned on the fourth legislative day Senate Governmental Affairs Chair, Slidell Senator Hewitt says Judge Shelly Dick’s order that only allowed them six days to pass a new map wasn’t realistic.

Cut 6  (09) “…to do so.” 

Judge Dick set a court date of June 29^th for attorneys to present congressional maps for her consideration while the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals has a July 8^th court date set.

After recent incidents, that included altercations and an escape, at the Bridge City Center for Youth and the Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe, Governor John Bel Edwards has directed State Police and the Department of Corrections to provide personnel to assist with staffing shortages. Office of Juvenile Justice Spokesperson Nicolette Gordon says they welcome the governor’s assistance…

Cut 7 (12) “…of the shift.” 

State Police says two 16-year-old Prairieview teens were killed after their vehicle submerged underwater Sunday afternoon near Bayou Manchac in Ascension Parish. Authorities say Caroline Smith was driving the vehicle and it appears Smith failed to negotiate a curve and the vehicle ended up in a private pond also claiming the life of Chole Hamilton. LSP says it’s not clear if seatbelt use was a factor in the crash and it remains under investigation.

The special legislative session to pass a court-ordered congressional map with two Black majority districts failed to pass and now lawmakers await feedback from the judicial system. Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields says despite his efforts with a map that had two Black districts, in the end, the legislature simply had no desire to pass a new map.

Cut 3 (10) “…districts.”

Chair of Senate Governmental Affairs, Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt says the legislature did make a concerted effort, but in the end, she says the votes weren’t there.

Cut 4  (10) “…to support.”

Judge Shelly Dick set a court date of June 29^th for attorneys to present congressional maps for her consideration while the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals has a July 8^th court date set. Attorney General Jeff Landry is petitioning the State Supreme Court’s Court to rule on the matter.

The FDA has authorized emergency use of the Moderna and Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines for children under 5 years of age, a move applauded by one of the top pediatricians in Louisiana. Mark Kline is physician-in-chief and chief medical officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. He says this is long overdue…:

Cut 14 (11)  “deaths from occurring.”

A quartet of students from Tulane University is in Cocoa Beach, Florida, to compete in NASA’s RASC-AL forum. Tulane’s Team is one of just 15 finalists invited to present its designs at the competition, with an opportunity for its work to be a part of the 2025 mission to the moon. Graduate student Brock Headen says he never imagined they would get this far.

Cut  11 (07)  “…shooting for it.” 

Tulane’s group will make their presentation tomorrow with two winners to be announced on Thursday.