Senator Bill Cassidy stands behind his decision to vote to find former President Donald Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection on January 6^th. He was censured by the state Republican Party for the move, but Cassidy says the facts show Trump was guilty…

Cut 11 (10) “…consequences.”

At this morning’s Public Service Commission Zoom meeting providers warned that gas prices were far higher than usual in February and those prices will be passed on to customers. Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta asks that providers come up with a plan to not dump that full cost on customers next month…

Cut 8 (09) “…before then”

Providers also indicated that a lack of natural gas supply was the supply problems they faced last week.

Currently, it is not mandatory to send your child to kindergarten in Louisiana, but one Senator wants to change that to get more children enrolled in pre-K education. Baton Rouge Senator and Chairmen of the Senate Education Committee Cleo Fields has pre-filed legislation to make kindergarten a requirement.

Cut 3 (10)  “…the state.” 

Shirley was the sole elephant at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo for 22 years passed away Monday. Zoo Director Tom Pearson says Shirley then went to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee where she able to roam. He says about 10 years ago one of her former Monroe caretakers, Solomon James, visited on her birthday.

Cut 14 (11) “…thrilled”

Shirley was 72.

Senator Bill Cassidy responds to the State GOP’s decision to censure him over his vote to convict former President Donald Trump. He says the facts showed the President was guilty of attempting to incite an insurrection and he had a constitutional duty to vote in favor of conviction. Cassidy says he’s taken a lack of flak for the decision, but also received a lot of support.

Cut 10 (11) “…went into it” 

Utilities spoke at this morning’s Public Service Commission meeting and explained why they had the string of power outages that impacted 131,000 customers at the winter storm event’s peak. Entergy CEO Phillip May says they saw historic demand coupled with lower supply due to weather impacts on natural gas providers…

Cut 7 (10) “…supply”

Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields wants to mandate that children attend kindergarten in Louisiana. Fields proposed legislation that would do just that for the upcoming spring session and says beginning the education process earlier in children’s lives is crucial for their development, and this is a good first step…

Cut 5  (11)  “…through twelve.” 

If the bill is approved children who turn age five on or before September 30^th will be required to enroll in kindergarten.

Monroe’s beloved 72-year-old elephant Shirley passed away Monday at the Louisiana Purchase Botanical Gardens.  Zoo Director Tom Pearson says Shirley had a rough life until she was rescued from the circus. Afterward, she spent time at sanctuaries in Tennessee and Monroe…

Cut 13 (08)“…circus.”

Utilities reported to the Public Service Commission this morning on last week’s winter storm response. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) …I’m Matt Doyle.”  

Senator Bill Cassidy spoke with members of the members to discuss his vote to impeach President Donald Trump.  Despite some criticism, Cassidy says he’s at peace with his decision.

Cut 9 (08) “…people objecting”

It is not mandatory to send your child to kindergarten in Louisiana, but Chairman of the Senate Education Committee Senator Cleo Fields is filing legislation to change that. Researchers say birth to five years of age is critical for brain development so Fields wants children to learn sooner than later.

Cut 4 (11) “…first grade.” 

Fields then wants to work towards making Pre-K mandatory.

A former well-known Monroe staple passed away Monday at the age of 72. Shirley was the sole elephant at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo for 22 years after she arrived in 1977.  As requirements changed for keeping elephants in captivity, Zoo Director Tom Pearson says they opted to let Shirley retire.

Cut 12 (12) “…years.” 

At this morning’s Public Service Commission Zoom meeting providers warned that gas prices were far higher than usual in February and those prices will be passed on to customers. Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta asks that providers come up with a plan to not dump that full cost on customers next month…

Cut 8 (09) “…before then”

Providers also indicated that a lack of natural gas supply was the supply problems they faced last week. 

Senator Bill Cassidy stands behind his decision to vote to find former President Donald Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection on January 6^th. He was censured by the state Republican Party for the move, but Cassidy says the facts show Trump was guilty…

Cut 11 (10) “…consequences.”

In an effort to have children educated sooner, one lawmaker files a bill to make kindergarten mandatory in Louisiana.  Brooke Thorington explains

Cut 1 (32) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

Utility providers went before the Public Service Commission today to explain last week’s power outages and the poor communication to customers about those outages. Entergy CEO Phillip May says Tuesday the energy grid faced significantly more demand than it had supply and they were given 30 minutes by a regulator to begin rolling blackouts.

Cut 6 (11) “…resort”

Regulator, Midcontinent Independent System Operator, operates in 15 states throughout the center of the country and most of those were impacted by the storm.

Currently, it is not mandatory to send your children to kindergarten in Louisiana, but Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields wants to change that to get more children enrolled in pre-K education.

Cut 3 (10)  “…the state” 

Oil City Representative Danny McCormick introduces legislation that would allow Louisianans to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. Currently to concealed carry in Louisiana, you need to take a nine-hour course and pay a $125 fee for a five-year license. Proponents of the license argue it provides gun owners with vital training. McCormick says training is good, but the mandate is not.

Cut 11 (07) “…anything.”

To assist the citizens of Shreveport as the city enters a second week with a collapsed water system Speaker of the House Clay Schexnayder along with other lawmakers helped collect 150-thousand bottles of water.

Cut 4 (13)“…issues.”

The storms last week paralyzed the city’s water system which serves approximately 200-thousand citizens.

Entergy and Cleco and other utility provider officials are meeting with the Public Service Commission discussing last week’s lengthy power outages and rolling blackouts due to the historic winter weather. P-S-C member Foster Campbell says customers were understandably frustrated, while others are profiting…

Cut 14 (10) “…11.5 percent.” 
The PSC is expected to propose an investigation into the winter storm outages and allegations that natural gas providers took advantage of the situation to jack up prices.

The trend of homeschooling continues to grow across the nation and increased by 4-percent in Louisiana in the last year. President of Homeschool Louisiana Christopher Chin says he believes the pandemic and more awareness about homeschooling are responsible.

Cut 7 (10)  “…scrambling.”

An Oil City lawmaker proposes legislation that would do away with the need to have a concealed carry permit to carry a concealed handgun. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”  

One Senator wants to make Kindergarten mandatory in Louisiana. Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields pre-filed the legislation this week for the upcoming session in April in an effort to improve educational outcomes for children. If the bill is approved children who turn five on or before September 30^th will be required to enroll in kindergarten.

The Public Service Commission is meeting and they are discussing the two winter storm events that knocked out power for tens of thousands. Entergy, Cleco, SWEPCO, and a handful of co-ops will explain to the P-S-C what happened. Commissioner Foster Campbell says the objective is accountability.
Cut 13 (06) “…there.”
MISO, the super-regional power authority that ordered the statewide rolling blackouts last week, will also be on hand to report to the PSC.

State lawmakers have sent 150-thousand bottles of water to Shreveport as the city remains under a boil advisory order. Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder says legislators wanted to help out…
cut 5 (10) “….about”
In Alexandria, the city-wide boil advisory has been lifted.

The number of students that are homeschooled in Louisiana increased by 4-percent in the last year. Brooke Thorington talks to a homeschool advocate about the growing trend.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

LSU says by Fall 2021 the vast majority of university operations are expected to return to normal as long as vaccinations proceed as expected. In a statement on the school’s website, LSU interim president Thomas Galligan says that means a majority of courses will be delivered face to face again.

Entergy, Cleco, and other utility providers will go before the Public Service Commission to discuss last week’s power outages. P-S-C member Foster Campbell believes more could have been done to prevent the outages…
cut 15 (12) “…..huge profits”
The New Orleans City Council has already moved forward with an investigation after learning Entergy New Orleans cut three times more power than asked when they did rolling blackouts on Mardi Gras night.

Several areas of the state are still waiting for clean drinking water to come out of their faucets. Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder says it’s an issue the legislature will need to address…
cut 6 (11) “….systems” (2x)

Oil City Representative Danny McCormick has filed legislation that would allow Louisianans to carry a concealed handgun on their person without needing a concealed carry permit. Currently, you need to take a nine-hour course and pay a 125 dollar fee for a five-year license. McCormick says that mandate infringes on constitutional rights.
Cut 10 (09) “…government”
Proponents of a concealed handgun permit say gun-safety training should be a requirement.

The latest data shows the number of children who are being homeschooled has increased four-percent over the last year. President of Homeschool Louisiana Christopher Chin anticipates some of those new to homeschooling will return to the classroom post-pandemic, he also fees some will choose to stay…
cut 9 (10) “…giftings”

Entergy and Cleco and other utility provider officials will appear before the Public Service Commission today to discuss last week’s lengthy power outages and rolling blackouts due to the historic winter weather. P-S-C member Foster Campbell says customers were understandably frustrated, while others are profiting…
cut 14 (10) “….11.5-percent”
The P-S-C meeting begins at 9 AM.

The legislative session begins April 12th and Caddo Parish lawmaker Danny McCormick has already filed a bill that would drop the requirement to have a concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed weapon. McCormick says 18 other states have a similar law. He expects a lot of support for his bill…
cut 12 (07) “…begin with”
Last year the state legislature approved a law that loosens the restrictions on who can have a concealed handgun in a church.

State lawmakers have stepped up to assist in the Shreveport area as the region deals with a lack of drinking water as a result of last week’s winter storms. Brooke Thorington has more.
cut 1 (31) “…Brooke Thorington.”

And Tiger Woods was reportedly on his way to a production shoot involving Saints Quarterback Drew Brees when he suffered serious leg injuries in a roll-over crash in Los Angeles yesterday.

The Public Service Commission meets at 9 AM and the first item on the agenda will be the two winter storm events that knocked out power for tens of thousands. Entergy, Cleco, SWEPCO, and a handful of co-ops will explain to the P-S-C what happened. Commissioner Foster Campbell says the objective is accountability.
Cut 13 (06) “…there.”
MISO, the super-regional power authority that ordered the statewide rolling blackouts last week, will also be on hand to report to the PSC.

Based on the latest data, the number of homeschooled students in Louisiana has grown by four percent. President of Homeschool Louisiana Christopher Chin says homeschooling has risen in the last five years by 23-percent and there are over 35-thousand homeschooled in Louisiana…
cut 8 (06) “….send it in”
Chin says there’s no doubt that the COVID pandemic has resulted in more parents choosing to homeschool their children.

To assist the citizens of Shreveport as the city enters a second week with a collapsed water system, Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder along with other lawmakers helped collect 150-thousand bottles of water.
Cut 4 (13)“…issues.”
Several locations have been established in Caddo Parish to distribute water at noon.

Tiger Woods was reportedly headed to meet Saints QB Drew Brees and other celebrities for a production shoot when he crashed his borrowed S-U-V. Woods is recovering after a lengthy surgery on his lower right leg and ankle.