Tort reform that supporters say will lower the state’s near highest in the nation auto insurance rates is now just one step away from the Governor’s desk after clearing a House committee. Governor Edwards and legislative Democrats have expressed concern over certain aspects of the legislation and an overall critique that the bill does nothing to lower auto insurance rates, but River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot says his legislation clearly requires insurance companies reduce rates by 10-percent

Cut 6 (08) “ …not one”

Talbot says one of the provisions saving insurers a lot of money involves drastically reducing the jury trial threshold, allowing for more reasonable settlements from crashes…

Cut 7 (06) “…than us”

Democrats would rather see laws passed that would prevent a person’s credit score, gender, or marital status from determining a person’s auto insurance rates. But Talbot argues that will not lower premiums…

Cut 8 (09) “…gets higher.”

A package of budget bills was passed by the House Tuesday calling for a 30 billion dollar spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1^st.

The budget now heads to the Senate with only a week left in the regular session, and it is not expected that the Upper Chamber will sign off on it before the regular session ends June 1^st.

It is because of that a special session will begin immediately after the regular session ends. Senate GOP Caucus Chairwoman Sharon Hewitt of Slidell says the special session will consider the budget alongside a series of tax breaks for COVID impacted businesses. She says no matter what happens though the constitution requires the budget be balanced and passed by July 1^st.

Cut 15 (08)“budget” 5-25

A Senate-backed tort reform bill that supporters say will lower auto insurance premiums is heading to the House floor after getting approval from the House Civil Law Committee. River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot says his legislation helps accomplish that goal by lowering the jury threshold from 50-thousand to five-thousand dollars…

Cut 7 (06) “…than us”

Talbot says lowering the jury trial threshold will help settle cases for a more reasonable amount. 

Eight teenagers were injured when shots were fired early Monday morning during an unsupervised graduation party involving about 200 people at a business in Lake Charles on Highway 90. Chief Deputy Stitch Guillory with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s office says chaos ensued when bullets started firing.

Cut 3 (11)  “…trampled on.”  

Former south Louisiana Congressman and international pharma lobby head Billy Tauzin believes there will be an effective, non-vaccine treatment for COVID-19 by September. Tauzin says those treatments are focused on three categories: plasma infusions from COVID survivors, “decoy” proteins, and lab-created antibodies…

Cut 10 (04) “…a shot”

Tauzin notes current plasma treatments appear to be effective for about 50 percent of patients.

The Manning Passing Academy scheduled for next month in Thibodaux has been canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis. The Manning Passing Academy attracts over 12-hundred campers and over 200 coaches, trainers, and support staff. College and pro football analyst Mike Detillier says the Louisiana Line Camp held at Nicholls State has also been canceled for this year

Cut 13 (11) “ big loss”  

Louisiana’s new state education superintendent will receive an annual salary of $285,000.  Cade Brumley, was chosen last week by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to oversee public schools. His pay package was approved by the joint House and Senate and Budget committee today. However, his job confirmation must still be approved by the Senate.

A Senate-backed tort reform bill that supporters say will lower auto insurance premiums is heading to the House floor after getting approval from the House Civil Law Committee. Democrats are skeptical, but River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot says his legislation that requires insurance companies to reduce rates by 10-percent

Cut 6 (08) “ …not one”

Talbot says auto insurance companies will be able to reduce rates because the legislation makes several changes to the state’s civil justice system.

A Memorial Day gathering of 200 in Lake Charles ends with teens being injured after gunfire erupted during the celebration.  Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Stitch Guillory says he’s surprised that more were not injured.

Cut 5 (09)  “…amazing to me.”

The incident took place at a business on Highway 90 and was unsupervised by adults.

The Manning Passing Academy scheduled for next month in Thibodaux has been canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis. College and pro football analyst Mike Detillier says it was a difficult call for the Manning family, but it was the right decision
Cut 12 (10) “…coming down”
The Manning Passing Academy attracts over 12-hundred campers and over 200 coaches, trainers, and support staff.

New reported COVID cases and deaths continue to slow to a fraction of the pace they were just a month ago. Only 11 new COVID fatalities are being reported today, along with 245 new positive cases. Today 831 are hospitalized, down 16 from Monday and vent usage increased by one to 103.

A Senate-backed tort reform bill that supporters say will lower auto insurance premiums is heading to the House floor. However, Democrats are skeptical. River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot says the bill will lower the jury trial threshold which will settle cases for a more reasonable amount thus lower rates. Democrats would rather see laws passed that would prevent a person’s credit score, gender, or marital status from qualifying a person’s auto insurance rates. But Talbot argues that won’t lower premiums…

Cut 8 (09) “…gets higher.”

Former south Louisiana Congressman and international pharma lobby head Billy Tauzin believes there will be an effective, non-vaccine treatment for COVID-19 by September. Experts however note a vaccine may not be ready until 2021, and Tauzin says the treatments he touts could help us weather what could be a severe second wave of the virus later this year.

Cut 11 (09) “…vaccine”

Eight teenagers were injured when shots were fired early Monday morning during an unsupervised graduation party involving about 200 people at a business in Lake Charles on Highway 90. Chief Deputy Stitch Guillory with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s office says chaos ensued when bullets started firing.

Cut 3 (11)  “…trampled on.”  

Two arrests have been made.

The tort reform legislation that supporters say will lower your auto insurance rates is closer to final legislative passage as it passes out of a House committee….

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

A teenager died over the weekend in the waters off the coast of Grand Isle after a powerful riptide is believed to have dragged the victim and two others out away from the shore. The two others, a 15 year old and 45 year old, were family members of 17-year-old Oscar Aguilar, who died in the incident.

The Manning Passing Academy, a famed institution that attracts 1,200 campers and 200 coaches to the Natchitoches area every summer, is canceled this year due to COVID-19. College and pro football analyst Mike Detillier says most of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL have attended as a camper or a counselor and the camp is not just for quarterbacks

Cut 14 (10) “…been here”

He adds this plus the cancellation of the Louisiana Line Camp at Nichols will result in a two million dollar loss in economic activity for the state.

Former south Louisiana Congressman and international pharma lobby head Billy Tauzin believes there will be an effective, non-vaccine treatment for COVID-19 by September. Tauzin says those treatments are focused on three categories: plasma infusions from COVID survivors, “decoy” proteins, and lab-created antibodies…

Cut 10 (04) “…a shot”

A COVID-19 treatment could be ready by fall according to one famed Louisiana politico. Matt Doyle has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m matt Doyle” 

The department of health released new COVID-19 numbers and hospitalization rates for state the decreased by 16 to 831 and vent usage increased by one to 103. The state has a tally 38,054 total cases for the state and fatalities increased by 11 to 2,596.

Eight teenagers were injured when shots were fired early Monday morning during an unsupervised graduation party involving about 200 people at a business in Lake Charles on Highway 90. Chief Deputy Stitch Guillory with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s office says one of the gunmen, 17-year-old Devin Levier, suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach.

Cut 4 (11)_ “…the weapon.”

23-year-old Mary Brignac was also arrested she is charged with possession of a stolen firearm.

A Senate-backed tort reform bill that supporters say will lower auto insurance premiums is heading to the House floor after getting approval from the House Civil Law Committee. River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot says auto insurance companies will be able to reduce rates because the legislation makes several changes to the state’s civil justice system for example it would lower the jury threshold from 50-thousand to five-thousand dollars…

Cut 7 (06) “…than us”

Former south Louisiana Congressman and international pharma lobby head Billy Tauzin believes there will be an effective, non-vaccine treatment for COVID-19 by September at the earliest. Tauzin says over 100 different treatments are being tested that could do everything from reducing the severity of COVID-19 to giving recipients temporary immunity.

Cut 9 (10) “…work”

A Memorial Day gathering of 200 in Lake Charles ends with nine teens injured after gunfire erupted during the celebration.  Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Stitch Guillory says it’s shocking that so many teens were out celebrating so early Monday morning and he’s surprised that more were not injured.

Cut 5 (09)  “…amazing to me.”

The incident took place at a business on Highway 90, and was unsupervised by adults.

Concerns over COVID-19 lead to the cancellation of the famed Manning Passing Academy set to take place next month in Thibodaux. The Manning Passing Academy attracts over 12-hundred campers and over 200 coaches, trainers, and support staff. College and pro football analyst Mike Detillier says the Louisiana Line Camp held at Nicholls State has also been canceled for this year

Cut 13 (11) “ big loss”  

New reported COVID cases and deaths continue to slow to a fraction of the pace they were just a month ago. Only 11 new COVID fatalities are being reported today, along with 245 new positive cases.

Funeral arrangements are pending for State Police Trooper George Baker who has died after being critically injured during an effort to stop a police chase in Hammond last Wednesday. Matt Doyle has more…
cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

Authorities in Orange Beach say the bodies of two missing men from New Orleans have washed up on the Alabama coast. Ryan Guy and Darius Robinson went missing in the surf on Sunday night. 28-year-old Jasmine Brundy of Chalmette was pulled from the water on Sunday night and is in critical condition.

Nine teenagers were injured when shots were fired early Monday morning during an unsupervised graduation party involving about 200 teens at a business in Lake Charles on Highway 90. Chief Deputy Stitch Guillory with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s office says chaos ensued when bullets started firing.
cut 3 (11) “…trampled on.”
Guillory says they believe one of the gunmen suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach and faces charges when he’s released from the hospital. He says they are searching for two other teenage suspects.

The Manning Passing Academy scheduled for next month in Thibodaux has been canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis. College and pro football analyst Mike Detillier says it was a difficult call for the Manning family, but it was the right decision
Cut 12 (10) “…coming down”
The Manning Passing Academy attracts over 12-hundred campers and over 200 coaches, trainers, and support staff.

The Senate approved tort reform bill that supporters say will lower auto insurance premiums is receiving a hearing in the House Civil Law Committee. Democrats are skeptical, but the bill’s author River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot says there’s wording in the legislation that requires insurance companies to reduce rates by 10-percent

Cut 6 (08) “ …not one”

33-year-old State Police Trooper George Baker dies of injuries caused by a Hammond Police vehicle that struck him last week while pursuing a fleeing suspect. Baker was reportedly picking up devices laid out to deflate the suspect’s tires when he was hit. State Police Trooper Jeremy Price says Baker was a model trooper who continues to serve his community even in death by donating his organs.

Cut 10 (09) “…passing”

Baker spent eight years in the Marine reserves where he served one combat deployment in the Middle East.

Legislation that would allow concealed handgun permit owners to bring a gun into a place of worship, if a pastor, priest or rabbi approves is awaiting debate in the Senate…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

A Memorial Day graduation party in Lake Charles nearly ended in a fatal tragedy after a gunman opened fire. Nearly 200 students were reportedly in attendance at the event and three were grazed by bullets, while three others non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. A suspect is in the hospital and two others are being sought.