Louisiana Congressman Ralph Abraham says he will not seek reelection. The Republican who represents the 5^th Congressional district says he’s keeping his promise to only serve three terms. The congressman’s decision comes a few months after his unsuccessful bid for governor. Abraham says his loss in the governor’s race didn’t factor into his decision

U-S Senator John Kennedy has a tense exchange with acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf over the coronavirus. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

Governor Edwards calls for the resignation of 23^rd Judicial District Judge Jessie LeBlanc following her admission to using racial text messages. Loyola University law professor Dane Ciolino says it’s outside of the Governor’s reach to make such a call.

Cut 9 (08) “…of a judge.″

Ciolino expects the matter to be referred to the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana…

Visitation begins tonight for former state lawmaker Butch Gautreaux who passed away Saturday at the age of 72.  Executive Director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, Stephen Handwerk, says Gautreaux worked with former US Senator Mary Landrieu on funding for our coast.

Cut 14 (07) “…coastline”

The funeral service is Thursday morning at 10 AM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morgan City.

Governor Edwards is calling on state judge Jessie LeBlanc to resign after she admitted to using racial slurs in a text message to describe a sheriff’s deputy and black law clerk in Ascension Parish. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says it’s rare for a governor to chime in on the competence of a judge, but other state entities could get involved…
cut 11 (12) “…or racially motivated’
LeBlanc has apologized for using the racial slurs.

Visitation is tonight in Morgan City for former state legislator Butch Gautreaux, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 72. Louisiana Democratic Party executive director Stephen Handwerk says Gautreaux was known as a lawmaker who worked well with both sides of the aisle…
cut 13 (10) “…from Butch”

On Capitol Hill, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy grilled acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf about how his agency is preparing for a potential coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Kennedy’s blood pressure rose when Wolf said a vaccine could be available in a few months, but C-D-C officials said it could take 12 to 18 months…
Cut 4 (12) “…everyday.”

Advocates for domestic violence victims are raising concerns about costs that are coming down on victims who fail to make a court appearance after filing a temporary restraining order. Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic violence executive director Mariah Wineski says such a practice could keep other victims from filing the order…
cut 7 (10) “….first place”
Wineski says work requirements, a sick child or facing threats from their assailant are some of the reasons why a victim might not attend a hearing.

Governor Edwards calls for the resignation of 23^rd Judicial District Judge Jessie LeBlanc following her admission to using racial text messages. Loyola University law professor Dane Ciolino expects the matter to be referred to the Judiciary Commission…

Cut 10 (13) “…onerous as removal.”

LaBlanc’s lawyer Jill Craft released a statement saying her client’s statements were made in a private conversation and in response to a threatening situation.
Visitation begins tonight for former state lawmaker Butch Gautreaux who passed away Saturday at the age of 72. Gautreaux represented the Morgan City area for 16 years in the state legislature. Executive Director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, Stephen Handwerk, says Gautreaux was a strong voice for the less fortunate

Cut 12 (10) “…get done”

If you file a restraining order in Louisiana and fail to appear at court the judge could order you to pay court costs. Brooke Thorington spoke with a domestic violence advocate.

cut  2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Shreveport television stations are reporting a robbery suspect was fatally shot last night by police. Officers were reportedly investigating a robbery near an apartment complex when they spotted the suspect, who shot at officers. Police returned fired, striking him. He died at a local hospital and no officers were injured. It was one of three deadly shootings in Shreveport yesterday.

Governor Edwards calls for the resignation of 23rd Judicial District Judge Jessie LeBlanc to resign following her admission to sending racists text messages. Loyola University law professor Dane Ciolino says it’s outside of the Governor’s reach to make such a call.
Cut 9 (08) “…of a judge.″
Ciolino says the Judiciary Commission should conduct an investigation.

Advocates for Domestic violence victims are concerned victims are getting hit with court costs if they fail to show up to court after filing a temporary restraining order. In a state that has the second-highest rate of women murdered by men in the nation, Executive Director of the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Mariah Winseki says this practice needs to stop.
Cut 6 (11) “…victim safety.”

U-S Senator John Kennedy has a tense exchange with acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf over the coronavirus…
Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

Former LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson told NFL.com that the fistful of of cash he received from Odell Beckham after the national championship went to his church.

During Tuesday night’s 2020 Democratic presidential debate, the candidates hammered President Trump’s response to the Coronavirus. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says the Trump administration is on top of it and has proposed spending two-point-five billion dollars as part of a response plan…
Cut 5 (08)  “…dollars in it”
So far there have been 14 confirmed cases in the US, but none in Louisiana.
Marrero Representative Kyle Green files legislation that would increase the minimum wage from $7.25 to nine dollars an hour in 2021. The last increase in the minimum wage for Louisianans happened in 2009 under the Obama Administration. Green says we’re long overdue to increase it again.
Cut 9 (09) “…their basic necessities.″
The move is opposed by the business lobbyists.

Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season and seafood becomes a popular dish.  Chairman of the Gulf Seafood Institute Harlon Pearce believes there should be plenty available.  Pearce says high water levels and weather conditions have resulted in a bountiful crawfish harvest.
Cut 10 (10) “…into the season.”
Pearce adds oysters are looking promising and prices are leveling out much better than what they were.

New data from the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control shows Louisiana ranks fifth in the nation among states with the highest per capita gun death rates in 2018. Violence Policy Center, Legislative Director Kristen Rand says there are several studies indicate a correlation of lower exposure to firearms as represented by household gun ownership in having lower death rates.

Cut 14 (10) “…since 2009.”

U-S Senator John Kennedy is not happy with the lack of answers coming from acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf about the coronavirus outbreak. Kennedy’s frustration grew when Wolf couldn’t say how many respirators and masks are available in the United States or if there’s an estimate on how many cases we might see…
cut 3 (14) “….security”

Today is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, which means lots of Louisiana residents will abstain from eating meat today and Fridays for the next 40 days. Chairman of the Gulf Seafood Institute Harlon Pearce says wild-caught Louisiana catfish is becoming a popular dish…
cut 12 (09) “…farm-raised shrimp”

New data shows gun death rates in the Bayou State continue to rise. Brooke Thorington spoke with Violence Policy Center, Legislative Director Kristen Rand about the disturbing trend.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A cold front has dropped the temperature in Louisiana and a strong wind out of the northwest is giving us another taste of winter. National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Bryant says highs will only be in the 50s today…
cut 6 (08) “….there for sure”

The Lenten season begins today with Ash Wednesday and that means meatless Fridays for many in Louisiana. Chairman of the Gulf Seafood Institute Harlon Pearce says the crawfish crop looks good, wild-caught Louisiana catfish is becoming more popular and there’s also plenty of oysters…
cut 11 (05) “…right now”
Many restaurants are offering seafood dinner specials during the Lenten season.

New data from the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control shows Louisiana ranks fifth in the nation among states with the highest per capita gun death rates in 2018. The states with the highest rates are Mississippi, Alabama, Wyoming, Missouri followed by the Bayou State. Violence Policy Center, Legislative Director Kristen Rand explains what these states have in common.
Cut 13 (09) “…gun ownership.”
Rand says reduced exposure to guns, coupled with strong gun laws can save lives.

Matt Doyle spoke with a Marrero Democrat who says Louisiana’s working-class deserves a raise and he’ll push to increase the minimum wage when lawmakers convene for the legislative session…
Cut 1 (28) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Remember the controversy surrounding Odell Beckham Junior and the handing out of cash to players after the national championship game. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson says he donated his money handshake to his church. That’s what Jefferson told N-F-L-dot-com. Jefferson added it was a mistake to accept the money and he spoke with the LSU compliance office after it happened.

Shreveport television stations are reporting a robbery suspect was fatally shot last night by police. Officers were reportedly investigating a robbery near an apartment complex when they spotted the suspect, who shot at officers. Police returned fired, striking him. He died at a local hospital and no officers were injured. It was one of three deadly shootings in Shreveport yesterday.

The Violence Policy Center says Louisiana has the fifth highest gun death rate in the nation as 21 out of every 100-thousand people die by the use of a firearm. V-P-C legislative director Kristen Rand…
cut 14 (10) “….since 2009”
And Rand says their research has determined states with the weakest gun laws and highest gun ownership lead the nation in gun deaths.

Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Lenten season and for those who abstain from meat on Fridays, the seafood supply is looking good. Kevin Barnhart has more.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

A cold front has dropped temperatures in the Bayou State. And National Weather Service Meteorologist Brad Bryant says there’s also a strong wind out of the northwest….
cut 5 (04) “…30 miles per hour occasionally”
Bryant says we’ll also see cool temperatures tomorrow, but it will warm-up on Friday and the weekend looks really nice.

After a run of mild weather, winter temperatures return to the Bayou State today. National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Bryant says we’ll also see gusty winds out of the northwest…
cut 4 (06) “…pretty chilly”:
High temperatures today will be in the low to upper 50s.

The Violence Policy Center says based on data from 2018, states with weak gun laws and higher gun ownership lead the nation in gun deaths. The V-P-C says Louisiana has the fifth highest gun death rate as 21 individuals for every 100-thousand people die from the use of a firearm. That’s nearly double the nationwide gun death rate. V-P-C Legislative Director Kristen Rand says it’s time for Louisiana to get proactive and prevent gun deaths…
cut 15 (10) “…death rate”

Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Lenten season and seafood is a popular dish for Catholics. Chairman of the Gulf Seafood Institute Harlon Pearce says the seafood supply is good, especially crawfish as high water levels and weather conditions have resulted in a bountiful crawfish crop.
Cut 10 (10) “…into the season.”
Pearce says there are also plenty of oysters to go around and wild-caught Louisiana catfish is gaining popularity.

State lawmakers will soon return to the State Capitol for the start of another legislative session and there will once again be an effort to raise the minimum wage. Lobbyist groups that represent businesses have fiercely pushed back on proposals in years past but that hasn’t stopped Marrero Representative Kyle Green from filing a bill to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to nine-dollars an hour…
cut 8 (07) “…pay increase”
The legislative session begins on March ninth.

Governor John Bel Edwards wants to raise the state’s minimum wage and Marrero Representative Kyle Green has filed legislation that would increase the minimum wage from $7.25 to nine dollars an hour in 2021. He says since the economy is booming, there’s no reason businesses can’t afford to pay their workers fairly.
Cut 7 (07) “…of this state.”
Green’s bill will be debated in the legislative session that begins March ninth.

Today is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, which means lots of Louisiana residents will abstain from eating meat today and Fridays for the next 40 days. Chairman of the Gulf Seafood Institute Harlon Pearce says wild-caught Louisiana catfish is becoming a popular dish…
cut 12 (09) “…farm-raised shrimp”

New data shows gun death rates in the Bayou State continue to rise. Brooke Thorington spoke with Violence Policy Center Legislative Director Kristen Rand about the disturbing trend.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”