Congressman Ralph Abraham has an up and down week, as he gets dragged for missing congressional votes, but scores two major donors…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

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With the much talked about algae bloom impacting the gulf coast and the excessive water flowing through the Bonnet Carre Spillway, is Louisiana seafood safe? Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (32) I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

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Governor John Bel Edwards signed a bill Friday morning that gives the state an addiational 700-million dollars to spend on specific transportation projects. The money comes from the BP oil spill settlement, but Edwards says the legislation is not taking money away from repairing the coast damaged by the spill…

Cut 3 (08 “…that spill”

The money will fund highway projects in Caddo, Rapides, St. Tammany, I-49 through Acadiana and L-A 1 in LaFourche Parish.

Edwards says the bill also allocates 125-million dollars for what is known as the L-A 415 connector, which is a new four-lane roadway to help traffic congestion on I-10 in West Baton Rouge Parish.

Cut 4 (07) “…LA 1”

Houma Representative Tanner Magee and Port Allen Senator Rick Ward are co-authors of the legislation that will fund these important transportation projects. Ward says he started meeting with Magee about the legislation in January…

Cut 5 (07) “…are today”

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An Associated Press report finds Congressman Ralph Abraham, the top-polling Republican in the governor’s race, has missed 39 percent of US House votes since November. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says anytime an elected official takes time from legislating to campaign, they open themselves to criticism…

Cut 6 (10) “…Washington.”

Abraham responded, saying “being a Congressman is more than just sitting at a desk voting yes or no, we are daily solving our constituents’ problems.”

But Hogan says the attack often doesn’t stick, because most of those votes, like a recent one on immigration, weren’t even close anyway.

Cut 7 (10) “…have this.”

Abraham is missing from the roll call on 196 of the 509 votes that have been called since November.

It wasn’t all bad news this week for the candidate though, as Abraham managed to snag two of the state’s top donors for his gubernatorial effort. Hogan says it’s a major win for the Congressman.

Cut 8 (11) “…campaign.”

Those donors are Boysie Bollinger, who ran a shipbuilding firm, and Joe Canizaro, a New Orleans banker.

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It’s been a tough year for the Louisiana seafood industry and an algae bloom in Lake Pontchartrain is the latest hurdle.  Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says many of those looking to get Louisiana seafood on their table are asking if it is safe.

Cut 9 (11) “…catching is safe.”

The opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway has affected the salinity levels of Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi Sound, impacting tourism and driving catchable product further offshore.  Nungesser says it is important to score emergency funding for fishermen who are getting nothing right now.

Cut 10 (08) “…line for them.”

Nungesser says there is no shortage of red tape to cut through to get assistance for the seafood industry.

Cut 11 (11) “…not an option.”

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A Baton Rouge woman is one million dollars richer thanks to a social media post.  Lala Singleton says she only plays the Lottery once in a while, but Lottery spokesperson BreAnne Frye says after Singleton was tagged in a Facebook post by her sister-in-law in Connecticut that someone in Baton Rouge had one a million dollar Powerball prize.

Cut 12 (10)   “…all five numbers.”

Frye says the winnings come at a good time for Singleton.

Cut 13 (09) “…morning for sure.”  

Frye says Singleton already has plans to use a portion of the money toward a charitable cause close to her heart.

Cut 14 (10) “…and competitive athletes.” 

Governor John Bel Edwards signed a bill Friday morning that gives the state an additional 700-million dollars to spend on specific transportation projects. Edwards says the bill allocates 125-million dollars for what is known as the L-A 415 connector, which is a new four-lane roadway to help traffic congestion on I-10 in West Baton Rouge Parish.
Cut 4 (07) “…LA 1”
The money comes from the BP oil spill settlement.

A Baton Rouge woman is one million dollars richer thanks to a social media post. Lala Singleton says she only plays the Lottery once in a while, but Lottery spokesperson BreAnne Frye says after Singleton was tagged in a Facebook post by her sister-in-law in Connecticut that someone in Baton Rouge had one a million dollar Powerball prize.
Cut 12 (10)   “…all five numbers.”
An Associated Press report finds Congressman Ralph Abraham, the top-polling Republican in the governor’s race, has missed 39 percent of US House votes since November. But LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says the attack often doesn’t stick, because most of those votes, like a recent one on immigration, weren’t even close anyway.

Cut 7 (10) “…have this.”
It’s been a tough year for the Louisiana seafood industry and an algae bloom in Lake Pontchartrain is the latest hurdle for fishermen. The opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway has affected the salinity levels of Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi Sound, impacting tourism and driving catchable product further offshore.  Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser says it is important to score emergency funding for fishermen who are getting nothing right now.

Cut 10 (08) “…line for them.”

Governor John Bel Edwards signed a bill Friday morning that gives the state an addiational 700-million dollars to spend on specific transportation projects. Houma Representative Tanner Magee and Port Allen Senator Rick Ward are co-authors of the legislation that will fund these important transportation projects. Ward says he started meeting Magee about the legislation in January…

Cut 5 (07) “…are today”

The money will fund highway projects in Caddo, Rapides, St. Tammany, I-49 through Acadiana and L-A 1 in LaFourche Parish.

Congressman Ralph Abraham, the top polling Republican in the governor’s race, is taking some heat after a report shows he’s missed 39 percent of US House votes since November. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says it’s a fairly common line of attack.

Cut 6 (10) “…Washington.”

Abraham responded, saying being a Congressman is about more than just votes.

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With the much talked about algae bloom impacting the gulf coast and the excessive water flowing through the Bonnet Carre Spillway, is Louisiana seafood safe? Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (32) I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

NASA holds a media event today at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East as workers there are helping to construct the rockets that will send astronauts to the moon by 2024. Facility director Robert Champion says Michoud has five-thousand employees working on the project…
cut 5 (07) “….back to the moon”
Champion says the spacecraft is the world’s largest rocket, and upon completion will have to be transported to a testing facility, and then Cape Canaveral for liftoff.

New research indicates the best age for a child’s first cellphone is 12. The finding is based on the input of 2,000 moms. Alarm.com commissioned the study, and VP of the website Anne Ferguson says the age likely comes because of the timing of maturity changes just before teenage years.
Cut 13 (09) “…of that responsibility.”

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision to block an effort by the Trump administration to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. Graves says citizenship should be the first question asked…
cut 12 (11) “…the world”
Opponents say it would dissuade immigrant households from filling out the form, resulting in the underrepresentation of Hispanics, and lower federal aid for some states.

It’s been a tough year for the Louisiana seafood industry and an algae bloom in Lake Pontchartrain is the latest hurdle for fishermen. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says many of those looking to get Louisiana seafood on their table are asking if it is safe.
Cut 9 (11) “…catching is safe.”
The opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway has affected the salinity levels of Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi Sound, impacting tourism and driving catchable product further offshore.

NASA aims to put boots on the moon in 2024 and the latest glimpse of the rocket core stage for the Artemis moon mission is being unveiled today at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Facility director Robert Champion says the spacecraft is the world’s largest rocket, and upon completion will have to be transported to a testing facility, and then Cape Canaveral via a barge built just for the occasion.

Cut 6 (11) “…of this year.”

All manned crafts used in space flights in the history of NASA have gone through the facility.

New child passenger safety laws go into effect in Louisiana August 1^st, when kids under 13 must ride in the back seat and more child safety seat and restraint laws will be enforced. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Executive Director Lisa Freeman.

Cut 7 (10) “…seat.”

The US Supreme Court has rejected a Trump Administration bid to include a question about citizenship status on the 2020 census. Congressman Garret Graves is concerned that continuing to count illegal immigrants in the census will reduce the amount of federal assistance for American citizens.

Cut 11 (09) “…the nation”

The citizenship question has not been featured on the standard short form census since 1950, per NPR.
Governor John Bel Edwards signed a bill Friday morning that gives the state an addiational 700-million dollars to spend on specific transportation projects. The money comes from the BP oil spill settlement, but Edwards says the legislation is not taking money away from repairing the coast that was damaged by the spill…

Cut 3 (08 “…that spill”

The money will fund highway projects in Caddo, Rapides, St. Tammany and Lafayette Parishes.

New, more specific child passenger safety laws will soon take effect. Matt Doyle has details from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

At this hour, Governor John Bel Edwards is holding a bill signing ceremony for House Bill 578 which will use about 700-million dollars from the BP oil spill settlement for several critical transportation infrastructure projects, like improving Highway 1 along the cost and an I-49 connector in Caddo parish.

The US Supreme Court has rejected a Trump Administration bid to include a question about citizenship status on the 2020 census. Congressman Garret Graves says the decision could result in further reductions in Louisiana Congressional representation as states with growing undocumented immigrant populations continue to gain seats.
Cut 10 (10) “…American.”
Based on a survey of two-thousand moms, Alarm-dot-com says the best age for a child’s first cellphone is 12-years-old. Alarm-dot-com vice president Anne Ferguson says most children at that age are mature enough to handle the responsbility, but parents will still need to monitor what their kids are doing on their phone…
cut 15 (11) “…quickly step in”

NASA aims to put boots on the moon in 2024 and a glimpse of the rocket core stage for its moon mission will be unveiled today at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Facility director Robert Champion says all of the engines have been received to construct the spacecraft.
Cut 4 (11) “…controls the vehicle.”
All of NASA’s manned spacecrafts have gone through Michoud.

The state’s new child safety seat law will go into effect on August 1st. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Executive Director Lisa Freeman…
cut 8 (11) “…country”
The new law requires children to remain in the most protected category of child restraint and all kids should stay in the back seat until they turn 13.

The US Supreme Court shoots down an effort to ask 2020 census respondents whether or not they are American citizens. Matt Doyle got reaction from a Louisiana Congressman…
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

According to Gov-Track-data, U-S Representative Ralph Abraham has missed nearly 200 votes in Congress since he announced his plans to run for governor in December. Abraham told the Associated Press that being a congressman is more than sitting at a desk and voting yes or no.

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision to block an effort by the Trump administration to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. Graves says citizenship should be the first question asked…
cut 12 (11) “…the world”
Opponents say it would dissuade immigrant households from filling out the form, resulting in the underrepresentation of Hispanics, and lower federal aid for some states.

New car seat laws will go into effect in August which will keep infants and toddlers in rear-facing seats for a longer period of time and require all children under the age of 13 to ride in the back seat. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Executive Director Lisa Freeman…
cut 9 (10) “…requiring that”
Visit Louisianahighwaysafety.org for a rundown on the new laws.

NASA holds a media event today at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East as workers there are helping to construct the rockets that will send astronauts to the moon by 2024. Facility director Robert Champion says Michoud has five-thousand employees working on the project…
cut 5 (07) “….back to the moon”
Champion says the spacecraft is the world’s largest rocket, and upon completion will have to be transported to a testing facility, and then Cape Canaveral for liftoff.

New research indicates the best age for a child’s first cellphone is 12. The finding is based on the input of 2,000 moms. Alarm.com commissioned the study, and VP of the website Anne Ferguson says the age likely comes because of the timing of maturity changes just before teenage years.
Cut 13 (09) “…of that responsibility.”

New child passenger safety laws go into effect in Louisiana August 1st, when kids under 13 must ride in the back seat and more child safety seat and restraint laws will be enforced. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Executive Director Lisa Freeman.
Cut 7 (10) “…seat.”
At which point they must transition to a forward-facing seat. Once they turn four and outgrow the forward-facing seat, they must transition to a booster seat.

A company called Alarm-dot-com says they have found that the best age for a child’s first cellphone is 12-years-old. V-P of the website Anne Ferguson says it is important to lay ground rules for when and how a parent can monitor device usage…
cut 14 (09) “…among the children”

Today NASA unveils the latest look at the spacecraft hoping to put man back on the moon in 2024. Kevin Barnhart reports Louisiana is playing a leading role in making that happen…
voicer 1 (28) “…reporting”

Ten Democrats vying for the party’s 2020 Presidential nomination square off for a debate at 8 PM. Matt Doyle has reactions from advocates for the top two polling candidates.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

The AP reports Congressman Ralph Abraham has missed almost 200 out of 509 votes in Congress since December when he began his race for the Governor’s mansion. Abraham had stronger attendance from January 2015 to September 2018 missing only 10 votes out of nearly 2500. Abraham has responded saying being a Congressman is more than sitting behind a desk and voting.

Three people are dead following a shooting at an East Baton Rouge home just after midnight.  The victims were identified as 35-year-old Christa Sudduth, her current boyfriend 32-year-old Ivy Frank, and her grandmother 72-year-old Ruby White.  Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Casey Rayborn Hicks says Sudduth’s 14-year-old son grabbed his younger brother, hid and called 911.
Cut 7 (06) “…and began shooting.”
Hicks says the child was able to give a description of the vehicle and deputies were able to catch up with the suspect, 48-year-old Michael Wade, in the Shenandoah neighborhood.

State Police announce the arrest of three Rapides Parish Sheriff’s deputies who allegedly were paid for hours they didn’t work during the Safe and Sober campaign. Trooper Scott Moreau says the arrests come 9 months after the investigation began.
Cut 13 (09) “…an internal audit.”
The three deputies arrested… Matthew Davis, Jonathan Treadway, and David Billings.