There are two weeks left in the legislative session and Governor Landry has already signed into law several bills aimed at lowering auto insurance rates….

Cut 1 (35) “…Andrew Greenstein”

Landry says the six bills he signed into law will help lower auto insurance rates by as much as ten percent. But Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple and the Insurance Council of Louisiana say possible savings from the new legal reform laws will be offset by the new law that gives the Insurance Commissioner arbitrary authority to reject rate increases.

Motorists traveling below the speed limit in the left lane on a four-lane highway and not attempting to pass vehicles in the right lane could be ticketed as a result of a bill that received final legislative approval yesterday in the Louisiana House. Tioga Republican Jason DeWitt says there’s already a law targeting left lane hogs, but this legislation makes it easier for law enforcement to enforce…

Cut 14 (08) “….the drivers create”

And you could soon walk into your local pharmacy and purchase ivermectin over the counter. In Louisiana, ivermectin is only available in livestock and feed stores…

Cut 9 (11)  “…won’t hide something.

Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham told the House Health and Welfare Committee that the drug is proven to be extremely safe, even though the FDA has not approved Ivermectin for COVID treatment.

Left lane hogs, now is the time to start changing your ways. Soon, it will be illegal to take up the left lane without passing another vehicle, regardless of the speed. The House passed Senate Bill 11 by Alexandria Democrat Jay Luneau, sending it to governor’s desk. Driving in the left lane without passing another vehicle is already against state law, but Tioga Republican Jason DeWitt says this bill makes an important change.

Cut 13 (08)  “…penalties to apply.”

Under Luneau’s bill, if you are traveling under the speed limit in the left lane and not attempting to pass vehicles to your right, you could receive a ticket.

Auto insurance reform has been a big topic of this legislative session. Governor Jeff Landry has signed a bill that would give trucking companies a break on their premiums if they install dashcams in their vehicles…

Cut 4 (13) “….from lawsuit abuse”

A Senate bill that would reclassify Ivermectin, commonly used to treat parasitic infections, as an over-the-counter medication in Louisiana passed the House Health and Welfare committee on a 10-1 vote. Louisiana Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham supports the bill. He says Ivermectin as an over-counter drug would increase access and promote medical freedom.

Cut 7 (13) “…over-the-counter.”

Some people turned to Ivermectin during the COVID pandemic. But the FDA never authorized Ivermectin as a way to treat COVID.

The Louisiana House has approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the retirement age for state judges from 70 to 75 years old. Amite Representative Robbie Carter is a vocal critic to changing the law and was questioned by Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle…

Cut 11 (15) “….already”

The measure passed the House on an 81-16 vote and it needs two-thirds approval from the Senate and then voter approval.

The legislative session enters the home stretch today, with the end now two weeks away. Andrew Greenstein reports the push is on to get those last-minute bills onto Governor Landry’s desk.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Several COVID patients turned to Ivermectin during the pandemic and a bill moving through the legislature would allow adults to obtain the drug at a pharmacy without a prescription.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (27) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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State judges who are 70 and older are forced to retire once their term ends. Jeff Palermo reports the Louisiana House supports a proposal raising the mandatory retirement age to 75.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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The legislative session ends two weeks from today, and the mad push is on to get as many bills onto Governor Landry’s desk as possible. Auto insurance reform has been the biggest issue in this session; and yesterday, Landry held a ceremony at the governor’s mansion in which he signed six bills into law. Among them is one that gives commercial trucking companies an incentive to install dashcams in their vehicles.

Cut 4 (13) “…from lawsuit abuse.” (Mandates 5% premium discount for installing dashcams in trucks)

Landry also signed a bill that requires those who sue for bodily injury to prove that they were indeed injured in the crash in question.

Cut 5 (15) “…keeping that promise.”

Landry also signed the “no pay, no play” bill into law, limiting the damages that uninsured drivers can collect for bodily injury and medical expenses.

Cut 6 (11) “…pain and suffering.”

The other bills Landry signed were the ones that gives the insurance commissioner the authority to reject rate increases regardless of market conditions, one that bars drivers who are at least 51-percent at fault for a crash from collecting damages to cover the cost of their injuries, and one barring undocumented immigrants who are injured in crashes from collecting damages.

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A Senate bill that would reclassify Ivermectin, commonly used to treat parasitic infections, as an over-the-counter medication in Louisiana passed the House Health and Welfare committee on a 10-1 vote. Louisiana Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham supports the bill. He says Ivermectin as an over-counter drug would increase access and promote medical freedom.

Cut 7 (13) “…over-the-counter.”

Some people turned to Ivermectin during the COVID pandemic as a way to prevent and treat the virus. But the FDA never authorized that type of treatment for COVID. Pharmacist Dr. Jonathan Hartman says allowing people to use Ivermectin for other reasons than to treat a parasite would put pharmacists in a difficult position.

Cut 8 (12) “…of issues there.”

Abraham says the drug is proven to be extremely safe, and currently being used off-label by the general population from veterinarian supply stores.

Cut 9 (12)  “…wont hide something.”

The Senate approved bill heads to the House floor for more debate.

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The Louisiana House has approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would give voters the opportunity to decide if the mandatory retirement of judges should be raised from 70 to 75 years old. New Orleans Democrat Jason Hughes presented the bill on the House floor.

Cut 10 (09) “…to weigh in.”

The bill passed on an 81-16 vote. Amite Democrat Robby Carter spoke out against the proposal. Carter says it’s important a judge has a clear mind, because they make decisions that can significantly impact a person’s life. Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle questioned Carter about his logic.

Cut 11 (15) “…nursing homes already.”

Under current state law, a judge can serve on the bench beyond the age of 70 if their term does not expire until after the judge’s 70^th birthday. Kenner Republican Joe Stagni voted for the proposed constitutional amendment. He told Carter that voters can decide if an older person is not fit to be a judge.

Cut 12 (09) “…should be it.”

The proposal heads to the Senate. Earlier in the session, the upper chamber rejected a proposal to remove the mandatory retirement age for judges.

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Left lane hogs, now is the time to start changing your ways. Soon, it will be illegal to take up the left lane without passing another vehicle, regardless of the speed. The House passed Senate Bill 11 by Alexandria Democrat Jay Luneau, sending it to Governor Landry’s desk. Driving in the left lane without passing another vehicle is already against state law, but Tioga Republican Jason DeWitt says this bill makes an important change.

Cut 13 (08)  “…penalties to apply.” (Removes requirement that driver needs to be going 10 mph under posted speed limit for penalties to apply)

DeWitt says the change allows for better enforcement of the spirit of the law.

Cut 14 (08) “…the drivers create.”

The vote in the House was 78 to 15. Chalmette Republican Michael Bayham was one of the 15 who voted nay.

Cut 15 (03) “…them traffic tickets.”

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The biggest question mark heading into Friday’s NCAA Regional against Little Rock is who will LSU Coach Jay Johnson start on the mound? The Trojans enter the tournament with a losing record so LSU could hold its two best starting pitchers, Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson for games on Saturday and Sunday. But Joe Healy of D-1 Baseball dot com believes Johnson will go with Anderson, who has been the Friday night starter.

Cut 16 (08) “…line things up.”

Dallas Baptist is the two-seed in the Baton Rouge Regional. They have been good on offense, with nearly 100 home runs as a team and more than 100 stolen bases. The voice of Patriots baseball, Reagan Ragcliff, says D-B-U improved on the mound during the second half of the season.

Cut 17 (15)  “…tournament time.”

LSU did not use pitchers Zac Cowan or Casan Evans in the SEC Tournament. Tigers pitching coach Nate Yeskie both of them pitched a lot of high stress innings, so a little extra time off should help them.

Cut 18 (18)  “…breather too.”

LSU hosts Little Rock at 2 p-m. Dallas Baptist plays Rhode Island at 6:30.

With two weeks left in the legislative session, several bills dealing with the soaring cost of auto insurance in Louisiana have made their way to Governor Landry’s desk; and Wednesday morning, he signed six of them into law in a ceremony in the governor’s mansion. Among them is one that grants the insurance commissioner the authority to reject rate increases regardless of market conditions. It’s a bill that the state’s current insurance commissioner, Tim Temple, opposed.

Cut 4 (12) “…break their promises.”

Another bill that Landry signed is the one that bars drivers who are at least 51-percent at fault for a crash from collecting damages to cover the cost of their injuries. It’s something that the business community has been screaming for for years.

Cut 5 (09) “…fulfill that promise.”

A person who infects another person with an STD without their knowledge of the disease could face criminal charges under a bill approved by the House Criminal Justice Committee. It calls for felony charges for infecting someone with an incurable STD; for a curable disease, the charge would be a misdemeanor. Meghan Garvey from the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers testified against it.

Cut 11 (11) “…someone’s word.” 

A warning for all left-lane hogs – soon, it will be illegal to take up the left lane without passing another vehicle, regardless of the speed. Hogging the left lane is against the law, but Tioga Republican Jason DeWitt says Senate Bill 11 makes an important change.

Cut 13 (08)  “…penalties to apply.” 

The bill passed the House 78-to-15 and now heads to the governor’s desk.

In a ceremony in the governor’s mansion. Governor Landry signed six auto insurance reform bills into law. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The Shreveport Police Department is investigating a premature stillborn baby found in linens at Alsco Uniforms. The heavily decomposed infant was discovered by an employee unloading a delivery truck from Dallas. The baby was described as very small and nearly mummified. Authorities are working to determine the circumstances.

A statewide poll shows strong support for the App Store Accountability Act which requires parental approval for minors to download apps on their smart devices. Louisiana Family Forum CEO Gene Mills says the legislation seeks to protect children from harmful content, misleading ratings and exploitative contracts…

Cut 6 (12) “…40 apps a week.”

A Senate bill that restricts exit polling outside of voting locations to “bona fide news gathering organizations” received approval from the House on a 57-38 vote. It returns to the Senate for final approval of House changes.  Destrehan Representative Beth Anne Billings says organizations will have to get approval from the Secretary of State’s Office…

Cut 15 (12) “…collect information

A person who infects another person with a sexually transmitted disease could be charged criminally under a bill approved by the House Criminal Justice Committee. Monroe Representative Pat Moore says current Louisiana law only addresses H-I-V and her bill would include all sexually transmitted diseases that are incurable and punishment would be six months or more in prison…

Cut 10 (10) “…want to.”

Criminal defense attorneys oppose the measure as they believe it would be hard to prosecute. The bill heads to the House floor for more discussion.

Nearing final legislative passage is a bill that would only allow Bonafide news organizations to conduct exit polling outside of polling places on election day. Destrehan Representative Beth Anne Billings says a college student, a blogger, or influencer would not be able to conduct exiting polling…

Cut 14 (04) “….in this bill”

A poll shows strong support for the App Store Accountability Act which requires approval from parents for minors to download apps.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Monroe police say they’ve made an arrest in a brawl that involved several people in the parking lot of a Walmart over the Memorial Day weekend. Earlier today, Trace Castleberry, who is from Arkansas, was charged with second-degree battery. Monroe P-D says they are working to identify one other person involved in the brawl.

Governor Jeff Landry held a bill signing ceremony today where he signed several legal reform bills that he believes will lead to a reduction in frivolous lawsuits that have helped produce sky high auto insurance rates in Louisiana.

Landry also signed a bill that grants the insurance commissioner the authority to reject rate increases regardless of market conditions. It’s a bill that the state’s current insurance commissioner, Tim Temple, opposed.

Cut 4 (12) “…break their promises.”

Temple says his office already has the power to reject rates and changes to the law will result in overregulation.

A Senate bill that restricts exit polling outside of voting locations to “bona fide news gathering organizations” received approval from the House on a 57-38 vote. Destrehan Representative Beth Anne Billings…

Cut 13 (09) “…non destructive manner”

The House Criminal Justice Committee approves a bill that would make it a crime to infect another person with a sexually transmitted disease. It would be a felony if the S-T-D is non-curable. The measure passed on a seven to five vote. Meghan Garvey from the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defensive Lawyers doesn’t see how you can prosecute this proposed law…

Cut 12 (12) “…what’s first”

The measure heads to the House floor and it still needs Senate approval too.

The Louisiana House has approved a bill that would create the App Store Accountability Act, which would require parental approval for minors to download apps on their smart devices. Opponents say the bill creates new data privacy and security problems and it doesn’t address that children can access harmful content on websites. But Louisiana Family Forum CEO Gene Mills says parents want Big Tech to put technology in place to make sure they approve their kids app downloads…

Cut 8 (11) “…not with my child.”

Governor Landry signed six auto insurance reform bills into law this morning. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

A person who infects another person with a sexually transmitted disease could be charged criminally under a bill approved by the House Criminal Justice Committee. Monroe Representative Pat Moore has spent the last six weeks trying to get this proposal out of committee…

Cut 9 (08)  “…incurable diseases.”

Moore says current Louisiana law only addresses HIV.

A statewide poll shows strong support for the App Store Accountability Act which would require parental consent before minors could download apps.  Louisiana Family Forum CEO Gene Mills says it would also ensure accurate age ratings and require the app stores to implement one-time age verification.

Cut 7 (11) “…parental consent.”

The bill, authored by Mandeville Representative Kim Carver heads to the Senate Commerce Committee.

LSU Baseball is hosting its 28^th Regional this weekend and its first since 2023. Designated Hitter Ethan Frey from Rosepine was a freshman on that team and is excited to experience postseason baseball at the Box once again….

Cut 17 (12)  “…every game.”

Several bills addressing the high cost of auto insurance in Louisiana have made their way to Governor Landry’s desk and at a ceremony in the governor’s mansion, he signed six of them into to law this morning. Landry said insurance companies make more money in Louisiana than in other states.

Cut 3 (13) “…in the country.”

These bills grant the insurance commissioner authority to reject rate increases regardless of market conditions, bar drivers 51-percent at fault or higher from collecting damages to cover their injuries and bar undocumented immigrants from collecting damages.

A bill that would require app stores to obtain parental consent before a minor could download an app passed the house. Louisiana Family Forum CEO Gene Mills supports  The App Store Accountability Act.

Cut 6 (12) “…40 apps a week.”

While at least fourteen people face charges for helping some of the ten inmates in their escape from the Orleans Parish Jail, two people are being charged for helping Tra’von Johnson escape the Tangipahoa Parish Jail last week. Johnson was recaptured last Friday and 37-year-old Dameon Booth who was reportedly with Johnson when he was recaptured has been arrested charged with principal to simple escape and aggravated escape. Another inmate, 28-year-old Trevon Wallace allegedly helped Johnson over the fence also faces charges for his role. More arrests may be coming as deputies are searching for others who may have been involved in this escape.

A statewide ban on kratom is now one signature from Governor Landry away from becoming reality. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

It’s been a historic season for LSU Shreveport and the Pilots can make more history today. If LSU S wins tonight, it will be their 57^th straight victory which will tie the all-time college win streak set by Howard College in Texas. LSU-S will play at 8:30 central time in Lewiston, Idaho.

The ULM School of Education earned an A+ rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality for its elementary math teacher preparation, one of only four Louisiana universities to achieve this distinction. This follows ULM’s prior A+ rating in Reading Foundations. School of Education Associate Director Dr. Shalanda Stanley

Cut 5 (10) “…student performance.”

She says the difference is shortening the gap between learning how and actually practicing with students getting hundreds of hours of field experience prior to full-time teaching.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network held Cancer Action Day at the Capitol. Louisiana Government Relations Director for the ACS CAN Alice Kline says the rally was to advocate for increasing funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

Cut 10 (10) “…so heavily.”