The defense attorney for Cardell Hayes, the man charged in the murder of former Saints defensive end Will Smith, says once the truth comes out, his client will be found not guilty. John Fuller says a witness will back up Hayes’ story that he did not provoke the shooting….:
CUT 1 (16) “…she witness”
Fuller added witnesses has given him plenty of information to prove that his client is legally not guilty.

Louisiana breaks the tourism record for the fourth year in a row, according to Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser. In 2015, Louisiana welcomed almost 29 million visitors, who spent over $11 billion. Nungesser says the state needs tourism dollars to help resolve the budget problems…:
Cut 14 (09) “that gap”

House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry believes lawmakers can fund the TOPS scholarship program without raising additional taxes. Governor John Bel Edwards proposed budget for next fiscal year calls for a 183 million dollars cut to the state-funded scholarship program, because of a large revenue shortfall. But Henry says the state has enough money to fund TOPS…:
CUT 7 (08) “TOPS”
Under current rules, if no more money is allocated to TOPS then only students with an ACT of 27 or higher would be eligible for TOPS.

A Senate panel approved, without objection, a measure that would expand the number of diseases medical marijuana can be used to treat. The measure now goes to the full Senate.

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed an executive order that bans discrimination against members of the LGBT community who work for the state, or who receive state services or benefits. Matthew Patterson with Equality Louisiana says this new order also includes gender-identity, making this the first order protecting transgender individuals in the state.

cut 16 (09) “included here”

Similar orders were signed by former Democratic governors, but they were limited to sexual orientation.

A proposed constitutional amendment to allow non-felons to carry concealed hand guns without a permit was shot down by the House Criminal Justice committee. Victoria Joy with Louisiana Violence Reduction Coalition says it would let people with a dangerous arrest record conceal a gun.

CUT 9 (10) “do so”

Peter Thomson, the attorney for the family of the former-Saints player who was shot and killed, says he wants to clear up lies being spread by the defense lawyer of Cardell Hayes. Thomson says the gun found in Will Smith’s vehicle was never removed from the car…:

cut 14 (09)  “a firearm”

Thomson says after the killer shot Smith, he showed no remorse and actually stood over Smith’s dead body and kept yelling.

The House Health and Welfare Committee approved a proposal to allow farmers to sell raw milk. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says drinking raw milk is not safe because of bacteria it contains. But Sierra Majors of Melville says consuming raw milk is not dangerous.

CUT 6 (06) “the market”

The bill now heads to the House floor.

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved a bill to allow for the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk. Sierra Majors of Melville says people should have the right to choose if they want to drink raw milk.

CUT 5 (06)  “first place”

But Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says the bacteria in milk can cause a wide range of diseases. He says those bacteria need to be killed before the milk is consumed.

CUT 8 (10) “salmonella”

The bill now heads to the Senate floor.

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed an executive order protecting members of the LGBT community from discrimination in state government. The order also included gender-identity, making it the first order protecting transgender people in Louisiana.

The Senate has approved a bill to increase the fine for texting or using social media while driving from $175 to $500. West Monroe Senator Mike Walsworth added an amendment to the bill to increase the penalties for minors because he says sometimes a fine is not enough to get their attention.

CUT 4 (06)  “60 days”

The bill now heads to the House for more debate.

A House committee shot down a proposal that would allow gun owners to carry concealed firearms without a permit. A volunteer with the Louisana Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, spoke out against the legislation…
cut 10 (10) “…daily basis”
The House Criminal Justice Committee unanimously rejected the proposal.

The family attorney for former Saints player Will Smith, who was shot and killed says the shooting was intentional and Smith’s wife Racquel was shot twice. Peter Thomson says he wants to clear up lies being spread by the defense lawyer of Cardell Hayes. Thomson says Hayes claims that there was a hit and run Magazine Street are false.
cut 12 (07) “to that car”

Thomson says the Hummer later violently rammed the back of Smith’s car, and that’s when the altercation started.

Governor Edwards has signed an executive order to ban discrimination against those in the LGBT community who work for the state or receive state benefits. Matthew Patterson with Equality Louisiana says this is a historic day for Louisiana.
cut 15 (06) “this minute”

Patterson says this new order also includes gender-identity.

A Senate committee has approvoved a measure to allow the sale of raw milk. Halen Doughty has more…
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The Senate approves a bill to up the fine for using social media or texting for while driving from $175 to $500 for the first offense. The fine goes up to 1,000 dollars for any following offenses. Author of the legislation Baton Rouge Senator Yvonne Colomb says there isn’t a fine for voice texting. West Monroe Senator Mike Walsworth added an amendment to increase the penalties for minors by suspending their drivers license.

The attorney for the family of Will Smith said the former Saints star was shot 8 times and the lawyer for the accused shooter is spreading lies about what happened. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed an executive order that bans discrimination against members of the LGBT community who work for the state, or who receive state services or benefits. Gender-identity is also included, making this the first order protecting transgender individuals in the state.

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved a bill to allow for the sale of raw milk. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says drinking raw milk is dangerous because milk contains bacteria that are killed through pasteurization. But Sierra Majors of Melville says raw milk is perfectly safe.

CUT 6 (06) “the market”

The bill now heads to the Senate floor.

The House Criminal Justice Committee shot down a proposed constitutional amendment to allow non-felons carry concealed weapons without a permit. Author of the legislation, Baton Rouge Rep. Barry Ivey, tried to make the case that the bill would not put guns in the hands of dangerous criminals. He says most of these same arguments were made before Louisiana passed the open carry law.

Cut 11 (09) “that’s nationally”

The lawyer for former Saints defensive end Will Smith says the ex football player was not holding a gun, when he was fatally shot after his vehicle was hit from behind. Peter Thomson held a 25 minute press conference today talking about what happened Saturday night…
cut 14 (09) “….a firearm”
The man accused of killing Smith says he was not the aggressor in this situation.

A House committee shot down a proposal that would allow gun owners to carry concealed firearms without a permit. A volunteer with the Louisana Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, spoke out against the legislation…
cut 10 (10) “…daily basis”
The House Criminal Justice Committee unanimously rejected the proposal.

Governor John Bel Edwards signs an executive order that protects state employees and employees of state contractors from discrimation based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Matthew Patterson with Equality Louisiana says this is the first order signed by a Louisiana governor that protects transgender individuals…
cut 16 (09) “….included here”

The Senate has approved a bill to increase the fine for texting or using social media while driving from $175 to $500 for the first offense. The fine goes up to $1,000 for subsequent offenses. Baton Rouge Senator Yvonne Colomb says there will not be a fine for voice texting….
cut 3 (06) “…the wheel” (2x)
The bill heads to the House for more discussion.

The lawyer for the family of Will Smith, Peter Thomson, says the defense attorney in the murder case of the former Saints player is not being truthful about the facts. Thomson says there was no hit and run. He says the Hummer rammed the back of Smith’s vehicle when the two men got into an altercation. He says Smith was walking back to his vehicle:
CUT 13 (11) “8 times”
He says Raqucel Smith was also shot in both legs. Cardell Hayes is charged with second degree murder.

Another person has died as a result of the truck and lawnmower collision in Rayne. Cops say a vehicle hit the lawnmower that was carrying a person on the hood and pulling a wheelchair from behind. The driver of the mower died on scene. The latest victim is 17-year-old Joshua James Bourque. There is no indication of whether or not someone will be charged in the incident.

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved a measure to allow for the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk. Halen Doughty has more…:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed an executive order that bans discrimination against members of the LGBT community who work for the state, or who receive state services or benefits. Matthew Patterson with Equality Louisiana says it’s a great day, and a historic day, for Louisiana…:
cut 15 (06) “this minute”

The attorney for the family of Will Smith said the former Saints player was shot 8 times in the back, Smith’s wife Racquel was hit twice and that the shooting was intentional. Peter Thomson says he wants to clear up lies being spread by the defense lawyer of Cardell Hayes. Thomson says there was no hit and run. He says the Hummer suddenly stopped in the road forcing Smith to slam on his breaks
CUT 12 (08) “they continued”
Thomson says the Hummer later violently rammed the back of Smith’s car, the two got into an altercation and that’s when Smith was shot 8 times in the back.

A proposed constitutional amendment to allow non-felons to carry concealed hand guns without a permit was shot down by the House Criminal Justice committee. Victoria Joy with the Louisiana Violence Reduction Coalition says this measure could allow dangerous people to carry loaded, hidden weapons in public with no safety training…:
CUT 9 (03) “dangerous bill”

A bill that would allow the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk barely advances in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Sierra Majors of Melville says people should have the right to choose if they want to drink raw milk. She says many of our parents enjoyed raw milk their whole lives…:
CUT 5 (06) “first place”
But Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says drinking raw milk is not safe..:
CUT 7 (09) “pasteurized milk”
The vote moves to the Senate floor on a 3-2 vote.

The attorney for the family of Will Smith is expected to make a statement at this hour. The former Saints player was gunned down and the man New Orleans cops say is the shooter, Cardell Hayes, is essentially claiming it was self defense. Legal analyst Chick Foret says the dynamic of the case could change now that cops revealed a loaded 9mm was located in Smith’s vehicle…:
CUT 10 (06) “at best”
Surveillance video also shows that a hit and run that took place prior to the shooting appears to be Smith rear-ending Hayes before driving off.

Lawmakers want to crack down on texting while driving and the Senate sent a bill to the lower chamber that would increase the fine for a first offense to $500. The penalty goes up to $1000 for other offenses. West Monroe Senator Mike Walsworth changed the bill with an amendment aimed at making the penalty stiff enough to get minors’ attention…:
CUT 4 (06) “60 days”

Rayne Police say a second person has died as a result from injuries sustained in a incident where a truck crashed into a lawnmower occupied by three people – the driver, someone on the hood of the tractor and a man in a wheelchair being pulled from behind. They say the driver died at the scene Sunday evening — 41-year-old Wilbert Bourque of Rayne. The second victim is 19-year-old Joshua James Bourque. They have not said whether anyone would be cited in the incident.

The US Department of Labor has provided Louisiana with a $1.7 million disaster assistance grant to create temporary jobs in the state to assist with cleanup efforts. Halen Doughty has more..:
CUT 1 (27) “I’m Halen Doughty”

A bill that would require businesses to pay men and women the same for similar work passed in the Senate with a 28-10 vote. Businesses groups oppose the bill, saying it could result in unnecessary litigation. New Orleans Senator JP Morrell says he worked with business lobbyists to address those concerns…:
Cut 15 (06) “lawsuits”
The measure heads to the House, where it faces an uncertain fate.

The annual debate is underway in a Senate committee over whether raw milk should be sold in Louisiana. This bill has not been able to pass in previous years, because of safety issues. But Audry Salvador of Sulphur says the safety concerns have been exaggerated by the opposition…
cut 6 (10) “….the lies”
Supporters also say Louisiana is one of just eight states that make it illegal.

Legislation is heading to the Senate floor that give motorcyclists 21 and over the option of wearing a helmet. Currently, all motorcycle riders must wear a helmet. Randy Postlewait with a motorcycle group says motorcyclists should make the decision regarding helmets, not the government…
cut 8 (11) “…protected citizens”
Governor John Bel Edwards says he does not support this legislation.

The Senate has approved a bill to increase the fine for texting or using social media while driving from $175 to $500 for the first offense. The fine goes up to $1,000 for subsequent offenses. Baton Rouge Senator Yvonne Colomb says there will not be a fine for voice texting….
cut 3 (06) “…the wheel” (2x)
The bill also calls for the suspension of a minor’s driver license if they are convicted two or more times for this offense.